When you create a training program, first of all, you need to decide on the first important point - regularity of training. How many times a week should you exercise?
I understand... this is quite a broad question. And the terms “exercise regularity” and “exercise regularity” can have a lot of different meanings.
However, there are 3 values that are worth paying attention to:
- General training regularity: How often should you do certain exercises (strength training, cardio, etc.)?
- Regularity of strength training: How many times a week should you do strength training?
- Regularity of exercises for individual muscle groups or body parts: How many times per week should you train each muscle group or body part?
The only thing we missed on this list is cardio training. This is a separate topic that we will talk about a little later.
Now let's look at the 3 most important aspects of regular training.
Regularity of training in general
The first thing to decide is how many times a week we will perform training. These may include strength training, cardio, and so on. All this relates to the regularity of classes in general.
This is one aspect that may vary depending on you and your goals (for example, an obese person with the initial goal of losing weight may do 4 cardio workouts per week, while a thin person with the initial goal of gaining muscle mass may not do cardio at all).
Therefore, it is impossible to say exactly how many times a week you need to exercise.
However, there is one general rule that works for everyone.
And this is the rule: do least 1 day off from training.
It means that as a last resort You can exercise 6 times a week (and this includes strength training, cardio, etc.).
I am sure that among those reading this article there is no such person who needs to exercise 7 times a week and who will derive any benefits from it.
I will say more: most people will accept 3-5 times a week as the norm, depending on their goals.
Why? Because daily training not only makes no sense to achieve your goals, on the contrary, it can lead to the opposite results.
Regularity of strength training
There are many individual characteristics that should be taken into account in the regularity of training in general. However, when it comes to strength training, the opposite is true. I can accurately describe the regularity of strength training.
The regularity of strength training refers to how many times a week you need to do it.
Some people can do 5 workouts a week (although in most cases they are not necessary at all), some people can stop at two. However, for most people in most cases 3-4 strength training sessions per week is enough.
I base this on most well-designed training programs that are 3-4 workouts per week.
The same goes for the rule do not perform more than 2 workouts in a row.
Regularity of exercises for specific muscle groups or body parts
And the last thing is the regularity of exercises for individual muscle groups or parts of the body.
When you are busy, or the gym is located far from home, going to the gym 3-5 times a week is inconvenient. A training program for 2 days a week comes to the rescue.
What can you achieve by exercising twice a week?
Become slimmer
A two-day training program will help solve the issue of losing weight. If you follow the correct diet, this training schedule is acceptable.
We would like to warn you that this frequency of training is not the best for losing body fat; the process of losing weight will be slow. But you can exercise for pleasure, because double training will not take much time.
Gain weight
Mass training can also be done twice a week. This is a very convenient option for those whose muscles take a long time to recover.
Typically, 36–48 hours of rest is not enough for such athletes; they need up to three days between classes. This is where 2 workouts a week helps out.
For strength exercises, this is the best option - you can rest for a long time and restore your muscles.
Keep fit
Working out in the gym 2 times a week will help keep your body in shape. This is the optimal schedule to achieve this goal.
Little time is spent, excess fat accumulates slowly or is not deposited at all (depending on proper nutrition).
Why you shouldn't exercise less often
Let's be honest. Once a week you can go skiing, walk in the park, swim in the pool, visit the bathhouse and sauna. You can do anything one-time that does not require constant maintenance and consolidation of results.
If you want to learn how to swim quickly, you need to practice more often. A lesson once a week is suitable only for relaxation and recovery. But training is not done in this mode.
Therefore, in order to achieve any of the three above goals, you need a training program 2 times a week.
To maintain muscle tone, they need to be worked out at intervals of 24–72 hours. Once a week you can only do very heavy loads, for example, deadlifts with a failure weight. But this does not mean that you cannot train your lower back and legs more during the week after deadlifting. Just the opposite - it is necessary, but with different exercises.
Keep in mind that heavy training for a particular muscle group should be done once a week. Exceptions are cases when the athlete’s muscles quickly recover and adapt to the load.
However, it is undesirable to combine deadlifts and squats on the same day, if we are talking about a two-day training.
Training programs
Each goal will make its own adjustments to the program. Two workouts per week should be intensive to cover all muscle groups. At the same time, you need to try to think through the training schedule so as not to increase the duration of a one-time visit to the gym.
The preparation of the program should be carried out by an experienced athlete who is familiar with anatomy and physiology, as well as a perfect understanding of the technique of performing most exercises.
