Why train 3x week? Is there disadvantages to working out more?
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Usually pretty good. I haven't tried the interval workouts in a while. Thanks!0
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@estherdragonbat, from the sound of the posts you have done about your routine you seem to be doing well in it.
Maybe give the (light) weight/cardio sessions a try one day a week, if it works up it to the 2 days, if you find your recovery is discouraging, drop it and continue with what you are doing.
If I remember rightly you are getting a lot of walking in as well so you are getting a good mix of cardio and resistance work in.
Cheers, h.1 -
Thanks! Yeah, it's harder to get the walking in with shorter days (and sidewalks that aren't always clear of ice and snow). I've been thinking about changing things up a bit, just for a little variety.1
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estherdragonbat wrote: »Out of curiosity, is the recovery time the same if you aren't lifting heavy? I'm currently strength training 3x/week with dumbbells ranging from 5lbs to 17.5lbs. The book I'm using also includes some weights-and-cardio interval workouts and I'm wondering whether doing them on the off days is safe or whether it might hurt my progress.
There is an element of Central Nervous System fatigue with heavy lifting that is not the same with lighter weight/ higher rep. The volume with the body part split is much higher in terms of total weight moved. The muscle recovery part is about the same. About 48 hours.
Re-reading your question, I'm unclear what exactly you're asking. Whether the interval sessions would hurt recovery? If so, it would all depend on how intense they are. I do cardio on off days (pretty much do something 7 days per week). It is usually walking but at a brisk, 4.2 MPH avg, pace and up and down hills. I've done some interval work. But, never at too high an intensity as it would affect recovery for my weight training sessions and those are my priority.1 -
On a more serious note, I have had the good fortune to not be hit with the injury bug. I did 3 day full body for a long time but plateaued. About 3 months ago I transitioned to a 4 day split. It is a lot more volume but more recovery time per muscle group. It has gone really well and some of the CNS fatigue I would get with the full body routines is reduced. I've also changed the rep range I work in to 10 to 15 and that probs helps with the injury factor. When you a pulling heavy, things can happen.
I did the 3-day full body routine for about the first year of getting back to lifting. Then switched to an upper/lower split (Lyle's GBR) and I run it three times a week as ABA/BAB on alternating weeks. Every muscle group gets worked twice every five days (more or less, depending on whether I slide a day forward or back here or there). I like the extra recovery allowed as opposed to working the same muscle group every second or third day (I'm 55, the recovery ain't what it used to be!).2 -
I started lifting back in the day with StrongLifts 5x5. I'm currently doing a 5x/week upper/lower split: lower, upper, glutes, upper, lower. Essentially it's from Steve Shaw's Massive Iron with an additional Bret Contrares glute day.1
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On a more serious note, I have had the good fortune to not be hit with the injury bug. I did 3 day full body for a long time but plateaued. About 3 months ago I transitioned to a 4 day split. It is a lot more volume but more recovery time per muscle group. It has gone really well and some of the CNS fatigue I would get with the full body routines is reduced. I've also changed the rep range I work in to 10 to 15 and that probs helps with the injury factor. When you a pulling heavy, things can happen.
I did the 3-day full body routine for about the first year of getting back to lifting. Then switched to an upper/lower split (Lyle's GBR) and I run it three times a week as ABA/BAB on alternating weeks. Every muscle group gets worked twice every five days (more or less, depending on whether I slide a day forward or back here or there). I like the extra recovery allowed as opposed to working the same muscle group every second or third day (I'm 55, the recovery ain't what it used to be!).
I feel ya brother!1 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »Out of curiosity, is the recovery time the same if you aren't lifting heavy? I'm currently strength training 3x/week with dumbbells ranging from 5lbs to 17.5lbs. The book I'm using also includes some weights-and-cardio interval workouts and I'm wondering whether doing them on the off days is safe or whether it might hurt my progress.
There is an element of Central Nervous System fatigue with heavy lifting that is not the same with lighter weight/ higher rep. The volume with the body part split is much higher in terms of total weight moved. The muscle recovery part is about the same. About 48 hours.
Re-reading your question, I'm unclear what exactly you're asking. Whether the interval sessions would hurt recovery? If so, it would all depend on how intense they are. I do cardio on off days (pretty much do something 7 days per week). It is usually walking but at a brisk, 4.2 MPH avg, pace and up and down hills. I've done some interval work. But, never at too high an intensity as it would affect recovery for my weight training sessions and those are my priority.
Yes to the bolded.
Most of the dumbbell exercises I do on strength days are 3 sets of 8-12 reps. The interval workouts:- Are geared toward using two pairs of dumbbells, one lighter, one heavier. So the instructions might be to do squats with the 'heavier' weight, biceps curls with the 'lighter'.
