help: training frequency..

[rahulsingh265]

Is it better to train a body part twice a week or once a week? I'm working out for 18 months ,most of that time once a week per body part..... But now i want to change my routine i.e twice a week per body part....

[Khazima]

Try twice and see if it works better for you. Generally for a natural (many will disagree) i say more frequency is better, your muscles will only grow back so much stronger so there's no point annihilating them once a week when they recover in 2-3 days ready to be stimulated again.

[rahulsingh265]

Try twice and see if it works better for you. Generally for a natural (many will disagree) i say more frequency is better, your muscles will only grow back so much stronger so there's no point annihilating them once a week when they recover in 2-3 days ready to be stimulated again.

Thanks k... My biceps and delts are not growing as compare to other body parts....
Any suggestion?

[Khazima]

Thanks k... My biceps and delts are not growing as compare to other body parts....
Any suggestion?

My delts respond really well to lateral raises, you could try that. Hitting them twice a week on push days after your compounds. I like to do 4-5 sets of 12-15 reps with single arm cable laterals. I would do them heavier but it's a risky exercise for my dodgy shoulders so i perform the exercise really cautiously and controlled.

As for biceps.. They're a bitch for me too, what's worked best so far is remembering to progressively overload (more weight/reps/sets) and doing supersets (usually rope hammer curls superset with preacher machine).

I'm sure there's plenty more people with better knowledge about growing individual muscles, hopefully they can chime in.

[marcus300]

Its early days for you so any kind of training will produce gains IMHO but try various ones and stick with it for at least 8 weeks and see how you grow, everyone is different and it all depends on how your own body responds to certain types of training. I much prefer one body part every 7-10 days but I train extremely intense and hard but if you feel your ready for a change go with it and see what happens. If you have certain body parts not responding as good as others just prioritise them and change things around, try some volume training, HIT, pre exhaust, super sets or change the rep range and see what works, its all about experimenting and finding what you respond best to.

[bass]

Good suggestions above, but the bottom line is do what works for you. try the twice a week, and if it's too much then try every 5 days, and so on.

[rahulsingh265]

Its early days for you so any kind of training will produce gains IMHO but try various ones and stick with it for at least 8 weeks and see how you grow, everyone is different and it all depends on how your own body responds to certain types of training. I much prefer one body part every 7-10 days but I train extremely intense and hard but if you feel your ready for a change go with it and see what happens. If you have certain body parts not responding as good as others just prioritise them and change things around, try some volume training, HIT, pre exhaust, super sets or change the rep range and see what works, its all about experimenting and finding what you respond best to.

Thanks markus.... My legs are growing smoothly, strength is increasing every week,i can feel the power in my legs.....but my shoulders sucks.... I've tried drop sets,rest pause,but not getting the result......

[rahulsingh265]

My delts respond really well to lateral raises, you could try that. Hitting them twice a week on push days after your compounds. I like to do 4-5 sets of 12-15 reps with single arm cable laterals. I would do them heavier but it's a risky exercise for my dodgy shoulders so i perform the exercise really cautiously and controlled.

As for biceps.. They're a bitch for me too, what's worked best so far is remembering to progressively overload (more weight/reps/sets) and doing supersets (usually rope hammer curls superset with preacher machine).

I'm sure there's plenty more people with better knowledge about growing individual muscles, hopefully they can chime in.

Now i'm gonna do twice a week...... I never do lateral raises as my primary delt exercise...all these days i was focusing on overhead presses....

[marcus300]

Thanks markus.... My legs are growing smoothly, strength is increasing every week,i can feel the power in my legs.....but my shoulders sucks.... I've tried drop sets,rest pause,but not getting the result......

What is your current shoulder routine

[rahulsingh265]

What is your current shoulder routine

Smith machine overhead press: 2 warmup and 2 working set
dumbbell overhead press: 2 warm up 2 working set
Lateral raises: 2 working set
Bent over lateral raise: 2 working set

[Khazima]

Now i'm gonna do twice a week...... I never do lateral raises as my primary delt exercise...all these days i was focusing on overhead presses....

