Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below There is something I am confused about when it comes to training a bodypart more than once a week. I've kind of read this in books, even though the authors haven't ever been that clear about it. I've also seen routines that confirm my thinking. Anyways my question is if you're training a bodypart more than once a week should you change the amount of reps you do in each workout. For example if you train your legs twice a week would you use a higher rep scheme for the first workout in the week, and for the second leg workout use a heavier weight with less reps? If this is the correct way of doing this what rep range would you use for both workouts? The reason I thought it might be better to do a high rep workout and then moderate rep workout is so that you don't overtrain? It just seems like if you did nothing but 12-6 reps each workout a bodypart my not recover properly. Am I right at all in my thinking? Anyways thanks for the help guys.
Question On Training a bodypart more than once a week.
- Thread starter cbritton
- Start date
cbritton said:
What a great question.
I'm old enough to have watched the progression from:
- three days a week, 3 exercises p/body part, 3 x 8 - Yes, the entire body in one workout.
- twice a week, the upper body/lower body combo - Entire body twice a week.
- three on (push, leg, pull), one off, three on, two off - The entire body done twice over 9 days
- And now, the entire body once a week.
Personally, I appreciate the requirement for recovery and rest. I just have a hard time going 6 days before hitting a body part again. I seem to lose my progress.
I use the three on routine, throwing in an extra rest day as required.
I'd really like to do the first one, letting 60 hours between workouts, and hitting the entire body. Takes about 2 hours.
Guinness5.0
New member
I'm getting great results from the Bill Starr 5x5 program which is basically a full body workout thrice/week but with two different workouts. Looks like this:
Monday-A
Wednesday-B
Friday-A
Each session is full body in that it hits all the major muscles but the emphasis for workout A is different than workout B.
As far as the rep range q goes, it's fine to train the same rep range for quite a while. I think it's preferable b/c of the concept of progressive resistance- you want to make progress over time, so hammer the core lifts at the same rep range and improve your capacity (weight) on 'em.
BTW the term "overtraining" is perhaps the most misused term in bb'ing/lifting. True overtraining is systematic and is not going to occur workout to workout. If you can't sleep, are tired all the time, can't concentrate, lose performance big time in your workouts, etc. you may be overtrained. Things like soreness just mean you aren't conditioned for the amount of work you are performing.
Monday-A
Wednesday-B
Friday-A
Each session is full body in that it hits all the major muscles but the emphasis for workout A is different than workout B.
As far as the rep range q goes, it's fine to train the same rep range for quite a while. I think it's preferable b/c of the concept of progressive resistance- you want to make progress over time, so hammer the core lifts at the same rep range and improve your capacity (weight) on 'em.
BTW the term "overtraining" is perhaps the most misused term in bb'ing/lifting. True overtraining is systematic and is not going to occur workout to workout. If you can't sleep, are tired all the time, can't concentrate, lose performance big time in your workouts, etc. you may be overtrained. Things like soreness just mean you aren't conditioned for the amount of work you are performing.
Okay I guess I didn't word my question well enough. I am more worried about rep ranges when working the same bodypart more than once a week. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger and alot of the old bodybuilders advocate working each body part two to three times a week. So using Arnold's beginner six day a week routine from his Encyclodpedia Chest gets hit on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday. What I am wondering should Monday be lighter weight with higher reps. Then Wednesday would be moderately heavier weights with fewer reps than Monday. Then Fridays chest workout would be heavier weights with even fewer reps then Wednesday. In Arnold's Encyclopedia book he talks about something similar called Progressive Workload. Is this the ideal way to train or do most people if they are hitting the same body part more than once a week generally stay within the same rep ranges over and over (Let's say 12-6 reps per set)?
So my theory:
Monday
Chest 20-15 reps per exercise
Wednesday
Chest 12-6 reps per exercise
Friday
Chest 5-3 reps per exercise
Or is it like this:
Monday
Chest 12-6 reps per exercise
Wednesday
Chest 12-6 reps per exercise
Friday
Chest 12-6 reps per exercise
Thanks guys I am just wondering the best way to train.
So my theory:
Monday
Chest 20-15 reps per exercise
Wednesday
Chest 12-6 reps per exercise
Friday
Chest 5-3 reps per exercise
Or is it like this:
Monday
Chest 12-6 reps per exercise
Wednesday
Chest 12-6 reps per exercise
Friday
Chest 12-6 reps per exercise
Thanks guys I am just wondering the best way to train.
Guinness5.0
New member
cbritton said:
I understood it but didn't address it properly
I guess the only advice I could give would be to check out the 5x5 monster thread and ditch arnold's book. I feel that the stuff you'll learn in there will be much more valuable as it's been shown to work in most who've tried it (I'd say all but I'm sure there's the exception out there somewhere ).In a nutshell the idea is to focus on improving your performance in the core lifts in a decent hypertrophy set/rep scheme (5x5
) and as long as you eat enough you'll grow.cbritton said:
Again, see the monster 5x5 thread and you'll be on your way
cbritton said:
You are on to something.
Old school would vary the reps in 4-6 week cycles, keeping the range within the cycle. 4 weeks 12-15; 4 weeks, 8-10; 4 weeks 4-6
I also saw the 80% approach for twice a week. Your second workout for a bodypart would use 80% of the weight used in the first.
The cheap answer is- What works for you. There are so many theories.
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