Let us remind you that for training twice a week, the program should be optimally capacious. We will show you with specific examples how to use this feature of a two-day training.
Weight loss program
A set of exercises for losing weight will look like this:
Day 1
- Cardio - 15–20 minutes at an average pace, at the end (last 3–4 minutes) perform one interval (maximum acceleration for 20–30 seconds). Then restore the rhythm and breathing for 2-3 minutes, only then stop completely.
- Leg press in the simulator - 3 sets of 15 times with light weight. You should feel the heaviness, but also have a reserve of strength for 15 or more repetitions. We do it quickly.
- Hyperextension - 2 sets of 20 times.
- Lunges with dumbbells - 3 sets of 15 times (should be hard, but with a reserve of strength).
- on a horizontal bench - 3 x 15 times.
- Bending arms with dumbbells while standing with supination - 2 x 15 times.
- Seated dumbbell press - 2 x 20 reps with light weight.
- Circuit training for the abs: 10 crunches on the mat; 10 hanging leg raises; 10 crunches on a Turkish chair; 10 leg raises from a lying position. On the last lift in the last exercise, we freeze in the “legs above the floor” position and hold it for 30 seconds. Rest for 60 seconds and repeat the abdominal circuit. We do 2-3 circles.
Between sets of other exercises you need to rest no more than 60 seconds, keep an eye on the time. Finish the workout with a small stretch of the large muscles (lower back, legs).
Day 2
- Cardio - 20 minutes at an average pace, at the end speeding up for 2-3 minutes, but not to the maximum. Accelerate to 13–16 km/h and maintain this speed for 2–3 minutes.
- in the simulator - 2 sets of 15 times, do the third approach until the muscles burn. When this feeling comes, do another 10 repetitions.
- Romanian or deadlift - 3 sets of 15 reps with a barbell or dumbbells.
- Plie squats (for girls) or leg press (for men) - 2 x 20 times.
- Hammer chest press or dumbbell bench press - 3 sets of 15 reps.
- Crossover in a block exercise machine on the lower chest.
- Extension of the arms on a block in a superset with curling the arms with a barbell or dumbbells (small weights) - 3 sets of each exercise in 15 repetitions.
- The final cardio workout is 10-15 minutes at a slow pace. Your task is to sweat, stretch tense muscles and prepare your body for a shower.
Limit yourself in calories, don't eat at night, less carbohydrates, more protein.
Mass gain program
A training program for gaining muscle mass is more suitable for men. Women without exogenous testosterone will have difficulty gaining muscle:
Day 1
- Cardio - 5–7 minutes. The task is to bring the heart to 140 beats per minute, gradually reduce the rhythm to 90–100 beats per minute.
- Hyperextension - 2 to 15.
- Leg press or deadlift (the first week we do the press, the second week we do the deadlift).
- Bench press - 5 sets of 5-6 reps each. Weights - refusal.
- Hammer press or 30 degree angle press (alternate every week).
- Seated barbell press or hammer shoulder work.
- Biceps curls - 3 to 8.
- Raising legs from dumbbells while hanging onto the abs (legs bent at the knees) - 3 sets of 8–10 reps until failure.
- Stretching on the mat.
Day 2
- Cardio - 5-7 minutes according to the plan for the first day.
- Squats with a barbell - 5 5–6 times.
- Leg press - 3 8–10 times.
- Bench press - 5 5–6 times.
- Extension of arms in a block simulator like a ladder - 12 times, 10, 8, 6, 4 (maximum weights).
- Rows of the upper block to the chest with a narrow grip - 3 8–10 times.
- T-bar row - 3 sets of 6–8 reps.
- Hammer curls with dumbbells while standing - 3 x 10 times.
A training program for gaining muscle mass should be optimized in such a way that you give your best. It is necessary that all your muscle groups receive a failure load.
A load after which you are no longer able to lift the working weight even once during training is considered a failure. This weight is not easy to determine. Personal experience and your own feelings will help you.
For example, if you did 8 repetitions in the first approach, and in the second you already threw the barbell at 5 or 6, the weight is too much for you. On the contrary, if after 8 repetitions you feel that you will do 2-3 more repetitions, the weight is light. Through trial and error you will find the best option for yourself.
Fitness program
You don't have to go to the gym for a great purpose. You can simply keep yourself in good shape:
Day 1
- Barbell squats - 3 sets of 10 reps with a comfortable weight.
