Go to the gym 2X a day?

[mrchaikel]

I have been lifting for about 5 months and have seen some good gains but occasionally hit a plateau. For the past few weeks, about once or twice a week, I will hit the gym twice a day on my days off from work. I do a shortened modified workout on the body parts I did in the morning. I notice increased soreness the next couple of days for obvious reasons. I especially do this when my morning workout is not as intense as desired (usually because of the social butterflies who want to talk in the gym more than workout.) Was curious to know what you think of this and how many others go to the gym 2 times in a day?

[grumble1]

More does not equal better.

[Couthos]

It depends on what you do really. It would make sense if you went in the morning for some cardio then later on to lift your weights. Doesn't really make sense to lift weights twice

[chefwaffles]

I have been lifting for about 5 months and have seen some good gains but occasionally hit a plateau. For the past few weeks, about once or twice a week, I will hit the gym twice a day on my days off from work. I do a shortened modified workout on the body parts I did in the morning. I notice increased soreness the next couple of days for obvious reasons. I especially do this when my morning workout is not as intense as desired (usually because of the social butterflies who want to talk in the gym more than workout.) Was curious to know what you think of this and how many others go to the gym 2 times in a day?

I did this for a few months during the summer time last year. in the morning i would go strength based routine (<5 reps) and in the evening i would do the same bodyparts and exercises but would reduce the weight down and do 6-10 reps. i dont really recommend this as most people would burn out quickly, and only reason i was able to do it was because i was still in my noob phase so the weights i was lifting wasnt that much.

[watermelon_2001]

IMO, you shouldn't be lifting twice in one day. I would say the only exception is if you're following a typical 4-day split (back + biceps/ chest + triceps/ legs/ delts + traps,) hitting one part in the morning and the other in the evening BUT keeping volume in each session the same as you would if only doing a single session. That would just equate to 2 shortened sessions (albeit perhaps session which were more intense.) Overdoing the volume in each would compromise your recovery, and if returning to the gym to hit a bodypart for a second time in one day, you've probably not worked it hard enough earlier...

If intending to split up a weights session and a cardio session in the same day, just make sure you're rested enough in between so as to be able to perform at your best in each, and make sure you're eating sufficiently to fuel both sessions and recovery.

[Salad_Dodger]

i've done it before where i did chest in the morning but legs in the evening, but doing the same thing twice in a day sounds a lot like working biceps monday and tuesday.

[bigtallox]

Was curious to know what you think of this and how many others go to the gym 2 times in a day?

My feelings can be summed up accordingly...
If I ever felt the need, I'd take a serious look at my training and figure out what's wrong.
If I ever felt like I actually could, for example, squat heavy twice in one day, then I'd know something is seriously wrong with my training.

[Farley1324]

I would only use the gym twice a day if one visit was for lifting and the other for cardio or to participate in a sport/game

[fitcopforlife]

Twice a day to weight train is too much, if you do a cardio session one time and then weight training in the evening for your second visit that would be beneficial, cardio in the morning on an empty stomach is good because you are burning into fat. If you weight train your bodyparts 2x in a day you could be burning into that muscle you are desiring to build.

[ironwill2008]

Was curious to know what you think of this and how many others go to the gym 2 times in a day?

If you are asking this question in the context of bodybuilding, I've never done this, and never will. The only people who can do this and progress from it are Pro bodybuilders.