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



Animal Rep
05-25-07, 4:35 pm
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
06-10-07, 2:41 am
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
06-17-07, 6:35 pm
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
06-17-07, 9:32 pm
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
09-08-07, 9:35 pm
G that's exactly how I do it...chest/bis on Saturday, back/tris on Monday

ldskenpo
09-09-07, 1:08 am
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!
09-25-07, 5:15 pm
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
12-13-07, 7:23 am
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
02-16-08, 1:46 am
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
02-19-08, 8:23 pm
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
03-20-08, 1:24 pm
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
03-30-08, 6:08 pm
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
04-05-08, 4:29 pm
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
04-14-08, 10:09 am
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!
04-14-08, 12:49 pm
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
04-14-08, 8:47 pm
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
04-23-08, 1:18 pm
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
05-22-08, 4:55 pm
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
07-25-08, 8:09 pm
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
10-02-08, 9:11 am
I believe hitting each body-part once per week is the most sufficient.

fernandob
01-02-09, 6:50 pm
so you guys think once a week is enough? how many sets? how many reps?

fernandob
01-03-09, 1:40 pm
hey guy's thank you thank you so much. you guys save me a ton af money in personal training fee's. so imgoing to switch to one bodypart per workout, one per week.so it'l look like this lmk if this is nay good
day 1 chest 12 sets, 6 sets for abs
day 2 back 12 sets 6 sets for calves
day 3 shoulders 12 sets 6 sets for abs
day 4 arms 9 for bi's 9 for tri's 6 for calves
day 4 legs 12 for quads 9 for hams 6 for abs
each work out has a 10 min warm up on bike followed by 30 min on treadmill
i hope this works

Kima
01-04-09, 1:10 pm
Can someone tell me what should i do... Should i train two groups of muscles per day or one group??? Can saomeone send me a mass gain workout program?? makistojanovic@hotmail.com Thanks!!!!

arsilva
01-08-09, 1:13 pm
a good bodypart-twice-a-week split i've done goes like this,:

Day 1- Heavy Legs
Day 2- Heavy Chest, Calves
Day 3- Deadlift, Heavy Back, Traps
Day 4- Bis, Calves, Abs
Day 5- Pump/Detail Legs, Pump Chest
Day6- Back, Shoulders, Tris
Day7- Rest

Or, I've also done rotating every 4-6 weeks which bodypart i do twice a week, such as
first 6 weeks:
Day 1- Heavy Legs
Day 2- Heavy Chest
Day 3- Rest
Day 4- Pump Legs
Day 5- Back
Day6- Arms
Day7- Rest

Next 6 weeks:
Day 1- Heavy Chest
Day 2- Heavy Legs
Day 3- Rest
Day 4- Pump Chest
Day 5- Back
Day6- Arms
Day7- Rest

Etc, change to do back 2x/week

Kima
01-09-09, 9:57 am
Thanks for posting...i try to workout that...

fenix237
01-20-09, 6:05 pm
i certainly am not an expert, but consider myself somewhat informed. I thought the 1 bodypart per day routine was for more seasoned lifters because they have sufficient conditioning to work out hard enough for a muscle hard to NEED 6 days off. i always thought a beginner starts with a full body routine 2/3 times/wk. then after a few months, switch to a split routine for awhile, then the 1 body part per week.

when i started 10 years ago i followed a full body routine 3X/week. Squats, Bench, Barbells Rows, Shoulder Press, Lat pulldowns, Barbell Curls, then finish with 100 leg raises. Do the exercises for 3 sets of 8 for two weeks, then 4 sets of 6 for a month, then 5 sets of 6 for a month, the 6 sets of 6 for a month. I had great results; got really strong, put on some good muscle. This is a foundational routine designed for beginners looking to put on mass and get stronger.

i believe there are many ways to lift with good results. i think it comes down to personal preference, goals, recovery ability, willingness to eat a proper diet.

just my 2cents

peace-brp

In Flames
01-29-09, 7:43 pm
Animal's Titan Training!

