Exercise is good for many things. It can make you skinny, keep you healthy, make you buff, and in, many cases, even make you feel better in many different ways. There is only one big problem with information on exercise that can be found just about anywhere- nothing truly says how much time needs to be spent in order to get where you want to be physically.

Start with the concept of losing weight. The amount of exercise needed to lose weight differs from person to person. Therefore, it is truly unclear as to how much is actually needed. Expert analysts say, however, that in order to lose weight, the average 150 or so minutes of exercise a week won’t be enough. Fitness researcher Dr. I-Min Lee, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, says, “Weight control is one area where these lower levels may not be sufficient for many individuals.”  Experts recommend a total of over 300 minutes a week of rigorous exercise to slim down; that is about one hour of exercise each day for five days a week.

The next on our list of reasons is the ultimate one- how much exercise is needed to bulk up?
Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego, says people should train all major muscle groups and can significantly build muscle by performing two to four sets of an exercise for eight to 12 repetitions each time.

If your goal is to look toned with a shirt off but not necessarily extremely pumped up, then strength training is needed. Exercise should be scheduled for three to four times a week with a total time of 45 minutes to an hour each time, working all major muscle groups. In order to keep a toned body, you’ll also need to keep a strict diet and burn off any extra calories gained as soon as possible.

On the other hand if your goal is to bulk up with a huge bodybuilder body, then you’re going to have to invest large amounts of time in the gym, a minimum of about five days a week. It should be further noted that this can be dangerous due to overuse injuries which can occur. Therefore, intense workouts should be done under the supervision of a personal trainer.