A little background...I'm a martial artist currently training for MMA. I've been doing Muay Thai for 5 years, Kung Fu for 3 years, and started also grappling a year ago. I've also been working out for 11 or 12 years, with weight lifting, running, and a couple other martial arts here and there.
And I have NEVER EVER been able to push my body or exert myself more than 3 or 4 days a week. When I try adding a 5th or 6th day of training OF ANY KIND to what I'm doing...I burn out.
Currently, this is my routine in a nutshell...
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday...
11:30-1: Lift for a half hour and run for about a 30-45 minutes. I vary my routine in the weightroom, using the info I got from my CSCS. And recently, I've been trying to vary the amount of time I run a little bit.
6-10: Muay Thai for 2 hours (pad work, sparring, bag work), review my kung fu forms for about a half hour, and then grappling for an hour or so (some free-rolling, some drilling.
And on Sundays, after my hard Saturday, I just do a light jog for 20-35 minutes, hit the bag for a half hour, review my kung fu forms again, and do some grappling drills. But NO sparring, pad work, free-rolling, or anything realluy intense like that. And MAYBE, MAYBE sometimes, I might do a SUPERlight jog on Wednesdays, but even that tiny bit extra work on a 5th day tends to tax me a bit and throws off my rythm.
Before you say anything about overtraining on my hard days, check this out...When I first started Muay Thai, I had been exercising for about 6 years already. But I went into Muay Thai JUST doing Muay Thai for an hour or so (all I did was take the class, which would be a few rounds of jump rope, a few rounds of pad work, a few rounds of sparring, and some bag work). I threw out all the other stuff I was doing at the time (lifting, running, other arts). And STILL, STILL I was only able to exert myself for just that hour FOUR times per week. If I pushed myself for more than 2 days in a row, I would BURN OUT from just that hour or so of Muay Thai training only.
That is why, over the years, I have always been able to build up my body to train harder and longer, but ONLY 3-4 days out of the week. I swear, I can workout twice a day for HOURS each session 3-4 days per week....but I can't even train for one hard hour if it's going to be 5-7 days a week.
My question is for all those athletes who train 6-7 days a week, some even twice a day....HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO IT? I vary my routine so I don't get burnt out, I get 8-9 hours of sleep, I eat every 2-3 hours, with 50-60% carbs, 30%fat, 20%protein, all healthy food....Why is it that I burn out when I try to do what you guys do? Am I just working out harder than others? Are my genetics different?
Oh yeah, and work has nothing to do with it either. I've gone through many periods where I've been going to school, not going to school, working, not working...and STILL, my body is always the same. Right now, I'm not working (just looking for a job), and all I can do is those hard Tues,Thu,sat, and easy sundays.
|
-
01-22-2009, 05:03 PM #1
How the **** does anybody train hard 6-7 days per week?
Last edited by ThaiFighter_83; 01-22-2009 at 05:11 PM.
email: thaifighter83@yahoo.com
nickname: ThaiFighter83
-
01-22-2009, 06:04 PM #2
- Join Date: May 2005
- Location: Hopkins, Minnesota, United States
- Posts: 3,329
- Rep Power: 0
I just got Caffeine pills just in case i'm a little down on energy but my scheduale is
Mon-Fri
4AM: Muscle Milk
Pre Workout warm up (50 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 body squats 30 pull ups goes up ever 2-3 weeks)
5AM: 1 hour run
6AM: Breakfeast (try and get this to be the biggest meal, gives you lasting energy and fullness through out the day)
730AM: start of work, I have 2 protein shakes inbetween now and lunch and lunch and my pre workout shake, I also have 2 xtends.
5PM: Muscle Milk
6PM: W/O (UPPER/LOWER splits rest on wed but I either do some class or swim on wed)
730PM: Cool down W/O with push ups, sit ups and pull ups and stretching
8PM: Sleep
Sat and Sun
Wake up when ever my hangover is done with
Push ups, sit ups and pull ups
1 hour run
1 hours swim
1 hour stretching (this is when you want your really good songs playing or a real nice girl w/ yeah lol)
Push ups sit ups and pulls ups again
the swimming and stretching on sat and sunday really help me get rejuvenated, even my swim on wed. helps a tremendous amount.... also Xtend/ water the more you work, the more you need water. and how much sleep you get? may want to add or lessen your amount
So Cliffs
Swim and stretch more.
