There are some benefits to working out twice a day, including fewer periods of inactivity and potential performance gains.

But there are also drawbacks to consider, such as the risk of injury and the risk of overtraining.

Here’s what you should know before upping your time in the gym.

If you log more activity by working out twice a day, you’re reducing your sedentary time.

According to a 2017 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, more sedentary time is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

If you’re training for a competition or event, consider seeking the guidance of a trainer or coach about adding more workouts to your routine.

This can help focus your efforts on your performance goals while ensuring that the potential drawbacks of overtraining and injury are appropriately monitored and managed.

It’s important to understand the recommended guidelines for physical activity before adding another workout to your daily routine.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week.

This comes out to about 30 minutes of activity, five times a week.

Many health experts agree that exercising for more than the suggested minimums can be effective for calorie burn and weight reduction.

If you’re working with a doctor or other healthcare provider to develop a weight management plan, they may recommend up to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.

If weight loss is your ultimate goal, talk to your healthcare provider about what this might look like for you. They can make specific nutrition and exercise recommendations to ensure that you’re working toward your goal with your overall health and well-being in mind.

For weightlifters, increasing the number of times you work out each day doesn’t appear to offer any additional benefits.

If you’re concerned about overtraining, consider breaking your typical workout into two equal sessions.

According to a 2007 study of national-level male weightlifters by University of Oklahoma researchers, there were no additional benefits from increased daily training frequency.

But there was an increase in isometric knee-extension strength (ISO) and neuromuscular activation (EMG) activity for the twice-daily group.

This result may support the idea that splitting your workout into two sessions can reduce the risk of overtraining. More research is needed to fully understand these findings and draw further conclusions.

To be effective, your exercise and conditioning routine must balance periods of intense training with periods of recovery.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, overreaching and overtraining in your routine is often characterized by one or more of the following symptoms:

You can reduce your risk of overreaching and overtraining by:

  • varying your training so you aren’t constantly repeating the same thing
  • staying properly hydrated
  • ensuring that you’re eating a nutritious diet
  • following the 10 percent rule: never increase training intensity or volume by more than 10 percent at a time
  • following intense periods of training with extended periods of recovery and rest (24 to 72 hours)
  • maintaining a training log to identify potential areas of overreaching or overtraining

Working out twice a day offers both potential benefits and potential risks. Using your individual needs and motivations as a baseline, you must determine the best training and conditioning routine for your specific situation.

Talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider about an optimal number of workouts, as well as an ideal intensity level for your routine.

They may refer you to a sports medicine primary care physician whose focus is to help people:

  • improve physical performance
  • enhance overall health
  • prevent injury
  • maintain physical activity