How often do YOU lift?

Brooke4206

I'm new to lifting and looking to gain some muscle now that i'm at my goal weight. Right now i'm doing 5 days with Wednesday and Saturday off. I have read a lot about 4 day splits being better in terms of muscle growth and recovery. Help?

**I am only about 110 lbs. I may not be able to lift extremely heavy but it's always half my weight or at my weight.

Firehawk734

If you lift a bit lighter and do higher reps 10-15 per set, it will be easier to recover from. High volume is easier to recover from and it will blow your muscles up.

Lifting ultra heavy, like powerlifters do, is tough on the body from a recovery standpoint. You will be more achy. This has been my experience.

My suggestion would be if you want to work out 5 days a week, do high volume routines. If you want to work out 3 times a week, and prefer lifting heavy (I prefer it, but I don't anymore because of what I said above), then just expect to feel like you need more time to recover.

cajuntank

If you lift a bit lighter and do higher reps 10-15 per set, it will be easier to recover from. High volume is easier to recover from and it will blow your muscles up.

Lifting ultra heavy, like powerlifters do, is tough on the body from a recovery standpoint. You will be more achy. This has been my experience.

My suggestion would be if you want to work out 5 days a week, do high volume routines. If you want to work out 3 times a week, and prefer lifting heavy (I prefer it, but I don't anymore because of what I said above), then just expect to feel like you need more time to recover.

^^^ No. OP, see my response to your question in your other post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1267522-how-often-do-you-lift

You are new to lifting. There are proven programs specifically geared to your lifting and goal status.

Also, you don't go into these programs lifting heavy, you start by actually lifting extremely light for the first few weeks to practice form and progressively add weight every workout. This might mean that you do the program with dumbbells for a while till you can use a barbell. But the goal is to add weight every workout as long as you successfully completeted the sets and reps for that session.

Firehawk734

If you lift a bit lighter and do higher reps 10-15 per set, it will be easier to recover from. High volume is easier to recover from and it will blow your muscles up.

Lifting ultra heavy, like powerlifters do, is tough on the body from a recovery standpoint. You will be more achy. This has been my experience.

My suggestion would be if you want to work out 5 days a week, do high volume routines. If you want to work out 3 times a week, and prefer lifting heavy (I prefer it, but I don't anymore because of what I said above), then just expect to feel like you need more time to recover.

^^^ No. OP, see my response to your question in your other post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1267522-how-often-do-you-lift

You are new to lifting. There are proven programs specifically geared to your lifting and goal status.

Also, you don't go into these programs lifting heavy, you start by actually lifting extremely light for the first few weeks to practice form and progressively add weight every workout. This might mean that you do the program with dumbbells for a while till you can use a barbell. But the goal is to add weight every workout as long as you successfully completeted the sets and reps for that session.

I tend to agree, not sure why u disagreed with me, you said the same thing mostly lol

javacafe

As a beginner, you will save yourself a lot of wasted time and effort if you get started with a tried and true program (like Starting Strength, Stronglifts or something similar) instead of trying to do your own thing. I have spent years in gyms, wasting time and energy until I got on board with Stronglifts last year.

These programs require you to workout no more than three times a week, and you start extremely light, increasing the weights by a little bit every time. The plans are so simple that people have a hard time believing that they work. Yet, they inevitably do. I wish I had found out about this years ago.

cajuntank

If you lift a bit lighter and do higher reps 10-15 per set, it will be easier to recover from. High volume is easier to recover from and it will blow your muscles up.

Lifting ultra heavy, like powerlifters do, is tough on the body from a recovery standpoint. You will be more achy. This has been my experience.

My suggestion would be if you want to work out 5 days a week, do high volume routines. If you want to work out 3 times a week, and prefer lifting heavy (I prefer it, but I don't anymore because of what I said above), then just expect to feel like you need more time to recover.

^^^ No. OP, see my response to your question in your other post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1267522-how-often-do-you-lift

You are new to lifting. There are proven programs specifically geared to your lifting and goal status.

