Advice for twice weekly workout

[Curtis611]

Hi guys been on the workouts for about 3 years now. Initially used to do push, pull, legs 6 days a week.

Recently had to adapt to doing just 2 sessions a week and have been doing 2 full body workouts. Including Squats, bench press, pulldowns and then some accessory work. I am finding these workouts extremely hard due to the big lifts in one sesh.

Looking to change to doing an upper/lower split but this would mean only doing each once per week.

Would I be better off doing the upper lower split just twice a week with additional effort applied to each area. Or continue with my full body? From a hypertrophy perspective.

Thanks in advance

[TAWS6]

Full body twice per week heavy/light style. Do one day where you focus on progressive over load and one volume day. This can work very well despite so many people thinking they need to lift nearly everyday.

[EliKoehn]

^^ I think that's a great idea

Compounds and ample recovery FTW.

You might still become a stimulus addict and think you need to lift every day, anyway though. (<-- guilty :P )

[paulinkansas]

You can maintain with a FB workout every 7-10 days. I had an injury that involved a swimming pool ladder failure, head/back/leg injuries, tequila, and me on the ground with a blue tooth speaker broadcasting WLUP from Chicago by my head. I didn't get any stronger for 3 months. I didn't get any weaker either.

[BeginnerGainz]

Just do an upper lower.

I have my wife doing that currently because she can only work out on weekends and has made some crazy strength gains, especially in her lower body.

The current upper set up is flat or incline press variation > lateral raise variation > lat exercise > upper back exercise > triceps > biceps

The current lower set up is adductor machine > standing calf raises > leg extensions > seated leg curls > leg press > back extensions

Everything gets a top set to failure (except leg presses and back extensions) and then a back off set, also to failure, with as much weight as possible while still maintaining perfect form, ina rep range between 6-20 reps (depending on the body part being targeted)

Or….

If your exercise selection is limited by your equipment you could do a squat, horizontal press and horizontal pull one day and then on the other day you do do a deadlift variation, incline or overhead press and a vertical pull. Throw in 2-3 upper isos and 1-2 lower isos and voilà.

In general…

I’m not a fan of heavy light set ups. I’m included PHAT and PHUL in that as well.

[PissChugger]

2 Full body workouts is probably better. Assuming your program looks something like this you shouldn't have any problems. It helps to do the squats/deads after the upper body work.
Taws6 makes a good suggestion in doing a heavier day and a volume day. In the first week Workout A would be heavy and workout B volume, the next week it would be reversed.
Workout A:
Bench
Back exercise
Squat
accessories

Workout B:
Overhead Press
Back exercise
Deadlift
accessories

[joewattie]

IMO you have a great idea; If you can only do twice a week then Full Body makes a lot of sense. (That's what I do.)

But if the killer lifts are killing you then don't do them every session. For me low rep heavy squats are killers so I don't do them every session. I rotate them from session to session with maybe ten rep lighter weight squats, or maybe some of the various leg machines or even deadlifts.

And I don't do all killers for all body parts on the same day. Maybe a killer leg day, a killer chest/back day, a killer arm day.

I'm not saying it well but Full Body doesn't have to be the same thing every session. You can vary reps, tonnage, focus, etc. from session to session.

[MyEgoProblem]

Im with T! A heavy day and a light day.

Even if its 2 days on the bounce. Heavy won't effect the volume day right after much if at all.

Either that or a fully concurrent setup with
Day 1 - squat pattern & bench & row/chin
Day 2 - Hinge pattern & alt bench & row/chin

Done with heavy top sets/single and volume work

Then add 10-15 mins of "fun free time" to do whatever iso stuff you like.

[air2fakie]

I don't think it's going to make much of a difference if you have a good balance of exercises, intensity & volume. There'll of course be more "optimal" setups but I think the optimization will be minor, as most deficiencies will be due to being limited to 2 days.

If you like the idea of an UL do it & see how it goes. Other good suggestions above as well.