ABOUT A.R.T.
For most people, if they are in condition, the proper amount of exercise is one HIT (High Intensity Training) workout every 4 days to every 2 weeks, or even less. This includes recovering from the workout itself, and the desired process effect called supercompensation (the actual adaptation to the workout). Many factors affect the supercompensation cycle including diet, sleep, stress management, genetics, and the intensity of the actual workout, just to name a few.
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But one thing is for sure, as the person gets progressively more fit and their workouts get increasingly more intense (i.e., more weight is lifted, more reps are performed and a stronger mind-muscle connection is attained, all leading to harder muscular contractions and deeper levels of fatigue), the need for increased recovery time becomes apparent. Poor work performance and mental acuity, elevated HR, anxiety, diminished libido, stagnant or diminishing workout performance, and emotional instability are just a few of the signs and symptoms that "overtraining" has set in. Something must be done to counteract this very negative process.
To reiterate: To compensate for the increased workout intensity/stress as the individual reaches higher and higher levels of fitness, inserting increasingly lengthier periods of rest in-between workouts will become necessary. ​
So as you can see, there are no fixed amount of sessions in a given period of time, because the process of choosing when to work out is dynamic (ever-changing) to the unique individual. But for simplicity's sake, I begin most people with a once or twice-a-week protocol, and then adjust the workout frequency accordingly, depending on their unique recovery cycle.