Also, you don't go into these programs lifting heavy, you start by actually lifting extremely light for the first few weeks to practice form and progressively add weight every workout. This might mean that you do the program with dumbbells for a while till you can use a barbell. But the goal is to add weight every workout as long as you successfully completeted the sets and reps for that session.

I tend to agree, not sure why u disagreed with me, you said the same thing mostly lol

Higher rep and volume work and working out 5 days a week is not good advice for a beginner. Even a proven program like StrongLifts won't have the person lift more than 5 sets of 5 reps per compound more than 3 days per week and that's plenty of volume and frequency for a beginner. What you recommended would be more applicable to an intermediate or advanced lifter who has lifted long enough to build his workout capacity and thus needs more volume to stimulate growth.

gymkoala

naa you can lift as mutch as you want, if you lift too mutch you will feel it

don't get stuck on a program, being a beginner everything will do

just learn the the form of basic compounds

Firehawk734

If you lift a bit lighter and do higher reps 10-15 per set, it will be easier to recover from. High volume is easier to recover from and it will blow your muscles up.

Lifting ultra heavy, like powerlifters do, is tough on the body from a recovery standpoint. You will be more achy. This has been my experience.

My suggestion would be if you want to work out 5 days a week, do high volume routines. If you want to work out 3 times a week, and prefer lifting heavy (I prefer it, but I don't anymore because of what I said above), then just expect to feel like you need more time to recover.

^^^ No. OP, see my response to your question in your other post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1267522-how-often-do-you-lift

You are new to lifting. There are proven programs specifically geared to your lifting and goal status.

Also, you don't go into these programs lifting heavy, you start by actually lifting extremely light for the first few weeks to practice form and progressively add weight every workout. This might mean that you do the program with dumbbells for a while till you can use a barbell. But the goal is to add weight every workout as long as you successfully completeted the sets and reps for that session.

I tend to agree, not sure why u disagreed with me, you said the same thing mostly lol

Higher rep and volume work and working out 5 days a week is not good advice for a beginner. Even a proven program like StrongLifts won't have the person lift more than 5 sets of 5 reps per compound more than 3 days per week and that's plenty of volume and frequency for a beginner. What you recommended would be more applicable to an intermediate or advanced lifter who has lifted long enough to build his workout capacity and thus needs more volume to stimulate growth.

I didn't suggest someone lift heavy (5 reps). I suggested 10-`15 reps. I wouldn't do 10 sets of `10-15 reps either. 3 sets of 10 is fine.

Point is, learn form, and stay away from strains. Lifting heavy (5 reps or less) is tough on the body and it's not wise to do it frequently.

I was speaking more from a recovery standpoint. Training higher reps (and thus, higher volumes) allows the body to recover faster. It also builds cardiovascular fitness and overall health much more than a lower volume, low rep, high weight routine.

Just my opinion. Other's have their views.

Nothing wrong with starting with a routine someone else designed, I would just say to the original poster, don't try to lift too heavy too often. Too hard on the body.

RhineDHP

OP, I encourage you to read this thread:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

It's a wonderful program for beginners!
Another good lifting program is New Rules of Lifting, good luck!

neandermagnon

As a beginner, you will save yourself a lot of wasted time and effort if you get started with a tried and true program (like Starting Strength, Stronglifts or something similar) instead of trying to do your own thing. I have spent years in gyms, wasting time and energy until I got on board with Stronglifts last year.

These programs require you to workout no more than three times a week, and you start extremely light, increasing the weights by a little bit every time. The plans are so simple that people have a hard time believing that they work. Yet, they inevitably do. I wish I had found out about this years ago.

^^^ totally this

and also, the above programmes are full body programmes, the best for beginners is full body 3x a week. Split routines are for intermediate and experienced lifters.

