Ive been training every muscle group every second day for about 6 months now and have increased my strenght decent and grown about 2 centimeters around my upper arms in that period, but Im thinking about doing a split-routine. I feel I need more exercises, and it`s getting too much to do every workout… I want to train every muscle group with more intensity and volume.
My simple question is this: will the lack of frequenzy influence my training in a bad way? Thanks.
No, it will actually influence your training in a good way. The “lack of frequency” will allow you to train more intensely since your muscles will have more time to fully recover and be on their best for the next workout.
You made a good decision.
Here is a thread that talks about frequency and recovery. Hope it helps.
Thanks for the answer, Mancador! What frequency has given you the most hypertrophy by the way? This question goes to everyone else as well.
Mancador where is your avatar from, my God
I used to think frequency was the key.
While it is important, INTENSITY is the biggest factor when it comes to growth, in my experience.
[quote]RSGZ wrote:
I used to think frequency was the key.
While it is important, INTENSITY is the biggest factor when it comes to growth, in my experience.[/quote]
What frequency has given you the most hypertrophy? And what kind of split-routine did you do?
[quote]Vektarm wrote:
RSGZ wrote:
I used to think frequency was the key.
While it is important, INTENSITY is the biggest factor when it comes to growth, in my experience.
What frequency has given you the most hypertrophy? And what kind of split-routine did you do?[/quote]
Ideally, each muscle twice a week.
But I get good results working each muscle once a week, while hittin a random group twice a week, or whatever group I feel can do with the extra work that week.
My split varies between Bis&Tris/Shoulders&Legs/Back&Chest to Back&Bis/Chest&Tris/Legs&Shoulders.
FWIW, I have gained on powerlifting-esque routines (low frequency) and then switching over to G.V.T the next week, or just doing the former throughout the week with barbell complexes (High frequency).
Variance essentially, the change you suggested, OP, will go great.
I`m thinking about doing a 3-day split, with maybe one rest day between workouts… will that be too much rest you think? Should I train every day, or two days in a row, then a rest day?
If you do a split like RSGZ mentioned (back/bis, chest/tris, shoulders/legs) then taking a day off between each workout wouldnt hurt as long as your volume was good enough. If you do it that way youll have 6 days between any given muscle group, which is not uncommon, but you need to make sure your volume and intensity is there. As RSGZ also mentioned, many people see the best gains when hitting a muscle group two or even three times a week. Personally, if youre going to do a three day split, Id do it in one of the following ways:
Workout 1
Rest
Workout 2
Rest
Workout 3
Workout 1
Rest
Workout 2
Rest
Workout 3
Workout 1
etc…
or
Workout 1
Workout 2
Workout 3
Rest
Rest
Workout 1
Workout 2
Workout 3
Rest
Rest
etc…
Think Im gonna try train every day like Arnold did when he did a 3-days split.. if Im not mistaken. If this dont work out for me, Ill just have to add some rest days 
Scott Abel’s MET training is awesome. Each big body part gets trained twice a week, once with weight and once with body weight and explosive training. Example: heavy chest is supersetted with bodyweight legs. Later, it’s heavy legs with bodyweight/explosive chest/back. Killer!
[quote]Vektarm wrote:
Think Im gonna try train every day like Arnold did when he did a 3-days split.. if Im not mistaken. If this dont work out for me, Ill just have to add some rest days :)[/quote]
Training everyday is a path to nowhere due to lack of recovery time. Somewhere between 3 and 5 days a week typically works.
I realize this seems to be an unpopular opinion around here, however I’ve experienced some of my most dramatic gains with Waterbury’s HFT approach! I made some minor adjustments but generally kept to the spirit of his system and found the results quite surprising.
Every physiqe athlete I’ve worked with the past year or so has used some form of HFT or another with tremendous benefit.
in fact I use HFT as my standard with splits for an occasional change-up.
[quote]Big M. wrote:
I realize this seems to be an unpopular opinion around here, however I’ve experienced some of my most dramatic gains with Waterbury’s HFT approach! I made some minor adjustments but generally kept to the spirit of his system and found the results quite surprising.
Every physiqe athlete I’ve worked with the past year or so has used some form of HFT or another with tremendous benefit.
in fact I use HFT as my standard with splits for an occasional change-up.[/quote]
Can you provide some specifics on how you structured the program?
If you put in the right INTENSITY…and I’m not talking about reps/sets/volume, or any other variable I’m talking about the intensity you put into it, the feel of the muscle…then working a muscle group every 3-5 days should be about right. I think once a week isn’t going to do it because either a) you’ll end up putting in so much volume during that one workout that you’ll breakdown too much an unable to adapt and supercompensate or b) you’ll put in the right intensity or less intensity but either way you’ve got fucking 7 days before you hit that muscle again…far too long. You also have to pay attention to cross-over…every time you work chest you’re also working tri’s and shoulders (anterior), every time you work back you’re also working bi’s and shoulders (posterior). So include shoulders and arms in your program, but you may not need to hit them as often as the others.
I’d say experiment, that’s how I learned what’s best for me right now and that’s how everyone else on the planet has learned as there isn’t best optimal approach for every person in every situation.
This has worked well for me:
Monday: Chest/Back A
Tuesday: Legs (Squat emphasis)
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Chest/Back B
Friday: Legs (Deadlift emphasis)
Saturday: Shoulders/Arms
Most workouts are 45-60 minutes long, rarely more than 60s rest between anything except leg day. I don’t time rest, I just go by feel. Saturday is a bit longer, at least 60 minutes. I went from 143 to 164 in 6 months.
[quote]giterdone wrote:
Big M. wrote:
I realize this seems to be an unpopular opinion around here, however I’ve experienced some of my most dramatic gains with Waterbury’s HFT approach! I made some minor adjustments but generally kept to the spirit of his system and found the results quite surprising.
Every physiqe athlete I’ve worked with the past year or so has used some form of HFT or another with tremendous benefit.
in fact I use HFT as my standard with splits for an occasional change-up.
Can you provide some specifics on how you structured the program?[/quote]
I essentialy stuck to the set/rep scheme outlined in Chads “Next frontier” system and selected movements as required per individual development.
The frequecy Helped with compositioning and athletisism while keeping endocrine response high.
Every 6 days has worked best for me.
I haven’t tried a bodypart 2x a week. I’m too worried about wasting time.
[quote]MODOK wrote:
giterdone wrote:
Vektarm wrote:
Think Im gonna try train every day like Arnold did when he did a 3-days split.. if Im not mistaken. If this dont work out for me, Ill just have to add some rest days
Training everyday is a path to nowhere due to lack of recovery time. Somewhere between 3 and 5 days a week typically works.
No its not. You guys need to come on over to Alpha and read some of the discussions that the vets have had/are having on this subject. FREQUENCY and progression ARE the keys to hypertrophy and strength. Come read some of our discussions if you’d like to know the reasons why.[/quote]
Agreed!