To maintain or improve your health, adults need to do aerobic and strength exercises every week.
As a minimum adults aged 19-64 should try to be active daily and should do:
- at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, and
- strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
or
- 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, and
- strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
or
- A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week. For example, two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, and
- strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
One way you can achieve 150 minutes of weekly physical activity is to do 30 minutes on 5 days a week.
Aerobic activities
Aerobic physical activity helps to protect and maintain heart, lung and circulatory health, thereby reducing your risk of ill health as well as enhancing your mental health and wellbeing and helping you to maintain a healthy body weight.
What counts as moderate activity?
Moderate aerobic activity will increase your heart rate and make you breathe faster than normal and feel warmer. This can include:
It can also include more simple things like pushing a lawnmower, painting and decorating or heavy gardening.
Anything that isn't intense enough to increase your heart rate and breathing speed, like day to day housework or cooking, doesn't count towards your recommended amount of activity, although if it breaks up long periods of sitting it is still beneficial.
One way to tell if you're working at a moderate level is to try the ‘walkie, talkie test’. For example when walking briskly if you can still talk, but you can't sing the words to a song you are working at a moderate intensity. However if you are struggling to say more than a few words between breaths then you are likely to be working vigorously.
What counts as vigorous activity?
Vigorous physical activity can bring health benefits over and above that of moderate activity. During vigorous physical activity your heart will beat faster and your breathing rate will also increase. You’ll know when you are being vigorously active as, unlike moderate activity you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. They’ll be no singing during the ‘walkie talkie test’.
Moderate and vigorous intensity is subjective, what is moderate to one person may be vigorous to another. It all depends on how fit you are. Generally, the types of activity that require vigorous effort for most people include:
In general, 75 minutes of vigorous activity can give similar health benefits to 150 minutes of moderate activity. Or simply one minute of vigorous is equal to two minutes of moderate activity. Therefore, the more you do, the greater the benefit to your health.
Muscle strengthening activities
Muscle strength is necessary in order to build and maintain strong bones so that we can easily do everyday tasks. It also regulates blood sugar and blood pressure and helps us to maintain a healthy weight.
Muscle strengthening activities are counted in repetitions and sets. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like a bicep curl, sit-up or push-up. A set is a group of repetitions. Muscle strengthening activities are not considered an aerobic activity, so should be done in addition to them.
Muscle strengthening activities may sound like they have to be intense, however activities focused on improving flexibility and mobility in your muscles also count towards your recommended amount. As long as you start off slowly and at pace that feels comfortable you can build up to more intense strengthening or muscle building activity if you wish.
Strength exercises include:
Some activities count as both an aerobic activity and a muscle-strengthening activity, such as:
- circuit training
- aerobics
- running
A/Prof Prue Cormie, Chair, COSA Exercise and Cancer Group, and Principal Research Fellow – Exercise Oncology, Australian Catholic University, NSW; Rebecca Cesnik, Accredited Exercise Physiologist, ACT; Dr Nicolas Hart, Senior Research Fellow, Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cancer Council WA; Stephanie Lamb, Life Now Project Officer, Cancer Council WA; John Odd, Consumer; Sharni Quinn, Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Chris Sibthorpe, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Queensland; Jane Turner, Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Concord Cancer Centre, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, NSW.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
Medically reviewed by Jake Tipane, CPT — By Daniel Yetman on May 28, 2020
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When many people think of working out, they think of aerobic exercises like jogging or biking. These types of exercises are important for strengthening your heart and lungs, but a complete training program should also include strength exercises, flexibility training, and balance training.
Regular strength training improves the health of your bones, muscles, and connective tissue. Building stronger muscles also raises your metabolic rate and helps you maintain a healthy weight. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends strength training two or more times per week for optimal health.
There are many ways to structure a strength training program, but many people find it helpful to pair certain muscle groups together. Working out different body parts on different days gives your muscles more rest between workouts and helps you prevent overtraining.
In this article, we’re going to look at which muscles groups you may want to combine. We’ll also provide you with samples of how you could set up your weekly training schedule.
There are three types of muscles in your body: cardiac, smooth, and skeletal. Cardiac muscles are the muscles that control your heart. Smooth muscles control involuntary functions like constricting your blood vessels. Skeletal muscles are the muscles that you target in the gym that help your body move. They make up about 40 percent of your body weight.
Many fitness experts often consider these to be the major muscle groups in your body:
- chest
- back
- arms
- abdominals
- legs
- shoulders
Some people also divide these muscle groups into more specific categories such as:
Working multiple muscles
Few exercises truly isolate only one muscle group. For example, the biceps curl is one of the most common exercises to strengthen the biceps in the front of your upper arm. However, several other muscles also help your body flex at the elbow including brachialis, which is beneath your biceps, and brachioradialis, which is a large muscle in your forearm. Other stabilizer muscles need to brace your shoulder and core so you can efficiently lift the weight.
When designing your program, you may find some exercises fit into more than one category. In general, the more joints that bend in an exercise, the more muscle groups you’re using.
There’s no right way to group your muscles together. You may want to experiment with a few different pairings until you find one that works best for you. If you’re training for general fitness, you can follow a program that balances all the different muscle groups. If you’re training for a sport, you may benefit from emphasizing certain muscle groups frequently used in your sport.
