Help with workouts 💪🏻

Gymladmatt

Due to work commitments I can only get 2 gym sessions per week.
Any suggestions or recommendations on what to do for building muscle?

cupcakesandproteinshakes

Can you set out your training history? How long have you been lifting and what have you been doing?

ninerbuff

With only 2 sessions a week, you're not going to build much muscle unless your volume training is about 20 sets per bodypart. That's a pretty long time in the gym if you're doing even a split on upper lower/push pull.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Gymladmatt

cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »

Can you set out your training history? How long have you been lifting and what have you been doing?

I’ve been going to the gym for about 5 years and mostly done full body workouts using compound lifts.

ninerbuff

Gymladmatt wrote: »

cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »

Can you set out your training history? How long have you been lifting and what have you been doing?

I’ve been going to the gym for about 5 years and mostly done full body workouts using compound lifts.

During that 5 years, how much muscle have you put on?


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Gymladmatt

ninerbuff wrote: »

Gymladmatt wrote: »

cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »

Can you set out your training history? How long have you been lifting and what have you been doing?

I’ve been going to the gym for about 5 years and mostly done full body workouts using compound lifts.

During that 5 years, how much muscle have you put on?


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Not that much if I’m honest.
Been averaging around 5 sets per week per muscle group and working close to failure on most sets

Retroguy2000

5 sets per week is barely above maintenance volume. No wonder you haven't gained much. A beginner should be aiming for at least 10 working sets weekly, you're not quite a beginner so probably 12-15.

2 days per week is fine. Do full body, continue your focus on compounds. Aim for 6 working sets each session for quads, hams, chest, back. Two exercises max per part in each session. Time permitting, add shoulder press. Again if time is an issue you can maybe e.g. do a chest set between leg sets.

Get yourself a set of Bodylastics bands for home ($50 or so, and compact) or Sunpower bands, to add upper body volume as needed between workouts, and/or a set of adjustable db's or a few different fixed db's for arms and shoulders. You won't need too much weight there so it shouldn't be too expensive. That way you can focus your time at the gym on the compounds with heavier weight, and once or twice per week at home add in some extra arms and shoulders work that you likely won't have time for in the gym.

Get 0.7g per pound protein daily. Add 5g creatine daily if you haven't started that yet.

Gymladmatt

Retroguy2000 wrote: »

5 sets per week is barely above maintenance volume. No wonder you haven't gained much. A beginner should be aiming for at least 10 working sets weekly, you're not quite a beginner so probably 12-15.

2 days per week is fine. Do full body, continue your focus on compounds. Aim for 6 working sets each session for quads, hams, chest, back. Two exercises max per part in each session. Time permitting, add shoulder press. Again if time is an issue you can maybe e.g. do a chest set between leg sets.

Get yourself a set of Bodylastics bands for home ($50 or so, and compact) or Sunpower bands, to add upper body volume as needed between workouts, and/or a set of adjustable db's or a few different fixed db's for arms and shoulders. You won't need too much weight there so it shouldn't be too expensive. That way you can focus your time at the gym on the compounds with heavier weight, and once or twice per week at home add in some extra arms and shoulders work that you likely won't have time for in the gym.

Get 0.7g per pound protein daily. Add 5g creatine daily if you haven't started that yet.

Thanks for the advice. Will look at getting some dumbbells for home use

cupcakesandproteinshakes

OP it’s hard to advise people in line without a proper assessment. You haven’t mentioned following any specific programmes. If I were you I would look at buying a book called the muscle and strength training pyramid. Thus book will give you the info you need to set up your own training. If you can only do 2 sessions a week then building muscle may be a challenge, but you may be able to design yourself an effective programme. Is there any way you could squeeze in a 3rd session? 3 sessions a week is gonna b easier to structure so there is enough volume. Otherwise your 2 sessions may b quite long

Gymladmatt

cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »

OP it’s hard to advise people in line without a proper assessment. You haven’t mentioned following any specific programmes. If I were you I would look at buying a book called the muscle and strength training pyramid. Thus book will give you the info you need to set up your own training. If you can only do 2 sessions a week then building muscle may be a challenge, but you may be able to design yourself an effective programme. Is there any way you could squeeze in a 3rd session? 3 sessions a week is gonna b easier to structure so there is enough volume. Otherwise your 2 sessions may b quite long

Thanks will have a look for the book.
I’m looking to get some dumbbells to do a home workout for a third session