Training 2 Days Per Week......

[Brink007]

I have used 3 day a week training for a long time, took a week off and have been pretty shaky with dedication lately due to other obligations. I probably averaged 2 days a week for the past 3 weeks..Example... last week I worked my full body hard on monday because i could not lift during the week...Friday I attacked it again and began my workout with dumbell bench... I picked up the 55s to warm up and they were really easy..I then used the 80s which were easy as well... I figured what the hell, and picked up the 110s... I proceeded to pump out 7 reps....I couldn't belive it... The best I ever did before was 100s for 8....It got me thinking...... I am normally very sore on my wednesday workouts (I am on a program where I pretty much do full body 3 days a week) and feel weak... It is only after I need to skip a workout and pick back up again where I feel strong as hell.. I realize I am getting up there for my bodyweight and slowing down with progression but, is working out 2 days per week, hammering your full body on both days a good idea? I feel it would leave you fully rested for every workout.... or is it just counterproductive? any of you have success with this????

[TheFatNinja]

I have used 3 day a week training for a long time, took a week off and have been pretty shaky with dedication lately due to other obligations. I probably averaged 2 days a week for the past 3 weeks..Example... last week I worked my full body hard on monday because i could not lift during the week...Friday I attacked it again and began my workout with dumbell bench... I picked up the 55s to warm up and they were really easy..I then used the 80s which were easy as well... I figured what the hell, and picked up the 110s... I proceeded to pump out 7 reps....I couldn't belive it... The best I ever did before was 100s for 8....It got me thinking...... I am normally very sore on my wednesday workouts (I am on a program where I pretty much do full body 3 days a week) and feel weak... It is only after I need to skip a workout and pick back up again where I feel strong as hell.. I realize I am getting up there for my bodyweight and slowing down with progression but, is working out 2 days per week, hammering your full body on both days a good idea? I feel it would leave you fully rested for every workout.... or is it just counterproductive? any of you have success with this????

I thought you were gonna quit lifting because it got too hard for you?

[Brink007]

that was over a year ago but good one....anyway...anyone want to provide a response that is worth a damn?

[TheFatNinja]

that was over a year ago but good one....anyway...anyone want to provide a response that is worth a damn?

I am 100% confident that your training completely sucks, just like it did a year ago. You can progress while lifting 2 days a week, but it is far from ideal.


http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post247930581

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=111900051

[JacobRothenberg]

i trained 2 days per week during my 1st quarter of grad school, and i made 0 progress in any of my lifts. dont be a telletubby, make time for your lifting.

[Fluster]

Wow. Nice to see your attitude as improved as much as your bench and punctuation in that time OP.

[Brink007]

It was a simple question... and I was out of lifting on account of an internship in New York....

[Fluster]

It was a simple question... and I was out of lifting on account of an internship in New York....

Oh I see, I'd heard that New York was basically a third world country with no facilities to speak of.

[SlapNutsPoonJab]

I have used 3 day a week training for a long time, took a week off and have been pretty shaky with dedication lately due to other obligations. I probably averaged 2 days a week for the past 3 weeks..Example... last week I worked my full body hard on monday because i could not lift during the week...Friday I attacked it again and began my workout with dumbell bench... I picked up the 55s to warm up and they were really easy..I then used the 80s which were easy as well... I figured what the hell, and picked up the 110s... I proceeded to pump out 7 reps....I couldn't belive it... The best I ever did before was 100s for 8....It got me thinking...... I am normally very sore on my wednesday workouts (I am on a program where I pretty much do full body 3 days a week) and feel weak... It is only after I need to skip a workout and pick back up again where I feel strong as hell.. I realize I am getting up there for my bodyweight and slowing down with progression but, is working out 2 days per week, hammering your full body on both days a good idea? I feel it would leave you fully rested for every workout.... or is it just counterproductive? any of you have success with this????

It sounds like your problem is over-training... when you first start out you can do full body workouts no problem. But eventually you'll get to the point where your pushing the workouts too hard, and your body cant recover fast enough for the workouts. Which is why alot of guys adopt 3-4 workouts a week, seperating the diffrent exersises over the week. For example I do chest/tri on Monday... take tuesday off... do Legs/abs on Wed's... take thursday off... and do bicep/shoulders/back on friday... and hike/run/swim ect... on the weekends for fun.

