How many days a week for weight lifting?

taylorwaylor
taylorwaylor Posts: 417 Member
edited January 6 in Fitness and Exercise
For full body workouts and for workouts that only work certain parts...And which do you like to do better and why??

Replies

  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    The best for full body workouts imo is 3 days a week.

    With splits, it depends on the splits, I do a 4 day split routine plus a conditioning day where I do complexes.
  • fakeplastictree
    fakeplastictree Posts: 836 Member
    When I have the time I like doing 4 day splits. But for now I do a 4 day split routine where I break up the 4th day amongst my three days. And do crossfit twice a week and run once a week. But yeah, if doing full body I usually do it as a 3 day/week routine mixed with complexes and running.
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
    Since I'm fairly new into lifting (again) I do full body 3x a week. I'm going to keep with this for about 6 months and then I may move into a 4 day split.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I do 4 day splits.
  • stanluoser
    stanluoser Posts: 82
    I do four day splits as well. Only do full body if I slacked and missed a week of working out.
  • paijing
    paijing Posts: 184 Member
    Via Martin Berkhan:

    "During fat loss, no one needs to weight-train more than 3x/week. Muscle groups don't need higher frequency than 1x/week if intensity is high. Find more productive things to do with your time. Most people screw themselves over by being in the gym too much and too often. Less is more and this is especially true on a diet.

    "Personality traits play a role in ultimately determining the right training routine. My experiment with high frequency training taught me a few things. One of those things is that I am hopelessly addicted to high intensity training and ill suited to be allowed in the gym for more than three sessions per week."

    Link: http://www.leangains.com/2010/03/10-random-thoughts-on-weight-training.html
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Via Martin Berkhan:

    "During fat loss, no one needs to weight-train more than 3x/week. Muscle groups don't need higher frequency than 1x/week if intensity is high. Find more productive things to do with your time. Most people screw themselves over by being in the gym too much and too often. Less is more and this is especially true on a diet.

    "Personality traits play a role in ultimately determining the right training routine. My experiment with high frequency training taught me a few things. One of those things is that I am hopelessly addicted to high intensity training and ill suited to be allowed in the gym for more than three sessions per week."

    Link: http://www.leangains.com/2010/03/10-random-thoughts-on-weight-training.html


    You can do a 4 day split where you work one major muscle group a week - depends on how you split it .

    Also, just to clarify, a full body workout is often appropriate, especially for beginners, and that works muscle groups more than once a week. I would assume that this falls outside 'high intensity' group as it is highly unlikely you will be maintaining LBM only doing a full body workout once a week.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    I lift three days a week. I have two workouts; one is "push" (chest/triceps/shouders) + abs, one is "pull" (back/biceps) + legs. I alternate them in an A-B-A, B-A-B fashion from week to week (I lift Mon/Wed/Fri). This works each muscle group every 4 to 5 days.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Full body is 3x like everyone said, although you can make limited progress on 2x.

    I do best and a half body split, 4 days per week, so that each group gets works 2x per week. Currently tho, I'm lifting 3x per week (same split, but with the 4th workout omitted) because my workout partner basically dies on 4 days per week. I'm training for a run so swapping out the 2nd leg day for a long run is by beneficial to me right now anyway
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    I started with doing full body 3 days a week. It was a great place to start and I liked doing it. I focused on the big compound movements and added a few extras. Just recently I switched to a 2 day upper/lower split twice a week so lifting 4 days total. I really like that as a progression to the 3 day. I am able to focus more on each half of the body and lift a bit harder.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Via Martin Berkhan:

    "During fat loss, no one needs to weight-train more than 3x/week. Muscle groups don't need higher frequency than 1x/week if intensity is high. Find more productive things to do with your time. Most people screw themselves over by being in the gym too much and too often. Less is more and this is especially true on a diet.

    "Personality traits play a role in ultimately determining the right training routine. My experiment with high frequency training taught me a few things. One of those things is that I am hopelessly addicted to high intensity training and ill suited to be allowed in the gym for more than three sessions per week."

    Link: http://www.leangains.com/2010/03/10-random-thoughts-on-weight-training.html

    The very start says, "during fat loss". This is not a general statement about lifting but about a targeted fat loss situation. Be careful to not take to the bank what is published in a book. It's good for the specific advice it's giving, but there could be other reasons to visit your gym more than 3 days a week. I understand where this advice comes from, but disagree with it, pretty much. There are many other published documents that will say 4 or 5 days are the most beneficial. It depends on what you want and why you are there. Again, take all advice with a grain of salt and do something that works.
  • taylorwaylor
    taylorwaylor Posts: 417 Member
    Alright! Thaaanks for all the good answers everyone! I'm currently doing full body workouts 3 days a week, but I'm now going to switch to a split routine 4 days a week, and cardio days 1-2 times a week!
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    The best for full body workouts imo is 3 days a week.

    With splits, it depends on the splits, I do a 4 day split routine plus a conditioning day where I do complexes.

    ^This. I do a 5 day split and add in some running.
  • seansquared
    seansquared Posts: 328 Member
    Different for absolutely every individual.
  • __RANDY__
    __RANDY__ Posts: 1,036 Member
    4 days 5/3/1 boring but big
This discussion has been closed.

Categories