Thread: hitting muscle groups once a week

I think you're mistaken trying to associate your new routine which you've experimented with for a mere 2 weeks as a reason for reduced strength. I can honestly tell you that I can be on the greatest program in the world and then stop it cold for two weeks and not do a thing and still be able to bench and squat and whatever else just as much as I was able to two weeks prior. 14 days is definately not enough time to loose significant/noticeable strength especially if you're still training. In fact, I've stopped programs for two weeks and came back able to execute more weight due to general body recovery. I think your problem may be associated with other things. Sometimes your body needs a bit of time to adapt to a new routine. Suddenly changing workout times can also temporarily affect your strength as your CNS finds a way to adapt to this change. Perpahs since you're now taking your muscles to failure on each session it may just "appear" that you're feeling weaker with the extra sets your body part is peforming each session. I've personally never liked a "one day a week per muscle" routine because I always found it easier to push my muscles where they need to be in two sessions rather than trying to kill it in one session with 25 sets. If you're training natural and this is your first year or two of training I would stick to a split routine where you hit each major muscle group twice weekly rather than once.

Originally Posted by CaptainNapalm

I think you're mistaken trying to associate your new routine which you've experimented with for a mere 2 weeks as a reason for reduced strength. I can honestly tell you that I can be on the greatest program in the world and then stop it cold for two weeks and not do a thing and still be able to bench and squat and whatever else just as much as I was able to two weeks prior. 14 days is definately not enough time to loose significant/noticeable strength especially if you're still training. In fact, I've stopped programs for two weeks and came back able to execute more weight due to general body recovery. I think your problem may be associated with other things. Sometimes your body needs a bit of time to adapt to a new routine. Suddenly changing workout times can also temporarily affect your strength as your CNS finds a way to adapt to this change. Perpahs since you're now taking your muscles to failure on each session it may just "appear" that you're feeling weaker with the extra sets your body part is peforming each session. I've personally never liked a "one day a week per muscle" routine because I always found it easier to push my muscles where they need to be in two sessions rather than trying to kill it in one session with 25 sets. If you're training natural and this is your first year or two of training I would stick to a split routine where you hit each major muscle group twice weekly rather than once.

thanks and true it could be because i changed to a new routine i use to do the antagonist way of lifting weights like back and chest and tris and bis, but now im doing once a week biceps and back, chest and tris and maybe because I changed the routine and am doing this once a week possibly explains why my bench felt weaker. And i have been lifting since i was 16 i just turned 20 in march, so you think i should do twice a week? but its hard to make a schedule that puts each body part twice or is it that you don't use high volume and thats what allows you to lift twice? as for me I admit I use high volume 10 excercises sometimes 11 doing 3 sets 10-12, hitting 2 muscle groups every other day.

Originally Posted by Fernando300

thanks and true it could be because i changed to a new routine i use to do the antagonist way of lifting weights like back and chest and tris and bis, but now im doing once a week biceps and back, chest and tris and maybe because I changed the routine and am doing this once a week possibly explains why my bench felt weaker. And i have been lifting since i was 16 i just turned 20 in march, so you think i should do twice a week? but its hard to make a schedule that puts each body part twice or is it that you don't use high volume and thats what allows you to lift twice? as for me I admit I use high volume 10 excercises sometimes 11 doing 3 sets 10-12, hitting 2 muscle groups every other day.

You can even put together a workout that targets each muscle group three times a week in as little 3 days a week with 4 rest days so twice a week per muscle group can be even easier done. Here is what worked really well for me:

Day 1: upper body (chest/back/tricep/bicep)
Day 2: off
Day 3: lower body/shoulders (legs/shoulders)
Day 4: off
Day 5: upper body (chest/back/tricep/bicep)
Day 6: off
Day 7: lower body/shoulders (legs/shoulders)
Day 8: off
and so on, and so on...

So with the above split you basically alternate between upper body and lower body with one day's rest in between. It's like working out 3 1/2 times a week. I always use compound exercises mostly with one or two isolation at most for a few sets.

Because you have a solid few years of lifting experience under your belt I would also recommend the following:

Day 1: upper body (chest/back/tricep/bicep) compound exercises only
Day 2: rest
Day 3: lower body (legs/shoulders) compound exercises only
Day 4: rest
Day 5: accessory work (here you do isolation exercises for whole body)
Day 6: rest
Day 7: rest

The above split works well if you want to keep getting stronger/bigger while giving you the opportunity to strengthen and improve specific areas on accesory day. On this day you can do isolation exercises for whatever you see fit on any part of the body, or the full body.

In my opinion, it's way too much to do 30 sets per muscle group in one workout. With that said, I like to break down these 30 sets you do in one day to two days. Doing them on separate days allows you to lift more cumulatively in one week.

Originally Posted by CaptainNapalm

You can even put together a workout that targets each muscle group three times a week in as little 3 days a week with 4 rest days so twice a week per muscle group can be even easier done. Here is what worked really well for me:

Day 1: upper body (chest/back/tricep/bicep)
Day 2: off
Day 3: lower body/shoulders (legs/shoulders)
Day 4: off
Day 5: upper body (chest/back/tricep/bicep)
Day 6: off
Day 7: lower body/shoulders (legs/shoulders)
Day 8: off
and so on, and so on...

So with the above split you basically alternate between upper body and lower body with one day's rest in between. It's like working out 3 1/2 times a week. I always use compound exercises mostly with one or two isolation at most for a few sets.

Because you have a solid few years of lifting experience under your belt I would also recommend the following:

Day 1: upper body (chest/back/tricep/bicep) compound exercises only
Day 2: rest
Day 3: lower body (legs/shoulders) compound exercises only
Day 4: rest
Day 5: accessory work (here you do isolation exercises for whole body)
Day 6: rest
Day 7: rest

The above split works well if you want to keep getting stronger/bigger while giving you the opportunity to strengthen and improve specific areas on accesory day. On this day you can do isolation exercises for whatever you see fit on any part of the body, or the full body.

In my opinion, it's way too much to do 30 sets per muscle group in one workout. With that said, I like to break down these 30 sets you do in one day to two days. Doing them on separate days allows you to lift more cumulatively in one week.

wow i really like the second routine you gave me I think im gonna do that one, thanks for the help appreciate it