hitting each muscle once a week or twice a week?

basically should i be hitting my muscles once or twice per week, or is twice per week too much? too little rest or is it ok? it seems to be working for me though most people in my gym dont train like i do.

let me know what your opinion is cheers


this currently my routine im thinking of changing it:

monday-ches, bicep, legs

tuesday- back, triceps, abs

Wednesday- shoulders

Thursday- chest, bicep, legs

friday- back, triceps, abs

saturday - shoulders

sunday- rest

thinking of changing routine to this:
monday- chest

tues-back abs

wed- legs

thurs- shoulders

fri- bicep, tricep, abs

sat- rest

sun- rest

I'm no trainer but have built significant gains in the last few months under the eye of a trainer and this was one of my biggest changes. I worked out my chest and arms 2X/week. I just enjoy it. However, he mentioned that if I was fully able to work those muscles in that time period both times, that the workouts may not be intense enough. I now have a workout MUCH more intense than before and find myself sore after each workout for a few days (I used to not get sore anymore).

He mentioned giving a week to each muscle group to repair/heal is where the growth happens, not when you actually lift. Since then, Ive noticed my muscles actually becoming "harder" and more "dense". Maybe this is the cause. As mentioned, I also DO now go at each muscle much harder than before, which feels great.

Lol you have chest and legs together in one day....but give shoulders its own day

Depends on your training level which you didn't mention at all.
Someone who is a seasoned lifter could make a case for once a week. An intermediate who is trying to increase the weight on the bar monthly could do well on a twice a week split. Someone who can only bench their body weight and squat a little more than that could easily make gains 3 times a week.

Depends.

[QUOTE=Muhonu;781466563] It seems to be working for me though most people in my gym dont train like i do.
[/QUOTE]

Do most people in your gym look like you want to look? If not, then who gives a sh!t how they train. If they look like you want to look, then maybe figure out what they are doing and emulate it (to some degree).

Training frequency does need to be balanced with volume and intensity. If you are unaware how these components of a program work together, then you are probably better served by finding a simple beginner's program and working on that until you learn how to program your own training.

bump

[QUOTE=EseVato;781471093]Lol you have chest and legs together in one day....but give shoulders its own day[/QUOTE]

this and OP everyones different...find what you can best stick to although beginners and intermediates probably are better suited for frequency

Depends on all the other program variables - most notably volume and intensity

But twice a week is usually a sensible value for most people assuming other variables are set to sensible values.

I'd say you are actually hitting biceps and triceps four times per week on your current program, which is way too much. When you do back you are hitting your biceps too. When you do chest you are hitting triceps too. (Of course, this does not go two ways - you are not usually hitting chest when doing triceps or back when doing biceps).

This is why many people do back and biceps together on one day, and chest and triceps together one one day. If you want to separate them at least give yourself a few days between when you do biceps v. back and chest v. triceps.

[QUOTE=Muhonu;781466563]basically should i be hitting my muscles once or twice per week, or is twice per week too much? [/QUOTE]

you been a member here for almost 2 years, 69 posts...... this question has been asked 1000's of times during this period, multpule times a day. how about a little reading and research instead?

^^^ for reals think this info is in stickies based on the full body workouts hitting a muscle 3 times a week lol.