Problem - I cant stop going to the gym

[alexs]

Yo guys so here is my little problem:

I've been working out for about 4 years but only recently have I started taking it REALLY seriously. I had the common problem of wanting the perfect routine so all I would do is browse these forums and other sites looking for it while doing jack in the weightroom. I finally realized that it's not the routine but the work you put in, yadda yadda.

Anyways I got really enthused and seeing as how I'm on my break from school, I have nothing to do but go to the gym. So I go 7 times a week, each workout being about 1 hr. My split is:

1) Chest, Shoulders, Tris
2) Back, Bi's
3) Legs, Abs
4) Chest, Shoulders, Tris (again)
5) Back, Bi's (again)
6) Legs, Abs (again)
etc, etc, etc

2-3 compound exercises per body part, 1 isolation exercise per body part, 8-12 reps, 4-5 sets. Really basic stuff

I've seen really good gains but I know that I am overworking and I will soon plateau and stop making gains.


alright FINALLY to my question: is it possible to do a routine that sees you in the gym 7 times a week and make good gains? something to the effect of:

monday) chest
tuesday) back
wednesday) legs, abs
thursday) shoulders
friday) arms

repeat, repeat


thanks for the help!

 

[Sim882]

If your weights are increasing, your not overtraining.

BTW, keep me informed with how this goes. I like exercise heaps, and this is the first time I'm going to seriously try to bulk (what I mean by this is no cardio), so to make up for the 1hr per day of cardio I use to do, I'd like to do as many weights as possible before the overtraining threshold.

 

[goku_kakarot77]

most will advice not to workout 7 days week its way too much stress on ur CNS, rest is when ur muscles grow, when im on sauce i go 4x week and 3x week when off,

 

[nzrodney]

Its not how many days you go, its how intense you train when you are there.

 

[musketeer]

Olympic weightlifters often train 10 or more times per week.

You're probably not burning out yet because of your age and relative lack of development. If you have to train every day because you like it do an abreviated 5x5 type routine where you do just 2 exercises and maybe some speed / co-ordination type exercises. Will be much more beneficial than following the 90's bodybuilder type routines you're currently using/considering.

 

[stosstruppe]

Best to incorporate rest days from heavy resistance training so as to allow your body to recover; (not just your muscles) CNS, connective tissues etc. Re-organise the split so you have a couple days away from the gym. If you're bored on off-days go for a swim or a walk.

 

[drsketch]

I think there are better routines that hit every body part 2x weekly then to do chest and shoulders on same day.

 

[Sim882]

Olympic weightlifters often train 10 or more times per week.

You're probably not burning out yet because of your age and relative lack of development. If you have to train every day because you like it do an abreviated 5x5 type routine where you do just 2 exercises and maybe some speed / co-ordination type exercises. Will be much more beneficial than following the 90's bodybuilder type routines you're currently using/considering.

How do they manage to do this? Superior genetics, because given olympic lifting would place the most load on your CNS system, wouldn't this cause CNS failure?

 

[*The_West*]

Olympic weightlifters often train 10 or more times per week.

yes true, but dont forget the vast amounts of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs these guys use allowing them to train as often and intensely as they do, and still recover from it.

 

[Rage-Of-Sparta]

doing so much volume just remember to eat ,eat, eat and remember muscles grow when they are at rest....

 

[SouthernLord]

How do they manage to do this? Superior genetics, because given olympic lifting would place the most load on your CNS system, wouldn't this cause CNS failure?

A lot of them are hand picked creme of the crop so to say. Superior genetics play a huge role. Also this is their job. They get up, eat, lift, eat, nap, eat, lift again, eat, eat, sleep, and on and on. This is all they do from a young age. Drugs help too.

 

[musketeer]

Southern Lord knows what he's writing about.

They manage all of the variables outside of them gym extremely well and also they rarely train to failure.

Here is an example of a Bulgarian program (preparation of the National Team for the 1980 Olympics):

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
09:00-10:00 am: Snatch
10:30-11:30 am: Clean and Jerk
11:30-12:30 pm: Clean pulls
05:00-06:00 pm: Clean and Jerk
06:30-07:30 pm: Snatch
07:30-08:00 pm: Front Squat
08:00-08:30 pm: Snatch Pulls

Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
09:00-10:00 am: Snatch from the hang
10:30-11:30 am: Partial Jerks
11:30-12:00 pm: Back Squat
12:00-12:30 pm: Power Clean
12:30-01:30 pm: Snatch and Clean Pulls

from deepsquater.com


I'm not suggesting for a minute anybody try this shit at home.

But if you you feel like training every day, an abbreviated 5x5 with speed/ coordination is suitable (below is just of the top of my head as an example):

Mon
Snatch
Backsquat

Tues
Jerk
FrontSquat

Wed
Clean
Bench

Thu
Snatch
Deadlift

Fri
Overhead Squat
Dip

Sat
Jumpsquat
Row

Sun
Clean
Bench

 

[Edmund]

I workout 6-7 days a week and sometimes go twice a day. In the mornings I go in sometimes just to do my abs, then go again after work. I have been using the same 3 day split all of my life.

Chest and back
Shoulders and arms
Legs
Repeat cycle

I picked it up from Arnolds biography when I was young(er) and it's just what I am used to I guess. I do add different movements and do alot of sets and reps with little rest. I do burnout once in a while and might take two days off here and there but I sure feel guilty doing that. If you are lifting heavier weights and getting bigger/seeing improvement then don't question your workout, keep doing.

The only other pieces of advice I picked up and used are:

Never take advice from someone who doesn't look better than you.
Do your worst bodypart first in your workout, you have the most energy in the start of your workout.
If you think you are done with a body part..do at least two more sets

 

[automaticj5]

EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT -- make sure your body is getting enough -- 7 days a week gives your body very little time for each muscle to rebuild and rest...

 

[alexs]

Thanks for the responses fellas, I still have to dwell on it a bit more

another question


If I cut out say, 2-3 days of weightlifting and just do some laps in my pool for 20-30 mins on those days, will the swimming not have the taxing effect on my CNS that weightlifting would? I know swimming involves pretty much every muscle of the body, so..

 

[Big_BK]

Like sparta said, make sure caloric intake is high and you are getting alot of sleep. IMO break it down to 1 bodypart a day if you want to go everyday of the week.

 

[musketeer]

Thanks for the responses fellas, I still have to dwell on it a bit more

another question

If I cut out say, 2-3 days of weightlifting and just do some laps in my pool for 20-30 mins on those days, will the swimming not have the taxing effect on my CNS that weightlifting would? I know swimming involves pretty much every muscle of the body, so..

Stop worrying about CNS or overcomplicating things! : )

It would be way better for you to mix weight training with other things like swimming, or regular sports or athletics. Plenty of kids play sport every day at school and then have weekend games and physical activities (like hiking or gardening chores, etc)

When I was 17 I was playing rugby twice a week, soccer twice a week, badminton once a week, training very hard with weights 3-5 times a week and doing plenty of active things like scouting, working at home (like chopping wood), and joining in with other people's sports for fun. If I really got my ass kicked in a rugby game or got a new backsquat PR and was really sore, then I'd take it a little easy, maybe miss a soccer game or workout or something.

Just do what you feel capable of, push yourself as hard as you like and eat and rest well and you will surprise yourself with how much volume your body can take.

One last thing, you should definitely use a 5x5 style of weight training.