Your anterior (front) delt gets plenty of work from benching and any other pressing movements, that and a bit of OHP is plenty for the pressing portion of the shoulders. An actual big round delt comes from the medial and posterior (mid and rear) delt, plenty of laterals, some people like upright rows (i don't, i think they put your shoulder in a compromising position especially if you go above nipple height) and rear delt flys/facepulls.

[rahulsingh265]

Your anterior (front) delt gets plenty of work from benching and any other pressing movements, that and a bit of OHP is plenty for the pressing portion of the shoulders. An actual big round delt comes from the medial and posterior (mid and rear) delt, plenty of laterals, some people like upright rows (i don't, i think they put your shoulder in a compromising position especially if you go above nipple height) and rear delt flys/facepulls.

I can't feel upright rows thts why i didn't do them... May be lack of lateral movements is the reason of my lagging delts..

[Khazima]

I can't feel upright rows thts why i didn't do them... May be lack of lateral movements is the reason of my lagging delts..

As well as being natural (if you don't cycle), you can build impressive delts over time, or be genetically gifted, but they'll never be the 3d impressive delts that guys on gear achieve.

[rahulsingh265]

As well as being natural (if you don't cycle), you can build impressive delts over time, or be genetically gifted, but they'll never be the 3d impressive delts that guys on gear achieve.

Well, i am natural i was 192 cm 132 lbs 18 months ago... Now i am 192 cm 176 lbs all natural ..

[Khazima]

Well, i am natural i was 192 cm 132 lbs 18 months ago... Now i am 192 cm 176 lbs all natural ..

Great stuff man keep at it.

[marcus300]

Smith machine overhead press: 2 warmup and 2 working set
dumbbell overhead press: 2 warm up 2 working set
Lateral raises: 2 working set
Bent over lateral raise: 2 working set

There's no need to do 2 over head pressing movements, just do one but make sure you do it correctly.
Why don't you try pre exhausting your shoulder by doing lateral raises first then moving onto rear delts then leaving the overhead pressing last. On all movements make sure your going to failure, you may think you are but in reality your probably not so learn how to train to complete positive failure and incorporate pre exhaust and see how you go with that for 8 weeks.

I've no idea of your rep range but try changing this around and is how you react.

[rahulsingh265]

There's no need to do 2 over head pressing movements, just do one but make sure you do it correctly.
Why don't you try pre exhausting your shoulder by doing lateral raises first then moving onto rear delts then leaving the overhead pressing last. On all movements make sure your going to failure, you may think you are but in reality your probably not so learn how to train to complete positive failure and incorporate pre exhaust and see how you go with that for 8 weeks.

I've no idea of your rep range but try changing this around and is how you react.

Thanks again markus... I Will try pre exausting my shoulder first... I hope it will work my rep range for shoulder is between 7-12....

[rahulsingh265]

Great stuff man keep at it.

Thanks man

[Lee_1978]

Anyone else incorporate drivers into their routine?

[600@50]

I can't feel upright rows thts why i didn't do them... May be lack of lateral movements is the reason of my lagging delts..

Try upright rows using DBs rather than a BB. That way you can rotate the shoulder however you need to for the best feel. Plus you won't take a chance with nerve impingement like with a BB. Start with light weight and go from there.

[marcus300]

Try upright rows using DBs rather than a BB. That way you can rotate the shoulder however you need to for the best feel. Plus you won't take a chance with nerve impingement like with a BB. Start with light weight and go from there.

Agreed ^^
When I do upright rows I do them with db's and its a lot easier on my shoulders. I prefer doing them one db at a time and changing the angle of my body so it hits more of my side delt

[rahulsingh265]

Try upright rows using DBs rather than a BB. That way you can rotate the shoulder however you need to for the best feel. Plus you won't take a chance with nerve impingement like with a BB. Start with light weight and go from there.

