Junior Member
Really, how big of a difference is there? Do most of them work out 2 times a day? I just started a new routine. Im wondering how different it is from the pros routine.
mon back
tue chest
wed off
thu legs
fri shoulders
sat arms
sun off.
mostly 1 hr a day, minimal cardio cause im bulking. not taking any roids right now. abs 4 days a week
AR-Hall of Famer ~Diet Guru~
There is no difference.
Pros simply have been training longer...and are in tune with their bodies.
I've trained with a number of pros and most don't train more than 5 times per week.
Most actually average 4 days per week.
Most i know do high volume + high intensity...+ high frequency
..Generally training everything twice per week.
That's how i generally train as well.
The 5-day split, with 4 upper body days listed, i'd never touch.
And abs 4 times per week?
Waste of effort that you could've been putting into 15 minutes of HIIT cardio to keep fat gain low..and insulin sensitivity high.
-CNS
Junior Member
im trying to bulk. im only an amateur. most guys i know tell me not to train everything 2 times a week, otherwise i wont gro
Junior Member
and im not trying to cut yet, so cardio is a minimum
Member
are you on cycle or off cycle ?
on cycle, I quess it would work hitting same muscle 2x per week.
off cycle, I would not hit same muscle 2x a week.
I hit it every muscle once a week, realy hard so they need to rest.
I can feel im weaker when not resting enough.
how about you try it put, maybe it will work for you, maybe not. you will notice, if you gain anything or you only get tired...
AR-Hall of Famer ~Diet Guru~
I train with the same frequency 'on' or 'off'.
For the majority of the year i'm 'off'...
It's all about finding out what works for you... not what 'some guy' says won't.
Bodybuilding is about experimenting.
And the most successful guys are the ones who have experimented the most.
..Experimented, and gleaned the most real-world information.
Cardio is not just for 'cutting'.
Learn about eating, training, and cardio.
Learn about their individual and combined purposes.
It'll better serve you...than listening to 'some guy' ever will.
Good luck
-CNS
Member
some damn good advice
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
I agree!Originally Posted by "Narkissos"
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
EMUbeast, you need to utilize both once a week and twice a week training as you advance if you want maximum results.
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
Being on cycle has nothing to do with training frequency...
Junior Member
? Ok and at what point should i train every body part 2 times a week?
Junior Member
im still an amateur bro. im still learning, i dont think im ready for 2x a week.
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
Once you have 3 months of twice a week training under your belt as a beginner you can switch over to once a week training for 8-16 weeks. Next, you revert back to twice a week training for 8 week before going back to 8-16 weeks (your baseline) of once a week training.
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
Beginners should train twice a week not once a week..
Junior Member
ive heard the opposite. iveheard im not gonna grow if i train each bodypart 2x a week.
AR-Hall of Famer ~Diet Guru~
^^Ask the person who you told you that 'why'...and come back here and post it.
-CNS
Junior Member
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=333182
i started a thread about a decent mass workout and this is what they said.
AR-Hall of Famer ~Diet Guru~
There was 'good' advice on that thread.
Good.. but not 'great'.
Your proposed volume was much too high.
Push/pull type workouts do work.
Just about anything works in bodybuilding...
'cept...that nothing works forever.
Do a google search on Chad Waterbury.
His articles are sure to broaden your views on training.
Same with Layne Norton w/ specific regard to training frequency.
Anyway.. back to these two threads: working everything twice per week is optimal.
What you need to do is start with low volume.
1-2 exercises per bodypart.
Avoid the magazine-influenced gonzo training sessions like the one your outlined on the other thread.
When you stagnate.. you can either add another exercise (thus increasing the volume and workload)..or you can drop the volume/frequency...and experiment with a push/pull system for a few months...until you stagnate again.
-CNS
Senior Member
When I started back (having taken a year off) I followed a workout of Arnold's which was train each muscle twice a week, 6 days a week, 5 sets per exercise (usually 3-4 per bodypart). Now many would say that is way overtraining, however I gained 15 lbs. of muscle in about 2-3 months... This was all natural too... You just have to see what works for your body. Right now I'm only doing each muscle once a week because I can lift stronger and longer by taking the extra days off...
Junior Member
like i said before. a lot of people told me my old routine was overtrianing because i was training certain bodyparts 2x a week, and i wasnt giving myself time to grow.
