If you're trying to build muscle but only have limited opportunity to train, you mayyou may find it difficult to break your training down into individual parts. If you have the ability to train, say, three times a week, it's probably not a good idea to stick to the classic split because the muscles won't be loaded enough and you won't make the maximum progress.
So how do we recommend to divide the parts? Is it a good idea to train the whole body? Find out in this episode of our Q&A series!
Whole body training is nonsense, right?
Although there are widely differing opinions on full-body training, if one hasyou can only work out three times a week, it seems ideal from my point of view. After all, muscle grows roughly 48 hours after a workout. It's worth digressing here and pointing out that muscle soreness is not actually related to muscle growth at all, so even if yous theoretically the muscles are no longer sore two days after training, practically the actin and myosin fibres are still being rebuilt, which is the essence of muscle growth.
If you can train your whole body effectively three times a week, the growth will be constant and the load on the muscles will be absolutely sufficient. On the other hand, however, it is important to take into account quality recovery, because if the training plan of the whole bodyIf you make the whole workout too demanding, you will have problems with recovery and muscle soreness will limit you in further training.
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A properly designed training plan is the absolute basis
So, how do we recommend you create a training plan? In my experience, it's a good idea to include all three of the following in every full-body workoutand basic exercises (i.e. squat, bench press and deadlift), but it is necessary to cycle through the selectedand to use different variations of the exercises - for example, instead of bench press, nofloor press, snatch deadlift instead of the classic deadlift, etc. I recommend to enrich these basic exercises with additional exercises, which will be isolated if possible and will target the growth of a specific muscle.
So what could a 3 times a week workout look like:
| Day | Hard | Moderate | Light |
| Monday |
Heavy benchpress (3-6 reps) Peck-deck French push-ups lying down |
Moderate squat (6-9 reps) Pre-kick Burying |
Light deadlift (10 reps) Overhead pulldown Biceps lift with one arm seated |
| Wednesday |
Heavy squat (3-6 reps) Legpress Romanian deadlift |
Moderate Deadlift (6-9 op.) Shrugs |
Light benchpress (10 op.) Triceps pulldown Standing forearm press |
| Friday |
Heavy Deadlifts (3-6 op.) Overhand axial overhand forearm pull-ups Biceps deadlift on scott bench |
Moderate bench press (6-9 op.) Push-ups on incline bench Shoulder presses |
Light squats (10 op.) One-arm lunges Front push-ups with barbell on back |
It's also worth adding that at the end of each workout it's a good idea to do at least one exercise to strengthen the middle of the body, for example a plank or a wheelbarrow roll. A strong midsection is a prerequisite for doing complex exercises and will also help avoid lower back pain.
Who is this training system suitable for?
The basic prerequisite for completing this training plan is complete mastery of the exercises from a technical point of view. If you have poor technique, it is definitely not an option to embark on a program where you will complete all the basic exercises in every workout. But in addition to proper technique, the aforementioned focus on proper recovery.
Of course, this is a rather demanding training system, so determineFor example, foam rolling, various forms of active regeneration, or regular dynamic stretching before training i static stretching after training.
After all, isn't it better to train more than once a week?
Probably all of you are looking at training three times a week wondered if it might be better to train more than once a week. While the answer is not entirely clear, it probably is for more advanced exercisers. If you have the ability to workout multiple times a week and your body is able to recover without problemsyou can definitely benefit from training, for example, five times a week. However, even if you can't exercise more than three times a week, you don't have to despair.
Just consider how many training programs come out of training three times a week - whether it's a training plan that we mentioned in this article, or for example such a Korte, which is extremely popular and functional at the same time.
Well that's it for this article from us, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask in the comments! We will be happy to answer you.
More articles from the "Questions and Answers" series:
- Ketogenic diet and its effect on strength? - Q&A #1
- Is soy protein a good choice?
- To exercise despite muscle soreness or not? - Questions and Answers #3
- Best training plan for working out 3 times a week? - Q&A #4 (this article)
- How long should a gym workout last? - Questions and Answers #5
- How to promote veining? - Questions and Answers #6
Why can you trust us?
Hey! Hey! I'm Mirek and I've been working at World Fitness almost since the beginning, except for a small break. But before that I lived only in the gym for a few years, doing deadlifts and power triathlon, going to competitions and winning a few medals.
Probably the one I value the most is the national record in the WUAP federation. But besides working out, I was also interested in food and supplements, I liked to enjoy my free timeI used to read different researches and professional books in my free time to know as much as possible.