How to Build Your First 3-Day Training Week
In the January Re-Entry post, I spoke about training three times per week as the sweet spot.
Not five.
Not six.
Not “every day until I burn out or get sick.”
Three.
For years, I’ve talked about what I call a 3×52 training rhythm.
Three sessions per week.
Fifty-two weeks of the year.
Not because it’s sexy or extreme — but because it works.
Progress doesn’t come from smashing yourself for two weeks, disappearing for three, doing one guilt session, then trying to train every day again to “make up for it.”
That cycle is exhausting.
And it’s why most people feel like they’re always starting over.
The goal is to be steady.
Three sessions you can repeat.
Week after week.
Month after month.
Year after year.
When training becomes a rhythm — not a reaction — everything changes.
But knowing how often to train is only half the equation. The real question most people get stuck on is:
“Which days do I train… and what do I actually do?”
Let’s strip this back and make it simple.
1. Choose Your Days First (and Make Them Boring)
Workdays are your best friend.
If you work Monday to Friday, choose three of those days and lock them in. Treat them like meetings. They’re part of the working week — not something you hope to squeeze in.
Why this works:
Your routine already exists on workdays
You’re already up, dressed, moving, and thinking in “task mode”
Weekends stay free for family, kids’ sport, social stuff — and sanity
A good starting point looks like:
Monday / Wednesday / Friday, or
Tuesday / Thursday / one other weekday
Weekends?
Leave them open.
If you feel like training — great. That’s a bonus session, not a requirement. This mindset alone removes a huge amount of pressure.
2. Fit Training Into Your Life — Not the Other Way Around
This is where a lot of people quietly sabotage themselves.
Look honestly at your week and your habits.
If you are not an early riser, don’t suddenly decide that 5am classes are the answer. One new habit at a time is plenty.
Trying to introduce:
getting up earlier than ever and
starting a gym routine
…is a fast track to quitting.
Instead, choose times that already work with your life:
Straight after work (4pm, 5pm, 6pm)
Later evenings (7pm or 7:30pm)
Late sessions get a bad rap, but for a lot of families they’re gold:
Dinner’s done
Kids are in bed (or nearly there)
It replaces the usual “sit and scroll” time
The goal isn’t the perfect time.
The goal is the time you can repeat every week without friction.
3. Pick Two Sessions for Today — One for Tomorrow
This is where balance comes in.
Choose two sessions you genuinely enjoy — the ones that make you feel good now — and then add one session that’s for future-you.
Some simple examples:
Love boxing?
2x Boxing
1x Strength
Love lifting?
2x Strength
1x Cardio-based session (Boxing or HYROX)
Want overall balance?
1x Strength
1x Boxing
1x Conditioning / Engine
Strength matters.
Cardio matters.
But enjoyment matters most at the start.
The aim isn’t perfection — it’s momentum.
That one “for tomorrow” session is an investment. It keeps your body strong, capable, and resilient as the weeks roll on.
A Quick Word on Diet (Yes, It Matters — Just Not Yet)
Let’s be honest — most of us need to make a diet change (or two… or three) before we see real progress.
But here’s the mistake I see over and over again:
People try to fix training, food, sleep, alcohol, steps, stress and motivation all at the same time.
That almost never works.
Right now, the priority is simple:
Establish a training routine.
That’s it.
One habit at a time.
Get your 3-day training week locked in. Make it boring. Make it repeatable. Make it something you do without thinking.
Once that routine is rusted on — once training is just “what you do” — then it’s the right time to drill into food:
calories
protein
meal structure
planning vs convenience
Trying to overhaul your diet before your training habit exists usually just adds pressure… and pressure is what breaks consistency.
Build the habit first.
Refine the food second.
Need Help Putting This Together?
If you’re reading this thinking:
“I know what I should do, but I can’t make it stick,” or
“My week is chaos and I don’t know where training fits,”
that’s exactly what our consults are for.
We’ll look at:
your work schedule
your family commitments
what you actually enjoy doing
what you don’t enjoy (just as important)
Then we’ll map out a simple, realistic 3-day training week that fits your life — not an ideal one.
No pressure.
No hard sell.
Just a clear plan you can actually follow.
If you want help getting this right from the start, book a consult and let’s build it properly.
