How Often?

Is once a week per bodypart enough (except perhaps calves and abs)? Also, I tried working back/biceps one day and chest/triceps on another day and didn't really feel like I had much of a workout. This style seems popular but I "feel" like I get a better workout when I do back/chest together and bicep/tricep/shoulder together. Is there any "science" to prove one way better than the other? What do you guys prefer? Here is what seems to work well for me but I wonder if it's efficient;

workout 1) chest/back

workout 2) quads/hams/calves/abs

workout 3) shoulder/tricep/bicep

I workout 3 days a week. Typically Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Saturday. Is that enough?

Yes, once a week is plenty. I'm currently doing once every 10 days. Spread groups out and my training sessions are much shorter. This is a first for me so we'll see how it goes.

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Originally Posted by austinite

Yes, once a week is plenty. I'm currently doing once every 10 days. Spread groups out and my training sessions are much shorter. This is a first for me so we'll see how it goes.

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What does your workouts look like if you don't mind me asking? I might try this if you report back with good results.

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Originally Posted by Brazensol

Is once a week per bodypart enough (except perhaps calves and abs)? Also, I tried working back/biceps one day and chest/triceps on another day and didn't really feel like I had much of a workout. This style seems popular but I "feel" like I get a better workout when I do back/chest together and bicep/tricep/shoulder together. Is there any "science" to prove one way better than the other? What do you guys prefer? Here is what seems to work well for me but I wonder if it's efficient;

workout 1) chest/back

workout 2) quads/hams/calves/abs

workout 3) shoulder/tricep/bicep

I workout 3 days a week. Typically Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Saturday. Is that enough?

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I basically lift every other day.... Leg day, push day, pull day, or all strongman training day..... After training strongman I usually take 3-5 days off after...

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Originally Posted by Brazensol

Is once a week per bodypart enough (except perhaps calves and abs)? Also, I tried working back/biceps one day and chest/triceps on another day and didn't really feel like I had much of a workout. This style seems popular but I "feel" like I get a better workout when I do back/chest together and bicep/tricep/shoulder together. Is there any "science" to prove one way better than the other? What do you guys prefer? Here is what seems to work well for me but I wonder if it's efficient;

workout 1) chest/back

workout 2) quads/hams/calves/abs

workout 3) shoulder/tricep/bicep

I workout 3 days a week. Typically Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Saturday. Is that enough?

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On the back and chest and whatever workout in my opinion looks fine.... I do a little pull on my push day, "that sounded weird"..... And some push on my pull day. "Even more weird".... I think the key is to make sure to have enough rest after training a muscle group.... If you go all out on one day take the next day completely off and the day after that hit lower body hard then take a day off and there's no way your upper body is not fully healed...

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Originally Posted by Heath48

What does your workouts look like if you don't mind me asking? I might try this if you report back with good results.

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Day 1. Chest/Triceps
Day 2. Off
Day 3. Legs
Day 4. Off
Day 5. Back/Biceps
Day 6. Off
Day 7. Shoulders/Hamstrings
Day 8. Off

abs daily.

Rinse and repeat.

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Originally Posted by austinite

Day 1. Chest/Triceps
Day 2. Off
Day 3. Legs
Day 4. Off
Day 5. Back/Biceps
Day 6. Off
Day 7. Shoulders/Hamstrings
Day 8. Off

abs daily.

Rinse and repeat.

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I guess I should have been more specific. I was more curious about reps, sets, volume, all that. You had said that your sessions are shorter. So I was wondering what all your doing. Sorry for the confusion lol

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Originally Posted by Heath48

I guess I should have been more specific. I was more curious about reps, sets, volume, all that. You had said that your sessions are shorter. So I was wondering what all your doing. Sorry for the confusion lol

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Oh. lol. sorry...

I do 2 quick warmup sets per exercise, and one to failure at 3 to 4 reps.

3 to 4 exercises per muscle group.

Science will tell you that a higher frequency is better... Each muscle group 2-3 times per week...

Sounds like I'm on the right track then. I just don't feel it when I do all my push exercises one day and the pull exercises another day.

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Originally Posted by baseline_9

Science will tell you that a higher frequency is better... Each muscle group 2-3 times per week...

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Can you provide the science? I'm know it works, I've done 2 times per week. Had good results. Extended periods work, too. I would like to see the science behind it being better.

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Originally Posted by baseline_9

Science will tell you that a higher frequency is better... Each muscle group 2-3 times per week...

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Two or 3 times a week! I don't think I could recover from that much intensity. Maybe twice a week but 3 times - probably not...

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Originally Posted by austinite

Oh. lol. sorry...

I do 2 quick warmup sets per exercise, and one to failure at 3 to 4 reps.

3 to 4 exercises per muscle group.

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So you basically do one working set of ~4 different exercises muscle group? Interesting. You getting good results from this?

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Originally Posted by Brazensol

So you basically do one working set of ~4 different exercises muscle group? Interesting. You getting good results from this?

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Well I've only been doing this for a short while, but yes, you don't need to destroy the muscle multiple times per session.

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Originally Posted by austinite

Can you provide the science? I'm know it works, I've done 2 times per week. Had good results. Extended periods work, too. I would like to see the science behind it being better.

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Let me get back to u on that.... I'm parroting info that I am confident it correct from layne norton....

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Originally Posted by Brazensol

Two or 3 times a week! I don't think I could recover from that much intensity. Maybe twice a week but 3 times - probably not...

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Frequency has nothing to do with intensity... They are both completely different variables...

