Why I Didn't Give My Client A 4th Workout...
Last month, one of my clients hit a huge milestone: he worked his way up to three workouts a week.
When we first started, he was exercising maybe once a week — sometimes not at all. Together, we built momentum:
First, just showing up for our weekly personal training session.
Then, adding a 20-minute at-home workout with bands and dumbbells.
Finally, he recruited a friend to join him at his local gym, locking in that third weekly workout.
For the past month, he’s nailed this routine every single week. That’s no small accomplishment.
Recently, he asked if he should add a fourth workout.
My answer? Not yet.
Instead, I told him we should look at other areas of his lifestyle that could unlock even better results from the effort he’s already putting in. Exercise is powerful, but its returns can plateau if the rest of your life isn’t supporting it.
So, we shifted the conversation. We talked about:
How improving his sleep habits could give him more energy and faster recovery between workouts.
How increasing his protein intake, even on non-training days, could help him build and maintain muscle.
Would a fourth workout help? Sure — a little.
But improving these lifestyle factors might help even more.
The takeaway: You don’t always need to do more workouts to get better results. Sometimes the best way to level up your fitness is to strengthen the foundation that supports your training — sleep, nutrition, stress, and recovery.