Anabolic Member
Sorry if I'm hijacking a bit here, but how does this look for a twice a week split (its actually twice every 8 days, best i could do)
Mon- Chest, tri's, shoulders
Tue- Legs
Wed- off
Thu- Back, bi's
Fri- Chest, tri's, shoulders
Sat- Legs
Sun- off
Mon- Back, Bi's...........etc....repeat.
Any thoughts, and also what are your thoughts on am and pm training, maybe chest, tris am and then shoulders pm. Making sure to still keep everything at about 3 exercises per body part.
Senior Member
Well like we have said countless times... It could or could not be overtraining... It all depends on.. YOUR BODY!!! What works for one may not work for another... Trial and error...
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
No need in training twice a day unless you just want to split things up.
Either way the volume should remain the same..
The following approach would work much better for training each muscle group twice a week:
Monday-Chest/Shoulders/Back
Tuesday-Biceps/Triceps/Legs
Wednesday-off
Thursday-Chest/Shoulders/Back
Friday-Biceps/Triceps/Legs
Saturday-Off
Sunday-Off
Junior Member
jesus thats ridiculous. id spend 2-2 1/2 hours in the gym for that. wow, thats killer.
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
This will help!
Shouldn't take over 90 minutes max with each session and that's during a 4 week blasting phase (high volume training phase)! You must cut back on volume per muscle group when training that muscle twice week. In other words, if you are doing 12 sets for chest once a week during a 4 week blast, you certainly would not do 12 sets for chest twice week during a blast. 6 sets twice a week would suffice! It's the change in frequency, not volume that makes the muscles respond in this particular case!
AR-Hall of Famer ~Diet Guru~
It'd only take that long because you seem to think you need to do a million exercises per bodypart.
My favorite split (and one i keep returning to) is:
Monday: Chest; Legs; Triceps
Tuesday: Shoulders; Back; Biceps
Wednesday: off
Thursday: Chest; Legs; Triceps
Friday: Shoulders; Back; Biceps
Sat: off
Sun: off.
Doesn't take more than 90 minutes
In contest prep i add cardio pwo..and it still doesn't take '2& 1/2 hours'
-CNS
Member
In reference to once or twice a week of hitting a specific muscle....
A lot of it depends on how hard you train EMU that's the main thing you have to consider. If let's say you train with low intensity (which almost everyone does but they think they are going intense but they're not) Then twice a week would be ok. But if you are training intensely and totally assaulting that muscle then twice a week (every 3-4 days) wouldn't work as well as waiting 5-7 days before hitting that muscle again. My 02. cents
Associate Member
How come you have to divide your workouts into weekly splits? I either divide mine into a chest, delt and tricep for 1 day and the next workout a leg, back and bicep. A day of rest between each workout. Or if I want to split it a little more I'll do 1on 1off 2on and 1 off split. Splitting my body into 3 ways. This way everything gets hit every 4-5 days. If I hit everything only once per week I don't grow plus 2 times a week is too much for me.
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
Guys it's not about intensity, it's about how many sets are performed for each bodypart..You should always train with great intensity (whether it's once a week or twice a week).
Member
How many sets are performed isn't as important as how intense you go. I could do 15 sets of triceps but go really light and in the 8 rep range so by my eight rep I am not even struggling. My triceps will not grow this way.
But you can get away with doing half the sets of above and go really heavy and intense so for each set your last rep you are struggling. And your triceps WILL grow this way much better than if you were to do double the amount of sets but much less intensity meaning a lot less struggling. (of course provided you are doing the nutrition part correctly).
Of course in the end number of sets have a value of importance but intensity and knowing when your muscle is fatigued and torn and ready for repair is much more important.
But yes I agree you should always train intensely, unfortunately most people don't when they think they are.
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
Exactly right! Easing off the intensity in order to train the muscles with more frequency defeats the whole purpose.
1) Adjust the sets as needed when training with varied frequencies.
2) Always train hard if you want to make maximum progress as a bodybuilder.
Author of Functional Training with a Fork
Nice..
Another good 4 day split that doesn't take more than 90 minutes! And Narkissos is spot on about some people thinking they need to do a million exercises per bodypart.
Last edited by Ronnie Rowland; 03-09-2008 at 07:27 PM.
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