Thanks man.. Using db seems good.... I will try...

[rahulsingh265]

Agreed ^^
When I do upright rows I do them with db's and its a lot easier on my shoulders. I prefer doing them one db at a time and changing the angle of my body so it hits more of my side delt

Wht is Your preferred rep range for db upright row?

[marcus300]

Wht is Your preferred rep range for db upright row?

I would normally hit the higher end of my rep range with db upright rows which would be around 10-12 reps. I do have a RC issue so they are not something I put in every shoulder session but when I do these are the ones I use

[rahulsingh265]

I would normally hit the higher end of my rep range with db upright rows which would be around 10-12 reps. I do have a RC issue so they are not something I put in every shoulder session but when I do these are the ones I use

I've got it

[600@50]

I would normally hit the higher end of my rep range with db upright rows which would be around 10-12 reps. I do have a RC issue so they are not something I put in every shoulder session but when I do these are the ones I use

Yes definitely higher reps. Otherwise you'll tend to want to throw or hoist the weight up and the movement will look more like a shrug.

[Buster Brown]

Yes definitely higher reps. Otherwise you'll tend to want to throw or hoist the weight up and the movement will look more like a shrug.

Agreed.....DB's take the weird shoulder /wrist thing and using too heavy a weight will turn the exercise into a weird shrug.

[rahulsingh265]

There's no need to do 2 over head pressing movements, just do one but make sure you do it correctly.
Why don't you try pre exhausting your shoulder by doing lateral raises first then moving onto rear delts then leaving the overhead pressing last. On all movements make sure your going to failure, you may think you are but in reality your probably not so learn how to train to complete positive failure and incorporate pre exhaust and see how you go with that for 8 weeks.

I've no idea of your rep range but try changing this around and is how you react.

Yesterday i incorporated pre exhausting my delts by doing lateral raises first.....workout session went really good and now i'm enjoying my sore delts

[Buster Brown]

Yesterday i incorporated pre exhausting my delts by doing lateral raises first.....workout session went really good and now i'm enjoying my sore delts

Its also great to start with laterals because it does a great job warming up the shoulder girdle.

[marcus300]

Yesterday i incorporated pre exhausting my delts by doing lateral raises first.....workout session went really good and now i'm enjoying my sore delts

That's good to hear, also try doing rears after your sides then go onto pressing to fully pre exhaust them

[rahulsingh265]

That's good to hear, also try doing rears after your sides then go onto pressing to fully pre exhaust them

After side laterals and rear delt raises(drop sets), my shoulders were burning like hell,but i was in zone i was enjoying it...... After that i did overhead press and db upright row....awesome pump awesome feeling...

[marcus300]

After side laterals and rear delt raises(drop sets), my shoulders were burning like hell,but i was in zone i was enjoying it...... After that i did overhead press and db upright row....awesome pump awesome feeling...

That sounds like an improvement on how you was feeling when you first started this thread, well done. Keep it up and play around with things and see what you feel good about and then design it around YOU. If your drop setting make sure you go to failure on the first set and I mean failure don't be holding anything in the tank for the drop set, its a long learning process and doesn't suit everyone but if you can go into that pain zone and train intense for short periods of time go with it and adapt this kind of training to your own way you grow.

[rahulsingh265]

That sounds like an improvement on how you was feeling when you first started this thread, well done. Keep it up and play around with things and see what you feel good about and then design it around YOU. If your drop setting make sure you go to failure on the first set and I mean failure don't be holding anything in the tank for the drop set, its a long learning process and doesn't suit everyone but if you can go into that pain zone and train intense for short periods of time go with it and adapt this kind of training to your own way you grow.

Most important thing i was missing is the "intensity".. Today i finished back workout in 35 minutes, but it was way better than the previous workouts of 60-70 minutes....... Today i realized the importance of intensity......i think drop sets are better than rest pause ,atleast for me....and thanks again markus for all your valuable suggestions