Check out marcus300's thread on H.I.T. I'm a new convert to the idea. It's not volume, intensity is all that matters. If you're doing HIT correctly, you will NEED a week off per body part, even on cycle.
Drop sets, forced negs, etc. I noticed nearly instant results when I switched over. Wish I had known about it years ago.

^ forced negs are great.

That's similar to my schedule, but feel it out. When the weights get bigger more off days are needed, but when the weights are lighter you can lift the same body part more often.

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Originally Posted by baseline_9

Frequency has nothing to do with intensity... They are both completely different variables...

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I agree

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Originally Posted by baseline_9

Science will tell you that a higher frequency is better... Each muscle group 2-3 times per week...

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I only go to the gym if I'm going to absolutely kill whatever body part I'm deciding to lift... For the next 2-3 days that muscle group is completely out of commission... No matter how much anabolics I'm on I can't heal that fast

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Originally Posted by baseline_9

Let me get back to u on that.... I'm parroting info that I am confident it correct from layne norton....

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I sometimes use the jack layne juicer.... Haven't tried his workout program

I think it's worth mentioning that switching it up from time to time may also work for some. I used to worked some parts 2-3 times a week but I'm trying just once a week now (kinda have to with a new baby! :) ) I like it!

Yesterday was shoulders/calves day for me, but when I got to the gym I felt like doing squats and leg presses. So that's what I did. The point is I'm a big proponent of instinctive training. Do what feels right.

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Originally Posted by Java Man

Yesterday was shoulders/calves day for me, but when I got to the gym I felt like doing squats and leg presses. So that's what I did. The point is I'm a big proponent of instinctive training. Do what feels right.

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Completely agree.^^^^ I'm a big advocate of making an order of body part priority.... For me I hit legs any time there healed enough for a brutal workout.... If there out of commission I move on to shoulders and traps, then upper and lower back usually separate workouts, and then finally chest which I rarely hit... I never really hit arms alone.

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Originally Posted by austinite

^ forced negs are great.

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I go with forced negatives. I used to train with that failure and beyond theme and it always brought on gains. It most always made me sore although soreness doesn't mean growth necessarily. I think is a good sign as long as it is muscle pain. Negative to the point of TOTAL Failure, without getting injured. ...crazy mike

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Originally Posted by human project

Completely agree.^^^^ I'm a big advocate of making an order of body part priority.... For me I hit legs any time there healed enough for a brutal workout.... If there out of commission I move on to shoulders and traps, then upper and lower back usually separate workouts, and then finally chest which I rarely hit... I never really hit arms alone.

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I have to hit arms separately. Everybody has a stubborn part, mine is my arms. I've got a 50" chest, and 17" arms. Doesn't make sense but there it is! They're apparently not getting what they need from my regular pushing movements for upper body. Or it could just be my extreme mental focus on controlling the specific muscle I'm working prohibiting ancillary muscles from getting involved. lol. :p Yeah, that's it!

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Originally Posted by Java Man

I have to hit arms separately. Everybody has a stubborn part, mine is my arms. I've got a 50" chest, and 17" arms. Doesn't make sense but there it is! They're apparently not getting what they need from my regular pushing movements for upper body. Or it could just be my extreme mental focus on controlling the specific muscle I'm working prohibiting ancillary muscles from getting involved. lol. :p Yeah, that's it!

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I use Cialis for my stubborn part.

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Originally Posted by austinite

Oh. lol. sorry...

I do 2 quick warmup sets per exercise, and one to failure at 3 to 4 reps.

3 to 4 exercises per muscle group.

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This is what I've been doing for the past 7 months and the 1 or 2 years prior to my 10 year "resting period". Every so often I will switch it up by doing 50 reps for 3 or 4 sets going progressively heavier each set and trying to still do 50 or as many I can until the weight drops on me, on whatever part I'm doing that day just to confuse myself. Seems to be working well for me anyways. Some days my body tells me to do something different. Our minds know more about the engine that is our body than we're consciously aware of - I listen to mine.

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Originally Posted by austinite

I use Cialis for my stubborn part.

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lol. Mines not stubborn, Hyperactive more like it. Cialis is to control BP but I don't tell. :)

I want to give the one set for 3-4 reps a try but I am not sure I will leave the gym feeling like I got a good work out. Would a chest/back workout look something like this:

1-2 warm up sets prior to each movement

1) Flat bench press
2) Dumbbell incline press
3) Flyes
4) Dumbbell pullovers (I like these because of the stretch and it seems to be a good transition into back since it hits both).
5) Straight arm lat pulldowns
6) Wide grip lat pulldowns
7) Seated rows
8) 1-Arm rows

One set of each for 3-4 reps... Is that enough or should I add 1 or 2 more for each muscle group?

I think I've read somewhere that just because you get past that two or three day window of soreness and fatigue, you aren't done healing yet. Further, I'm sure the article said that it's only in those last days that you actually grow. I've seen that even some of the most massive BB'ers only train parts once a week, or even every two.

I like hitting the gym 6 days a week with high volume and medium intensity. It feels good mentally and physically. However, I see more gains when I do less with high intensity. 3 days a week with low heavy reps.

I have tried various workout programs over the past decade and I always go back to 1 muscle a day. For me it is most effective and gives me a week to recover. I do 3-5 exercises for that one muscle with 3-4 working sets.

Yep. And the more I get sold on HIT training, the more I'm starting to see that you can get in and out of the weights portion of your workout in a half-hour or so. A couple of good sets where you really hit your muscle and go BEYOND failure is all you need. Mike Mentzer was right.

Once a week or so does seem to be the magic number.