How many times a week do you train?

[MisterT]

If you are 30+ years old, do you find working out 1-2 times a week more effective versus 3 times a week? I am thinking of working out Tuesdays and Thursdays (full body routine) so that my body will have time in between to recupe better. HST was great, but I am thinking of doing a twice a week routine using basic movements to build up more mass. I did once a week and got results, but think maybe I will do twice a week for better results. Although the routine I plan on doing is pretty basic and could do 3 times a week when I was in my teens, I am thinking that I would be better off doing twice a week now that I am in my 30s.

[trnurbdy48]

Oh dear, here's that age thing again. I'm 48 and train hard three days per week. I have clients that are in their 60's and do the same. It's not about age, it's about what you do in the gym and your general physical condition.

[Dutchman]

Mister T, advice from this 60 something is, Age, get used to it, accept it, then forget it, walk away from it and never look back! Its just a head game that is often used as an excuse. There is so much you can do, surpassing your first 30 years efforts, to improve your health, conditioning and strength that you have to look at the age number not as a limit on what is possible but as progress along a maturity scale that frees you up to do your best, become your best! I know lots of strong, healthy, and happy lifters in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who work out real hard 3 and 4 times a week. Read up around here and put together a sensible, progressive plan to be the best Mister T you've ever known. Viel Glueck!!!!

[BIONIC MAN]

Originally posted by MisterT
If you are 30+ years old, do you find working out 1-2 times a week more effective versus 3 times a week? I am thinking of working out Tuesdays and Thursdays (full body routine) so that my body will have time in between to recupe better. HST was great, but I am thinking of doing a twice a week routine using basic movements to build up more mass. I did once a week and got results, but think maybe I will do twice a week for better results. Although the routine I plan on doing is pretty basic and could do 3 times a week when I was in my teens, I am thinking that I would be better off doing twice a week now that I am in my 30s.

listen mister give it a go , if you have a physical job 2 days a week might be your best bet. if you push a pencil well 3 days a week would be required.

[Minotaur]

I just turned 47 and I do 3-4 days per week... legs; chest; back; shoulders and arms. Occasionally I collapse that to 3 days... legs; push (chest, shoulders, tris); pull (back, bis).

I go as hard as I can, but I realize that I do have limitations and it takes me a little longer to recover than it used to. I also get burned out easier. I'm experiencing a little burnout these days. It happens.

I think 3-4 days for an over 40 is doable. If you're just over 30, I'd say you could do a lot more.

Originally posted by MisterT
I am thinking of working out Tuesdays and Thursdays (full body routine) so that my body will have time in between to recupe better.

If I were going to do that routine, I'd make it Mon/Thu or Tues/Fri, or Wed Sat, etc. I would allow 72-96 hours between to allow recovery, especially if the workouts are taxing.

[Charger]

I'll be 42 soon and I go 4 days a week. Was doing a upper/lower body split 5 days a week
You have to limit the time you spend in the gym, no more than 60 min per workpout, 45 is better. Get plenty of rest and lots of good food.

[Romac]

I am 35 in a few months and i'm working out 6 days per week with 40 minutes of cardio 7 days per week, but i'm on an insane cut right now.

I have a bulk scheduled that i will start in 3 weeks or so and i'll be on a 4 day split but may work out 5 days per week: 2 on 1 off 2on 1 off etc. depending on results i may reduce this to 4 days per week and take 2 days in a row off.

[BIONIC MAN]

Originally posted by Romac
I am 35 in a few months and i'm working out 6 days per week with 40 minutes of cardio 7 days per week, but i'm on an insane cut right now.

I have a bulk scheduled that i will start in 3 weeks or so and i'll be on a 4 day split but may work out 5 days per week: 2 on 1 off 2on 1 off etc. depending on results i may reduce this to 4 days per week and take 2 days in a row off.

wait a minute your a house husband you can handle more workouts than the rest of us.

[ironlung]

2x a week works best for me. I have made extremely good gains in the past doing one abbreviated full body routine once a week.

Don't get caught up in the hype of all this you must train a muscle 2x a week or you will atrophy nonsense. I found by accident that the further I cut back my workouts the more I gained.

