Have you ever thought about training twice a day?
But that doesn't mean you should laugh at this concept at all. Exercising twice a day has its benefits if you know how to make the right schedule to stay safe.Benefits of training twice a day
One of the most obvious benefits of two-day workouts is that you experience more activity than if you only trained once. The time spent in a sitting position is a clear risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease and an increase in waist circumference. So if you can increase your daily activity, that's good.
But increasing your overall daily activity isn't the only potential benefit. Training twice a day is great for improving overall performance.
Training twice in the same day can cause accelerated muscle growth and increased strength. Training volume is an important factor for almost all fitness goals, and training several times a day allows you to increase volume, increasing protein synthesis, metabolic capacity and anabolic output.
In other words, if you program classes twice a day correctly, it can help you achieve your goals faster. Also, you may find that two shorter workouts are better suited to your schedule than one longer one.
Disadvantages
Apart from the fact that double the amount of training means double the amount of sweat-soaked underwear, the main problem with two workouts a day is that increasing the amount of training increases the risk of overtraining.
Exercise is considered a form of physical stress, and while this type of stress encourages physical adaptation that supports comprehensive good health, adding too much exercise at once can prove problematic.
This can put a lot of strain on your neuromuscular system, increasing the likelihood of injury, disrupting sleep patterns, suppressing your immune system and causing many other symptoms if you don't take the time to properly recover.
As they say, there is never too much good. So keep an eye on what you're doing and how your body feels. Don't try to push yourself beyond what you can handle.
Advice for beginners
Anyone new to training or anyone who has taken a break from regular training for several weeks or months should not switch to two-day training.
There is no guarantee that you will gain muscle mass or burn fat faster or more efficiently if you exercise twice a day, especially if you are a beginner.
People who get the most benefit from this type of training are specially preparing for competitions or events, or those who train regularly and are looking for a way to increase the load in such a way that it naturally fits their schedule.
Not to mention the fact that most people who practice twice a day do it under the guidance of a coach. This helps ensure that potential disadvantages of overtraining and injury risk are monitored and managed appropriately.
How to Add More Movement to Your Day
If you are new to training or after a break, the best way to exercise twice a day is simply to look for ways to increase your overall level of daily activity. This doesn't mean that you go to the gym and pull iron for 30 minutes and then come back later in the day for a run on the treadmill. Rather, it's all about finding ways to stay active throughout the day. For example:
Use a foam roller at night if you have been doing morning strength training. Rolling can reduce soreness, reduce inflammation, and increase range of motion.
Turn on the music while doing your usual chores around the house, and dance on the go. This will increase your heart rate and provide a little extra cardio, especially if you did yoga or Pilates at the beginning of the day.
Try taking a 10-minute walk with your family after dinner. After that, spend a few minutes stretching, especially if you don't have time to stretch right after your workout.
Small periods of activity during the day can be a useful way to gradually increase the load over time. Just remember to do it slowly and listen to your body's signals.
How to plan workouts twice a day
Of course, no one wants to get sick or get injured. If you have been training regularly for at least six months and plan to train twice a day, you still need to execute your plan wisely.
Take a break between medium-intensity workouts for at least six hours. So if you finished your first workout at 8 a.m., you shouldn't start your next workout until at least 2 p.m. For higher intensity classes, take more time between workouts.
Participate in strenuous workouts at the beginning of the day and less demanding exercises during the second workout. This keeps you on a constant schedule and promotes further recovery after your first, more difficult routine.
Do longer workouts at the beginning of the day and shorter workouts later. Excessive sweating in the morning can improve your mental health and increase productivity during the day.
Give preference to nutrition and hydration between workouts to prepare your body for the second workout. Again, this supports recovery between and after sessions.
Add sleep to your day to facilitate rest and recovery — sleep is crucial for productivity. In addition, daytime sleep can increase creativity, reduce stress and increase alertness.
Start slowly. The more advanced you are, the more days in a row you can practice twice a day.
Increase your calorie and nutrient intake on rest days to facilitate recovery, and make sure you pay attention to your sleep and stress management. Consider also adding massage therapy or meditation to your recovery days.
Result
If you decide to try to train twice a day, take your time. Do not start with more than two consecutive days of exercise twice a day and reduce the overall intensity for a few weeks before increasing your efforts. It takes time to get used to new stressors, so be smart and give yourself time to adjust.