- Are typically one set of 12 reps, followed by a cardio sequence, followed by a dumbbell set for a different muscle
So, fewer sets. And the interval workouts are supposed to take 15 minutes. They usually take me 25, due to some coordination issues that tend to crop up just when I think I know what I'm doing, especially on the cardio intervals. A full-body strength workout usually takes me an hour and fifteen including rests between sets.0 -
I do a 3 day / week full body @ 67 years old - but the weights are lighter & I do higher reps. If I go hard on upper body I do a lighter squat routine that day. also If I go bigger on the squat I'm lighter on the upper body. I think I might be evolving into a upper / lower split, but I really like full body training - been doing it it for years. Eastcoast Jim1
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estherdragonbat wrote: »Out of curiosity, is the recovery time the same if you aren't lifting heavy? I'm currently strength training 3x/week with dumbbells ranging from 5lbs to 17.5lbs. The book I'm using also includes some weights-and-cardio interval workouts and I'm wondering whether doing them on the off days is safe or whether it might hurt my progress.
Heavier lifting does require longer recovery time for larger muscle groups but I lift heavy and have often run up to half marathon distances on my non-lifting days while training for Spartan races. There is an interference between training like that to be sure but it's not a huge issue since I'm not competing in powerlifting right now. Some lifters prefer to do HIIT rather than steady state cardio since they feel HIIT complements rather than interferes with lifting gains.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »Out of curiosity, is the recovery time the same if you aren't lifting heavy? I'm currently strength training 3x/week with dumbbells ranging from 5lbs to 17.5lbs. The book I'm using also includes some weights-and-cardio interval workouts and I'm wondering whether doing them on the off days is safe or whether it might hurt my progress.
Heavier lifting does require longer recovery time for larger muscle groups but I lift heavy and have often run up to half marathon distances on my non-lifting days while training for Spartan races. There is an interference between training like that to be sure but it's not a huge issue since I'm not competing in powerlifting right now. Some lifters prefer to do HIIT rather than steady state cardio since they feel HIIT complements rather than interferes with lifting gains.
Only problem with that is that HIIT is more likely to create recovery issues than steady state cardio. The CNS demands imposed by HIIT are very similar to those imposed by strength training.3 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »Out of curiosity, is the recovery time the same if you aren't lifting heavy? I'm currently strength training 3x/week with dumbbells ranging from 5lbs to 17.5lbs. The book I'm using also includes some weights-and-cardio interval workouts and I'm wondering whether doing them on the off days is safe or whether it might hurt my progress.
Heavier lifting does require longer recovery time for larger muscle groups but I lift heavy and have often run up to half marathon distances on my non-lifting days while training for Spartan races. There is an interference between training like that to be sure but it's not a huge issue since I'm not competing in powerlifting right now. Some lifters prefer to do HIIT rather than steady state cardio since they feel HIIT complements rather than interferes with lifting gains.
Only problem with that is that HIIT is more likely to create recovery issues than steady state cardio. The CNS demands imposed by HIIT are very similar to those imposed by strength training.
You are absolutely correct, and that can cause a fatigue build up. That's also why I said "feel" because it's not necessarily true and depending on the program it might still be better to do a less intense form of cardio than HIIT.1 -
I train splits like this:
Day 1-chest
Day 2- back
Day 3- rest
Day 4- shoulders
Day 5- legs
Day 6- arms
Day 7- rest
I do high volume for each muscle group and I chose my days so the muscles involved would not be overworked during the next day. It all depends on your genetics, sleep, age and diet as to how fast you can recover. Some days I take an extra rest day and some days I feel like doing two a day so I do. I don’t follow a strict plan but do enough research to do things right and do what works best for you.1 -
Huge amounts of information thank you all
Trying to summarize as much questions as possible:
I can only do home workouts at the moment and have only just got round to getting a pair of dumbbells, which I will incorporate into my strength training. My upper body is incredibly thin so I would really prefer to gain the weight first rather than build muscle as I don't want the defined upper body muscle look right now, I'd look really silly. I focus more on my lower body because that is where I have a balance of muscle and some fat that needs sorting out.
It's true, I don't follow one of these programs I see on here, but I follow YouTube videos which has worked well for me in the past, when I tried to gain for the first time. They do state rest days but this time I just feel like I don't need as many. Probably because it's not new to me as such. The rest days in the videos are for cardio, upper body etc. I do a lot of walking anyway and as my goal is to primarily gain weight I don't want to lose all my calories doing extra cardio and make my journey harder. Maybe once I hit a comfortable weight I'd consider it but at the moment my focus is to gain weight and "mould" it into the right places.
I hope I've answered your questions, if I missed something please remind me. I appreciate all your help and advice 0 -
I train splits like this:
Day 1-chest
Day 2- back
Day 3- rest
Day 4- shoulders
Day 5- legs
Day 6- arms
Day 7- rest
I do high volume for each muscle group and I chose my days so the muscles involved would not be overworked during the next day. It all depends on your genetics, sleep, age and diet as to how fast you can recover. Some days I take an extra rest day and some days I feel like doing two a day so I do. I don’t follow a strict plan but do enough research to do things right and do what works best for you.
