Personal trainer reveals exactly how many exercises you need to do during a workout to lose weight and strengthen muscles

Whether your goal is to burn fat or build muscle, trainers say the ideal number of exercises during a workout ranges from three to eight, depending on your athletic ability.

Experts recommend three to eight exercises per training session, repeating each movement three to four times (known as reps) for five to 12 sets.

The high-level athlete will likely be able to do more exercises and sets of these movements, while beginners are advised to stick to the lower end.

Beginners should aim for two to three moves per workout, while seasoned exercise junkies can do up to eight.

Although anything is better than sitting on the couch, trainers say.

To build muscle, trainers recommend a greater number of sets of exercises, longer rests in between, higher weight and fewer repetitions.

Meanwhile, those looking to burn fat should stick to higher reps with shorter rest periods, lighter weights and a greater number of exercises.

The rule of thumb is to exercise five times a week to see real results, but recently Australian scientists poked holes in that theory and said that exercising three days a week is the sweet spot.

Trainers typically assign compound movements, which train multiple muscle groups simultaneously, over several workouts that target different muscle groups, including pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging, hinging and carrying exercises.

Reps stand for repetitions, or the number of times you do a specific exercise during a workout. Sets mean the number of reps you complete before a rest period.

Eric Sung, a private trainer in New York, said Beginners should do two or three (per workout) on the low side.

He typically assigns six compound movements, which work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, across several workouts that target different muscle groups, including pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging, hinging and carrying exercises.

Popular compound movements include the deadlift, reverse lunge to balance with a biceps curl, squat, front lunge with a twist and dumbbell lifts.

Trainer Jordan Smith from California said: ‘The one thing you don’t want to do is train too much and be sore for days (or worse, get injured).

“Of course, the number of exercises you do per workout will vary depending on your goals, how much time you have, and whether you’re doing a full-body workout or training a single muscle group.”

Competent athletes should limit their number of exercises per workout to eight and add additional exercises including leg extensions and calf raises.

Optimal strength gains are achieved with lower rep ranges of five and lower. For a balanced combination of strength and muscle size, aim for a moderate rep range of six to twelve.

Muscular endurance sees the greatest benefits in high rep ranges of 13 to 20.

Trainers also recommend splitting up the workouts.

Rather than approaching all workouts from a “whole body” perspective, workout splits target specific muscle groups or regions in separate sessions, often on a weekly or monthly basis.

For example, a simple split routine might consist of alternating upper-body and lower-body workouts.

You can also break it down further with special days per week for chest/triceps/abs, back/biceps, legs and shoulders.

Dr. Michael Kastan, a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning coach in San Diego, said, “Having a plan can make it more efficient, consistent and ultimately effective.”