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For a beginner lifter, how many training days a week does the ACSM 2009 position stand recommend?

2 to 3 days a week for novices.

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  1. 6 to 7 days a week
  2. Once a month
  3. 2 to 3 days a week ✔

Why: ACSM recommends 2 to 3 days a week for novice lifters, 3 to 4 for intermediate and 4 to 5 for advanced. Beginners need the days in between to recover.

Huh, didn't know that: ACSM defines a novice as someone with no resistance training experience or who has not trained for several years.

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References

Answer: 2 to 3 days a week. ACSM recommends 2 to 3 days a week for novice lifters, 3 to 4 for intermediate and 4 to 5 for advanced. Beginners need the days in between to recover.

  1. ACSM Position Stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults (2009), PubMed abstract pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19204579
    The recommendation for training frequency is 2-3 d x wk(-1) for novice training
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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