Break down the best workout routine for a woman in her mid 30s who has the goal of building lean muscle while overall staying healthy. What should she be doing per day for how long?

A practical routine is three strength sessions each week, with cardiovascular work and everyday movement alongside them. For building lean muscle, make the strength sessions the priority; use roughly 45–60 minutes per session as a workable target, adjusting the schedule to recovery and availability. 1 2

• Strength training: Do three sessions weekly; four is also an option. Emphasize compound, multi-joint movements such as squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, rows, overhead presses, and bench presses. A full-body format or a split can work—choose one that fits your time and lets you move well. 3 4
• Reps and progression: Include some heavier work in the 5–10-rep range and some higher-rep work in the 11–30 range; the latter can support muscle growth, while heavier work is important for strength. Build training in progressive six-week blocks, rather than repeating an unchanged routine indefinitely. 5 6 7
• High-intensity cardio: Add one or two HIIT sessions per week, spaced away from demanding leg training when possible. For all-out sprint intervals, efforts can be about 30 seconds followed by enough recovery—often two to three minutes—to repeat a genuinely hard effort. 8 9
• Easier days and movement: Keep recovery days easy rather than turning every day into a workout. Walking and other light physical activity help balance structured exercise with movement through the rest of the week. 10 11
• Protein and fueling: One recommendation in the discussion is about 1.1–1.2 grams of quality protein per pound of body weight. The conversation also highlights carbohydrates for replenishing glycogen around resistance and high-intensity training. 12

A sample week could be strength training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; add HIIT on separate days or at the end of a strength day, and use the remaining days for easy movement and recovery. Keep the order flexible, while allowing recovery between hard sessions. 13 14