[SUPERHULK]

My work routine is really an 8 day routine.

Day 1 - Arms - (biceps, triceps, forearms), about 1 1/2 hrs.

Day 2 - Legs - (quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves), about 1 1/2 hrs.

Day 3 - Workout on punching bag - 1 hour.

Day 4 - Chest, Neck & Shoulders, about 1 1/2 hrs.

Day 5 - Abs, Lats, Traps & Back, about 1 1/2 hrs.

Day 6 - Work out on punching bag - 1 hour.

Day 7 - Rest. (although I do use an electronic ab belt to stimulate my arms, legs & abs this day at 10 minutes per muscle).

Day 8 - I do a total body split for about 1 1/2 hrs.

After this I start over. I usually move my rest day so that it falls on one of my days off from work (Saturday or Sunday). The length of my weight lifting workouts vary from 1 hour (if I really pour it on) to 1 1/2 hrs. (if I lift at a nice steady slower pace), I change the pace every couple of weeks.

I'm 5 10" tall and on JANUARY 1st 2004 I weighed 206 lbs. and could barely squeeze into a size 38 jeans (really needed a 40). I went on an extreme fasting diet starting Jan. 5th and exactly 2 months later (March 5th) I weighed in at 157 lbs. and was wearing a size 33 jeans. That same day (March 5th) I started lifting weights and working out. It's been almost 6 months of lifting and training and as of right now I weigh 167 lbs. (gained 10 lbs of muscle) and wear a size 33 to 34 jeans. I've never been in this great of shape and never felt better. I've still got a ways to go before i get where I want to be, but i'm well on my way.

[Romac]

Originally posted by BIONIC MAN
wait a minute your a house husband you can handle more workouts than the rest of us.

true...true...

my wife said "show me some abs bitch or hit the ****ing street!"

not only am i a trophy husband, I go to sleep every night at 9pm which gives me a minimum of 9 hours of sleep per night. I don't know how people see any gains when they go to bed at 1 or 2 in the morning.

[kmax]

I'm 47 and do a two day split twice a week. 4 days a week
total, around 550 reps per week and each workout is not longer than 1 hour. Lately, I've been thinking that less is better, like Ironlung said. Maybe I'll try a two day split done twice in 8 days
like monday,wed,fri,mon.
Superhulk, how old are you? that routine would bury me.

[Rocket]

I train 5 days a week. One body part every 7 days

Rocket

[supadave]

3 Days a week, abbreviated

[SUPERHULK]

I just turned 38, but I feel like I'm 28. Most people who guess my age think I'm in my early 30's. But I think I look around 33. When I first started I lifted 7 days a week 2 hrs plus every night.

[Eye2]

42 here and train 4 days a week. Mon, Tue, Thur, and Fri. About an hour each weight training day.

[BIONIC MAN]

Originally posted by Romac
true...true...

my wife said "show me some abs bitch or hit the ****ing street!"

not only am i a trophy husband, I go to sleep every night at 9pm which gives me a minimum of 9 hours of sleep per night. I don't know how people see any gains when they go to bed at 1 or 2 in the morning.

my wife will not let me go to sleep until 1or2, and thats after work all day and then the gym but im bionic.

[Romac]

Originally posted by BIONIC MAN
my wife will not let me go to sleep until 1or2, and thats after work all day and then the gym but im bionic.

I get up almost everyday by 6am, which gives me 9 hours per day, but since we usually talk about our lifting workload by the week it makes sense to tally up the sleep too.

If you go to bed at 1:30 and get up at 7am, that totals 5.5 hours per night and 38.5 hours per week, whereas I get 63 hours per week. That's about 64% more sleep so i should conceivably be able to handle a 64% greater workload. So if you workout 4 days per week, i should be able to workout 6.5 times per week.

Why all the math? Well i'm just making a point about how each person can handle a vastly different workload depending on how much sleep they get per week. Add this to the differences in physical activity or stress in the workplace and the difference could be HUGE.

Someone getting 38.5 hours of sleep per week, with a slightly physical, and stressful job might be overtraining at 4 sessions per week whereas some guy like me that gets 63 hours of sleep per week, and spends his days listening to lounge music, tanning by the pool while my 15 month old fixes me dry martinis might be undertraining even though he works out 7 days per week.