Try Xtend and deff. more water, even if you think you have enough.
Try switching up your sleeping hours to see whats better.
-
01-22-2009, 06:25 PM #3
-
01-22-2009, 07:21 PM #4
- Join Date: Oct 2008
- Location: South Carolina, United States
- Age: 31
- Posts: 1,958
- Rep Power: 0
Dedication, Diet, and Determination, in that order
As the above guys said, sleep is just as important as diet
Caffeine pills can help, but don't start relying on them
and take in a good amount of waterI rep U.S. Marines on sight.
9/26 - 165lb, 245 bench, 345 squat, 430 deadlift ,205 powerclean, 4.75 40, Must haz moar speedz and x-plosion :(
5'6" and completly flat-footed with almost 0% arch
Rugby right now...hopefully can be a runningback next year for football
Everyone wants to fight until they get punched in the mouth
Negged because I refused to nuthug a cocky f*ggot
-
-
01-22-2009, 08:10 PM #5
-
01-22-2009, 10:30 PM #6
- Join Date: Sep 2008
- Location: Texas, United States
- Age: 37
- Posts: 607
- Rep Power: 348
I'm gonna join the chorus and say being able to go 4 or so days a week HARD is as much as you could ask for anyone. Most people that I know that are "in the gym" 6-7 days a week, aren't necessarily going balls to the wall.
Take a metaphorical by-the-bodyparts weightlifting schedule. Seven days a week. Your legs and back could generally be considered the TOUGHEST days in your week. They're the largest and most taxing muscle groups. Contrast that with, say, arms and/or shoulders. Yeah you're working hard to get 'em good, but (Disclaimer: writer's opinion coming) in relation to legs and back work it feels like a damn off-day compared to the big bodyparts you're moving on those other days. Even so, you're still in the gym that 6th day.
After reading your description of a good week, I'm having trouble coming up with a better schedule to follow. Push it hard on your hard working days, and on off days keep with the small jogs and form work.
But before I let any more verbal diarrhea leak out. What is it exactly that you're working for? Are you not getting the results you want? Is there some sort of image thing you're looking for in being able to say, "Yeah, I train six days a week."
IN MY OPINION you've reached great point in your training in that you know damn near EXACTLY how far you can push yourself... and (maybe more important) what it takes for you to recover. Just how green do you want the grass to be?
-
01-23-2009, 06:21 AM #7
Have you ever tried a major reset followed by a good periodization plan? In other words take time off (~2 weeks) then come back and build up to 6 day-a-weeks for 3-4 weeks then back off, take a week at 50% volume (maintaining intensity) then go back on to 6 day-a-weeks for 3-4 weeks.
Just as an example: 2 extensive days/2 intensive days/2 recovery days as part of the above scheduling still does it for me. I can only imagine how you would benefit from it at your age. Those that I know who work 6 times a week are smart with their planning and build in recovery strategies to enable them to carry on.
That being said, there is the genetic elite thing to consider. World class athletes work at an amazingly intense level but again are coached by people who "plan" their intensities to avoid burn out and injury.
Give smart planning a whirl and see what happens. Don't work for works sake.
[EDIT]Also remember that you are advanced and can't do the same old, same old as those who are beginners or even intermediates. I can still burn out in 2 weeks if I'm not careful with my planning.[/EDIT]Last edited by tonester; 01-23-2009 at 06:46 AM.
"Adapt and overcome."
"Everything you need is inside you."
-
01-23-2009, 08:06 AM #8
Your body can't output high intensity exercise even close to 6-7 days per week. You can hit the CNS hard about 2-3 times per week max. Everything else should be at a lower intensity for recovery purposes. For instance, if a olympic track athlete runs a personal record in the 100m... they will probably be f*cked for a week and during that time frame they should not do any high intensity work.
-
-
01-23-2009, 08:29 AM #9
- Join Date: Oct 2008
- Location: South Carolina, United States
- Age: 31
- Posts: 1,958
- Rep Power: 0
And my above post, lol I personally don't workout 6-7 days a week.
