3 hrs of exercise? Won't that kill recovery? | Recovery, Warm-up, and Prehab | Forum

Yes, you actually can workout longer than the 45 minute rule you keep hearing about…

One day last week I had a day pass to a pretty expensive gym so I made the most of it:

45 minute cardio and plyometric workout in the morning.  Then obviously I ate real meals like normal.

Then I went back and did a 1 hour leg workout in the late afternoon once my workday was done, followed by 20 minutes of abs.  Then I took a 15 minute break to relax and refuel.  Then I did a 45 minute push-focused lifting workout.  So almost 3 hrs total.

So the obvious question is "was that last session a waste of time?"  No way – but I have to admit, I was lifting about 10% less than usual.  Would I do it this way all the time?  No way.  But it's totally ok to go over 45 minutes.  That said, just out of respect for your own time, your routines should target 45 minutes of intense exercise and going longer requires refueling (eating!).

What do you think?

Well, the main thing I got was "insurance" against the fact that the next day would be spent traveling and so I knew I wasn't going to be able to work out.  So I combined two workouts into one.  As I said, not the ideal way to train all the time but it was far better than skipping a day…