Training FAQ #1: Should I train major bodyparts more than once a week?

[Animal Rep]

In general, no. However, there are very few universal truths in bodybuilding. Your gains will only be as good as your recovery. Your goal should be to recover from 52 focused training sessions per year per bodypart. Anything beyond that is gravy. The genetic elite may be able to bounce back and grow from more, but odds are you aren’t among those select few.

For a thread discussing frequency of training: http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?t=2159

Here are some actual routines used by the fellas at Animalpak.com. As such they may seem very specialized. Use them as a guide, and not something to be followed to the letter of the law. Adapt and modify to suit your needs:

http://animalpak.com/html/sections.cfm?id=32

[TheNaturalG]

If you are advanced enough DC training will get you growing more then 52 times a year.

Putting that aside though, one thing that should be taken into acount when making workouts is how you split up your bodyparts. For example: Working out your chest also hits your triceps. Your triceps will be growing from this so why work them out on that day also. Put them with back this way your triceps grow twice a week instead of being limited to growing once a week.

[Liftbig21]

If you are advanced enough DC training will get you growing more then 52 times a year.

Putting that aside though, one thing that should be taken into acount when making workouts is how you split up your bodyparts. For example: Working out your chest also hits your triceps. Your triceps will be growing from this so why work them out on that day also. Put them with back this way your triceps grow twice a week instead of being limited to growing once a week.

if their being trained with chest then if you do them with back the next day that would be a little overboard...beat the shit out of the muscle at the time since its being worked anyway..then you have all week to grow.It wouldnt be growing twice a week the way you said...it would be broken down twice a week.

[TheNaturalG]

if their being trained with chest then if you do them with back the next day that would be a little overboard...beat the shit out of the muscle at the time since its being worked anyway..then you have all week to grow.It wouldnt be growing twice a week the way you said...it would be broken down twice a week.

I was assuming your back day wasn't directly after your chest day. I was assuming it was at least 1 day between where you have a 48 hour window for a muscle that was not worked out directly to recover from a workout.

[NickSP]

G that's exactly how I do it...chest/bis on Saturday, back/tris on Monday

[ldskenpo]

what about the push/pull/legs split? i am doing it right now as a shock from normal, but am thinking of keeping this for a while
Robert

[SQUAT or DIE!]

so im just getting in to powerlifting, mostly cause a bodybuilder friend of mine thought i should give it a try, so i don't really know how to approach my workout other than alternating upper/ lower like i did in football. But even training as a powerlifter should i train body parts just once a week or more??

[SomeDayI'llBeXL]

It all depends on what system you are using Squat or Die. Im on the westide system right now and it has me training my upper body twice a week aswell as my lower body. Heres an example: Its Upper ME day (monday)...Ill start with floor presses as my main exercise, then ill do a heavy movement for tricepts like JM Presses, then one arm military presss, for back ill choose barbell rows, then ill finish with seated db curls. Each body part gets one exercise, i pyramid the sets and i usually stop about 1 or two reps short of complete failure. I wont work upper body again untill friday and the exercises are usually something other than compound movements. Pushdowns, laterals, Hammer strength rows, something along those lines. They are done with less rest inbetween sets. Two upper body workouts, but they are completely different.

Its completely different than bodybuilding, but you get bigger and stronger. Hopefully this helps you a little.


Good Luck Brothers

[liltankfrank]

I'm in the same boat as far as the push/pull/legs split. I love it to shock the system from the norm for about 4-6 weeks using 4 day per week routine, but then its back to the proven bread and butter of killin' the body a piece at time.

[DaveK]

Agreed!

if their being trained with chest then if you do them with back the next day that would be a little overboard...beat the shit out of the muscle at the time since its being worked anyway..then you have all week to grow.It wouldnt be growing twice a week the way you said...it would be broken down twice a week.

[callme47]

it all depends on how hard u work if u do chest on monday real hard u prob still feel it the next its up again.

