3 or 5?

[upsidedownside7]

I usually work out 5 times a week but still have problems adding bulk. I've added about 4-5 pounds in 6 weeks. I read on skinnyguy.net that working out three times a week is all you need. I'm still going to continue with the calories and protein and compound exercises but will 3 days give better results? Maybe I'm overtraining with 5.

This is my program and it's off of skinnyguy.net

Wednesday (legs, abs)
Heavy Squats, leg extension superset
(I added deadlifts)
Seated Calve Raises, 4 strips sets
Crunches (4 sets of 20)

Friday (chest, shoulder, triceps, abs)
Flat bench press, incline dumbbell flyes superset
Shoulder press, side raises superset
Tricep pushdowns
Reverse incline leg raises (3 sets of 20)

Sunday (back, biceps, abs)
Wide grip pull-ups, latbar pulldown superset
EZ bar bicep curl, incline dumbbell curls superset
Crunches (4 sets of 20)

 

[Lifeforce]

Try it out and see what you think. Mostly the primary reason the bulk is slow is because you eat wrong, if you do your compounds and still doesn't add mass then you should check your diet. I can recommend 3 times a week, it's just enough training for one week.

 

[il_duce]

Make sure you drink a lot of water, at least a gallon a day. Ever since I started doing this, my gains have been a lot better. My diet is pretty much the same, I can't explain it, but it seems to be working for me.

 

[Nightwing]

Originally posted by upsidedownside7
I read on skinnyguy.net that working out three times a week is all you need.


That's true.

 

[AgonyUncle]

That is absolute garbage

There are so many factors that come into play when it comes to bodybuilding. a 3 day split might work well for one person, but limit anothers growth. Everyone is an individual.

Ronnie Coleman trains twice a day! If thats not considered overtraining, then I dont know what is. 290lbs ripped at olympia. Granted he has enough juice coursing through his veins to make an elephant fall over, but its evidence leaning in the other direction.

The easist way to determine whats best for you is to try different approaches.

Take the following into consideration:

Genetics - Which one are you?

Endomorph: Wide shoulders and hips. Put on fat easily, but have the ability to retain muscle mass. Athlete Type: Prop in Rugby
EctoMorph: Skinny guys with no muscle or fat. Also called hard gainers - Athelete type: marathon runner
Mesomorph:Lose and gain fat easily. Wide shoulders, retain muscle easily, slim waist, barrel chests. Athelete type: Sprinter

You need to determine which genetic type matches yours, and adjust your diet and routine accoringly

Endomorphs need a mixture of cardio and weight training with a reduced calorie intake. 3 day weights, 5 days cardio. 50% of food from lean protein.

Ectomorphs need higher calorie intake than maintence. 4-5 days, one bodypart at a time on the weights. 60% of diet from low GI carbs.

Mesomorph can use variations of both depending on goals. Mesomorph for men is the hourglass for women. Everyone wished they had one.

Simply put, muscle grows when muscle is ripped to pieces everytime you push weights. Protein synthesis repairs muscle, which grows as a result to the damage you have caused it. Your muscle fibers increase, meaning you can lift more than before. So you overload your muscles again, causing more repair work to be required

Muscle growth slows when cortisol levels rise. Cortisol is a chemical the body releases in times of stress. Train for more than an hour straight, and cortisol levels skyrocket. Do your cardio on an empty stomach in the morning, and cortisol levels skyrocket. Dont take in enough carbs during the day to support gylcocegen replacement, cortisol skyrockets.

CORTISOL FORCES THE BODIES METABOLISM TO USE MUSCLE AS YOUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF FUEL.

This is why people believe you should not train more than 3 days a week. Next time you are in the gym, speak toa few of the larger chaps there, and ask them if they are training 3 days a week. Unless they are maintaining, I bet you most are doing 4-5 days a week. Schedule your program so each bodypart gets 2 days to recover. Its not going to be counter productive.

