Busy Monday

November 25, 2013
Wow is it chilly, its cold today, -11 brrrrr. So I have taken time get caught up on a few things here at home. Both spare bedrooms sorted and cleaned, computer desk is organized and I even spent some time downstairs wrapping again. I also ordered some of the gift cards I will need for Australia. I finished the Christmas cards and have them ready to put in the post office this week and I ordered a Mickey Mouse calendar for our Grandson in Australia and a little tikes pirate ship. Nearly finished shopping.
I went to the gym this morning and did 80 minutes on the elliptical machine, tomorrow I will do my weight routine, trying to change things up a bit, see if it makes a difference.
I just enjoyed some spaghetti squash  spaghetti for lunch, it was yummy.
Now back to last weeks weight training discussion.

Who Is A 3-Times-Per-Week Frequency BEST Suited For?

Training each muscle group 3 times per week tends to work best for the following people:

• Beginners with any goal.
• Anyone with the primary goal of increasing strength.

It’s not a coincidence that every single intelligently designed beginner’s program tends to be some version of the classic 3 day full body split that I showed earlier. This is what has been proven to work best for beginners.

The higher frequency allows them to improve motor learning at a much quicker rate. It’s kind of like a baby learning something for the first time. How would they learn faster… doing something once a week, or doing it three times a week?

And, for all intents and purposes, a beginner is basically a weight training “baby.” It’s all brand new to their body, and that means they will be able to soak it all up and progress at a faster rate than non-beginners.

It just so happens that a 3-times-per-week training frequency is the most conducive to allowing this to occur.

In fact, this reason is also a big part of why this frequency is extremely effective for non-beginners whose primary goal is strength related.

Meaning, if you’re past the beginner’s stage and your main goal is getting stronger, a 3-times-per-week frequency is a very proven option for you, too.

This is why many of the most popular strength oriented programs around use this same frequency (along with that same 3 day full body split from before).

Being able to train each important movement as frequently as 3 times per week is a very good environment for consistent strength gains to be made. So if that’s your goal, this frequency can definitely be effective.

I highly recommend it in both of these cases.

Who Is A 3-Times-Per-Week Frequency LEAST Suited For?

Honestly, probably everyone not mentioned above.

Now, don’t misunderstand me here. Training each muscle group 3 times per week CAN in fact work for pretty much everyone with any goal and at every experience level.

No doubt about it.

However, what we’re talking about now is what works best and what doesn’t. For the people I mentioned above (beginners with any goal and anyone mostly interested in strength), this frequency fits the “what works best” description.

For the rest of the population at other experience levels and/or with other goals, it fits the “what doesn’t” description.

Yes, it can (and does) work, it’s just usually not what works best in these cases.

Well Then, What Workout Frequency Is Best In Those Cases?

Damn good question. Let’s get straight to the answer…

Training Each Muscle Group With A Twice Per Week Workout Frequency

Weight training frequency can typically be divided up into 3 groups.

First, there’s low frequency, which would most often mean training each muscle group just once per week. On the opposite end, we have high frequency training, which most commonly refers to training each muscle group 3 times per week.

The final workout frequency is the one that lies right in the middle of those two extremes: training each muscle group twice per week.

The question is… is this the frequency that will work best for you?

To answer that, let’s first look at the most common example of this frequency in action:

Example Split

1. Monday: Upper Body
2. Tuesday: Lower Body
3. Wednesday: off
4. Thursday: Upper Body
5. Friday: Lower Body
6. Saturday: off
7. Sunday: off

Above is an example of the classic 4 day upper/lower split, which is the split most commonly used with this frequency. As you can see, each muscle group and body part is trained 2 times per week.

This means that each muscle group gets trained once every 3rd or 4th day, which makes this a moderate frequency form of weight training.

This is especially true when compared to the previously mentioned once per week frequency where each muscle group gets trained only once every 7th day, and the previously mentioned 3 times per week frequency where each muscle group gets trained every 2nd or 3rd day.

But Wait, There’s More!

Before we can continue, there’s a very important point that needs to be made first.

You see, because this frequency is in the middle of the other two, there’s actually another way it can be set up where the frequency STILL remains higher than the first and lower than the second.

It’s a frequency where you end up training each muscle group about two times per week rather than exactly two times per week like in the example split shown above.

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TGIF

November 22, 2013
Awww here we are again at Friday. I am going to the Spa today for an Herbal Wrap, it feels so good to be wrapped in nice warm towels and left to rest for an hour, I so need this.
My shoulder is acting up again, still waiting to here from a surgeon, I can't have anymore cortisone so I am hoping it doesn't get to bad over the winter months.
I did go to the gym today and thought I should do my measurements, so I will add those, hope I am not to disappointed. I have added some more of the article on training below.
Who is once a week training good for?

Good question. Let’s take a look at a higher workout frequency and see if that’s more ideal for you…

Training Each Muscle Group With A 3 Times Per Week Workout Frequency

Training each muscle group once per week is considered the most common form of low frequency training.

