ExRx.net

I used to play a couple of sports (hockey, next higest division, and some more icesports, and soccer) but after a backinjury I have been away for more than a year. I'm almost fully recoverd but will never be able to do some of the old exercises I did with free weights. So I have put together a hopefully good scheme to follow, three days a week with 3 body parts each time. My goal is to get in shape and gain some muscles again. Is one time a week per muscle group enough?
Im 185 cm in height and weigh approx 95 kilo(think thats 200lbs), 29 years old, i used to bench 130-145 kilos(260-290), but now I only manage 90(180), its a long way back. I dont need to lift these weights agian since there probably will be no more sports.

I like once a week, but I am a big guy with a slow metabolism. It takes me longer to heal.

well i dont know how you define big, but I aint exactly small either.

i remember when I started lifting weights, then you should workout each muscle group 3 times a week., that worked to, at least I got bigger and stronger......but I know science has changed since that.

Science hasn't really changed a great deal. The poster is coming off a layoff, due to injury. I would recommend 2-3 X week, full body or upper/lower at most. They need to be more or less building from scratch. The once a week thing is for very advanced bodybuilders, that can in fact generate the intensity needed for a full weeks recuperation.
Tim

While I concede that training one area two or even three times a week can work well for some people, I disagree that training a muscle group once a week is only for very advanced individuals. Instead either strategy can work well for beggining, intermediate and advanced lifters. Which is best for you depends on how you train, what and how much you eat, how much sleep you get, your age, genetics, and many other factors like stress and how much excercise your getting outside the gym.

My advide is to try an number of different strategys and see which works best for you.

6'2 285 with 25.8%bf - not huge, just not small. I am basically getting at that I am a exxomorph (can't rememer if it is ecto or endo) - the fat one. I am not an advanced body builder (no one is going to mistake me for Ronnie Coleman), I just believe I need more time to heal because my metabolism is low. So I hammer a body part only once a week.

hmmm its really hard to know how well its working, it takes a month or so to see the bodymass change..if feel its a real wait of time if it doesnt work.

this is what i do now

monday= chest + tricep + stomach

wednesday= back + bicep +calves

friday=legs + shoulders + stomach

sunday=running in the forest

I do at least 3 different exercises on each muscle group, mostly 4. And 3 set x10.

I will put in one day of swimming also.(But later, want an easy start now for a couple of weeks.)

please comment.

Goal is to shape my muscles better(little bigger and less BF), be a little stronger and most of all FEEL GOOD!

How long does it take you to fully recover from a workout? If it takes more than 48 hours, than training your whole body three days a week probably isn't for you.

Also, keep in mind, not every split routine requires you to only train each muscle group once a week (although this is what I do). For example, you could try something like this:

Monday - chest, shoulders, arms
Tuesday - back, legs, calves
Wednesday -rest
Thursday - chest, shoulders, arms
Friday - back, legs, calves
Saturday - rest
Sunday - rest

On this type of program you train each muscle group twice a week instead of once or three times. Meanwhile, you can do cardio on days you don't lift.

Another advantage of this type of split is that you can varry your workouts. For example you can do front squats on Tuesdays and regular squats on Fridays.

I'm recoverd in approx 24h, +- some hours, depending om what muscle I train.

Like I said, now I only train each musclegroup once a week.

I could use your method but my friend says that he cant do more than 3 days week. SO I have to stick to 3 d/week.

I'm just worried that once a week is to little to gain som increase.

I've trained each muscle group only once a week since middle school with good results, but everyone is different.

Well, you said yourself you recover in 24 hours, so yes the remaining hours in the weak are spent doing nothing for growth and there is some truth to the addage "Use it or Lose it" so if you feel recovered, then it is probably time to work out the muscle again. A 24 hour recovery sounds like time for a 3 day per week full body workout. It need not be exactly the same but you should work most of the body on each day.

I'll seond Ryan's remarks, for two reasons. 1. Your just starting back up, and probably need the stimulation. 2. You mentioned sports, and training. When you playing sports, you don't use bodyparts, but rather complex movements involving several groups at once. You use it as one, so why not train the larger groups like that. Someone else mentioned using and focusing on the major moves, squat, pressing , rowing, etc Like Ryan said, it doesn't have to be one schedule 3X week, but can be varied. For example, on one day you can focus on Squat, BP, and Row, throw in 2-3 smaller moves, your choice, and in the next session focus in on DL, overhead presses (shoulder girdle) and chins/lat pulls, and pick 2-3 other smaller moves. Your imagination is the only limiting factor.
Tim

Thanks guys, I realize that there is no simple solution to this mather.

This is what I will do:

Stick to the current scheme.
On the "resting" days I will do training without weights, like pushup, situp, you know what I mean, there is several to choose from.

+ one day of running and one day of swiming.

3 days of weightlifting
2 days of training without weights.
2 days with swimming and running.
(swimming/running and training without weights could be on the same day).

Does that sound like a possible way to handle it?

Thanks
Daniel

Not sure it's such a good idea to do bodyweight excercises on your rest days. For example, if you bench press three days a week and do pushups twice a week that's five days a week training the same muscles. You might be better off doing more running or swimming, and including bodyweight excercises in your weight workouts. You could even do an all-bodyweight full-body workout one day a week, and two barbell/dumbbell/machine workouts.

Well, I have to disagree with Matt here. I think bodyweight is fine on an off day, just keep a lid on the volume. For example, pushups. It's much more of an endurance things, and I've found it really doesn't make inroads into recovery from benches. I do some form of them or P bar dips everyday. I consider it more of an "active rest" and a GPP thing.(general physical preparedness). Just my .02. Think your plan looks pretty solid.
Tim