How much exercise should I be doing each week?

Two 7's, 5 & a 9

When people ask me how much exercise should I be doing each week the answer is generally the title of this blog- Two 7’s, a 5 and a 9. Unless they are in the fitness game, and even if they are, the chances are they are going to give a very odd look, quickly followed by what the feck does that mean?

So here you go. Here is what that means and what you should be doing each week as part of your weekly fitness routine.

The Two 7’s

This refers to 2 sessions at about a 7:10 intensity. These will mostly consist of controlled resistance training with big compound (multi-joint) exercises, like squats, bench presses etc.

They could also include some kind of interval training that at times will feel significantly higher than a 7:10 but overall the sessions will feel around 7:10.

In these sessions, the work-to-rest ratio will be between 70:30 (beginner) and 30:70 (advanced).

The sessions will as between 45-75 minutes (my preference is always under 60 mins) and will likely look a little like this: 5-10 mins mobility/warm-up, 20-40 mins weights, 15-20 mins intervals

Your 7’s are the main stay of your programme

The 5

This is where you are either working on your aerobic ability- steady-state cardio- run, bike, row, ski etc for 20 mins plus or a set of intervals between 4-10+ mins long. Or you are doing some holistic style exercise like yoga or pilates.

Restoration and recovery is a key part of your week

The aim of both is to elevate your HR up to a manageable level but create a restorative effect.

This not only improves your engine/fitness but also has great effects on your cardiovascular health

The 9

If the 5 is a steady Eddy the 9 is his arch-nemesis. This session is designed to fuck you up. It is the one you should always fear but feel the greatest sense of elation after it is done.

Normally it is short (sub 30 mins) but depending on what you training for it could be 70 mins+.

During this session talking should not be possible and you should rather be anywhere but where you are.

This session could be 10-second bursts on the air bike through to a full Hyrox run-through. The only rule is that you should feel like your eyes are bleeding and you want to stop (but don’t) for around 90% of the session).

So there you are. You have the lowdown on what you, the average joe, should be aiming for each week in your exercise regime.

If you are achieving this then great. If you are not then what sessions are you not doing (guaranteed for 90% of you it is either/and the 5 & the 9)?

Now that you what you have to do the next step is working out how to make the above a reality.

Sadly, most people won’t take the necessary steps. Hopefully, that is not you. Take action now to ensure you are in the elite minority.