Monday
Back and Abs
Deadlifts: 4 sets x 10-4 reps
Pullups: 5 sets x 10 reps
Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets x 10 reps
T-Bar Rows: 3 sets x 10 reps
Crunches: 4 sets x 25 reps
Hanging Leg Raises: 4 sets x 10 reps

Tuesday
Arms
Barbell Curls: 4 sets x 12-6 reps
Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets x 10-6 reps
Hammer Curls: 3 sets x 12-8 reps
Pushdowns: 4 sets x 15-10 reps
Skullcrushers: 3 sets x 12-6 reps
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions: 3 sets x 12-8 reps

Wednesday
Off

Thursday
Legs
Leg Extensions: 4 sets x 20-10 reps
Barbell Squats: 5 sets x 20-8 reps
Leg Presses: 3 sets x 15-10 reps
Lying Leg Curls: 4 sets x 15-10 reps
Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets x 15-10 reps
Seated Calf Raises: 4 sets x 15-10 reps

Friday
Chest and Abs
Flat Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets x 12-4 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets x 12-8 reps
Flat Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets x 15-10 reps
Rope Crunches: 4 sets x 25 reps

Saturday
Delts and Calves
Barbell Military Presses: 4 sets x 12-6 reps
Side Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 4 sets x 15-10 reps
Bent Rear Delt Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 4 sets x 15-10 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 sets x 12-8 reps
Leg Press Calf Raises: 5 sets x 20-10 reps

Sunday
Off

Elem Entree
04-02-09, 11:03 pm
I'm learning as I go, as we all do, but for me I like to change my routine up throughout the year to keep my muscles learning. For at least a few months at a time I hit a muscle every 4 days. With regards to over working my bi's/tri's I have found that the following has worked well for me-

I've run
day 1:chest/back then
day 2:legs then
day 3:bi's/tri's then
day 4:abs/core

and repeat. You could add a rest day in between or on the end if you feel you need it but I find that running the routine in this way allows you to work the different groups more than once a week but not always the same group will be hit twice a week.

It is a great routine that has given me great results. Using the right sups and eating well really helps the recovery time and having the day or so in between seemed to be plenty of rest for my bi's/tri's. I use this routine for about 1-3 months and cycle it with a few other routines every few months. I try and super set the opposing groups during this routine. Made me sick to my stomach several times but I never puked. Had a few partners toss from it though so I recommend giving it your all and seeing what happens but pay attention to yourself and realize what you need to do to make it work for you.

Namaste'

solomon_caine
05-25-09, 5:20 am
once will do. hit your heaviest, train at your hardest and then, eat after and sleep well. it's in resting that one grows.

calel
06-07-09, 6:06 am
each body part should be trained no more than once per week,plus,the bigger you get the recovery process takes much longer.It also depends on how hard one is training if your taxing the system.I never train 2 days on , only when i trained 1 day on, 1 day off, did i really grow.My bodyweight went from 18st to 20st or 280lbs still pretty hard.
Remember eating is the most important aspect of bodyguilding better a good days eating,more so, than a bad days training.STAY STRONG.

bigmike43
06-09-09, 10:55 am
Just need some input on my routine. Mon Chest and triceps... tues back and biceps wed off thrus shoulders and delts friday chest and triceps... working for explosion and negitive reps. I lower the intensity and weight and focus on fast reps up and slow on the way down..... sat Legs and Sunday off...

live2lift
06-09-09, 1:26 pm
If you are not seeing results at least on a monthly basis then you owe it to yourself to change what you are doing. I train each bodypart once every 10-12 days. Now many will think that this is not often enough, but I cannot argue with the results that I continue to see strength and size wise since I have been doing this style that I was not seeing before. People have this thought in their head that their muscles will shrink or they will lose strength if they dont train often enough...well I am here to say that maybe you should think the opposite and maybe you will find the results you are looking for. This may not be for everyone but it has worked for me. Just my 2 cents though.

Peace

whosnexttt
06-22-09, 12:26 am
Even for me, I train calves once a week, abs maaaybe twice a week, but im a big believer in getting as much rest as possible to grow.