I faffed around with split routines (i.e. doing routines that were for advanced level bodybuilders) when I was a beginner, didn't get anywhere fast, then switched to stronglifts and made more progress in just a few weeks than I had in all my previous faffing around that I thought was lifting

beginner programmes like stronglifts and starting strength give you a very solid foundation and you can make a huge amount of progress in a short time.... then, you reach a point where you're not progressing with these routines any more, then you transition into an intermediate routine. Your body responds differently depending on what level you're at, basically. So intermediate and advanced routines do very little for a beginner.

spirit095

I'm currently doing the Stronglifts program, so I do it 3x a week.

ottermotorcycle

I do full-body workouts when I work out, so I skip at least one day in between workouts. I go about 3x/week.

I'm using New Rules of Lifting and it's really great so far! I start stage 3 this week and I've made great improvements. Before then I would do isolated moves, was using weight machines, and did an upper/lower split. I did improve, but... I didn't realize how much more I could do until I got myself into the program. Now even if I do modify some parts, I know I'm on a program that increases my overall ability to lift, and I can start focusing on separate muscles and groups when I finish all the stages of this and have better ideas of what to do and what works what.

I like NROL because in stage one you are doing serious lifts like deadlifts and squats. It's no easy task, but you start with a weight you're comfortable with at higher reps (2 sets of 15 I think) and as you progress through the weeks you add weight and do fewer reps (I think you end at 3 sets of 8.) The book is informative and really easy to read, too.

lynette111

bumping to read later

PJPrimrose

I am starting "Starting Strength" 2xs a week. I do my sport (cardio type) 3xs a week to train, or I'd lift 3xs a week. I rest for 2 days. I wouldn't want to do any one training program 5 days a week without pro guidance from a coach/instructor for a specific athletic endeavor. The risk of overtraining and injury would be too high IMHO.

brdnw

for the past 3 years i've listed pretty much 7 days a week. (like literally out of 365 days i'll probably lift 358 days).

Firehawk734

for the past 3 years i've listed pretty much 7 days a week. (like literally out of 365 days i'll probably lift 358 days).

I am generally the same, although you prolly lift more days than me out of a year. I try to only take a day off whenever I feel the need to, which is usually 1 every 2 weeks. It's otherwise a cardio day, or a 4-day split routine that I just start over early in the week. If i am bored of lifting I will run 2-3 miles for a cardio day.

Amazing abs bro, thick, well shaped. I'm jealous.

brdnw

for the past 3 years i've listed pretty much 7 days a week. (like literally out of 365 days i'll probably lift 358 days).

Amazing abs bro, thick, well shaped. I'm jealous.

all i really do is like 10 sets of hanging pikes every 2-3 days, pretty much nothing else. When i started i had to do knee raises, then eventually hanging leg raises then shortly after i was able to do hanging pikes. my sides are pretty lame, so i'm going to start working on those and doing more wipers n stuff like that.

Firehawk734

I'm 5'6" and was 116-120, then got seriously on board with heavy lifting about two months ago doing Stronglifts, and it's funny, I weigh 127 now and want to get rid of some still stubborn fat, but MAN has my body recomposition changed. I can see abs, I can see leg muscles I could never see before, my back's getting more triangular and developed, and collarbones are more prominent. Also, my current PRs are: squat 170, DL 150, bench 95, row 95 and OHP 55. I'm squatting almost 1.4x my bodyweight. It's pretty awesome.

Stronglifts, Starting Strength, etc. are good programs. Try one for a month! It's not a long period of time, and it'll be fun the day you realize you can squat your own bodyweight.

Congratulations. Don't change a thing!

NRBreit

If you really do the Stronglifts program properly, once you get to heavier weights (where you are failing to get all 5x5 reps), you will find that 3 days per week is really tough to recover from. You'll be sore and achy pretty much all the time. This is especially true if you're trying to do it on a calorie deficit. That's why most people move to a bro split during a cut - they reduce the weight and up the volume because it's so hard to do the full body 5x5 on no energy.

Firehawk734

If you really do the Stronglifts program properly, once you get to heavier weights (where you are failing to get all 5x5 reps), you will find that 3 days per week is really tough to recover from. You'll be sore and achy pretty much all the time.

Finally, someone else sees the light