The fitness world is full of highly contested and debatable topics. Among those that are highly debated is which part of working out is the most important - Frequency, Volume, or Intensity? Let’s take a look to see if we can provide some clarity and direction for those of you wading through all of the differing information out there.
First, it’s important to understand what each of those terms mean in relation to training:
Frequency: How often you train. For example, working out 5 days per week is more frequency than working out 3 days per week.
Volume: This is the total amount of work performed during a workout or over the course of your routine. It is a combination of how many exercises, sets, and reps you perform. For example, 10 sets of 5 reps performed in a session is less volume than 10 sets of 10 reps performed.
Intensity: How close to maximal effort you are exerting. For example, training to rep failure is considered high intensity as is lifting 90% of your max.
At the end of the day, all of these are important aspects of a well-balanced exercise program. Is one more important than the others? Yes. But it will change based on where you are in your fitness journey. Frequency will start as the most important aspect of a fitness program. As you progress and become stronger and more in shape, frequency will decline in importance and volume/intensity will begin to become more important.
Why is frequency so important at the beginning? There are a few reasons.
Building the habit: Anyone who has started working out knows that the first few months are critical in building the addiction. Every day you miss makes it easier to skip the next workout. Maintaining a high frequency for the first few months will help reinforce the habit and make it more likely that it will become part of your lifestyle.
Beginner gains: When you first start working out, you are more likely to make progress at a faster rate than someone who has been training long term. Training as often as possible will ensure you are taking advantage of this as much as possible at the beginning. Seeing such fast progress will be highly motivating, once again reinforcing the exercise habit.
Faster recovery: Similar to beginner gains, your body will recover much faster when you first start working out. It may not feel that way due to soreness levels, but those soreness levels are due to lactic acid, not poor recovery. High frequency training plans will help take advantage of your ability to recover faster when you first start out.
These benefits, unfortunately, will only last for so long. There is no set rule for how long you can expect to benefit either, but our recommendation is to put priority on frequency for a minimum of 3 months, but you may be able to keep that focus for up to a year depending on your age and genetics.
An important note to consider is that all three aspects are interrelated. The higher the frequency, the lower the intensity and volume must be. You can’t have all three maximized without running yourself into the ground. With this in mind, it is important that while the emphasis is on frequency to ensure you are not at peak volume or intensity. For example, if you are working out every single day, there is no need for 2-hour workouts that involve lifting maximal weights. The focus should be on more frequent, shorter, less intense workouts.
Ok, so you have prioritized frequency and have been going strong. When does frequency become less important than the other two? While it does depend on the individual, our recommendation is to start prioritizing the other two when training no longer feels like a chore; when you are excited to go and are disappointed on off days. The amount of time it takes for each person to reach this point will vary but we have found this usually happens somewhere between 3-12 months.
Once you have reached that point, what becomes most important? This is a much more complicated question, and the answer is, once again… it depends. At this point, with your newfound love of fitness, we recommend playing around with the different aspects to find what works best for you. Some people see great success keeping to the frequent, short, low intensity workouts while others find that adding volume and reducing the number of training days works best for them. It is really important to start tracking workouts to measure progress over time. As long as you are making consistent, measurable progress then you are on the right track. Feel free to adjust as needed until you find what works best for you and your schedule. Have fun with it!
One last note. Most of this applies to lifting weights in some form. Cardio (Walking, jogging, sled dragging, etc.) should be incorporated as frequently as possible even if your training routine would otherwise be considered high volume or high intensity. Cardio work is great for active recovery and is important for general health which is what we are after.
TLDR:
Prioritize frequency and workout as often as possible when you first start.
When you start to love working out, play with adjusting frequency, volume, and intensity.
Track your workouts to ensure you are making progress.
Only adjust when progress stops. Slow progress is still progress.
Don’t neglect routine conditioning no matter what. It’s good for you and your recovery.