Help with workouts 💪🏻

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Gymladmatt
Gymladmatt Posts: 393 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Due to work commitments I can only get 2 gym sessions per week.
Any suggestions or recommendations on what to do for building muscle?

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  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Can you set out your training history? How long have you been lifting and what have you been doing?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,526 Member
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    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
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  • Gymladmatt
    Gymladmatt Posts: 393 Member
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    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
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,526 Member
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    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
    9285851.png
  • Gymladmatt
    Gymladmatt Posts: 393 Member
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    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
    9285851.png

    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
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,515 Member
    edited March 17
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    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
    Gymladmatt Posts: 393 Member
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    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
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,092 Member
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    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
    Gymladmatt Posts: 393 Member
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    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

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