Same Muscles Two Days in a Row?

[Mr.Cooper69]

I'm currently on an upper/lower split, on a bulk, eating a TON of calories so recovery isn't really an issue. My lower back is still a little sore from my lower workout two days ago, and I lifted upper yesterday for generally high reps (8-12). I was wondering if I could do upper again today and postpone my lower workout to tomorrow, but use a completely different rep range (i.e. 1-5) and lower the volume a bit for the upper workout today. Does this sound reasonable? Due to the nature of my split, my various bodyparts didn't get hit with a lot of volume yesterday so of course I'm not sore.

Thoughts? Worth it?

[bmontgomery87]

I'm currently on an upper/lower split, on a bulk, eating a TON of calories so recovery isn't really an issue. My lower back is still a little sore from my lower workout two days ago, and I lifted upper yesterday for generally high reps (8-12). I was wondering if I could do upper again today and postpone my lower workout to tomorrow, but use a completely different rep range (i.e. 1-5) and lower the volume a bit for the upper workout today. Does this sound reasonable? Due to the nature of my split, my various bodyparts didn't get hit with a lot of volume yesterday so of course I'm not sore.

Thoughts? Worth it?

its just overkill. let your muscles recover.....if you're still sore today then take a day off and hit the gym tomorrow. muscles don't grow in the gym, they grow in recovery. so you're doing yourself a favor by giving them an extra day.

[InclineVet]

I have never done an upper/lower body split. But I will never work the same muscle two days in a row whether it's sore or not. It sets back your recovery and you end up losing muscle in the long run.

[Mr.Cooper69]

is there proof that this isnt beneficial from a strength perspective (since I would be doing low rep work today)?

[DJAuto]

is there proof that this isnt beneficial from a strength perspective (since I would be doing low rep work today)?

Absolutely.

Think about it: recovery mechanisms work most efficiently when there aren't counteractive stresses. Repeated systemic stress without full recuperation can lead to systemic overload.

[Ironlife]

Absolutely.

Think about it: recovery mechanisms work most efficiently when there aren't counteractive stresses. Repeated systemic stress without full recuperation can lead to systemic overload.

This^^ although some strength routines have athletes almost purposely overtrain so they can immediately halt what their doing and recover to reap the benefits of added strength,.forget the actual term for this process though DJ.

[ironwill2008]

This^^ although some strength routines have athletes almost purposely overtrain so they can immediately halt what their doing and recover to reap the benefits of added strength,.forget the actual term for this process though DJ.

Supercompensation.

[VoxExMachina]

This^^ although some strength routines have athletes almost purposely overtrain so they can immediately halt what their doing and recover to reap the benefits of added strength,.forget the actual term for this process though DJ.

I believe you're talking Dual-Factor type training here, where the point is to intentionally "overreach" through more frequent workouts, but then allow full recovery on a periodic basis. This is typically how an Olympic lifter, sprinter, or someone else who is primarily interested in athletic performance will train.

Keep in mind that bodybuilding is less about performance, and more about hypertrophy, so opinions differ on the best approach.

Anyway, OP, IMO it's not a good approach to train the same muscles two days in a row. You do start the muscle building process in the gym, but it's the recovery period where the real growth occurs. More is not better, here. Better is better. If you feel you can easily train a muscle again the day after you've just trained it, then you probably didn't work hard enough yesterday.

The soonest most bodybuilding programs have you training the same muscle again is 48 hours later.

[im2manly]

is there proof that this isnt beneficial from a strength perspective (since I would be doing low rep work today)?

Many strength programs have you lifting hte same body part 2 days in a row...

[SquatTilYouDrop]

I have never done an upper/lower body split. But I will never work the same muscle two days in a row whether it's sore or not. It sets back your recovery and you end up losing muscle in the long run.

A bit of an over generalization of a very complex process full of dynamic variables.

[MILKMAN23]

bumped for a question:

I usually do wide-grip pullups - 4 sets to failure on my back day. However, I suffered a cramp in my hamstring yesterday (while re-racking plates lol) and had to leave the gym after only getting through 2 sets. I feel like my back was hardly worked as I only really feel fatigued in the 3rd and 4th sets.

Should I re-do my pullups today? Or will that be counter-productive?

Keep in mind that I only got halfway through my workout yesterday.

[gomez26]

bumped for a question:

I usually do wide-grip pullups - 4 sets to failure on my back day. However, I suffered a cramp in my hamstring yesterday (while re-racking plates lol) and had to leave the gym after only getting through 2 sets. I feel like my back was hardly worked as I only really feel fatigued in the 3rd and 4th sets.

Should I re-do my pullups today? Or will that be counter-productive?

Keep in mind that I only got halfway through my workout yesterday.

its fine brah, training the same muscle 2 days in a row is not the doom & gloom many make it out to be. its just not as efficient for hypertrophy, it suits neural adaption better.

strength programs will tend to spread the volume over many more days, so instead of doing 20 sets in 1 day p/w, they may do 4 sets 5 days p/w. spreading is not as efficient for bb'ers because hypertrophy goal values the effect from accumulated fatigue from previous sets in the same session, while strength training in general doesnt.

Supercompensation.

i think u were thinking of super accumulation where fatigue is allowed to accumulate over many sessions dual factor style so that supercompensation is delayed until the deload period, while in single factor models it is the aim to have supercompensation after each & every session.

[MILKMAN23]

its fine brah, training the same muscle 2 days in a row is not the doom & gloom many make it out to be. its just not as efficient for hypertrophy, it suits neural adaption better.

strength programs will tend to spread the volume over many more days, so instead of doing 20 sets in 1 day p/w, they may do 4 sets 5 days p/w. spreading is not as efficient for bb'ers because hypertrophy goal values the effect from accumulated fatigue from previous sets in the same session, while strength training in general doesnt.



i think u were thinking of super accumulation where fatigue is allowed to accumulate over many sessions dual factor style so that supercompensation is delayed until the deload period, while in single factor models it is the aim to have supercompensation after each & every session.

Great advice. Much appreciated brah.

[ckzhg91]

I believe you're talking Dual-Factor type training here, where the point is to intentionally "overreach" through more frequent workouts, but then allow full recovery on a periodic basis. This is typically how an Olympic lifter, sprinter, or someone else who is primarily interested in athletic performance will train.

Keep in mind that bodybuilding is less about performance, and more about hypertrophy, so opinions differ on the best approach.

Anyway, OP, IMO it's not a good approach to train the same muscles two days in a row. You do start the muscle building process in the gym, but it's the recovery period where the real growth occurs. More is not better, here. Better is better. If you feel you can easily train a muscle again the day after you've just trained it, then you probably didn't work hard enough yesterday.

The soonest most bodybuilding programs have you training the same muscle again is 48 hours later.

I know it's an old post but you seem to know what you're talking about so here's my question that I hope you could answer:
As you mentioned in your post, when someone is able to train the same muscle the day after its workout than it's likely the muscle wasn't properly pushed to its best potential. So I'm asking if this is the case (the muscle not being workout properly the day before) should I train and hit it a second time as remedy to the previous workout?

I trained my chest yesterday but feeling like I didn't hit it enough (bad workout I guess), so I'm wondering, do I have to train it again today?