Training bodyparts 1 vs 2 times per week - Experience

[Gravel]

I use a 4 day split on Mon-Fri schedule. I work the area that needs focus on Mon and Fri. Im 49 and always used the push/pull/legs split for over 30 yrs. Got in my 40' s and switched to my current split. I feel more rested less joint pain and rarely sore. Recovery and rest are the key at my age. Twice per week is a thing of the past for me

I am also 49 and have trained since I was 15years old with every workout option possible....at least I think or what I read in all the muscle mags...lol. I am now training 4 days a week and divide my body up in 3 days. I do take 1 body part and add it in twice a week but keep the sets to a minimum and usually superset it.....I like it.

 

[magnus82]

How does that split look, how many exercises per bodypart etc?

PM'd

 

[TheOtherOne55]

this question is so directly correlated to Intensity and Volume...which no one seems to be speaking of.

I doubt anyone here can train balls to the wall 16 hard sets on legs and train that way again 3-4 days later. When I am doing my Chest/Shoulders twice a week like I am now, it is 4 days apart and one is waaay more of a pump day with much less volume.

 

[Adonis89]

I'll share my experience.

I trained body parts once a week for several years and made decent growth, but nothing spectacular.

Last november I started working with John meadows. My growth really took off.

For the last 16 weeks or so my program has changed and I'm training everything twice per week as opposed to once. I have made incredible gains (while dieting) and my shape has truly changed.

The only thing I've found is that when training everything twice per week is that I really have to pay close attention to movements that tax the lower back. If I over tax it during any one session it'll have a negative impact on all of my training for a few days.

As long as joint health and overall volume is kept in check I think it can definitely add a new dimension to your training.

The only way I can effectively train each body-part 2x per week is to train for 6 days. This is no problem, but since I'm not competing I've gotten too used to my weekends off. I'm probably going to go back to 2x per week though, keeping total weekly volume per bodypart roughly the same as if I hit it only 1x per week. This has always helped me grow, assuming I don't overdo the intensity or volume per session. Also, it jacks my metabolism and leaves little need for cardio, which I highly dislike.

For anyone who thinks 1x a week is optimal for maximal growth, let me just tell you....











It's definitely not!

On paper, maybe not. I think some guys have success with it. I've always grown better with 2x per week, with the occasional 1x per week (with reduced overall volume and intensity) thrown in there to de-load a bit.

Over the last 25 or so years of bodybuilding I have tried 2x per week at least 10 times if not more. Each time I stuck with it for at least 3 months, sometimes as long as 6 months. Every time I have concluded that it I wasn't recovering properly and gone back to once every 5 or 6 days. When I was younger, I noticed my strength stopped progressing from 2x per week, as I have gotten older it has almost always lead to tendon or joint issues.

Now that I'm training lighter than I have for a long time, I'm thinking about trying it again, which seems somewhat irrational to me considering my previous experience. If you can do it and make it work, or if you just do it for short periods, I think it could be optimal.

This is probably a very individual thing.

When you were training things 2x per week, were you lowering volume and intensity per workout, or essentially adding total weekly volume/intensity per bodypart? I could see how the latter may lead to recovery issues.

Undoubtedly an individual thing.

 

[Kaladryn]

When you were training things 2x per week, were you lowering volume and intensity per workout, or essentially adding total weekly volume/intensity per bodypart? I could see how the latter may lead to recovery issues.

Undoubtedly an individual thing.

I have tried many variations. I generally train high intensity, low volume (although the amount of warming up I do would probably make most call it medium volume). When I do 2x/week I make sure both workouts aren't super heavy, I also make sure the exercises are different on each session (mostly, at least a different order). I have tried heavy, low volume on first one, then lighter, higher volume on second one, that worked pretty well. I have also tried a near copy of Ronnies workout (3x10) and his split, which I like. Believe it or not I trained a little lighter than him though.