- Hyperextension - 3 to 15 times.
- Leg bending and extension in a superset machine - 2 sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise.
- Pull-ups - 3 N times, where N is as many times as you can perform using pure technique.
- Bending and extension of arms with dumbbells in a superset - 2 sets of 10 repetitions for each.
- Hanging leg raises - 3 x 12 times.
- Stretching.
Day 2
- Cardio - 10 minutes at a moderate pace.
- Bench press - 3 x 10 times.
- Raising arms with dumbbells at an angle of 30 degrees - 3 x 10 times.
- Leg press - 3 x 10 times with heavy weight.
- Bent-over barbell row to the lower back.
- Hyperextension - 3 to 15.
- Twisting on a Roman chair - 3 12–15 times.
- Stretching.
What else to do
Crossfit
CrossFit can be practiced twice a week - this is the optimal regime. On the first day of training, for example, you hit your legs and shoulders. And in the second - arms, back and chest.
Let us remind you that in CrossFit the training is circular, and the intensity is more suitable for burning fat. In addition, there are many contraindications for this type of fitness.
Run
To improve your running performance, it makes sense to practice this amount of running. You can jog for 30–40 minutes, alternating intense short-term running with jogging (in other words, interval running).
Some time ago, athletes' dedication to bodybuilding was measured by the amount of time they spent in the gym and how many days a week they trained.
We now know that testosterone levels begin to decline after about an hour in the gym, and doing more work after this period of time is counterproductive.
We also know that 3-4 training days per week is all that is needed to achieve the body of your dreams. In fact, with all this knowledge about training duration and frequency, we should all be growing like weeds just by lifting the iron 3-4 days a week, right?
Well, as we all know, that's not true. There are just as many frustrated athletes today as there were 10-20 years ago, when people were devoting more than 20 hours a week to the gym.
The pendulum of opinion in bodybuilding circles tends to swing between opposing viewpoints, such as the high versus low frequency training debate. And rarely do people realize that both points of view are correct, except when they are followed fanatically.
Most bodybuilders reach a plateau because they are too afraid to radically change what they do in the gym and don't try to listen to what current trends in fitness media are telling them.
Using the old technique of training twice a day - literally twice a day - is a great way to blend modern training principles with old school principles and trends, stimulating unprecedented gains in muscle, strength and reduction in body fat.
Using the twice-a-day principle isn't just two random workouts in one day; this simplistic approach will quickly lead to overtraining and burnout.
First, you must understand how to properly design such a training program so as not to overtrain. Additionally, your meal plan must be modified to accommodate increased energy needs and take full advantage of the unique fat-burning/muscle-building potential of a double daily split.
Benefits of Exercising Twice a Day
Many strength coaches have touted the benefits of training twice a day, and numerous strength athletes train multiple times a day. Canadian trainer Charles Poliquin even suggested that muscles will grow better if you train twice a day on a regular basis.
Obviously, this is not feasible for everyone who works out in a gym for many reasons, but everyone can benefit from using this type of training program from time to time.
One of the greatest benefits of this program is the obvious actual action: working the same muscle group twice in one day.
For those of you who have experienced strength gains and muscle growth from adding science-backed post-workout meals and supplements to your diet, you will automatically see the benefits of eating twice in one day post-workout.
By training twice a day, you get protein synthesis and other anabolic benefits, and if you take full advantage of this by having two meals and supplements post-workout, you can see how quickly muscle mass increases.
You will also be able to train with greater intensity. When faced with a full hour-long workout, most of us subconsciously conserve energy early in the session to make it through to the end.
If we don't do this, the last part of the training may come to nothing. By dividing the total work between two workouts, you can train with greater overall intensity. Since intensity is the key to increasing strength and muscle growth, this also has its obvious benefits.
Finally, something for those of you who are trying to get rid of a few kilos of unsightly fat reserves; It has been proven many times, both in the laboratory and in the real world, that when you split your workout into two separate sessions on the same day, you burn more total calories than if the entire workout was done in the same day. time.
This means that a larger calorie deficit is created, and when you combine this with the muscle growth that can be achieved quickly with this training approach, you begin to realize that the twice-a-day program is ideal for rapid fat loss.
First things first
First let's establish some ground rules for using this type of training. Yes, they can produce impressive results, but you must be very careful when using them.
