Training frequency

[wwazza]

At the moment I train every other day with a 3 day rest between mini cycles.

I have been wondering if it would be more beneficial to skip the 3 day rest and continuously train every other day all the way through the entire 8 week cycle.

I would still stick to the 6 session mini cycles and use the extra training sessions at the end of the cycle.

training every other day feels great, like you're always growing and pumped.

 

[grunt11]

The more training you get over a period of time the better up to the point you don’t exceed your recovery ability. I don’t doubt you could benefit from more frequency when the weights are light however, you may start to run into problems over time as the weights get heavy. Tendons take longer to repair than muscle so the extra time off on the weekends can be beneficial. The only way to know is to try it out and see how it feels.

 

[wwazza]

Well i'm at the end of my 15's mini cycle tonight and feel great at the moment.

I'm going to give it a try as I feel my body can cope with training every other day.

I just wanted to be sure the 48 hours rest (max) was long enough for my muscles to repair to a point where they would be ready for some more work.

I eat well enough and take creatine and glutamine along with omega 369 caps so everything is in order there. I also try to stay away from training to failure by clustering if needs be.

My full cycle is set to finish the week before christmas just in time for a decent SD which I may well need as I intend to train like a beast and hit new maxes on all my exercices in my last week.

 

[HST_Rihad]

Hi all. I've just read this in the HST FAQ, section 14.12. bringing in a bit of context so you know what's going on:

So, speaking in general (i.e. simplified) and acute (i.e. one training session) terms, the heavier
any lat exercise becomes, the more effective it will become. The more volume you do at that
weight, the more effective that session will be. The greater the stretch experienced by the lat
and the longer you hold it, the more effective that exercise will be. And finally, the longer its
been since you trained your lats, the more effective that session will be.

What's that supposed to mean? Haven't we been told before that it's optimal to train each muscle every 48 hours or so?

 

[FistOfFury]

What's that supposed to mean? Haven't we been told before that it's optimal to train each muscle every 48 hours or so?

Well the context is, simplified and acute terms, meaning you will get a bigger hypertrophy response in one session from heavier loads done with more volume and greater stretch/TUT and a deconditioned muscle. But obviously, you can't repeat those sessions at a frequency that maximizes growth.

So, at least within HST principles, it is better to get a smaller effect more often than one larger dose less often. Which is why Bryan suggests to do the most amount of volume you can handle and still train frequently enough (2-3 times a week)

 

[HST_Rihad]

Which is why Bryan suggests to do the most amount of volume you can handle and still train frequently enough (2-3 times a week)

Thanks for the explanation, the rest of it makes sense, but I don't remember him ever saying 2 times per week. Why do some people choose 2? They don't trust the science? Even an advanced athlete would split his full-body work in two am/pm sessions, to get the amount of work appropriate for him, but definitely not decrease the frequency! No?

 

[FistOfFury]

Thanks for the explanation, the rest of it makes sense, but I don't remember him ever saying 2 times per week. Why do some people choose 2? They don't trust the science? Even an advanced athlete would split his full-body work in two am/pm sessions, to get the amount of work appropriate for him, but definitely not decrease the frequency! No?

Hmmm, not sure I want to open that can of worms on this forum but...current research suggests that, except in beginners, weight training 2 times a week with a little more volume (40-60 reps per muscle) is about optimal for growth in intermediates and beyond.

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=wernbom&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CHIQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hh.se%2Fdownload%2F18.70cf2e49129168da0158000108019%2FJ-Wernbom-The-Influence-of-Frequency.pdf&ei=mTEgT42fGq-bmQW1o5mxDg&usg=AFQjCNFPoDra1J3NRrSK5zXyd6cZetpzdw&cad=rja

 

[HST_Rihad]

Hmmm, not sure I want to open that can of worms on this forum but...current research suggests that, except in beginners, weight training 2 times a week with a little more volume (40-60 reps per muscle) is about optimal for growth in intermediates and beyond.

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=wernbom&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CHIQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hh.se%2Fdownload%2F18.70cf2e49129168da0158000108019%2FJ-Wernbom-The-Influence-of-Frequency.pdf&ei=mTEgT42fGq-bmQW1o5mxDg&usg=AFQjCNFPoDra1J3NRrSK5zXyd6cZetpzdw&cad=rja

I've read that research paper before. Why not look at the conclusion part at the end:

It is recognised that the conclusions drawn in this
paper mainly concern relatively short-term training
in previously untrained subjects and that in highly-
trained subjects or for training studies extending for
several months, the dose-response trends and the
hypertrophic effects of different modes and types of
strength training may be very different.

And beyond novice level is exactly where HST would shine.
IMHO it is worth remembering that nothing is better growth-wise than doing as much as you can, as heavy as you can, as often as you can, in the first few months. Then things suddenly plateau.