How of the Exercise Twice a Day to Boost Your Fitness

5 min readDec 11, 2020

Do it correctly, and you’ll make huge gains.

Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash

When I entered my first year of college, a heavier academic load wasn’t the only big change I had to deal with. As a result of joining a division one cross-country program, I also had to adjust to a much more rigorous training schedule.

I had mentally prepared myself for the increase in mileage and the longer, more intense workouts. But, when I received my first training schedule, there was something else that completely shocked me.

My schedule for Monday included two workout sessions — a run in the morning and another in the evening. I honestly thought it was a mistake. At the time, the concept of exercising twice in a single day was completely foreign to me. However, after a few weeks, I started to get used to it.

While it wasn’t always easy to get out there and go for a run in the evening or hit the gym to lift weights when I had already exercised in the morning, the fitness gains I was making were substantial enough to keep me motivated to continue.

Whether you’re trying to lean up, get faster, exercise longer, or just move your body more, you can certainly benefit from working out twice a day, as long as you do it properly. Thus, here’s how to exercise twice a day to boost your fitness.

What I mean here is that you have to choose your two workouts wisely. While it might be tempting to grind through two hard runs in a single day, doing so could backfire on you and lead to injury.

When I ran twice a day, the second run was always an easy shakeout. Sometimes, it was a cross-training session, like a swim. It was also always much shorter than my morning run (usually around 20–30 minutes). And if you’re a new runner, you might want to start off with an evening walk.

By keeping your second workout easy, you can actually help your body recover and adapt. In fact, Runner’s World states:

“Studies suggest doubling up and running in a depleted state can boost fat-burning, train the body to use glycogen more efficiently, and stimulate mitochondria production (more mitochondria can delay fatigue).”

Thus, there are many powerful benefits to be gained from splitting your workouts up.

But if you aren’t keen on running twice in a single day, you could try working a different system for your second workout. Rather than stacking cardio sessions, you could run in the morning and lift weights in the evening. I used this method in college as well, and it helped me become a stronger, more efficient runner and a well-rounded athlete.

Next, you have to plan strategically.

While working out twice a day may seem like a simple concept, there’s actually a lot of additional planning that goes into it.

First, you have to carve out two separate times to work out. If you have a very busy work schedule, this may be difficult to do. When I worked 9–5 as a summer camp counselor, I had to get up at around 6 am to get my morning workout in, and double back in the evening for my shakeout run.

This required a lot of discipline, and if I hadn’t been on the cross-country team, I’m not sure that I would have stuck with it. However, if you can find a way to consistently put the work in, and stay focused on your long term goals, the results will be well worth it.

But, you don’t need to work out twice a day every single day in order to reap the benefits. In college, I typically did it three times per week (once to get a second run or cross-training session in, and twice to get a lift in). I will say that the lifting is key, even if you’re a runner. According to Runner’s World, strength training:

“prevents injuries by strengthening muscles and connective tissues; it helps you run faster by improving neuromuscular coordination and power; and it improves running economy by encouraging coordination and stride efficiency.”

Aside from carving out extra time to work out, you also have to carefully plan out your fueling. When you exercise twice in a single day, you burn more calories than normal. Thus, you need to replenish that energy deficit by consuming a lot more food. I always had to plan ahead and pack extra snacks on days I knew I’d be working out more, and you’ll likely need to do the same.

Finally, you must resist the following.

One of the most common issues with working out twice a day, and working out in general, is that everyone wants instant gratification. But, no matter how you’re putting in the work, the results still take time. Thus, you have to resist the urge to take shortcuts or overwork yourself.

If you get too eager, you could end up injuring yourself, which will only force you to start back at square one. If you’re used to running five miles a day, and you try to double with five miles in the morning and three in the evening, you could easily end up burnt out or injured.

Exercise physiologist and University of Houston cross-country coach Steve Magness notes that double run days:

“make your warmup, cooldown, and recovery even more critical. On rest days, really rest.”

Therefore, it’s important to listen to your body and not push it to the limites every single day. Rest when you need to and take a gradual approach. You might build fitness more slowly, but your routine will be sustainable, which will lead to long lasting results, and that’s the most important part.

Final Thoughts

Exercising twice a day may seem like a crazy concept, but it’s a powerful practice that, when utilized properly, can help you boost your fitness immensely.

When I first got to college, splitting my longer mileage days up into two shorter runs helped me get fitter and adjust to the heavier training load.

If you’re looking for a way to make noticeable gains in your own fitness, dividing your workouts up into more manageable chunks just might be the key to achieving the results you seek.

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How of the Exercise Twice a Day to Boost Your Fitness

Next, you have to plan strategically.

Finally, you must resist the following.

Final Thoughts

Written by Bovhjvhlslrposhwbj