Hitting each muscle 2x a week

[alan aragon]

I learnt years ago all these "studies" mean jack shyt.

I can find you studies showing high volume is best, i can show you studies saying 1 set to failure is best.

All i care about is real world proof. Progress pics made by people PROVING that a certain training style worked.

I learnt years ago that personal testimonials & anecdotes are more subject to validity threats & have an infinitely lower standard of rigor than studies.

[kusok]

I learnt years ago all these "studies" mean jack shyt.

I can find you studies showing high volume is best, i can show you studies saying 1 set to failure is best.

All i care about is real world proof. Progress pics made by people PROVING that a certain training style worked.

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that 2x is better than 1x. Most experts, coaches, gurus, trainers, athletes, natural lifters etc hold this opinion.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...ass-gains.html

I saw Aragon, Layne Norton, Hugo Rivera and Tom Venuto advice this, as well as use it themselves.
I can also add my modest experience to the list as well. I believe my results are better with a bit more frequency.

[BirdsAfterMeAye]

I learnt years ago that personal testimonials & anecdotes are more subject to validity threats & have an infinitely lower standard of rigor than studies.

I find out how really skinny guys get jacked/big/ripped by asking them what their training and diet routine is. Thats the only thing i care about since most of the "science" behind exercise all contradict each other.

Also after seeing countless progress pics over the years, patterns emerge.

[kusok]

I find out how really skinny guys get jacked/big/ripped by asking them what their training and diet routine is. Thats the only thing i care about since most of the "science" behind exercise all contradict each other.

Also after seeing countless progress pics over the years, patterns emerge.

Realistically there is only one pattern:

Noobs reading Flex magazine where steroid using lifters' 1x per week bodypart split routines are printed. Noobs then foolishly imitate those routines, and make gains. Of course noobs would make gains anyways, because they are noobs Thus the term "noob gains". Noobs can make gains even on the dumbest routines. Doesn't mean they are optimal for noobs.

[BirdsAfterMeAye]

Realistically there is only one pattern:

Noobs reading Flex magazine where steroid using lifters' 1x per week bodypart split routines are printed. Noobs then foolishly imitate those routines, and make gains. Of course noobs would make gains anyways, because they are noobs Thus the term "noob gains". Noobs can make gains on the dumbest routines. Doesn't mean they are optimal for noobs.

That is completely untrue man and i can show you picture proof of really skinny guys making phenomenal gains using body building splits. In fact, the ONLY skinny guys i'e seen to make amazing gains came from "once a week body part splits".

I've seen a few guys gain lots of weight and strength using 2-3 times per week, powerlifting type routines but their physical transformations aren't really that impressive at all.

Here's some at the top of my head, there are COUNTLESS more but i can't remember their names. All these skinny guys did typical bodybuilding splits. Most if not all posted here are natural.

aggresive

after and before





johnnychristian


before

[img]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af223/one_kb/****gytimecuz111.jpg[/img]

after



after only a few months



boilermaker06

before



after







joseph rakich

before

[ko300zx]

Anyone can make gains on any style of program. Whether or not they made the most of their time in the gym and achieved the quickest growth possible is debatable. Those pictures are irrelevant without information such as how long it took to reach their goal, diet, etc. There are just as many people out there that made similar progress on increased frequency. There are also just as many people out there that fail at once a week splits as well. You see it on these forums daily.

"Help, not making any progress. Been doing ____ split for 6 months, no change."

10 of these posts a day.

Below is someone who uses 3x upper a week. Good progress, nothing remotely close to a once a week split.

Everything works. What works best most often comes down to the individual.

I used Martin Berkhan's Leangains (www.leangains.com) method in order to slowly bulk up while virtually adding no fat to my body.

These two pictures are from July 2010 - Jan 2011. I was only in a caloric surplus from Sept-end of December. The rest of the time I was still in a deficit with intent to lose more bodyfat.

Same mirror, same lighting (pretty much).

July '10



Jan '11

^^^ VVV

I always went crazy on bench pressing back then, lol. I don't know I guess I'm just built to own the bench press.

My training methods have been like this since I was 18. Before 18 it was just a lot of going to the gym and doing whatever, usually full body workouts of 1 maybe 2 exercises per bodypart. (bb flat bench always being one of the exercises for chest, lol)

[Slow-N-Steady]

I find out how really skinny guys get jacked/big/ripped by asking them what their training and diet routine is. Thats the only thing i care about since most of the "science" behind exercise all contradict each other.

Also after seeing countless progress pics over the years, patterns emerge.

Just because documented science can contradictory does not make it useless. To put it simply, you have to be able to read between the lines.

The exact same can be said for real world experience. Ask a range of people what made them successful and you will get a range of answers, that in turn, sound contradictory.

The best way to learn and base decisions/practice off of in this hobby is by both tried and trued scientific and real world experience. But, that is just my opinion...

[Crazyeyes221]

I work out 6 times a week as well.. I'd also try and hit legs twice a week, rather than shoulders. Personally I hate working out shoulders and mine are actually prone to quick fatigue...Guess it means I should actually hit them more lol