Bust ass for 5, keep strict diet in-check, then i consider it a success if i can remember my weekendI rep U.S. Marines on sight.
9/26 - 165lb, 245 bench, 345 squat, 430 deadlift ,205 powerclean, 4.75 40, Must haz moar speedz and x-plosion :(
5'6" and completly flat-footed with almost 0% arch
Rugby right now...hopefully can be a runningback next year for football
Everyone wants to fight until they get punched in the mouth
Negged because I refused to nuthug a cocky f*ggot
-
01-23-2009, 08:45 AM #10
My best tips are Diet, and ALOT ALOT ALOT of stretching and rest... I lift 5 days a week, and incorporate plyos, and running on my 2 days off from lifting... I'm sore as hell the day or so before I have to lift that body part again (upper or lower body), but get in alot of healthy fats, and stretch 3 times a day you should be good to go
Last edited by TwoFour; 01-23-2009 at 08:52 AM.
-
01-23-2009, 08:49 AM #11
Yeah my son does it that way to......5 days a week and 2 days mixed in for rest/other activities......
But when he is in the gym he is really getting after it.....he gets all kids of compliments from the regular bodybiulder/powerlifter types on his intensity. he is starting to get a lot of the younger guys (freshmen, sophmores) coming to him for advice now and gives it freely when he is taking a breather....
-
01-23-2009, 02:10 PM #12
-
-
03-06-2009, 02:09 AM #13
double days you feel deader than dead.
you do get used to going that hard(to a point) but every workout isnt balls to the wall. a smart coach will optimize the training cycle so you wont burn out...of course its different for every athlete.
and many do burn out, thus is the life in competetive swimming...Do you think they'res a bunch of muscle fibers that are lazy watching TV and eating Doritos and say "nah I'm not going unless good ol' CNS lights itself on fire from overload, then I'll help out." -Khryz :D
-
03-06-2009, 03:12 AM #14
-
03-06-2009, 12:24 PM #15
your routine looks good. i dont see how anybody can train 7 days a week lol unless they have a day for biceps, triceps, chest, back, shoulders, legs, abs then maybe but usually you do more than ust 1 muscle group a workout haha
"Giving your best is more important than being the best."
I train as an athlete, not a bodybuilder.
REPS for SUBS.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=125690683
-
03-06-2009, 12:37 PM #16
-
-
10-05-2009, 09:02 PM #17
Training 6 times per week is simple.
[QUOTE=ThaiFighter_83;277786391] My question is for all those athletes who train 6-7 days a week, some even twice a day....HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO IT? I vary my routine so I don't get burnt out, I get 8-9 hours of sleep, I eat every 2-3 hours, with 50-60% carbs, 30%fat, 20%protein, all healthy food....Why is it that I burn out when I try to do what you guys do? Am I just working out harder than others? Are my genetics different?
I wouldn't blame genetics. I've been training 6 days per week twice a day for a long time. I just recently started it back up more intense than before. If you get burned out it means you aren't resting enough or intaking enough nutrients. I have hard training every single day. None are easy. I'm doing the "Insanity" workout coupled with "P90X" and water polo practices 2 days per week. On the 7th day I felt so rested I wanted to hit some cardio for an hour or so, but I ended up taking the day off.
There are two schools of thought on overtraining. There is the school that says you should cut back on training. I do not subscribe to that thinking. I follow the theory that if I feel like I am overtraining, I am not getting enough calories, nutrients, "rest", stretching, or something else is deficient in my routine.
First I would look at the calories. When I ate "healthy" I burned out because I wasn't getting enough calories. Healthy is all and good, but you will have to intake more healthy foods to get sufficient energy. Now that I've reverted back to healthy mixed with some fatty/greasy type foods, I've had much more energy for workouts.
If I ever feel like I am getting close to burning out I take Animal Pak (12 pill multivitamin), eat more food, take cold showers or Hot+Cold showers to promote recovery, take naps through the day, and sit in the sauna.
Training twice a day six days per week has given me INSANE results, and I haven't had to cut back on training to do it. My body has adapted to training once per day to the point where it recovers after about 6 hours and I feel ready to go again.