You need to take the time to recover from workouts or you'll never get anywhere. When you workout your tearing apart your muscles, and since they cant recover before your next workout your actually going to be weaker each time you work out. It's like taking 2 steps back and only 1 step forward so you'll never get ahead. But if you work out a muscle group then rest it again for 4-5 days you give them time to recover... and in doing so they will not only get back to where they were but your body will be able to overcompensate and make them larger and stronger for the next workout so its like taking 1 step back but 2 steps forward. Listen to your body... it's actually really smart. It will tell you how intense and how often you can workout.

It may seem dumb and like the complete opposite of what you think you should do... but when it comes to size/stenght gains rest/nutrition is actually more important than the acutally workout it's self!!!

[Brink007]

fluster i was working 80 hours a week.... go f yourself

[Fluster]

fluster i was working 80 hours a week.... go f yourself

You needed 12 hours sleep every night?

Priorities buttercup, priorities.

[koyongi]

You needed 12 hours sleep every night?

Priorities buttercup, priorities.

12 hours of sleep is very important.


I spent a while doing 2 days a week of strength training when I was in law school and playing rugby, I just did squats (and squat accessories) on Monday, bench (and accessories) on Wednesday, and deadlifted on Friday every few weeks when I didn't have a match on Saturday. I was doing 2 hours of practice on Tuesday and Thursday and playing on Saturday, too, though. I was coming back from square one, but managed to make at least a little progress...

[dbluegoat]

your overall health and exercise should be a priority no matter what....work will kill you, 80hrs a week is great but you must find time if its important. For an hour a day everything else in your life needs to wait....if you can't balance it now at 21 your never gonna handle it later in life with tons more responsibilities

your either dedicated or your not. choose one

[Brink007]

You needed 12 hours sleep every night?

Priorities buttercup, priorities.

You know it's funny how I thought you were stronger than me this whole time the way you talked ****....you are over 20 pounds heavier than me, almost 10 years older, and I still kill you in most lifts.....

[TrettinR]

You know it's funny how I thought you were stronger than me this whole time the way you talked ****....you are over 20 pounds heavier than me, almost 10 years older, and I still kill you in most lifts.....

Dude, you are so badass.

[Brink007]

Dude, you are so badass.

nuh uh man..YOU ARE!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for posting

[TrettinR]

nuh uh man..YOU ARE!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for posting

I post when people need to know how freakin' badass they are.

[endpoint]

If you have been doing a lot of volume and sessions, then training 2 times a week you will progress as you 'freshen up'.

Once you have become accustomed to the lower volume...then say good by to progressing

[Fluster]

You know it's funny how I thought you were stronger than me this whole time the way you talked ****....you are over 20 pounds heavier than me, almost 10 years older, and I still kill you in most lifts.....

Why would you think my lifts had anything to do with me talking crap to you?

For what it's worth though, you actually only have me beat on bench - I just can't seem to make it move after all these 15 years I've been lifting.

[Brink007]

I post when people need to know how freakin' badass they are.

no you post to belittle people and show off your little signature. I never claimed to be badass... But I will bow down to you along with everyone else who has seen your tremendous stats....hardass

[Brink007]

Why would you think my lifts had anything to do with me talking crap to you?

For what it's worth though, you actually only have me beat on bench - I just can't seem to make it move after all these 15 years I've been lifting.

because most people can back up their trash talk..... I don't know why I'm trying to help at this point but I bet I know what is wrong....you need to be doing all the assisted lifts centered around bench and do them heavy and often for a while....heavy skull crushers, heavy dumbell bench, heavy dips, heavy lat pulldowns, heavy dumbell rows, heavy chest flies. With my three day a week traning I followed the Waterbury method from T-nation and it has really helped me....My squat is still ****ty but my deadlift is close to 500 and bench is really close to 3 plates...

[Fluster]

because most people can back up their trash talk..... I don't know why I'm trying to help at this point but I bet I know what is wrong....you need to be doing all the assisted lifts centered around bench and do them heavy and often for a while....heavy skull crushers, heavy dumbell bench, heavy dips, heavy lat pulldowns, heavy dumbell rows, heavy chest flies. With my three day a week traning I followed the Waterbury method from T-nation and it has really helped me....My squat is still ****ty but my deadlift is close to 500 and bench is really close to 3 plates...

Thanks! I had no idea!

I certainly wish you'd been around to advise me 15 years ago - This is some of the best advice I've ever read on this forum!

[Brink007]

Thanks! I had no idea!

