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People Are Doing 'Two-A-Day' Workouts for Better Results: 'Let's Get Right for Summer'

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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.

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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.

People Swear by the ‘3-2-8’ Workout to Lose Weight: ‘I Lost So Much’

How two-a-day workouts can help you achieve better results:

fit man doing barbell lift exercise
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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.

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Are two-a-day workouts safe?

man doing dumbbell curls, concept of habits that damage bodyman doing dumbbell curls, concept of habits that damage body
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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

Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa

Fitness

Can’t Get To The Gym RN? I’m Opting For Plank Shoulder Taps After A PT Confirmed They’re The Most Effective Home Move

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Can’t Get To The Gym RN? I’m Opting For Plank Shoulder Taps After A PT Confirmed They’re The Most Effective Home Move

How many times have you said, “I can’t believe it’s December already,” this year? If your answer veers somewhere between “a fair few” and “honestly, I’ve lost count”, you’re in good company. It’s become the seasonal equivalent of asking about the weather – a reliable go-to as the year starts winding down. And while I’ll spare you the usual cosy festive clichés, December is the month when gym plans loosen, and most of us swap weighted plates for quality time and mince pies.

Still, if moving your body is something that helps you feel grounded, there’s no reason you can’t carve out little pockets for it over the festive period (just as there’s absolutely no shame in pressing pause altogether). Research consistently shows that even short bursts of exercise can support both mental and physical health, which is why keeping one or two genuinely effective, at-home moves in your back pocket can be a lifesaver when festive stress starts simmering.

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Applying the Stoic Cardinal Virtues for Both Optimal Performance and Longevity

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Applying the Stoic Cardinal Virtues for Both Optimal Performance and Longevity

Making healthy, sustainable choices for our health and fitness can often feel like a secondary goal, always on the back burner. The philosophy of Stoicism, originating in Greece and refined in Rome, offers a timeless framework for living well. Its four cardinal virtues, taught by philosophers such as Plato, are wisdom, courage, justice and temperance. These virtues can help you navigate health, wellness and fitness decisions with clarity and purpose by helping you:

  • Make healthier choices (moderation in food/drink; exercise)
  • Reduce stress through focusing on what’s controllable
  • Push outside your comfort zone to grow
  • Act responsibly for our community
  • Find peace by accepting mortality

Together, these lead to a more virtuous, less anxious, and purposeful life, which inherently supports well-being and longer, better living. 

Wisdom (Understanding/Learning)

Wisdom starts with learning, but it also requires understanding what is truly within your control: your judgments, actions and responses. Working out for an hour a day is the easy part of the fitness goal. The other waking hours of making healthy choices are the more challenging parts of the goal. In health and fitness, this means focusing on your habits and mindset rather than worrying about uncontrollable outcomes such as genetics or trendy social media posts from fitness influencers selling supplements. In a nutshell, use wisdom in these three ways to improve health, fitness and wellness: 

  • Control what you can control. Do this especially when faced with setbacks, such as a missed workout or a slip in diet. Redirect your energy toward what you can do next, not what you cannot change.
  • Seek facts, not opinions. Approach nutrition, exercise plans and wellness advice with an objective mind that is based on science. Avoid emotional reactions and look for evidence-based information.
  • Make sound choices. Use reason to evaluate what’s beneficial or harmful for your training and nutrition, avoiding extreme diets or fad workout routines. 

 

Courage (to Push Outside Your Comfort Zone)

Courage is not just about bravery. Courage is more about enduring discomfort and doing the right thing, especially when it’s hard. In your fitness journey, this means pushing through challenges and facing fears, such as trying a new activity or simply walking into a gym for the first time. The courage to challenge yourself with activities you are new to or not good at doing will help you become a well-rounded exerciser with performance and longevity goals. Try these three ways to add courage that enables you to make better decisions:

  • Accept the discomfort that comes with growth, whether it’s physical strain in exercise or emotional struggle in changing habits.
  • Remain focused on your goals and health commitments. Prioritize sleep, rest or recovery, and along with not skipping training days, even when external pressures tempt you otherwise.
  • Act objectively and see your circumstances as they are, not how you wish them to be, and respond realistically to challenges. Assess your progress regularly.

Justice (Fairness and Kindness)

Justice is about treating others and yourself with fairness, kindness and respect. In fitness, much is passed down from the older generation to the younger. Be that person who shares what you know with the next generation. This means supporting a positive training environment, whether at the gym, in group classes or among friends and family.

  • Treat others well by showing encouragement to people at every stage of their health journey, regardless of ability or background. This is powerful in people’s lives and makes you feel good, too.
  • Serve others by sharing knowledge, motivating workout partners, family members, and contributing to a supportive culture of activity to help others build the habit of fitness. Justice is also holding each other accountable.
  • Teach and communicate about your experiences, failures, and successes with humility. Having others learn from your mistakes and experiences is a smart way to communicate with the younger generation and beginners to fitness.

Temperance (Moderation and Discipline)

Temperance is discipline. None of these works can be done without discipline. We must learn to manage desires, impulses and habits to avoid excess in anything. In fitness and wellness, this virtue is vital for long-term success and well being. Training needs to be balanced with recovery, and this takes discipline to make some days easier than others. Too much of any good thing becomes a bad thing.

  • Avoid too much food, social media, supplements or even exercise. Balance is key to optimal performance, longevity and long-term goal achievement.
  • Manage impulsive responses to stress, frustration or temptation, choosing actions that keep you on track with your values and goals.
  • Practice discipline by doing things that are good for you, even when you do not want to.  Working out daily is often the easy part. The rest of the day, when food choices are tempting us to cheat on our diet, is the hardest for most people.

For many who find comfort in making the easy options or cheating on diets, you can also experience the same comfort (dopamine hit) by not doing it and choosing the healthier choice. These four virtues work together to flip the switch on how your body responds to new disciplined actions. For example, justice requires wisdom to discern the right action. Then, it takes courage to act on those insights and push yourself outside the comfort zone. Finally, deciding to be disciplined and hold firm is the temperance that avoids selfishness or excess. In your health journey, applying all four virtues helps you stay resilient, make thoughtful choices, and build a sense of purpose and connection.

You can also use the Military.com Fitness Section to aid your health, wellness, and fitness journey. There are thousands of articles and videos full of practical tools for building resilience, mitigating stress and disciplined living for optimal performance and longevity. By focusing on what you can control, acting with courage and kindness to others, and practicing self-discipline, you create a foundation for lasting health and wellness, not just for yourself, but for the wider community as well.

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you’re thinking of joining the military, looking for fitness and basic training tips, or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.

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This is the best budget-friendly fitness tracker we have tested this year

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This is the best budget-friendly fitness tracker we have tested this year

Why you can trust Live Science


Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.

If you’re looking to get back into exercising, or are just starting out, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 may be the best fitness tracker for you. This fitness tracker does a great job of tracking your workouts and summarizing the data in an easy-to-understand format, without overcomplicating anything. The interface is user-friendly, and even those who aren’t into tech should be able to navigate around this smartwatch in no time at all.

While this is a budget fitness tracker, that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in features. You can do more than just track your workouts with this smart band: you can also track your sleep, stress levels, heart rate and so much more. There’s also no shortage of sports modes — with 150+ to choose from, you’re bound to find the workout you want on this watch.

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