In the past, I was using a routine that has me working each body part once per week. At first it was great because the volume (per part) was higher than I was used to. However, I quickly adapted to it and feel like there’s too much time in between sessions (for each part).
On the flip side, I’ve used full body routines that had me hitting each part every other day. It didn’t take long before trying to squat (or hit legs with other movements like lunges and leg presses) got to be a bit of a challenge. If I backed off of the weight, I could squat 3x/week, but then I didn’t feel like I was getting my money’s worth out of that workout.
Lately I’ve been using a routine that has me hitting each part once every 5 days and it seems to be just about right. My split is:
Chest/Back
Legs
off
Delts/Arms
off
repeat
So, my question is am I ‘normal’ for bouncing around in order to find a recovery schedule that fits me both physically and mentally?
Are there any hard and fast rules when it comes to recovery?
Is it possible to plan ‘too much’ recovery into a routine? (just like it’s possible to include too little recovery time)
I like the split I currently have. At times, is it ok to add a few extra sets on the days when I feel exceptionally good? Also, is there any harm in cutting a routine short if my mind is elsewhere or my body feels like it’s not recovered enough to complete the routine?
What’s the best way to determine if your body has recovered enough to hit the same parts again?
Thanks so much for the advice. I haven’t been around here as much as I would have liked, but I’ve been hit with a wave of motivation like you wouldn’t believe.
Thanks,
Scott