This is a very intense way to train and therefore should not be used continuously. Most people don't have the time or motivation to work out in the gym this way all the time, and besides, your body can't handle that much stress for indefinite periods of time.
Twice a day programs are best used to break through a plateau or for times when you are very interested in results and the idea of going to the gym twice a day sounds appealing.
Even if you are training with such a program, you should limit its use to no more than two weeks at a time and allow at least one week between cycles.
This cannot be underestimated because the mentality of most bodybuilders is something like this; If two workouts a day gives amazing results, then three times a day is even better - and while everything is going well, let's just train like this all the time.
With this approach, they will simply overtrain, burn out and curse the person who suggested this training method to them and will not use it again in their entire career. Don't make that mistake. Twice a day training will work and work well, but you must treat it with respect to fully appreciate its true potential.
Twice a Day Training Basics
Although you can customize the twice-daily program to suit different goals, some basic rules apply to all programs. Although you don't need to be precise about the time interval between workouts, 6 hours should pass between your morning and evening sessions.
Most people find it easiest to do a workout in the morning before work, and then do a second workout later in the afternoon after work. If you go less than 6 hours between workouts, you will be too tired to train at optimal intensity during your second session.
You should also make sure that your workout does not last more than 40 minutes including warm-up. And yes, it is very important for you to do a proper warm-up before and cool-down after your workout.
I know this is not the most popular part of the training program, but you have to do it if you don't want to get injured.
Nutrition and supplementation will play a big role, and we'll talk more about this later, but a proper warm-up and cool-down are essential to speeding up recovery between workouts and training days.
Warm-up and cool-down are especially important for the recovery period between workouts. Light, rhythmic movements associated with proper muscle relaxation—that is, 5 to 10 minutes of light aerobic activity—help the heart “return” blood that has accumulated in working muscle groups back into the bloodstream.
This speeds up the elimination of lactic acid and other metabolic byproducts associated with weight lifting. In addition, after constant muscle contractions, like those that occur during training in the gym, your muscles become slightly shorter. Although they will eventually return to their normal length, 5-10 minutes of stretching will also greatly speed up the process.
Obviously, a warm-up and cool-down are necessary to ensure that you are sufficiently recovered for your next workout. It's hard to do a second workout effectively if you haven't recovered from your first session.
You'll also quickly get tired of training twice a day if you feel tired all the time. Ensuring that you do everything possible to recover as quickly and efficiently as possible is key to the success of this program.
Training plan
The possible programs you can develop using the twice a day concept are literally endless, let's look at one of them.
There are several options for changing the intensity between two workouts, one of the most effective is to work with heavy weights in the first workout and lighter weights in the second.
This allows you to train your muscles with high intensity and low volume in the morning and do a lower intensity, higher volume workout in the evening. Volume is also important when you are trying to achieve additional muscle growth.
5 day split
- Day 1: chest/back
- Day 2: legs
- Day 3: rest
- Day 4: shoulders/arms
- Day 5: rest
Day 1: Chest and Back
MORNING
- Push-ups on parallel bars with an emphasis on the chest with extra. burden
- - 6 sets of 2-5 repetitions.
EVENING
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Bent-over barbell row
- Pull-ups on the horizontal bar with additional burden
- Incline Dumbbell Raises- 2 sets, 10-15 repetitions.
Day 2: Legs
MORNING
- Back Squats- 6 sets, 2-5 reps.
- Romanian barbell row- 3 sets of 2-5 repetitions.
- Calf raises while sitting in a machine- 3 sets of 3 repetitions.
EVENING
- Front squats with barbell
- Leg curls in the simulator– 4 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- Leg press– 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- Barbell Bends “Good Morning”- 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- Standing calf raises in the machine– 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Shoulders and Arms
MORNING
- Army press– 6 sets of 2-5 repetitions.
- Barbell curl– 3 sets of 2-5 repetitions.
EVENING
- Scott Bench Curl- 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- French bench press- 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- Seated overhead dumbbell press- 2 sets, 10-15 repetitions.
- Dumbbell lateral raises- 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- Raises of arms with dumbbells lying chest on an inclined bench- 2 sets, 10-15 repetitions.
Day 5: Rest
Note. This five-day split fits into a two-week interval if the fifth day is a day off. Thus, the last training day (shoulders/arms) of the third rotation would be on day fourteen, or three 5-day splits in exactly two weeks.