On the other end of that spectrum, we have the concept of training each muscle group 3 times per week. This is what is typically considered to be the most common form of high frequency training.

The question is… is this the workout frequency that will work best for you? Let’s find out.

To start, let’s take a look at the most common example of this weight training frequency…

Example Split

1. Monday: Full Body
2. Tuesday: off
3. Wednesday: Full Body
4. Thursday: off
5. Friday: Full Body
6. Saturday: off
7. Sunday: off

Above is an example of the classic 3 day full body split, which is the split most commonly used with this frequency. As you can see, each muscle group and body part is trained 3 times per week.

This means that each muscle group gets trained once every 2nd or 3rd day, which makes this a pretty high frequency form of weight training.

This is especially true when compared to the previously mentioned once per week frequency where each muscle group gets trained only once every 7th day.

How To Make A 3-Times-Per-Week Training Frequency Work

The key to making a 3-times-per-week training frequency work is pretty much the opposite of what it takes to make a once-per-week frequency work.

Instead of ensuring that you provide enough of a training stimulus to warrant that full week of rest between training sessions of the same muscle group, your goal here is to provide just enough of the right training stimulus during each workout WITHOUT exceeding that ideal amount.

If the training stimulus is too high, you won’t be able to recover in time for the next workout (which is just 2 or 3 days later with a higher frequency like this).

So, while you must still do enough to provide an effective training stimulus that will cause positive results, you must keep it low enough to avoid impacting your body’s ability to recover in time for these more frequent workouts.

Here’s How People Screw It Up

And that brings us to one of the common pitfalls of training each muscle group 3 times per week (or really using any frequency greater than once-per-week).

People incorrectly think they need to take the same amount of volume (exercises, sets, reps) that they were doing or would do once per week, and now start doing it three times per week.

Due to the higher frequency, that’s not only NOT going to work… that’s just plain stupid.

The trick here is to take that total weekly amount of volume and divide it up somewhat evenly over three workouts; not do the same amount of total weekly volume three times per week like an idiot.

The human body (muscles, nervous system, etc.) just can’t recover fast enough to make that work.

But, as long as the volume done per workout is low enough to allow for quick recovery yet still high enough to be effective, a weight training frequency like this can (and does) work for many people. (More about that here: The Optimal Workout Volume)

So, Is A 3-Times-Per-Week Training Frequency Optimal?

For certain people… hell yes. For others, not so much. Specifically…

If you are a beginner with any goal, a 3-times-per-week training frequency is the MOST EFFECTIVE way to train.

And by beginner, I mean anyone who has been weight training for LESS than 6 months consistently and intelligently. (My full definition of what I consider a “beginner” to be is here: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.)

And as usual, this is not just my opinion. It’s the opinion of every single qualified expert, trainer and strength coach with half a brain.

In fact, it’s actually a fact backed by science and real world results.

Literally all research and scientific studies looking at the effects of different weight training frequencies in beginners came to the same conclusion: training each muscle three times per week is the most effective way for a beginner to train, regardless of their specific goal.

So, if you’re a beginner with any goal (build muscle, lose fat, increase strength, or improve your body in any way), a 3-times-per-week workout frequency is indeed optimal for you.

As for everyone else, let’s break it down…

Who Is A 3-Times-Per-Week Frequency BEST Suited For?

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Got My Flu Shot

November 21, 2013
I did my volunteer day yesterday, it is so nice to bring a smile to the ladies faces. I happened to walk into the dining area while the nurse was giving out her Flu shots so I got in line, it not only protects me, but it also protects the residence in the event I get the flu, so a little pain to protect us all. I hope you all got in line and had your shot.
I mentioned to the residence that we might be able to paint some Christmas decorations on one of our Wednesday get together's, and they were very happy to do it,  they asked what they could do with them and my reply was what ever you want to. Do you think we could use them as a gift one lady said. I said absolutely we can, so I must get shopping and get all the items we will need, maybe even so gift bags for just in case someone wants to give them away.
I went to the gym this morning and did an hour on the elliptical machine. As promised you will find below some more information from yesterdays blog.

Training Each Muscle Group With A Once Per Week Workout Frequency

One of the three most common weight training frequencies is one in which each muscle group or body part is trained just once per week.

For anyone who has spent any time trying to find a workout split and schedule before, this is probably the frequency you are most familiar with seeing.

Whether or not that means a once-per-week frequency is actually what’s best for you is something we’re going to figure out right now.

First, let’s take a look at a few common examples of this type of frequency…

Example Split #1

1. Monday: Chest & Triceps
2. Tuesday: Back & Biceps
3. Wednesday: off
4. Thursday: Shoulders & Abs
5. Friday: Legs
6. Saturday: off
7. Sunday: off

Example Split #2

1. Monday: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
2. Tuesday: off
3. Wednesday: Legs & Abs
4. Thursday: off
5. Friday: Back & Biceps
6. Saturday: off
7. Sunday: off

As you can see, the example workout splits above (of which there are dozens more) show each muscle group and body part being trained with a frequency of only once per week.