I'm usually a HIT guy, but I think higher volume has it's place, it's just that my body can't handle heavy high volume for very long, or 2x/week for very long. I do think that everyone should train high volume at least sometimes though. And I think everyone should play with frequency also, although you should spend more time working with what is best for your.

I think this stuff depends on a lot of factors, and it varies not only from individual to individual, but also from muscle to muscle (and even from time to time depending on things like stress, motivation, rest, diet, etc).

I could go on for hours about my theories on this stuff lol.

 

[Equalizer]

For those of you who train 2x a week....

Can you give me an example of a split that you like?


The biggest problem for training each part 2x a week is that either A) the workouts get too long and grueling, to do all the important exercises, or B) you can skimp on exercises, but it feels like the muscles don't get hit that well.


For example, a good tricep workout for me, is like:

Dips or Closegrip Bench
Skull Crushers
Cable Pushdowns
French Press

I usually just pair this witih biceps, or shoulders, so the workout doesn't take TOO long.


There's no way you can do all those things 2x a week, along with every other bodypart.

Nobody said u have to do all those exercises in the same workout. U could do 2 of them one workout and the other two the next workout. An A & B workout per week for each bodypart

 

[Adonis89]

I have tried many variations. I generally train high intensity, low volume (although the amount of warming up I do would probably make most call it medium volume). When I do 2x/week I make sure both workouts aren't super heavy, I also make sure the exercises are different on each session (mostly, at least a different order). I have tried heavy, low volume on first one, then lighter, higher volume on second one, that worked pretty well. I have also tried a near copy of Ronnies workout (3x10) and his split, which I like. Believe it or not I trained a little lighter than him though.

I'm usually a HIT guy, but I think higher volume has it's place, it's just that my body can't handle heavy high volume for very long, or 2x/week for very long. I do think that everyone should train high volume at least sometimes though. And I think everyone should play with frequency also, although you should spend more time working with what is best for your.

I think this stuff depends on a lot of factors, and it varies not only from individual to individual, but also from muscle to muscle (and even from time to time depending on things like stress, motivation, rest, diet, etc).

I could go on for hours about my theories on this stuff lol.

I have noticed a few things that correlate pretty well for me at least.

When I do high volume training, I need a pretty high carb diet, but when I train more HIT, I can get away with a pretty low carb diet.

Excessive volume eventually takes a toll on my joints, where excessive intensity would smash my CNS to pieces. All a balancing act. I like to mix it up week by week and sometimes within each workout.

I think paying attention to how our bodies look and feel are the best ways to try it all and eventually dwindle down to a program that works best.

 

[Transformer]

ive tried many routines with many different coaches, for GROWTH i feel 2x a week, is optimal. i also think it depends on volume, if i train everything twice a week the volume is a lot lower...low volume high frequency!

 

[petersouth]

Looking the best I ever did natural on 3x per wk full body, 3 sets per muscle, with 30-60 sec rest.

This limits the weight so there is not much CNS fatigue but still with the goal of increasing strength and reps.

I do as many sets as I can get away with to train 3x per week, right now that is 3 for a total of 9 but I want to get up to 6 for 18 total sets per week.

I can do more sets but that would cut it to 2x, I feel this is less effective.

Training with slight soreness actually activates growth in the muscle.

Full body and more frequent is better for a natural. As you use steroids you go for splits and less frequent.

 

[D_trip]

What kinda volume are you discussing?

I mean, you who say you got better growth from 2 x per week, how does your split look like?

How many exercises, how many working sets, going to failure etc?

 

[anab0lic]

I grow twice as fast 2x a week vs 1... i find 1x a week my muscles sometimes atrophy a bit between sessions then find it harder to progressively overload. Ive had success with 3x a week per bp and 4x a week too (every other day.)

The only time i ever do 1x a week bp is if i am just trying to maintain current size and strength.

 

[sammy555]

I'd like try 2x weekly but my shift patten makes it very hard as I have to train 4 on 4 off. I find training hit once weekly works well under these circumstances.

