Weight training....Sets throughout the day vs in one session

riffraff2112
riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
For twenty years I have been a high school teacher, and one of the perks was I had access to a full weight room. I could easily slip in there during my prep period, or even at lunch and get a good workout in. I loved hanging out with students, and it was an easy routine to incorporate into my daily life.
I took the step up to admin recently and I can't really do a full workout at school anymore. Many reasons for this, mostly due to having to be available in the office in the event of a visitor, emergency etc.

ANYWAY.....
What I have been able to do is squeeze in a set nearly every time I walk by. Started with pull-ups, I would walk into the weight room 5-10 times a day, and do as many pull-ups I could do each time. One set and I was done. I would return sometime within an hour or so and repeat. I have done the same with chest day, shoulder day etc. It is kind of weird but I find this more enjoyable than my old routine and seem to be progressing just as well from it.
I can't seem to find much written about this. Common sense tells me I am not fatiguing my muscles in the same way, and perhaps and not gaining as much as I would have by doing my sets all at once (as I had for 20 years) but my progress indicates otherwise. I actually seem to be making strength gains (which is pretty impressive at my age!) I do still hit the gym for a full hour or so from time to time (once or twice a week)

Anyone else spread your weight training out in a similar way? thoughts?

Replies

  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    Total rookie here, but my thought is that if you are doing every single set to failure with fully fresh muscles each time you are probably working your muscles harder than if you were doing a full hour work out, where you would be unable to work a tired muscle that hard.
  • jhanleybrown
    jhanleybrown Posts: 240 Member
    Most traditional weight lifting advice will say do it all at once to fatigue.

    But there is some research coming out now that says its just cumulative and doesn't matter.

    So, unclear. Probably most important is that you are doing it and enjoying it.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
    edited October 2019
    My question would be whether or not you are progressing - added reps/weight - as time goes by. As long as you are making progress and it fits your schedule, I'd say go with it.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited October 2019
    Pretty common.

    I assume you weren't doing up to 10 sets of pull ups when you trained once a day. You are able to apply more stress and volume without as much as fatigue to one specific movement.

    If you want to be better at something, do more of that something.

    If you did relatively the same volume for ten years, I wouldn't expect a noticeable upwards gain of strength or technique.

    Pretty common for bodybuilders to do two a days because its easier to apply more useful stress that way than all the volume in one session. Recovery has it's feet in the pool.

    Most people don't have equipment, time or desire available to train like you mention so you won't see a lot of examples or evidence.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    My question would be whether or not you are progressing - added reps/weight - as time goes by. As long as you are making progress and it fits your schedule, I'd say go with it.

    Yeah I was capable of about 5 reps max. and now I am well into my teens for reps. My shoulder press has increased where I can now do 125lbs where I was stuck at 110 for months. I am just glad that I am able to maintain and not regress...any gains are a bonus.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Pretty common.

    I assume you weren't doing up to 10 sets of pull ups when you trained once a day. You are able to apply more stress and volume without as much as fatigue to one specific movement.

    If you want to be better at something, do more of that something.

    If you did relatively the same volume for ten years, I wouldn't expect a noticeable upwards gain of strength or technique.

    Pretty common for bodybuilders to do two a days because its easier to apply more useful stress that way than all the volume in one session. Recovery has it's feet in the pool.

    Most people don't have equipment, time or desire available to train like you mention so you won't see a lot of examples or evidence.

    You probably hit it on the head there. I am probably increasing the volume as I doubt I was doing seven sets (maybe 4 or 5). I knew I was in a unique situation, not everyone has open access like I do.

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