Many people find it helpful to pair muscle groups that are close together. For instance, you may want to pair your shoulders and arms together since many exercises, such as rows, use both body parts.
The primary benefit of splitting different muscle groups onto different days is your ability to give each muscle more rest. For example, if you’re training on a weekly schedule and have one leg day per week, your legs have seven days to recover between sessions.
Examples for beginners
Here’s one example of how you could combine your muscle groups together using the six basic groups we listed above:
- Day 1: chest and shoulders
- Day 2: legs
- Day 3: back, abdominals, and arms
If you’re only planning on lifting twice per week, a good way to structure your workouts may be:
- Day 1: chest, arms, and shoulders
- Day 2: legs, back and abdominals
If you’re a beginner, sticking to those six basic muscle groups is enough to build a great workout plan that can help you improve your fitness.
Example for advanced lifters
If you’ve already been lifting for a while, you may want to be more specific with the muscles you target when building your program.
Here’s an example of how you could combine muscle groups using the more detailed groups we outlined:
- Day 1: chest, shoulders, triceps, forearms
- Day 2: calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes
- Day 3: biceps, back, abdominals, traps, lats
You don’t necessarily need a separate exercise for each muscle group. For example, squatting uses your:
- hamstrings
- quadriceps
- glutes
- back
- abdominals
The American Heart Association recommends taking at least two days between lilting sessions to give your body time to recover. Many people find they like strength training three times a week.
Here’s an example of how you could structure your weekly schedule:
Monday: arms and shoulders
- push-ups: 3 sets of 8 reps
- biceps curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
- shoulder press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- bench dips: 2 sets of 12 reps
- lateral raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
Wednesday: legs
- barbell back squats: 3 sets of 8 reps
- dumbbell lunges: 2 sets of 10 reps
- Romanian deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 reps
- step-ups: 2 sets of 12 reps
- calve raises: 3 sets of 12 reps
Friday: back, chest, and abdominals
- dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 8 reps
- dumbbell fly: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- bicycle crunches: 3 sets of 20 reps
- one-arm dumbbell rows: 3 sets of 8 reps
- dumbbell bent-over rows: 3 sets of 8 reps
- crunches: 3 sets of 20 reps
When you think of strength training, you may think you need dumbbells or barbells. However, resistance training comes in many forms such as:
- resistance band exercises
- medicine ball exercises
- bodyweight exercises
- free weights
- machine exercises
If you want to include free weight training into your program, it’s a good idea to stick to a weight you can lift comfortably for 12 to 15 repetitions. As you get stronger, you can lower the number of reps and increase the weight.
Here’s an example of some exercises you can perform to target each muscle group.
Chest
- Bench press: You can use a barbell or dumbbells. It’s a good idea to have a partner spot you in case you get stuck.
- Push-ups: Increasing the width of your hands puts an emphasis on your chest muscles
- Band chest press: Hook a band with handles behind you and push away from your body as if you’re passing a basketball.
Back
- One-arm dumbbell row: Helps strengthen your upper back, shoulder, and upper arms.
- Resistance band pull apart: Hold a resistance band with your hands shoulder-width apart. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together as you pull the band.
- Superman: To make the exercise harder, you can hold a weight in your hands over your head.
Arms
- Biceps curls: If you don’t have access to dumbbells, you can use soup cans or other heavy household objects.
- Triceps dips:Works both your triceps and chest.
- Pull-ups:Pull-ups work your upper back, shoulders, core, and arms.
Abdominal
- Plank: Support yourself on your forearms and toes with your abdominals and core flexed.
- Bicycle crunches: The twisting motion in this exercise helps target the muscles at the side of your core called your obliques.
- Hanging leg raises: You can start with your knees at 90 degrees for an easier variation and progress to straight legs as the exercise becomes more difficult.
Legs
- Squat:You can perform bodyweight squats, use dumbbells, or a barbell.
- Lunges: There are many variations of the lunge including walking dumbbell lunges, reverse lunges, and barbell lunges.
- Calf raises:You can start with your body weight and add weight as they become easier.
Shoulders
- Seated shoulder press: It’s a good idea to have a partner help you get the weights into place to avoid injuring your shoulders.
- Resistance band shoulder press: You can stand in the middle of a large resistance band with handles and push your hands toward the ceiling.
- Plank with arms straight: This exercise helps work your core, shoulders, and back.
Although some people enjoy the freedom of creating their own workout plans, you may also find that you’d rather work with a certified personal trainer or another fitness expert. A personal trainer can show you how to perform exercises with proper technique so you can safely do them on your own later.
Some people find hiring a personal trainer helps them stay motivated and makes working out more fun. A trainer can keep you accountable and make sure that you’re working at an appropriate intensity for your current fitness level.
There are many ways you can structure your weekly workout to get results. Many people find it helpful to separate their strength training workouts by muscle group to give their muscles more time to recover. It’s a good idea to give yourself a two-day break between strength training workouts to avoid overtraining.
If you don’t have access to a gym, there are plenty of great strength training exercises you can do at home using household items, resistance bands, or your body weight.
Before every strength training workout, it’s a good idea to take at least 10 minutes to warm up and concentrate on good technique.
Last medically reviewed on May 28, 2020