-
10-06-2009, 10:23 AM #18
- Join Date: Nov 2006
- Location: Colorado, United States
- Age: 36
- Posts: 2,125
- Rep Power: 331
People recover differently just like different routines work better for some than others. I prefer to have major cardio sessions on opposite days of lifting but still do sport work on both types of days. A lot of it is mental however. Everybody has those days when they are really tired but if you can push through it adds to your mental toughness. Obviously there is a difference between being tired and overtrianing ... if I feel like I'm overtraining I will take a day off or maybe cut back a little on the training session but if you are able to get in there and train you are getting better.
=============================================
My Training Log:
new log soon!
=============================================
-
10-06-2009, 10:30 AM #19
-
10-06-2009, 12:26 PM #20
First, if they say they are training hard 6-7 days a week they are lying. Second, they would be over training and third, they would only be hurting their progress.
Lifting weights 6 days a week fine, but actually working out (i.e. a balanced program of weights, cardio, cross training etc.) requires rest to progress.
-
-
10-07-2009, 03:30 PM #21
I disagree with SocratesTX. I work out 6 days per week, twice a day, and I get amazing results in terms of physique and performance. Olympic water polo players train upwards of 3 hours per day, reaching 7 sometimes. The conventional knowledge about training is softened; if you look around you will find a few elite people training much harder than 5 times a week, or "only" once per day. Personally, just looking around at people in the gym, I do not know anyone else who trains twice per day and everyone approaches me asking what my routine is because my physique has taken on a much different appearance than the average person and they are curious of the routine. Training twice per day will net you the best results youve ever had if you do it right. Refer to my above post for my technique of doing it. And another key is getting 12 hours rest between workouts. My first workout is usually at 6:30 am or 7 am, i then go back at 6 or 7 PM. Today I'm actually going three times, (morning was a crossfit "recovery workout", afternoon was about 30 mins of cardio, PM is back and biceps with another 30-45 min of cardio).
If you do two a days, you wont have to worry about those pesky "diets" either . I eat philly steak at night and still wake up leaner. You have to be sure to be getting enough calories otherwise you will burn out quick.
To all those looking to train twice a day, try it for yourself and if you do it right, you'll see that it works. For anyone willing to drop 200 bucks, i recommend insanity in the morning for AM cardio and P90x at night for true resistance training. Anyone who researches those will see that they give insane results by themselves, but combining them is even better. Anyone serious about getting in shape, for sports or otherwise, would benefit from trying that combo out. I am doing it and the results are incredible. No protein shakes either (just some animal pak and occasionally animal nitro)Last edited by NIUPOLO09; 10-07-2009 at 03:38 PM. Reason: Add info.
-
10-07-2009, 05:27 PM #22
-
10-07-2009, 06:09 PM #23
I think we need to make a distinction between sports when it comes to frequency of training. I used to swim at quite an elite level when I was a teenager. At that time I would train between 8-12 sessions a day for 1.5 to 2 hours each. I could deal with this, although less would of probably been a bit more beneficial.
Muay Thai is an incredibly intense, and taxing sport. It has a huge cardiovascular component, not to mention the wear and tear your body goes through as a result of sparring and getting hit. I couldn't imagine training hard at it 6 to 7 times a week. Your body needs recovery time. I struggle to do more than two consecuative days of muay thai training, just due to soreness and fatigue. personally, I think your training routine looks pretty damn intense as is, and your days off aren't really days off coz your still exercising and gaining general fitness.
Ok, I'm opening myself up to criticism here, but I don't think you can compare lifting weights for bodybuilding to high intensity sports such as muay thai. After doing body building style workouts for 5 years, doing a weight session feels like a picnic compared to the workout I get from muay thai.
-
10-07-2009, 07:31 PM #24
Get post workout supps. They work, I wasnt sore after a workout until a couple weeks after I went off of them. I would do leg extensions, Abduction/Adduction, Leg curls, Calvf press, Squats, and leg press then do eliptical for 15 minutes on leg day. 6 sets of each.
Drink BCAA's during your workout, to keep your body from draining its energy stores and nutrients.