Nutrition and supplements
One of the key factors in getting the most out of this program is recovery, and a huge part of that is proper nutrition and supplementation. How this works out for you will depend on your current goals.
First, decide whether you are using this program to improve strength and muscle size, or to reduce body fat.
If your goals are strength and muscle size, then your nutrition program is pretty simple - EAT! You will need additional proteins, carbohydrates and essential fatty acids during this time period to increase strength and gain muscle mass.
The easiest way to figure out how many calories you need to consume is to keep a food diary for several days.
Most people instinctively consume about the same number of calories per day, mostly enough to maintain their current weight.
It's hard to know where you're going if you don't know where you are, so figure out what meal plan you're on now.
Once you've calculated how many calories you consume on average per day, or calculated your basal metabolic rate (BMR), simply add a few extra calories to that number. Try adding 5.5 calories per kilogram of body weight to your calculated BMR.
This can be done by eating an extra meal after training. If you don't train that day, make do with an extra protein shake.
This is also a good time to increase your protein intake to 3 to 4 grams per kilogram of body weight. A micronutrient ratio of 60% carbohydrates, 25% protein and 15% fat works very well for most people when working on a twice-a-day program to increase strength and muscle mass.
If you're training to lose weight, you need to be careful about creating too much of a calorie deficit by putting your body into starvation mode. Working out twice a day will create a calorie deficit on its own if you just maintain your current food intake, and for most, that's exactly what you need.
For those fanatics who want to really boost their fat loss, it's possible to create a slightly larger deficit and speed up the fat-burning process, although there is a risk of losing hard-earned muscle mass.
First, keep a food diary for a few days and calculate your BMR in the same way as above. Now simply subtract 4.5 calories per kilogram of body weight from your calculated BMR. Carefully monitor your weight and body fat percentage both before and after your first twice-daily training cycle, and note how many grams of fat you lose.
If you lost much more than 900 grams to - 1.3 kilograms per week, or 1.8 to 2.7 kilograms total, in two weeks of training twice a day, then you have most likely lost some muscle tissue.
In this case, next time you may need to slightly increase the calorie content of your diet. If you haven't lost at least 1.5 to 2 pounds in two weeks, then you probably need to cut out a hundred or more calories a day to get maximum benefit.
Even though some “gurus” may have you count every calorie you swallow, nutrition is not rocket science and only trial and error will reveal what works best for you.
Some may be tempted to try this program in combination with a ketogenic diet to really speed up fat loss. I strongly do not recommend doing this. I'm not a fan of keto diets, and if anyone is trying to do a program as intense as this without enough fuel, i.e. carbohydrates, then it's a utopia.
Obviously some people will say, "Consequences be damned" I'll still try it, but for everyone else I would suggest a more moderate approach of 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. The suggestion of increasing protein to 3 - 4 grams per kilogram of body weight also applies here.
No matter what your goal is, make sure your daily supplementation includes taking a multivitamin/mineral and taking at least 3-6 grams of vitamin C per day. An antioxidant formula (a balanced complex of 22 vitamins, minerals, amino acids and plant extracts) and a specific zinc/magnesium supplement such as ZMA are also highly recommended.
A good whey protein, or MRP, will make getting enough protein a breeze, and flax seeds or fish oil are convenient sources of essential fatty amino acids. If you don't consume these essential nutrients, then all the "special" supplements in the world won't help you improve your training and nutrition results.
The list of other supplements that could be recommended could be extensive, but since not many people can afford to take everything at once, we will focus on a few basic ones that can make a big difference. Again, almost the same "special" supplements are used for both training purposes, except for those looking to burn fat. They would like to use some kind of thermogesic to speed up the process. A simple ECA stack fat burner or herbal equivalent is still a very good choice for this purpose.
When training with such a program, it is necessary to maintain a high level of attention in the gym, which makes the neurotransmitter amplifier an indispensable assistant for preparing for the second workout. BioTest's Power Drive is one of the best supplements for this purpose.
Finally, since ribose and our dear friend creatine have been shown to improve recovery and increase muscle endurance, these two drugs or a supplement containing them will most likely lead to noticeable improvements in body performance.
You may have seen this type of program before, perhaps even trained with it at some point. This is certainly not for fitness enthusiasts. Only the most dedicated bodybuilder will be able to complete the full two-week cycle, because it is very easy to let the distractions of life distract you from training twice a day.