I certainly wish you'd been around to advise me 15 years ago - This is some of the best advice I've ever read on this forum!

man go F.u.c.k yourself...seriously I was just trying to help....most people don't do enough of the assisted lifts and do them heavy enough.. I seriously doubt you have any friends outside of this website

[Brink007]

I am 100% confident that your training completely sucks, just like it did a year ago. You can progress while lifting 2 days a week, but it is far from ideal

My training completely sucks??? 15 years and stats like that make you a pretty massive hypocrite, unless your body is powered by estrogen, in which case you are doing great!!!

[Assassin]

To the OP,

YES, you can still make serious gains over time training 2x per week. Read Wendler's training log on the Elite site, and see how it's working for him.

I'm about to start doing the same protocol, with a potential 3rd day each week for shrugs/curls/upright rows if I'm feeling it/have time.

There is nothing that says you have to train a minimum of 4 days/week to get stronger. Play with the 2x/week thing, tweak it, and make it work. I personally think the extra recovery would be very beneficial.

Squat and bench one week, deadlift and overhead press the next. Make sure you do enough assistance work, with a bit higher volume than normal.

Just my .02

-Ryan

[TheFatNinja]

My training completely sucks??? 15 years and stats like that make you a pretty massive hypocrite, unless your body is powered by estrogen, in which case you are doing great!!!

15 years? What?

Why does it not surprise me that a Waterbury disciple is so clueless?

I was just saying that given your OP and the other threads that I linked, it is safe to assume that you're pretty ignorant in regards to training. You can be insulted by that and tell me to **** off, or you can get your nose in some good books/articles and start figuring **** out.

If you aren't recovered in time for your second workout of the week, then you are doing too much in your first (i.e. your training sucks). The 15 year olds that I work with understand this after 5 months of lifting. It is ****ing simple. Train smarter, not harder.

Or just do the 2 days a week thing, while incorporating some more of Chad Waterbury's awesomeness, maybe your DB pressing abilities will skyrocket.

[Brink007]

15 years? What?


I was just saying that given your OP and the other threads that I linked, it is safe to assume that you're pretty clueless in regards to training. You can be insulted by that and tell me to **** off, or you can get your nose in some good books/articles and start figuring **** out.

If you aren't recovered in time for your second workout of the week, then you are doing too much in your first (i.e. your training sucks). The 15 year olds that I work with understand this after 5 months of lifting. It is ****ing simple. Train smarter, not harder.

Or just do the 2 days a week thing, maybe your DB pressing abilities will skyrocket.

I thought it was fluster who made that comment....it's still gay you brought back a thread I made over a year ago like a little gossiping girl... I understand how to train...I wouldn't have decent lifts if I was that clueless....I was just curious if anyone has tried it thats all...I'm totally fine with busting ass three days a week...By the way the waturbery method has worked great for me. That and Bill Starr's 5X5 is what I have used the most...with it I have gotten to benching over 170% of my bodyweight and DLing over 250%...not trying to brag but if I was clueless how would I do that?

[Fluster]

15 years? What?

I believe he's getting the two of us confused, he's referring to my 15 years of training experience powered entirely by oestrogen

I thought it was fluster who made that comment....it's still gay you brought back a thread I made over a year ago like a little gossiping girl... I understand how to train...I wouldn't have decent lifts if I was that clueless....I was just curious if anyone has tried it thats all...I'm totally fine with busting ass three days a week...By the way the waturbery method has worked great for me. That and Bill Starr's 5X5 is what I have used the most

And you really don't have decent lifts - The fact that they are even comparable to mine, makes them ridiculously weak.

[TheFatNinja]

it's still gay you brought back a thread I made over a year ago like a little gossiping girl...

if by 'gay' you mean 'awesome', then yeah...it was pretty gay of me.

I understand how to train...

if that was true, you wouldn't have made this thread, because you would already know the answer to your problems, as it is simple as ****.

I wouldn't have decent lifts if I was that clueless....

I hate to break it to you, but those numbers are nothing special at your age/weight, and it is entirely possible for someone to achieve them while training like a complete retard.

I was just curious if anyone has tried it thats all...

like I said in my first post, it could work, but it is far from ideal

I'm totally fine with busting ass three days a week

you missed the point, again

Chad Waterbury is a ***got.

[Brink007]

I believe he's getting the two of us confused, he's referring to my 15 years of training experience powered entirely by oestrogen




And you really don't have decent lifts - The fact that they are even comparable to mine, makes them ridiculously weak.

I forgot 175 pound 21 year olds benching 310 raw are a dime a dozen... I should be doing at least 405