Of course, take creatine.
-
-
10-07-2009, 10:14 PM #25
First, Jaws22, I agree, supps are a big help.
Second, Psytaco, I agree, standard bodybuild routines are not as mentally taxing as high intensity activity. This is because they lack the metabolic aspect that high intensity training has, because in sports there are very few 1-2 minute breaks, and they only come after around 5 minutes of more of activity. But this is a digression.
The main point, as you said, is that elite athletes do definitely train 6 days per week, and sometimes more than once per day. They also have elite trainers and the best nutrition, which is necessary, because there is an art to high intensity training. Just keep at the nutrition, Inter-workout recovery techniques like ice and cold showers, or sauna, and stretching. You will get the hang of it. Learn to split workouts into 2-a-days (Chest morning, Tri's Shoulders at night/ Cardio AM, Chest Shoulders Tri's at night...There are nastier splits like Back Bis Morning, Chest or Legs at night, for truly insane results). The gains are worth it. You will burn so much fat a diet will be pointless, and you will pack on a $$$$load of muscle.
But to be fair, I will say that there is a possibility that athletes training for particular events may not benefit from multiple sessions, like powerlifters. If you arent training to be a bodybuilder or power lifter, im not sure that one a days are the apex of your potential training.
In sum, one workout a day is good enough. 2 is taking it to the next level. I would guess that One-A-Days could be better for putting on size because your body will not burn as much fat, but I know that when I trained previously, I put on PLENTY of size doing 2 a days, while burning lots of fat.
Try it out for yourself and see what works for you.Last edited by NIUPOLO09; 10-07-2009 at 10:19 PM. Reason: add info
-
10-08-2009, 12:51 AM #26
By my estimate you are doing 17 hours per week of training already. I train my athletes 6-7 days a week but they are only doing about 15 hours total.
As I told someone else just a couple of days ago you need to consider the three training variables- Volume, intensity and frequency. In particular for you you need to consider volume and frequency. You are aking why you can't increase the frequency and the answer is because the volume of training you do per session is very high.
If you are so inclined you could take the 17 hours you already do and spread it over 6 or 7 days or you ca keep it compressed into 3 or 4 days. If you try to do more days without changing the ammount of work you are doing then you are probably going to be talking 20-25 hours per week. You will need to quit your job and spend another ten hours per week on recovery time and sleeping more.
-
10-08-2009, 09:13 AM #27
-
10-08-2009, 11:01 AM #28
My assumption was right, those who say they train hard have their own definition. When I think training hard, I'm talking 8-10 mile run in the morning. 1.5-2 hours of weight training and then 1-2 miles of a swim or 30-60 miles of cycling all in the same day. You can't keep this up for 6-7 days a week without over training.
If you're just doing 3-5 miles and something like P90X (or other bodyweight exercises) then yes, you can adapt your body to absorb this everyday, it's not that much work. Or even swimming, if you can swim technically, there isn't a lot of effort involved unless you're racing, training sessions rarely get me winded, but they are a great low HR level workout option.
-
-
10-08-2009, 06:46 PM #29
- Join Date: Nov 2006
- Location: Colorado, United States
- Age: 36
- Posts: 2,125
- Rep Power: 331
Your not suppose to lift for 2 hours anytime .... but yes that workout would lead to overtraining ... but that also sounds like a workout of a very lean person. I don't know of anybody who would do that or even want to ... to quote my good buddy from the tv show east bound and down --- "I play real sports, not trying to be the best at exercising."
=============================================
My Training Log:
new log soon!
=============================================
-
10-11-2009, 01:48 PM #30
Interesting
Interesting, I have never heard of such an extreme training routine. What you have posted as a "hard" day is almost identical to a Half-Ironman, except it also adds in 2 hours of weight lifting, so its arguably harder than a Half-Ironman.
Socrates TX, have you ever actually done one of these Half-Ironman plus weights days before? How does it affect body composition? It seems like it would be around 5 hours of cardio and 2 hours of resistance training.
DISCLAIMER:: I don't advocate a 2 hour weight training sessionLast edited by NIUPOLO09; 10-11-2009 at 05:41 PM.
Bookmarks