But if you challenge yourself and complete at least one full cycle, you will understand how well this approach to training works. Don't fall victim to the same mentality as most bodybuilders; afraid to try something new.
Yes, it seems to go against the general knowledge of lifting weights in the gym, but in reality, when has anyone ever gotten big and strong just by using general bodybuilding knowledge?
Many people attend several group training sessions in a row. Usually everything that is on schedule on this day - once you have arrived, you need to make the most of it. No, don't.
Before deciding on the number of training sessions, let’s look at their quality. To do this, we will divide them into three large groups.
Strength/functional/interval training
Such activities are the basis of everything. They involve most muscle groups, develop coordination and strengthen the musculoskeletal system. They are carried out using various equipment: barbells, dumbbells, weights, sliding surfaces, core platforms, fitballs, TRX loops, expanders.
Primary goal: muscle tone.
At least three to achieve results.
- Don't forget to let your body recover. A minimum of one day of rest from any training per week is the law.
Cardio training
If your goal is not only tone, but also fat burning, in addition to strength training, attend cardio training. The variety is amazing: cycling, step aerobics, combat, various dance programs: Latin, Zumba, etc. These workouts not only effectively help burn fat, but also perfectly train the cardiovascular system and develop endurance.
Primary goal: burning fat.
Number of workouts per week: two. Of course, if you are preparing for a marathon or setting specific running goals, more.
Body&Mind
Regardless of your training goal, attend training sessions from the so-called “Body&Mind” series. There is yoga, Pilates, tai chi, callanetics and stretching. The purpose of these classes is to stretch and relax muscles, strengthen and stabilize the deepest layers of muscles, and train balance and breathing.
Primary goal: stretching.
Number of workouts per week: at least one. Two workouts are already very good. If you want more, stretch more, but don't forget to rest from all workouts, even stretching, at least one day a week.
In addition to all of the above, some clubs also offer group training in the pool. The aquatic environment provides significant resistance to movement in all directions, thereby involving the muscles in work. Also, exercise in water improves blood circulation and strengthens the heart muscle.
Now let's talk about the duration and intensity of the workout.
Classic group programs – hour. There are also 30-minute and 45-minute classes. As a rule, the longer the workout, the lower the intensity.
- So, an intense 30-minute workout may already be enough. But you can attend two hour-long workouts (not just any) in a row without harm. All the rest of the work is already worn out.
Optimal combinations: two for 30 minutes, one for 30, another for an hour or two for an hour, but no more.
- 1 Strength/functional/interval (30-60 min) + cardio (30 min)
- 2 Strength/functional/interval (30-60 min) + “Body&Mind” (30-60 min)
- 3 Strength/functional/interval (30-60 min) + pool training (30-60 min)
- 4 Cardio workout (30-60 min) + pool workout (30 min)
- 5 Cardio training (30-60 min) + “Body&Mind” (30-60 min)
- 6 Training in the pool (30-60 min) + “Body&Mind” (30-60 min).
Bad ideas:
- 1
Two (or more) hour-long strength/functional/interval training sessions in a row.
If you still have energy in the second hour, then the intensity during the first hour was too low for you. Next time, increase the working weights. - 2
Any combination of workouts that take more than two hours.
Either you work too hard (no need), or you don’t work enough. If the latter, increase the intensity. - 3
An hour of cardio training after strength/functional/interval training.
Long-term cardio is best done on a separate day due to high levels of cortisol in the blood, which destroys muscles. They wrote about this in detail. After a hard workout, a light jog, no more than half an hour, will be enough. - 4
Stay for the second workout feeling hungry.
After half an hour of physical activity, you may feel hungry. It is associated with a decrease in blood glucose levels. Increased activity of the nervous system with a lack of glucose can cause negative processes in the body. So if you feel hungry but want to go for another workout, eat a banana or a fitness bar. - 5
On the first day in the gym, do everything.
The level of physical fitness is of great importance. Start with one hour or half-hour workout a day, exercise two to three times a week. The more often you exercise, the faster your body adapts to the load, and your level of physical fitness increases.
If everything is not enough, increase the intensity. Increasing your working weights, being less distracted by your phone, or even leaving it in the locker room also helps.
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Men and women, beginners and athletes - everyone who is involved in bodybuilding and wants to improve their results, sooner or later faces a similar dilemma. So how do you actually find out everything about training: is it possible to train every day, does it threaten your health, what should the technique be?
