How many times a week do you need to train?
This is a common question and theres no right answer for every person.
Most people will say more is better but thats not always the case.
It will depend on each persons goal, abililty, schedule and the type of training as well.
Most of my clients are busy guys with jobs, families, hobbies etc so being as efficient as possible with the time available is important.
This approach works really well for those aiming for fat loss while building/maintaining muscle as it is time efficient and very effective. (nutrition will also be on point).
We aim to do 2-3 45-60 minute full body weight sessions per week with a day or two for recovery in between.
And 1-3 30-60 minute cardio sessions per week as well.
Cycling high intensity training session like lifting weights with lower intensity training sessions like cardio ensures you can recover adequately while remaining active.
For clients whose goal is purely hypertrophy (building muscle) then we would aim for 3-4 high intensity weight training sessions per week (the length of which would vary depending on the split, usually 45-80 minutes) and 1-3 of cardio, 30-60 minutes.
You dont need to be in the gym 7 days a week and only training one body part a day like some bodybuilders to build muscle.
You just have to train with a high enough intensity to force adaption, then make sure you recover properly ie nutrition and sleep.
Hope this gives you an idea of what you can achieve with little time available.
If you can only train once a week then just do that, progress will be a bit slower but any training is better than none at all.
If you need any help reaching your goals just let me know.