[BiG in NYC 823]

my 2 cents:

I have been using this 3 day routine in which it varys and one week i hit my legs 2x and the other my back 2x. It works for me as my weight has gone up and size of both bodyparts have grown tremendously..plus with 4 days of rest, i rest adequately and grow...

[MANABOLIC]

here is another good idea, I have a heavy workout, and then a moderate workout. in other words, my split goes like this:

chest/delts (6-8 reps)
back/traps (6-8 reps)
legs (8-15 reps)
arms (supersetting a biceps exercise with a triceps one, 6-10 reps)

then I rest for 1 day. after that, I do:

chest/delts (20-25 reps)
arms (20-25 reps)

on my heavy cycle, it's all free weights. when it's time for my moderate workout, I go for the burn. you will be amazed how you will feel after doing 4 sets of bench presses with only a plate per side for 25 reps. you will be screaming for mercy. my moderate arm workout is all cables, high reps, these give me a great pump and burn. moderate days have many benefits. you give your joints a break from heavy lifting, you mentally challenge yourself to drift away from the "regular", it kicks your muscles into shock and forces them to grow. I tried to go moderate for back and legs, but it didn't work, I guess heavy for them is the only way to go !

[Nihility]

im a bit confused still... ive always been told to split it up and only hit one body part a week (still working on trying a 3 day split)

my issue is, im following the rippetoe system as a guide, which works each muscle group 3 times a week... which has been working for me.


-confusion-

[SQUAT or DIE!]

im a bit confused still... ive always been told to split it up and only hit one body part a week (still working on trying a 3 day split)

my issue is, im following the rippetoe system as a guide, which works each muscle group 3 times a week... which has been working for me.


-confusion-

my 2 cents

its possible that you can do that, it may lead to overtraining, which ive been doing to my legs the last few weeks.. so its time for a break/ new routine...

This routine may work for a while, then you may not have the same results as you have in the past...

just switch it up after a few weeks to keep the muscles guessing..

[Nihility]

well, im starting a cut in june, so ill prolly switch it up once i start bulking again into a split-by-muscle group routine (as ill be out of school and on a diff schedule, able to go to the gym more than 3 times a week)


i have notice strength (and size) gains on a weekly basis doing this though, while eating like crazy... so i guess its not overtraining if my strength is going up :]

[NurseWaller]

this is what i got start doing back around feb and have seen really good gains in size and stregnth....

mon-chest/tris
tues-legs/bi's
wed-off
thurs-back/shoulders
fri-total body super sets...usually just work a part of my chest i'm wanting to improve..then i'll do like 21's followed by 15 pull downs followed by light legs press 15 times....and do about 3 or 4 different combos like that so when i leave i feel like everything in my body pumped and ready for the weekend....

as far as reps go on mon-thurs....i take 4 weeks to prepare for realy heavy lifting...
2 weeks=3x10
2 weeks=3x8
4-6 weeks=1x10 1x8 2x6
...then start back over

those first 4 weeks are great to build the endurance back to ur muscles and let your joints and ligaments catch back up...you will actually be more sore when you start back on those...

make sure you keep a log somewhere so that way you know how much to increase each week and when you start back on ur sets of ten and 8 you want to be sure you are lifting heavy than you did 6 weeks before....

hope this helps...

[bloodsimple1234]

If you are advanced enough DC training will get you growing more then 52 times a year.

Putting that aside though, one thing that should be taken into acount when making workouts is how you split up your bodyparts. For example: Working out your chest also hits your triceps. Your triceps will be growing from this so why work them out on that day also. Put them with back this way your triceps grow twice a week instead of being limited to growing once a week.


there is truth to this,trust me. I agree Natural G.

[Musclefever]

i love doing thsi routine:

monday: upper heavy
tuesday: lower heavy + abs
wed: off or cardio
thursday: back/bic hypertrophy sets: 12/8
friday: chest/shoulder/tris hypertrophy sets: 10/8/8
sat: off or cardio

[In Flames]

I believe hitting each body-part once per week is the most sufficient.