This means that each muscle group gets trained just once every 7th day, which makes this a pretty low frequency form of weight training.

How To Make A Once-Per-Week Training Frequency Work

The key to making a once-per-week training frequency work is ensuring that you provide enough of the right training stimulus during that one weekly workout to actually warrant not training that muscle group again for an entire week.

You see, one of the many pitfalls of training each muscle group just once per week is that you are not training it again for another 7 days. And, it’s very easy for your body to de-train during this time and lose whatever progress you made during that previous workout.

Think about it. What happens if you stop working out for a while?

You regress, results gradually disappear, and you slowly lose whatever muscle, strength or performance related improvements you’ve made.

To a lesser degree, that’s exactly what can (and often does) happen when you wait a full week before training each muscle group again.

You may end up doing enough to stimulate progress and new adaptations during your workout, but then by the time a full week passes, you’ve already lost those new adaptations and you end up getting nowhere.

So, to make this frequency work, volume (exercises, sets, reps) per muscle group would need to be high enough to allow you to maintain the progress made from workout to workout (which in this case is a full week to week) without actually exceeding your capacity to recover. (More about that here: The Optimal Workout Volume)

The Other Problem With This Frequency

The other big issue with training each muscle group just once per week is that, even if you did do everything perfectly (provided enough of the right training stimulus, maintained all of the new adaptations made over that 7 day break, etc.), it’s still a full week of time being wasted.

Think about it. Training each muscle group once per week means you’ll have 52 potential progress stimulating workouts per year, per muscle group.

In comparison, if you trained with a twice-per-week frequency (more about that soon), you’d have 104 potential progress stimulating workouts per year, per muscle.

Now, with all else being equal, which do you think has the potential to produce better/faster results over the same period of time?

Seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?

The point I’m getting at here is that even if you do everything right with a once-per-week training frequency, it’s still pretty tough to look at that week off between training sessions for each muscle group as anything but an unnecessary waste of time.

You could have been back in the gym stimulating progress again instead of sitting around waiting for a week to pass.

Not to mention, there’s absolutely nothing special or magical about training each muscle group once every 7th day.

It’s a totally arbitrary amount of time based on nothing but that fact that we happen to have 7 days in a week. Seriously. It’s NOT that it works better or has some kind of benefit, it’s just that that’s how many days we have in a week, and it’s convenient to schedule stuff in this manner.

So, Is A Once-Per-Week Training Frequency Optimal?

Based on everything I just told you, I think you already know the answer. I’ll say it anyway…

Training each muscle group once-per-week is the LEAST EFFECTIVE weight training frequency.

There… I said it. And no, it’s not just my opinion. It’s the opinion of every single qualified expert, trainer and strength coach with half a brain.

Oh, and guess what else? It’s not just an opinion… it’s a fact backed by science and real world results.

Literally all research and scientific studies looking at weight training frequency conclusively show that training each muscle just once per week is the least effective way to train regardless of your goal or experience level.

Can it work? Sure. Does it work? Sure.

Honestly, as long as you do everything else correctly, ANY weight training frequency can work to some degree, including this one.

HOWEVER, this isn’t about what works and what doesn’t work. This is about what works best and what works worst.

And, all research, expert opinions and my own firsthand experience shows that training each muscle group just one time per week is just NOT optimal for the majority of the population.

Who Is A Once-Per-Week Frequency BEST Suited For?

Training each muscle group once per week tends to work best for the following people:

• People using steroids/drugs.
• People with above average genetics.
• People whose primary goal at the time is to just maintain their current level of muscle and strength rather than improve it any further. In that case, training each muscle group once per week should be perfectly sufficient.
• Advanced trainees looking to specialize certain body parts or muscle groups. They’d train those “specialized” muscle groups with a better, higher frequency, and train everything else once per week for maintenance purposes only.

I’d personally only recommend this workout frequency to the last 2 groups on that list. The first 2 would likely get better results with an improved frequency, just like the rest of us.

Who Is A Once-Per-Week Frequency LEAST Suited For?

Like I said before, a once-per-week training frequency is NOT ideal for the majority of the population.

Chances are that includes you.

For starters, anyone with a strength/performance type goal should almost always avoid this type of training frequency like the plague. It’s typically seen as being borderline useless in that area, especially in comparison to other better training frequencies.

And, while it can work to some degree (assuming everything else is done right) for those of us trying to build muscle, get “toned,” or improve the way our bodies look in any capacity, it’s just clearly NOT what works best.

I don’t recommend it at all.

What About Other Weight Training Frequencies?

Good question. Let’s take a look at a higher workout frequency and see if that’s more ideal for you… Stay tuned for more tomorrow.
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