Bombreezey
08-10-09, 11:05 pm
I think you can go more then once a week workout for major muscle groups. I do a 4 day split that works well for me. i do chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs. I know that is 5 but most of the time in do shoulders, and back in the same day. Like in the morning do shoulders and at night do back. Right now it is summer and i don't have school so I have the time to do that. Idk about you... i guess if you have the energy you can do shoulders and back at the same time. just make sure you get good sleep and, protein in

Just Jack
09-14-09, 11:17 am
I'm 16, been BBing for 2 years now and have always used a 6 day split and took long ass breaks of not training my legs but what I do now, and I'm exploding with growth like crazy is I do..

monday - chest/delts/tris
tuesday - legs/abs
wednesday - back/bis
thursday - chest/delts/tris
friday - horse riding practice(lol not my choice)
saturday - back/bis abs
sunday - rest, sometimes I get another day off due to missing a workout and when I'm full on not missing any workouts for like 2-3 weeks straight, I explode.

Also I get more growth training abs 3 times a week rather than 2. And everytime I start up my legs again I get more growth than usual, it's true what they say if you wanna get big, train legs.

NaturalTrainee
09-30-09, 12:14 pm
Working out the bigger muscle groups fatigue the body and the CNS extremely, so it's advocated to train them once per week, as with other body parts(directly).

Birdman
10-05-09, 9:45 am
Whats been working for me lately is hitting everything twice a week. I do a chest/tri day a back/bi day and a shoulder/leg day twice a week. But its takin a couple of years of working myself up to 6-7 days a week of training to get my bodies recovery time up.

alemax38
12-16-09, 1:46 pm
I'm 16, been BBing for 2 years now and have always used a 6 day split and took long ass breaks of not training my legs but what I do now, and I'm exploding with growth like crazy is I do..

monday - chest/delts/tris
tuesday - legs/abs
wednesday - back/bis
thursday - chest/delts/tris
friday - horse riding practice(lol not my choice)
saturday - back/bis abs
sunday - rest, sometimes I get another day off due to missing a workout and when I'm full on not missing any workouts for like 2-3 weeks straight, I explode.

Also I get more growth training abs 3 times a week rather than 2. And everytime I start up my legs again I get more growth than usual, it's true what they say if you wanna get big, train legs.

in no way am i trying to bash you. good job!! keep doing it while your young just make sure you get some height ok? but also, this will mostly only help the teenage adolescent generation because this "explode" thing happens mostly to younger people because now in your youth is when your body is going to grow the most. it is just pounding out the growth. so keep going man, but also remember this is only going to benefit the really younger generations.

BigBrian
01-14-10, 12:05 am
hey men, i am a rookie to the bodybuilding world, i already had pretty good muscle gains before i started my journey, but i was wonder if this is true, if you want big results, train legs hard?

Birdman
01-14-10, 1:44 pm
hey men, i am a rookie to the bodybuilding world, i already had pretty good muscle gains before i started my journey, but i was wonder if this is true, if you want big results, train legs hard?

First of all, welcome to the forum, and yes killing your legs will help you get big. The Quads and Hamstrings are very large muscles and therefore release more hormones during exercise.
This is what my current split looks like and has helped alot..i ran it for a about 3 months and had great results-
Chest/Tri
Quads/Calves
Shoulders/Abs
Day off
Hamstring/Glutes
Back/Bi
Day off
Just make sure you eat big and that ur supplementing is on point and let the growth begin..good luck bro

BigBrian
01-14-10, 8:10 pm
thanks brother for the advice, i have also seen good results with this one, mon. arms, tues. legs, wed. off, thurs. back, fri. shoulders, and sat. about 2 hours of straight cardio

pfelder
03-12-10, 9:42 pm
hey i have a question. i am wondering if i am over training. i look at some of the other samples that people put up and it does not seem to be clsoe to the volume that i am doing. what i am wondering is if i am being counter productive because of it. take my chest day for example.
i start with a few warm up sets on the flat bench press.
i shoot to do at least 3 or 4 heavy working sets of 6 reps; been doing around 265-285 depending on the day.