SO you are effectively training arms 5 days a week and legs one.
Not a good program at all. especially since you're not following a plan or program.
5 -
stanmann571 wrote: »I train splits like this:
Day 1-chest
Day 2- back
Day 3- rest
Day 4- shoulders
Day 5- legs
Day 6- arms
Day 7- rest
I do high volume for each muscle group and I chose my days so the muscles involved would not be overworked during the next day. It all depends on your genetics, sleep, age and diet as to how fast you can recover. Some days I take an extra rest day and some days I feel like doing two a day so I do. I don’t follow a strict plan but do enough research to do things right and do what works best for you.
SO you are effectively training arms 5 days a week and legs one.
Not a good program at all. especially since you're not following a plan or program.
I was going to say it looks like a 90's gym bro split. The problem is you used to see a lot of guys doing this wearing stringers and track pants.3 -
Huge amounts of information thank you all
Trying to summarize as much questions as possible:
I can only do home workouts at the moment and have only just got round to getting a pair of dumbbells, which I will incorporate into my strength training. My upper body is incredibly thin so I would really prefer to gain the weight first rather than build muscle as I don't want the defined upper body muscle look right now, I'd look really silly. I focus more on my lower body because that is where I have a balance of muscle and some fat that needs sorting out.
It's true, I don't follow one of these programs I see on here, but I follow YouTube videos which has worked well for me in the past, when I tried to gain for the first time. They do state rest days but this time I just feel like I don't need as many. Probably because it's not new to me as such. The rest days in the videos are for cardio, upper body etc. I do a lot of walking anyway and as my goal is to primarily gain weight I don't want to lose all my calories doing extra cardio and make my journey harder. Maybe once I hit a comfortable weight I'd consider it but at the moment my focus is to gain weight and "mould" it into the right places.
I hope I've answered your questions, if I missed something please remind me. I appreciate all your help and advice
If you're bulking, you'll be gaining both fat and muscle so please don't worry about your arms looking too muscly if you do upper body. Trust me, it ain't gonna happen. I train like a beast super heavy and if I'm not flexing, you honestly can't tell I lift.3 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »I train splits like this:
Day 1-chest
Day 2- back
Day 3- rest
Day 4- shoulders
Day 5- legs
Day 6- arms
Day 7- rest
I do high volume for each muscle group and I chose my days so the muscles involved would not be overworked during the next day. It all depends on your genetics, sleep, age and diet as to how fast you can recover. Some days I take an extra rest day and some days I feel like doing two a day so I do. I don’t follow a strict plan but do enough research to do things right and do what works best for you.
SO you are effectively training arms 5 days a week and legs one.
Not a good program at all. especially since you're not following a plan or program.
I was going to say it looks like a 90's gym bro split. The problem is you used to see a lot of guys doing this wearing stringers and track pants.
On the plus side, at least he's got a leg day. 4 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »I train splits like this:
Day 1-chest
Day 2- back
Day 3- rest
Day 4- shoulders
Day 5- legs
Day 6- arms
Day 7- rest
I do high volume for each muscle group and I chose my days so the muscles involved would not be overworked during the next day. It all depends on your genetics, sleep, age and diet as to how fast you can recover. Some days I take an extra rest day and some days I feel like doing two a day so I do. I don’t follow a strict plan but do enough research to do things right and do what works best for you.
SO you are effectively training arms 5 days a week and legs one.
Not a good program at all. especially since you're not following a plan or program.
I was going to say it looks like a 90's gym bro split. The problem is you used to see a lot of guys doing this wearing stringers and track pants.
On the plus side, at least he's got a leg day.
True, skipping leg day used to be an automatic. Bro Science Life did an episode on reasons to skip leg day lol.
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »I train splits like this:
Day 1-chest
Day 2- back
Day 3- rest
Day 4- shoulders
Day 5- legs
Day 6- arms
Day 7- rest
I do high volume for each muscle group and I chose my days so the muscles involved would not be overworked during the next day. It all depends on your genetics, sleep, age and diet as to how fast you can recover. Some days I take an extra rest day and some days I feel like doing two a day so I do. I don’t follow a strict plan but do enough research to do things right and do what works best for you.
SO you are effectively training arms 5 days a week and legs one.
Not a good program at all. especially since you're not following a plan or program.
I was going to say it looks like a 90's gym bro split. The problem is you used to see a lot of guys doing this wearing stringers and track pants.
On the plus side, at least he's got a leg day.
True, skipping leg day used to be an automatic. Bro Science Life did an episode on reasons to skip leg day lol.
Good video. My favorite is still the Do You Even Lift one!!!1
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