How many days do YOU hit each muscle group?

Karmalife · 05-12-2009, 04:11 PM

Hi everyone!
I'm new here- just joined yesterday.

I'm not new to exercise though as I started working out when I was in high school (I'm almost 33) and have been an avid gym-goer for the last 14 years. My problem these days seems to be with the unlimited amounts of information that is available and how to make sense of it all. For every trainer or athlete who recommends doing things one way, someone else comes around and says the complete opposite. Personally, I believe we each need to find what is best for our individual bodies, since we all react to training differently.

One question I do have, though is about weight training frequency. I'll admit that I am not in the best shape of my life right now, probably due to diet more than anything (but I'm working on it). I have been following Hot Point Fitness which is a plan that got me in the best shape of my life six years ago.

The routines are split up so that every single muscle group is hit twice a week. An example:

Mon: Legs/Back/Biceps
Tue: Chest/Triceps/Shoulders
Wed: rest or just cardio
Thurs and Friday repeat mon/tuesday's workouts

More and more these days, I'm reading that it's good to train each part only ONCE a week and allow five days of rest in order for the muscles to repair.
Call me ignorant or just old fashioned but this just doesn't seem adequate! That is basically like saying you should only train your triceps 4 times a month!

Am I the only one that feels the need to hit each part twice a week? Does it just depend on your body type/shape and what you're trying to achieve?
How often do YOU all work your muscles out?

Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Karma

Trusylver · 05-13-2009, 12:24 AM

It depends on your goals as to the best way to set up your program. When i am not training for competition i would normally work each muscle 3 times a week but at the moment it is twice per week but with different intensity and method on each day.

Sunday is heavy bench day with emphasis on heavy chest and less on tricep and supporting muscles
Tuesday is Heavy squat day with focus on calves and hamstrings with lighter speed and power work for back
Thursday is again upper body but works on speed and power for chest and heavy emphasis on triceps and suporting muscles
Friday is heavy deadlift day with the emphasis on heavy back exercises and lighter speed work for legs.

Working each muscle only once a week is not optimal, it may work ok in someone new to weight training but is less effective in someone used to exercise.

stikfigure · 05-13-2009, 05:22 AM

good advice from Trusylver.
It's a bit of a personal thing that you have to figure out with trial and error - depends a lot on rate of recovery of your own tissues which depends on how you fuel yourself and what sort of true rest your body gets.

Different muscle groups require different amount of time to recover and so there are some schools of thought that structure workout routines around that fact too.

for my body it's safest to work flexors and corresponding extensors ending with extensors on the same day, so I like to do something like this:

week A: abs and low back / chest and upper back / shoulders
week B: legs / arms / forearms and calves

that's just me and that's just right now.

ladyjackd · 05-14-2009, 04:21 PM

i've heard that you are supposed to give each muscle group (excluding abs and calves) 72 hours rest after working them out, giving the muscle time to repair the damages tissue, but i agree, that does seem like too long. my opinion is work it out unless it's still hurting from the last workout. but giving at least 24 hours rest for each muscle group.