followed by incline dumbbell press. again for 3-4 working heavy sets; did 100 pound dumbbells this week

then dips, same set range. if weighted around 6 reps. not weighted 10 reps.

then heavy flat bench dumbbell press, 3 working sets of at least 6 reps.

smith machine incline press with 225 for 3-4 working sets of 6 reps

smith machine decline press with 225 for 3-4 working sets of 6 reps

dumbbell pull overs with 80 pounds for 3 sets of 10 reps

and to finish either drop sets of cable cross over or drop sets of dumbbell flys. i shoot for at least 3 working sets of one of those.

i finish with a good stretch for my chest


that was my chest day this week. i did 8 different exercises and around 26 working sets.

i have seen a good amount of growth in my chest, plus i am sore for a least 2-3 days after. but i only train chest once a week.

would you consider this to be over training, or will it all depend on how i feel.

In Flames
03-19-10, 2:18 pm
hey i have a question. i am wondering if i am over training. i look at some of the other samples that people put up and it does not seem to be clsoe to the volume that i am doing. what i am wondering is if i am being counter productive because of it. take my chest day for example.
i start with a few warm up sets on the flat bench press.
i shoot to do at least 3 or 4 heavy working sets of 6 reps; been doing around 265-285 depending on the day.

followed by incline dumbbell press. again for 3-4 working heavy sets; did 100 pound dumbbells this week

then dips, same set range. if weighted around 6 reps. not weighted 10 reps.

then heavy flat bench dumbbell press, 3 working sets of at least 6 reps.

smith machine incline press with 225 for 3-4 working sets of 6 reps

smith machine decline press with 225 for 3-4 working sets of 6 reps

dumbbell pull overs with 80 pounds for 3 sets of 10 reps

and to finish either drop sets of cable cross over or drop sets of dumbbell flys. i shoot for at least 3 working sets of one of those.

i finish with a good stretch for my chest


that was my chest day this week. i did 8 different exercises and around 26 working sets.

i have seen a good amount of growth in my chest, plus i am sore for a least 2-3 days after. but i only train chest once a week.

would you consider this to be over training, or will it all depend on how i feel.

If it's working don't stop, that just seems like WAY too much volume. I put more intensity into my sets so my workout is much shorter. I get in and out of the gym as fast as I can while striving to get stronger. I feel when the volume is lower it's more of a mental game because you know you're doing less so you're going to damn sure you put 110% effort into those sets. You're not going to hold back because you only get one chance a week to hit it.

Here's my current Chest workout. I change exercises around every 4-6 weeks.

2 x 8 Incline BB Bench
2 x 10 Incline DB Bench
2 x 10-12 Flat Hammer Bench
2 x 12-15 Incline Fly's

On days where I feel like just focusing on Incline, I'll drop the Flat Hammer Bench out making it only 3 exercises for Chest.

BigBrian
03-23-10, 2:05 am
ok, got another question, i been working on my abs more often because i got a gut from being inactive on account of a recent knee surgery, how many times a week should i work abs to help loose this gut quickly? and possibly could anyone help me out on a training schedule on abs? i would really appreciate it men.

In Flames
03-23-10, 4:05 pm
ok, got another question, i been working on my abs more often because i got a gut from being inactive on account of a recent knee surgery, how many times a week should i work abs to help loose this gut quickly? and possibly could anyone help me out on a training schedule on abs? i would really appreciate it men.

Working abs isn't going to make you lose your gut. Losing your gut(body-fat) is through dieting and cardio.

pfelder
03-24-10, 12:05 pm
Thanks for the reply flames. I am putting together a completely different routine that will focus on using 3 compound moves followed by 2 iso moves. I am also going to still go heavy but push the rep range to 10-12, and drop my rest range to 1 minute or less.
thanks for the advise

BigBrian
03-26-10, 1:59 am
yes i know that only doing ab training wont help me loose my gut, i do cardio after every workout haha, but thanks for tha tip anyway man

Jzepp
07-16-10, 2:24 am
I believe in once a week bodypart training also. I started out training 12 years ago using full body workouts. This worked great for my first size increases but i think somebody more experienced will not be able to keep up. I actually tried 5 weeks of a full body split and got really burned out from it.