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[st114]

I'm currently training everything once a week, want to make the switch over to 2x a week

What would be the best split? I really want to bring up my shoulders the most btw

Push/Pull/Legs

or
1: Back/shoulders 2: Chest/arms 3: Quads/hams/calves

or
1: Chest/Back 2: Quads/hams/calves 3: Shoulders/arms

Looking for opinions. Thanks

 

[Adonis89]

Looking the best I ever did natural on 3x per wk full body, 3 sets per muscle, with 30-60 sec rest.

This limits the weight so there is not much CNS fatigue but still with the goal of increasing strength and reps.

I do as many sets as I can get away with to train 3x per week, right now that is 3 for a total of 9 but I want to get up to 6 for 18 total sets per week.

I can do more sets but that would cut it to 2x, I feel this is less effective.

Training with slight soreness actually activates growth in the muscle.

Full body and more frequent is better for a natural. As you use steroids you go for splits and less frequent.

If you're training along the lines of HST style, I think this is a decent approach - one I'd use when OFF or when de-loading from a 6 day per week split that trains everything twice. I've tried HST once when I was a bit younger but I was overzealous and trained too high volume and intensity which led to poor results.

Lyle McDonald (if you personally consider him credible) has some interesting write ups on low frequency vs high frequency training. Results on average seem correlated with intensity and volume. If you can moderate intensity and volume well, 3x per week may be optimal for you, but I think that's excessive and so did he. On the flip side, he also saw 1x per week as less than optimal (on average) for most lifters, settling on 2x per week as a recommendation.

I'd like try 2x weekly but my shift patten makes it very hard as I have to train 4 on 4 off. I find training hit once weekly works well under these circumstances.

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Have you ever looked into or tried something along the lines of HST?

 

[Equalizer]

Looking the best I ever did natural on 3x per wk full body, 3 sets per muscle, with 30-60 sec rest.

This limits the weight so there is not much CNS fatigue but still with the goal of increasing strength and reps.

I do as many sets as I can get away with to train 3x per week, right now that is 3 for a total of 9 but I want to get up to 6 for 18 total sets per week.

I can do more sets but that would cut it to 2x, I feel this is less effective.

Training with slight soreness actually activates growth in the muscle.

Full body and more frequent is better for a natural. As you use steroids you go for splits and less frequent.

How long does it take you to do those workouts?

 

[sammy555]

Have you ever looked into or tried something along the lines of HST?

Never heard of it m What's the basic premise


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[Adonis89]

Never heard of it m What's the basic premise


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Full body circuit workouts M - W - F, which maintain a total weekly volume and intensity comparable to training each bodypart 1x per week.

 

[badguy]

badguy's Plan of Size​

mon: legs
tue: shruggs/bent laterals/hammers
wed: chest/bi
thur: shruggs/bent laterals/hammers
fri: back/tri

this workout will get you big!
no more than 40 min in gym!



If you don't know me then you don't know big...5'7 278

 

[sammy555]

Full body circuit workouts M - W - F, which maintain a total weekly volume and intensity comparable to training each bodypart 1x per week.

Oh interesting. I've actually been looking into dc training and fitting it in best I can with my shifts. I've only just finished cut and easing into a lean growth phase real slow so don't wanna to anything to hard core until carbs s little higher. Only on 300 currently

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[1bigmofo]

badguy's Plan of Size​

mon: legs
tue: shruggs/bent laterals/hammers
wed: chest/bi
thur: shruggs/bent laterals/hammers
fri: back/tri

this workout will get you big!
no more than 40 min in gym!



If you don't know me then you don't know big...5'7 278

I've never seen anything quite like that routine...but if it works for u, kool.
Lots of factors go into this. About 6 weeks ago I transitioned from 1 body part a week, to training for hypertrophy. Now I'm not sure if it was the muscle confusion principle or training each muscle group 3x per week. But I made some great lean gains when I did switch. I think it boils down to ur current end goal, what's ur intensity level, ur age is a factor, rest periods, calories and cycle. Most likely it's different a bit for everyone...IMHO