Fitness
People Are Doing 'Two-A-Day' Workouts for Better Results: 'Let's Get Right for Summer'
Exercise enthusiasts, listen up! If you’re working toward a fitness goal, you’re likely game to introduce something new into your routine to shake things up and speed up your progress. Well, there’s a fitness trend people on TikTok swear by to get better results at the gym: “two-a-day” workouts. This training method calls for you to split a longer workout into two shorter sessions in one day, where you can potentially focus on different muscle groups and enjoy a solid rest in between.
Now, you may be thinking, “I have a hard enough time keeping up with working out once a day, and you’re suggesting twice a day?” Hear us out. We spoke with a fitness pro and learned the many advantages of working out two times a day. As with any new tweak in your workouts, this particular method may not be for everyone. Check it out, consider chatting with a personal trainer, and decide for yourself.
How to plan a “two-a-day” workout:
Doing two workouts in one day can be incredibly beneficial compared to a single session. “The primary advantage is being able to hit multiple types of workouts in a single day,” explains Tyler Read, BSc, CPT, the founder of PTPioneer.com and a personal trainer who has been involved in the health and fitness world for the past 15 years.
An example would be splitting it up into two separate workouts instead of performing a “marathon workout” of 90 to 120 minutes. Consider working on two different body parts, or perform cardio for one session and lift weights for session number two.
“Similarly, skill-based athletes can perform a skill-based workout (i.e., soccer training) in one session and then strength training in a different section, allowing more focus and recovery for each workout,” Read points out.
TikTok user and online fitness coach George (@georgegatsby3) shared his two-a-day workout routine in a video, explaining, “because I wanted to get really right for summer.” He noted he also wanted to “test himself” because he hadn’t performed two-a-days in a while. His morning routine consists of a protein shake, creatine, and 6 a.m. cardio and ab training. The afternoon routine is all about weight training to build muscle.
How two-a-day workouts can help you achieve better results:
Depending on what you’re looking to achieve, doing two-a-day workouts can be very beneficial. Read explains, “[Two-a-days can help you hit] smaller muscle groups you don’t have time or energy for during your current lifting sessions. As mentioned, if you are an athlete splitting up strength and conditioning from your technique/skill-focused training, this is also a wise move.”
That being said, in some cases, two-a-day workouts that highlight different fitness goals could clash. Read provides an example: If you’re trying to maximize your muscle build, then a cardio workout may not be the best pairing with weight training on the same day. “Cardio itself, in this instance, will potentially reduce your muscle gains, depending on all the factors,” Read explains.
Cardio for health reasons, of course, is always a good addition to any workout regimen.
Are two-a-day workouts safe?
If you’re a fitness newbie, Read stresses that two-a-day workouts may not be the ideal training method for you. “You are better off aiming for three to four consistent days per week doing a single workout,” he says.
Two-a-day sessions are really meant for athletes who are more experienced and have sufficient time to dedicate to the recovery process and the workouts themselves, Read explains. These athletes tend to have a professional coach monitoring their workout strategy and fatigue, or they’re very well-seasoned in gauging their own overall training program.
“Additionally, the true means of getting transformational results is the long-term (i.e., years) of consistency in the gym,” Read adds. “Two workouts per day for multiple days per week is not realistic for most people over extended periods of time. It’s important to consider that those who claim to do two per-day workouts may or may not do this long term, have other life obligations, or have other supplementation or inputs that allow them to train at this level and adequately recover.”
If you’re not at an advanced fitness level and your goal is to build muscle, Read recommends training three to four days each week, once per day, for a minimum of six months, before starting a two-a-day workout regimen.
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Alexa Mellardo