My gains come very slow but i just seem to grow the best from resting each bodypart every 6 days. I just dont think that i have the genetics to get really huge.

martine4161
07-17-10, 8:30 am
Training body parts more than once a week is not only not too much, but it is a far more effective way to train.I've trained several different ways.I've always liked hitting each body part once per week, but I've also had success with a split like this.I think a muscle group can be hit 2ce/ week for certain periods of time, but I think as a natty that would cut into recovery if it went on too long.

Ray Luv
08-01-10, 1:32 am
I work each bodypart twice per week. Lots of time Im not fully recovered but push past the pain for the gains. I see great results training this way as many bodybuilders of old trained this way. My question is Sir... What happens to the (unheald fibers) muscle when worked thoroughly again. Does that muscle recruit a different set of fibers.. Do the already damaged fibers do the work and grow double time.... Is the previous workout negated (which cant be do to obvious growth Im experiencing) I understand the risk like over-training, running down my CNS, injuries, etc... but I grow from 2 a week but don't understand scientifically whats happening behind the scenes. Hope my question is clear and thank you in advance for what ever help you can be.

Machine
08-01-10, 11:51 pm
One should train prudently and endeavor to be original in all facets of his or her life...it is in that way that you will always be proud of the life you live.

But be vigilant and dont blindly follow the half hearted advice of charlotains and profiteering pimps in this industry.

Good luck.


MACHINE

Zieben
09-14-10, 10:14 pm
How crucial would you guys say it is to switch-up your work-out routine? And, if crucial, is there a general timeframe within which you should alternate?

Machine
10-10-10, 8:20 pm
How crucial would you guys say it is to switch-up your work-out routine? And, if crucial, is there a general timeframe within which you should alternate?

I would say that it is not crucial to change your training approach as much as it is crucial to constantly challenge your thought process with regard to training. But to change your training approach...especially without tracking your progress, would be pointless. The nutrition dictates the trainig methodology, never change your training without an express purpose. Never change your training without foundational dietary support.

MACHINE

SpankyC
10-10-10, 8:37 pm
hey i have a question. i am wondering if i am over training. i look at some of the other samples that people put up and it does not seem to be clsoe to the volume that i am doing. what i am wondering is if i am being counter productive because of it. take my chest day for example.
i start with a few warm up sets on the flat bench press.
i shoot to do at least 3 or 4 heavy working sets of 6 reps; been doing around 265-285 depending on the day.

followed by incline dumbbell press. again for 3-4 working heavy sets; did 100 pound dumbbells this week

then dips, same set range. if weighted around 6 reps. not weighted 10 reps.

then heavy flat bench dumbbell press, 3 working sets of at least 6 reps.

smith machine incline press with 225 for 3-4 working sets of 6 reps

smith machine decline press with 225 for 3-4 working sets of 6 reps

dumbbell pull overs with 80 pounds for 3 sets of 10 reps

and to finish either drop sets of cable cross over or drop sets of dumbbell flys. i shoot for at least 3 working sets of one of those.

i finish with a good stretch for my chest


that was my chest day this week. i did 8 different exercises and around 26 working sets.

i have seen a good amount of growth in my chest, plus i am sore for a least 2-3 days after. but i only train chest once a week.

would you consider this to be over training, or will it all depend on how i feel.

Stick to 2 working sets and maybe 2-3 exercises per bodypart. A natty or someone that doesnt have their diet in order can overtrain VERY easily.

SpankyC
10-10-10, 8:45 pm
How crucial would you guys say it is to switch-up your work-out routine? And, if crucial, is there a general timeframe within which you should alternate?

Change it up every week! Unless your a pro ifbb bodybuilder and your life is depended on growing, then be more precise about it like Machine said. If not, just have fun, switch it up every week, variety is key!