My program

Moday: Chest and calves

4 x Bench Press
4 x Incline Dumbell Press
3 x Pullovers
3 x Dips
3 x cable crossovers
4 x seated calf raises
4 x standing calf raises

Tuesday: Back and Abs

3 x Chins
6 x Deadlifts
3 x Barbell Rows
3 x Cable Pulley Rows
3 x Close grip pulldows
8 x various abs exercises

Wednesday: Legs

5 x Squats
5 x Leg Presses
3 x Leg Extensions
5 x Leg Curls

Thursday: Shoulders and Calves

4 x Shoulder Press
4 x Clean and Jerk
4 x Side raises
4 x Rear Delts
6 x Shrugs

Friday: Arms and Abs

6 x Barbell Curls
3 x Hammer Curls
3 x Preacher curls
4x Close grip bench press
4 x triceps push dows
2 x reverse grip pull downs
3 x kickbacks
8 x Abs

Saturday and Sunday OFF. Obviously vary your workout and change it once every 6-8 weeks. No one likes routine.

If you keep your training session under 60 mins, you are not going to raise cortisol levels.

Now like I said, everyone is different, and everyone has different aims. But dont believe that anything more than 3 days a week is counter productive. It depends on what you are trying to achieve, the intentisty of your training and your diet. 80% of this game is diet. Bodybuilding is a 24 hour job. Not a 3 hour a week pass time.

 

[Lifeforce]

No one has said that anything more than 3 times a week is counter productive, we all have said that 3 times a week is enough for growth. It's pretty simple, if you don't grow, change it around until it does.

 

[AgonyUncle]

Again, enough for growth if you are blessed with good genes.

Ectomorphs, AKA, Skinny guys, AKA hardgainers have to put more in to gain mass. They are not naturally conditioned for muscle gain. They are not going to see much gain on a 3 day program.

A mesmorph on the other hand, could be quite a skinny chap and put on decent mass with a 3 day program. Because he is naturally conditioned to do so.

The major foucs of my post was not just on training time, but on training time based on your natural phsyique.

Overtraining is all the rage at the moment. Have a bad week at the gym, you are overtrained. Your girlfriend has put on a few pounds, and you cant get it up, you are overtrained. Got a few things on the go at work and cant sleep for a few days? You must be overtrained!

Under training has a bigger impact than over training. Unless you are spending 6 days a week in the gym, 90 mins a day, and eating only 2000 calories a day, the chances that you are overtraining are slim.

Just follow a few basic guidlines.

1) Keep weight training to under 1 hour
2) Get in some protein with high GI carbs post workout
3) Dont starve your body of carbs during the day
4) Get your protein in
5) get 8-9 hours quality sleep
6) Rest days are for rest. Body and mind. Use them well by doing as little as possible.

That simple.

Upsidedownside7 -

4-5 pounds in 6 weeks is good progress. Thats almost a pound of muscle a week dude. Keep up the good work

 

[Lifeforce]

I'm an ectomorph, and I've grown pretty fast using 3-day split and so has most people here on this board who use a 3-day split and none i've talked to have had superior genetics.

I go by feeling, that's what people should do once they get some time under their belt. If you feel stiff in your muscles and they don't have the same vigor as usual, then you need more rest. In my opinion resting alittle more is better than resting too little.

 

[Double]

4pounds per week are good gains!! 2times lifting per week>>>>>ALL!!

 

[harwell]

Originally posted by AgonyUncle
Ectomorphs, AKA, Skinny guys, AKA hardgainers have to put more in to gain mass. They are not naturally conditioned for muscle gain. They are not going to see much gain on a 3 day program.

You be surprised at how much muscle a skinny guy can put on with only 3 days a week...

 

[Alpine]

Whatever routine you do, over any number of days, there will be a point when you just stop growing unless you are cycling intensity.

If you start day 1 max weight and every session go to failure and never stop, then you will find you will stop gaining.

So whether 3 or 5 days it depends also on intensity, volume etc.

For instance you could train 5 times a week easy on a strength routine working 60-80% of 1 rep max. However this too will fail within a month or two unless you build in some form of cycling.

Cycling means planned reductions in intensity ( usually poundage)
For instance you might plan to gain for 6 sessions, then reduce the poundage to 5lbs above your previous starting point. You carry on from there and do the same agian after 6 sessions.

The benefit of cycling is that you can extend the period you grow without stalling. Over a year this would be more than someone who just trains max all the time, stalls, creates a new 'wonder' routine and starts over.

 

[upsidedownside7]

Thanks for all the advice everyone,

I've done just the 3x workout this week and I do think that is enough. I gained 2.5 pounds that week. I've been eating like crazy this entire time but I guess the days of rest helped. One month left...