Maximum workout time per day

UNLESS YOU'RE LUCKY enough to work out for a living, you might find it challenging to try to fit your training into your day-to-day life.

How long should you workout a day to build muscle

Balancing your job, family, other hobbies, and much-needed down-time can leave little room for exercise, depending on what you prioritize. So if you want it all—great relationships, success at work, and some size and strength—how much time do you need to schedule in for the gym?

Unfortunately, there’s no magical “hour and a half” or some other answer, says Mike Nelson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., an associate professor at the Carrick Institute.

Getting results in the gym, on the bike, on the track, or wherever else you get sweaty is less about a set period of time than it is about the work you're able to accomplish, he says.

Shawn Arent, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., chair of the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina, agrees: “You need to be less caught up on time, and more about what you’re doing in that time,” he says.

The more quality work you can fit into your session—no matter its length—the

how long should we workout a day

how long should you exercise a day