NoCode
07-14-12, 7:02 pm
I usually train each body part once a week. Every 5-6 months I will train each muscle twice a week but switch up the exercises and rep range.

I found that this is what works best for me and has put some size in this small frame.

BOSS
10-31-18, 2:31 pm
Such an important question!
When I stopped training each part once per week and started 2-4x /week my strength and muscle took off.
First, look at some of these models: Arnold encyclopedia recommends 3x /week. Bodybuilders before his time also 3 full body workouts per week for beginners and then as the volume increased divided it into upper/lower splits--still each body part 3x /week but divided into 6 days /week. Ronnie Coleman: one heavy day per week for each, and one pump up day for each... When I grew up every publication seemed to pump out once/week style workouts and all were linked to the photo shoot of some pro BBer. But... In Arnold's era and before they used steroids but not insulin and gh. And this is what the 1x /week style training of the 90s and later is based on. Scientists have studied the idea of "tearing down muscle to gain size" but it's not the tearing down that promotes size, it's the stress and strain and the resulting hormonal responses. There's a reason olympic weightlifters develop massive quads and it's not from once per week squatting... In many cases its multiple squat sessions per DAY.

In my experience, the trick to making multiple sessions per body part or lift per week work, is first building up the workload slowly--too much of anything will mess you up and the right amount, the amount you can recover from, can be beneficial and progressed.
Second, and this goes back to the original bodybuilders I referenced, is the idea of Heavy, Light and Medium days. Now this is essentially renamed as DUP, but it's been around for over half a century.
This can mean, with bench for example, that day 1 you bench for sets of 5 (heavy), day 2 you bench for sets of 12 (light) and day 3 you bench for sets of 8 (medium). This is the "classic" DUP. The other way is to use variations which are inherently lighter (like incline). So this way you might do sets of 5 on all 3 days, but the heavy day is flat bench, the light day is seated military press and the medium day is Incline... Once you understand this concept you can choose your own exercises.

In my experience the lighter days add so much more strength and recovery to the heaviest days. Last year, for example while training for the Animal Cage (to deadlift 900), I trained back 3x /week.
Monday I squatted and did either good mornings or stiff leg deadlifts from a deficit after (this is the "medium" day), Tuesday I did bent rows or t-bar rows plus a full bodybuilding style back day (rows, pulldowns, cable rows, etc)(this is the light day). Friday was my main deadlift day (the Heavy day!). Suffice to say, I deadlifted 900 and added significant mass in my back. For reference, my best sumo deadlift was 881, but a year before hitting 900 conventional my conventional PR was 782...

Lastly, ask yourself this: if everyone else is training once per week, what are you doing that's so different that you would expect to get better results than anybody else?? You might have good genetics, be tough enough and disciplined enough to train hard... but so are a lot of people...

Cellardweller
11-01-18, 12:39 pm
Such an important question!
When I stopped training each part once per week and started 2-4x /week my strength and muscle took off.
First, look at some of these models: Arnold encyclopedia recommends 3x /week. Bodybuilders before his time also 3 full body workouts per week for beginners and then as the volume increased divided it into upper/lower splits--still each body part 3x /week but divided into 6 days /week. Ronnie Coleman: one heavy day per week for each, and one pump up day for each... When I grew up every publication seemed to pump out once/week style workouts and all were linked to the photo shoot of some pro BBer. But... In Arnold's era and before they used steroids but not insulin and gh. And this is what the 1x /week style training of the 90s and later is based on. Scientists have studied the idea of "tearing down muscle to gain size" but it's not the tearing down that promotes size, it's the stress and strain and the resulting hormonal responses. There's a reason olympic weightlifters develop massive quads and it's not from once per week squatting... In many cases its multiple squat sessions per DAY.

