Working Out Less Often?

[SpeculatorSam]

Tryna male this short. Recently picked up a labor job, and was more or less hitting limit sets on all my lifts. I deliaded all training weights by 10% but I'm starting to notice the fatigue kicking in. First time in a year I didn't wanna do my leg workout, front squats but still, starting to skip exercises, reps are slower than normal.

My current split is more or less Madcow 5x5 but applied to an Upper/Lower 6x/wk thing. A medium intensity high volume day for upper and lower, a lower intensity higher volume day, and a high intensity low volume day for each upper and lower. Workout AABBCC if that makes more sense.

My question is should I follow the same pattern but just 4 days a week, or follow something like Fierce 5 Up/Lw 4 day a wek plan? If it helps I suppose it might help to add that I was madly in love with a few women at work at my last job, and constantly seeing them mightve made passionate exercise happen more often. Know that I'm at a labor job and away from those women I'm not as emotionally driven anyhow.

Thanks for reading

[Silencespeaks]

Four days a week is great, that’s what I do. Lift two days and then take one or two days off. Either complete rest or swimming on off days.

Awesome schedule with plenty of recovery time to avoid injuries etc. I used to train five to six days but four works much better for me.

[SpeculatorSam]

All Silencespeaks trolling aside most legitimately strong lifters outside of those completely obsessed with lifting/bodybuilding, which I was at one point too, will do full body 3x a week or something like an upper/lower 4 day a week plan. I remember Ed Coan talked about his training spkit in an interview once. Bench day, Shoulders Day, Squat day, and Deadlift day. He didnt nothing on his days off but he hammered the competition lifts and the accessories. Did like 3rep limit sets on barbell rows too.

[TAWS6]

My question is should I follow the same pattern but just 4 days a week, or follow something like Fierce 5 Up/Lw 4 day a wek plan?
Thanks for reading

I really see no reason to be in the gym more than 4 days per week. If you look at all the successful natural lifters over the years they all used some type of 3-4 day full body or upper/lower split. No reason to deviate from those two methods in my opinion.

[health4life24]

I've worked high intense labor job (tree climber) and lifted 6 days a week and was perfectly fine. I trained early in the morning before I went to work when I was fresh. Body adjusts to it.

I don't think there is any right or wrong number of days to lift. It depends on what you enjoy. If you enjoy being in the gym more, than go to the gym more. If it's just something you do to stay in shape or whatever, then do what you feel is right. But some people workout more often because of the psychological effect it has on them. For some people it's like therapy. So they keep it a part of their daily routine to help themselves stay in the right mindset and feel good. And you absolutely can get great results as a natural lifter training 5-6 days a week. Again, do whatever you enjoy and what feels right. That's my opinion.

[SpeculatorSam]

@TAWS9 partialy the reason I'm considering it. Either way regardless of the split I choose I'm taking these next few days off and will resume traing next Friday. I might do the 4day a week plan or just follow up with health4life24 and just do the thing I was already doing.

@health4life24 plenty of natty lifters that do an effective 5-6 days split, me included. I'm just not sure at this point because of the fact I was skipping exercises all together so for now I'll take a few days away from my garage gym and resume on Friday. Regardless of split I choose, cumulative fatigue is something that all athletes and serious trainees must manage at some point. Also I was kinda getting annoyed with having to sleep 10-12 hours a day in order to manage the training volume. That might work now as a 22yo with no real responsibilities outside of going to work and helping my parent s pay the rent, but eventually I'm gonna be a Dad and/or an independent person and I can't just spend damn near every day training and sleeping either.

[health4life24]

@TAWS9 partialy the reason I'm considering it. Either way regardless of the split I choose I'm taking these next few days off and will resume traing next Friday. I might do the 4day a week plan or just follow up with health4life24 and just do the thing I was already doing.

@health4life24 plenty of natty lifters that do an effective 5-6 days split, me included. I'm just not sure at this point because of the fact I was skipping exercises all together so for now I'll take a few days away from my garage gym and resume on Friday. Regardless of split I choose, cumulative fatigue is something that all athletes and serious trainees must manage at some point. Also I was kinda getting annoyed with having to sleep 10-12 hours a day in order to manage the training volume. That might work now as a 22yo with no real responsibilities outside of going to work and helping my parent s pay the rent, but eventually I'm gonna be a Dad and/or an independent person and I can't just spend damn near every day training and sleeping either.

Not sure why you needed that much sleep, unless you were just really getting burnt out? I was getting by between 6-8 hrs but too each their own.

It depends on experience too. Like for me I’m used to high volume training and high frequency so it wasn’t too hard for me to balance a job that is extremely physical (climbing and cutting trees, hauling wood and branches etc.) and still having effective workouts because my body adapted. Not to say there weren’t some days I may not be feeling it but I just persevere through. But I also would train early morning when I’m fresh. I still do.

When you do more you also need to eat more obviously.

[BigTallandLost]

I really see no reason to be in the gym more than 4 days per week. If you look at all the successful natural lifters over the years they all used some type of 3-4 day full body or upper/lower split. No reason to deviate from those two methods in my opinion.

What does your 4 day schedule look like?

[Silencespeaks]

What does your 4 day schedule look like?

Mine is:

Quads and calves
Back and bi
Rest 1-2 days

Glutes and hammies
Chest/shoulders/tri
Rest 1-2 days

Plus swimming several days a week.

[BigTallandLost]

Mine is:

Quads and calves
Back and bi
Rest 1-2 days

Glutes and hammies
Chest/shoulders/tri
Rest 1-2 days

Plus swimming several days a week.

So you are just doing parts once a week?

[Muzzlrpress]

I just ran madcow the way it was laid out. Worked well for me. If you want to lift that many days per week, why run madcow?

[Silencespeaks]

So you are just doing parts once a week?

Yup

[TAWS6]

What does your 4 day schedule look like?

Monday upper
Tuesday lower
Thursday upper
Friday lower