Let's talk training frequency and performance: (A Rare Thread)
The reason volume (in terms of reps and sets per session) doesn't inherently equal growth is simple.
This is because LOAD or the amount of weight done over the weeks is what really matters.
I digress 👇👇👇
Training frequency matters for muscle growth even though some literature will say it doesn't.
They state 5–10 sets per week are suffice for growth and you can just do it all in one session and be done, growth has been optimized for the week.
There are major flaws here.
The reason being that if you perform all your sets of say, bench press, in one session, you will no doubt have to drop the weight after your first couple sets. Even if you keep the reps the same, the weight went down.
Thus less weekly load.
This is where the problem starts.
If you refer back to what is most important, load, then you will realize splitting this volume up between sessions is beneficial.
You will be able to perform more weight and quality reps if you do bench one day, wait a few days then do your incline bench the next session.
This is where frequency and intensity become your friend.
Instead of getting the quantity of work, you can get better quality of work.
Very simple and straightforward, but the literature points another direction and doesn't take this into account (flaws with some literature)
My suggestion here is if your goal is 10 sets per week of a certain muscle group, split that into 2 maybe even 3 workouts.
2-3 Sets per exercise, 2 exercise a session, 2 sessions a week.
This will allows for maximum weekly load and better performance thus more gains.
Any program or training philosophy is just a tool to achieve that goal result.
There is no 100% absolute answer, as it is simply a game of preference.
To caveat off this, there are more optimal approaches to specific goals.
Some will work better than others, this is simply a fact of biology and physiology.
But it is all nil if you cannot follow a program to achieve your desired results.
So for the IF crowd, the keto/carnivore crowd, and even the bodybuilding crowd:
Someone’s specific goals might not align with your philosophy and that’s just fine, at the end of the day all that matters is finding a lifestyle in-line with someone’s goals that they can adhere to.
This is a very popular subject I get asked about all the time.
I want to talk about this and break this down because there are right and wrong ways to do this.
If you’re going to do it, make sure you’re doing it optimal and safely.
Thread👇
First I’ll go over the pros and cons
Pros
- Lifting is done first thing.
- Gyms are less busy
- Start your day off strong
Cons
- Not properly hydrated
- A hard workout can mentally tax you (I’m worthless for a few hours after leg day)
- Fasted weight training is suboptimal
My biggest concern is hydration if you’re going to be lifting first thing in the morning.
Your muscles are comprised of mostly water, and you just went 6-8 hours without water (sleeping)
You need to ensure you have proper hydration for performance and safety reasons.
A really good question I’ve been getting is when getting started should you try to build muscle or lose fat. Here’s a little guideline on what to do for your specific situation.
Under 12-15% bodyfat build muscle, over 15% lose fat.
Here’s some variables that go into that 👇🏻
The recomp effect, building muscle and losing fat at the same time, is hard unless complete newbie, coming off long time away from gym, or anabolic assistance.
The most efficient way is to choose either a. Build Muscle, or b. Lose Fat and focus on that.
If you’re on the heavier side, as you get leaner you will then be able to put on mass without adding tons of fat to your frame. I suggest getting around 8–12% bodyfat then bulking slowly until your abs start to fade away. Then slowly diet down. Rinse & repeat until goal physique