In my experience, the trick to making multiple sessions per body part or lift per week work, is first building up the workload slowly--too much of anything will mess you up and the right amount, the amount you can recover from, can be beneficial and progressed.
Second, and this goes back to the original bodybuilders I referenced, is the idea of Heavy, Light and Medium days. Now this is essentially renamed as DUP, but it's been around for over half a century.
This can mean, with bench for example, that day 1 you bench for sets of 5 (heavy), day 2 you bench for sets of 12 (light) and day 3 you bench for sets of 8 (medium). This is the "classic" DUP. The other way is to use variations which are inherently lighter (like incline). So this way you might do sets of 5 on all 3 days, but the heavy day is flat bench, the light day is seated military press and the medium day is Incline... Once you understand this concept you can choose your own exercises.

In my experience the lighter days add so much more strength and recovery to the heaviest days. Last year, for example while training for the Animal Cage (to deadlift 900), I trained back 3x /week.
Monday I squatted and did either good mornings or stiff leg deadlifts from a deficit after (this is the "medium" day), Tuesday I did bent rows or t-bar rows plus a full bodybuilding style back day (rows, pulldowns, cable rows, etc)(this is the light day). Friday was my main deadlift day (the Heavy day!). Suffice to say, I deadlifted 900 and added significant mass in my back. For reference, my best sumo deadlift was 881, but a year before hitting 900 conventional my conventional PR was 782...

Lastly, ask yourself this: if everyone else is training once per week, what are you doing that's so different that you would expect to get better results than anybody else?? You might have good genetics, be tough enough and disciplined enough to train hard... but so are a lot of people...

When the Boss speaks, you best be listening

spartan300
11-21-18, 9:27 am
Such an important question!
When I stopped training each part once per week and started 2-4x /week my strength and muscle took off.
First, look at some of these models: Arnold encyclopedia recommends 3x /week. Bodybuilders before his time also 3 full body workouts per week for beginners and then as the volume increased divided it into upper/lower splits--still each body part 3x /week but divided into 6 days /week. Ronnie Coleman: one heavy day per week for each, and one pump up day for each... When I grew up every publication seemed to pump out once/week style workouts and all were linked to the photo shoot of some pro BBer. But... In Arnold's era and before they used steroids but not insulin and gh. And this is what the 1x /week style training of the 90s and later is based on. Scientists have studied the idea of "tearing down muscle to gain size" but it's not the tearing down that promotes size, it's the stress and strain and the resulting hormonal responses. There's a reason olympic weightlifters develop massive quads and it's not from once per week squatting... In many cases its multiple squat sessions per DAY.

In my experience, the trick to making multiple sessions per body part or lift per week work, is first building up the workload slowly--too much of anything will mess you up and the right amount, the amount you can recover from, can be beneficial and progressed.
Second, and this goes back to the original bodybuilders I referenced, is the idea of Heavy, Light and Medium days. Now this is essentially renamed as DUP, but it's been around for over half a century.
This can mean, with bench for example, that day 1 you bench for sets of 5 (heavy), day 2 you bench for sets of 12 (light) and day 3 you bench for sets of 8 (medium). This is the "classic" DUP. The other way is to use variations which are inherently lighter (like incline). So this way you might do sets of 5 on all 3 days, but the heavy day is flat bench, the light day is seated military press and the medium day is Incline... Once you understand this concept you can choose your own exercises.

In my experience the lighter days add so much more strength and recovery to the heaviest days. Last year, for example while training for the Animal Cage (to deadlift 900), I trained back 3x /week.
Monday I squatted and did either good mornings or stiff leg deadlifts from a deficit after (this is the "medium" day), Tuesday I did bent rows or t-bar rows plus a full bodybuilding style back day (rows, pulldowns, cable rows, etc)(this is the light day). Friday was my main deadlift day (the Heavy day!). Suffice to say, I deadlifted 900 and added significant mass in my back. For reference, my best sumo deadlift was 881, but a year before hitting 900 conventional my conventional PR was 782...

Lastly, ask yourself this: if everyone else is training once per week, what are you doing that's so different that you would expect to get better results than anybody else?? You might have good genetics, be tough enough and disciplined enough to train hard... but so are a lot of people... The man does know his shit!! My hats off to you Sir!