[olddude]

I am 33 and have been training for 6 months. Mostly for strength

I have a 3 day routine that I do 3 on, one day rest and repeat, so it works out to about 6 times per week.

Day 1: Back/Bi
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Chest/Tri/Shoulders
Day 4: Rest

I am 6'4", 225 lbs, around 15-20% BF I think. Put on 25 lbs in the past 6 months.

I get tired sometimes, but I think that is mainly from my wife/3 kids

[Steelhand]

I have just switched from 3 days/wk to 4 days/wk. I am noticably sorer, but I think it will pass with adjustment. I find, more frequent workouts maintain my concentration better, especially about my food intake. It just keeps my program in the front of my mind. If I worked out twice a week, I would tend to forget my goals. Too much else going on!

[carbkilla]

Great thread. I'm 47 and lift when ever I feel like I should which is usually twice a week. I have over trained and under trained more than once and have learned to "listen to my body".

If I lift once in a week it's a total body workout, if it's twice then chest and back and sometimes I add a third day if I need to suppliment my cardio cross training with a leg routine. Alot depends on the weather and what else is going on that week.

I have a rather unstructured life and work out schedual. This means I have to be sensitive to what my body can and can't do on a daily and weekly basis and keep it all organized in my head.

I do alot of cross training and have alot of fun so, life is good which is what fittness is all about IMHO.

I would say make a workout schedual that includes everything you need to do for the goals you have but, don't get hung up on sticking to it like a machine. Then you can make adjustments depending on the way you feel from week to week.

Hope that helps,
CK

[DanMc]

3 days a week I have tried 4 times and even once a week. I gained a lot out of once a week but 3 days seems to be doing quite well for me.

[ironman1966]

Originally posted by DanMc
3 days a week I have tried 4 times and even once a week. I gained a lot out of once a week but 3 days seems to be doing quite well for me.

are you doing a fullbody routine or a split routine ?

[cowboyathlete]

Originally posted by trnurbdy48
Oh dear, here's that age thing again. I'm 48 and train hard three days per week. I have clients that are in their 60's and do the same. It's not about age, it's about what you do in the gym and your general physical condition.

Agreed. I turn 43 in a week. Because I love mountain biking about as much as weightlifting, I work chest, arms, and back on Wednesdays, legs on Fridays, then one easy set of everything on Mondays. I go cycling on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I take Thursdays off completely to rest (also because my Wednesday workout is a killer). Because of consistent training, supplements, nutrition, etc., I can honestly say I am in the best shape of my life.

[cowboyathlete]

Originally posted by Minotaur


I go as hard as I can, but I realize that I do have limitations and it takes me a little longer to recover than it used to. I also get burned out easier. I'm experiencing a little burnout these days. It happens.

Therapeutic Mineral Ice is my best friend. LOL

[Bad_Vibes]

I've found over the years the heavier I'm able to lift the longer I need to rest. Seams like every week is different. I stopped scheduling certain days a while ago. I will go into the week thinking ok Mon I'll do this, Wed that, and Fri a little of that. But if squats and deads have me barley walking thurs and Fri after the wed. workout I won't work out again till Sat. Then may push Mon. to Tues and so on.

[Variax]

4 , just turned 50.
Posted my routine in "Post your Workout Program" thread.
I still hit it hard and get injuries sometimes, but this routine allows me more recover time for the aches & pains.

[RubenC]

I'm 44 here and will be turning 45 next month, I do a 3 day routine right now because of my work schedule. Previously I was doing a 4 day split.

[Macattack]

Originally posted by Charger
I'll be 42 soon and I go 4 days a week. Was doing a upper/lower body split 5 days a week
You have to limit the time you spend in the gym, no more than 60 min per workpout, 45 is better. Get plenty of rest and lots of good food.

Yeah what charger said, hey you wanna be my workout buddy? LOL

[Charger]

Originally posted by Macattack
hey you wanna be my workout buddy? LOL

Anytime Mac, You can show me how to do over 300 on inclines.