Only a coach, instructor and other sports professionals can give an accurate answer to these and many similar questions. Let's find out the opinion of experts together...
What the masters say
Studies have shown that a daily training program, when 2-3 new muscle groups are loaded “to failure” for 6 days, causes overstrain of the muscles and nervous system, and worsens the condition of tendons and ligaments.
Due to their fatigue, the strength and intensity of contraction of muscle fibers decreases, therefore, the load on them weakens and mass stops increasing. After 45 days of completing such a program, all the signs of overtraining appear.
The next study found that each age category of athletes, including the division into men and women, has its own specific period for fiber restoration (mass gain). Daily training is useful in the only case: to quickly lose weight in a short period (no longer than 21 days, then take a week's rest).
Too frequent training does not allow the muscle to increase in volume, due to the lack of a recovery period and tissue fatigue; Various injuries are becoming more frequent. Long interval training is also ineffective in bodybuilding - mass gain does not occur due to the missed supercompensation phase.
So maybe it's all about technique? What recommendations do coaches give? It turns out that 5-6-day loads are suitable only for athletes, 4-5 days are suitable for professionals, while all other categories are recommended to train for 2-3 days/week, taking a mandatory break. Let's take a closer look at the training program.
Is it still possible for bodybuilders to train every day?
Every beginner needs to go through the initial stage - circuit training. When the working weight has increased, the instructor allows you to switch to a two-day split (broken into parts), dividing the body muscles into upper and lower muscle groups. Athletes with more than 12-15 months of training experience receive permission for 5-day training.
The main reason for switching to a split system is that in 1 workout there is not enough time to properly pump up the entire body muscles. The athlete has the opportunity to give one part a week's rest, the next ones will, over the same period, gain volume, and the third will be subjected to intense load (triple split).
With proper training, the health risk will be zero, and muscle growth will “go uphill.”
Split training for beginners
The training is carried out 6 times over 14 days with mandatory 3-day rest breaks every week. The basic rule: in one training session, half of the entire muscle mass is worked out, doing for each group. The program lasts 3-6 months (no less), then 1 day is added at the same time interval, gradually bringing it to .
You cannot do the following in one day: train for more than an hour, do 100% load on the shoulder joint, perform more than 8 exercises or 22 approaches, pump your back and legs or chest and deltoids. This reduces the risk of getting a sports injury to the shoulder joint and spine.
An approximate option for switching from circuit training to a two-day split:
- Monday - pumping the upper part.
- Tuesday – break.
- Wednesday – pumping the bottom.
- Thursday – break.
- Friday – work on the upper muscles.
- Saturday-Sunday – rest the body from stress.
- From Monday next week - pump the lower part.
- Tuesday is rest.
- Wednesday – work on the top.
- Thursday – break.
- Friday – they work the legs (bottom) again.
- Saturday-Sunday – rest from stress.
You can organize training for two days in a row, but closer to the transition to.
Learn more about split training for professionals
The program is designed for a week, with mandatory 2-day breaks (weekends) between classes. After rest (it can be replaced by swimming), you should pump the muscle group that requires the most stress (for example,). The next day, the following areas of the muscle corset are trained, but there is one “but” - when performing exercises, the muscles should not in any way affect those areas that were trained the day before, even indirectly (in this example, the back).
An example of a 5-day program:
- Monday - pump up the back: thickness (thrust: bent over barbells, horizontal block, T-hypha), width, cone (thrust: vertical block to the chest with a wide grip and a reverse narrow grip), spinal erectors, hips, buttocks ().
- Tuesday - pumping up all sectors of the chest (push-ups, bench presses: barbell, dumbbells), and finally doing crossovers.
- Wednesday – legs: quadriceps and femoral biceps (basic exercises: platform press, squatting with a barbell, leg flexion/extension in the machine while standing and sitting), lower leg (calf raise in the machine).
- Thursday – deltoid muscles (press, dumbbell swings).
- Friday – pump up arm muscles: shrugs or lifting with a barbell, Scott bench, extension/flexion with dumbbells.
- Saturday and Sunday – rest or swimming.
The above exercises and sequence are given as an example. Everything is selected individually for the athlete.
Results
As you can see, even professional bodybuilding athletes do not have daily training - in each program there are mandatory 2-day breaks. Based on the experience of masters, analyzing the research of scientists, you and I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to conduct trainings every day.
This not only has a negative impact on health, but also does not bring any positive results from the exercise done.
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