Body parts 2X/week

lala1

Cathlete
Cathe, in your recent blog post, you quoted some studies that show that it is more advantageous working each body part 2-3x/week. However, your most recent workouts (and some older ones) have us working each body part once a week. I do 3x cardio, 3x strength (2 day different UP, and one LB)/week, pretty much following the prescribed rotations with STS, RWH, Xtrain, etc. Should we really try to do more?
 
I mostly like doing all upper body 2 days a week and lower body 2 days a week. Once in a while, I'll do a few weeks of split upper body, so each is only worked once, but then I go back to full upper body ones. I would like to know Cathe's and others thoughts on this too.

Are you referring specifically to split training? With splits, where I'm spending 40-70 minutes on only 1-3 body parts, I'd be unlikely to train those parts more than two times a week each. The volume of reps would be awfully high if I was to train every body part three times a week, if doing splits However, with a total-body workout program (Cathe's circuit workouts, Muscle Max, stuff like that), some people can handle doing those three times a week. It took me awhile, but eventually I worked up to handling a total-body workout (60 minutes or so) three times a week just fine, with cardio three times a week on other days. (I almost always do cardio three times a week, no matter what other training I'm involved in.) I think it took about six months to build up enough strength and endurance for me to train total-body three times a week consistently without experiencing any signs of overtraining.

I personally don't stick with one particular training model myself. My body gets used to set workout schedules or splits too quickly. I switch it up based on listening to my body and going by the overall results I'm getting, not rotating according any particular timeframe. I may train lighter weight/higher rep/total-body three times for a month, then do Gym Styles or Pure Strength for a month each, as an example. At times I will work smaller groups - abs, adductors, abductors - more than three times a week. I've done floorwork for the legs/glutes/hips daily before with fantastic results and no overtraining problems. The Glute Guy, Bret Contreras, has clients that work glutes with several different exercises 7x a week all the time without problems. (Although I will say that these clients are clearly not beginners, and all appear at least to be physically very fit...far more than I am, LOL.) I'm guessing that the training volume each person could handle depends upon genetics, as well as current fitness level. Personally, I cannot train abs/core more than 3x a week without experiencing some serious neck and back pain. I hope I may eventually get strong enough to train core more often, but I'm not worried about it.

On a side note, I was once so ridiculous about believing I needed floorwork for the legs every day or I would just never trim down my lower body. Getting results from a split training my lower body only twice a week seemed absurd to me, LOL. I was so scared of weight-training with heavy weights (i.e., more than 20 lb. dumbbells) and lower reps. I always stuck with total-body workouts as well, because I was terrified split-style workouts would bulk me up. It must have been my child of the 80's, "women like me need aerobics class-with-leg lifts-style training" thinking. I am a big girl to begin with, but heavier weight-training didn't end up bulking me up! If anything, doing splits fired up my metabolism and allowed me to eat more without gaining weight. With me, that's major. Had I dropped that erroneous thinking about split training creating bulk, I would have seen far more results both visually and in strength gains much earlier in my training life. It wasn't until I began training heavy that I started to lose my perpetually flabby look, unfortunately an inherited trait for me. I wish I'd started splits years before I did! Both splits and total-body, metabolic training have their place, and I believe that's true for all body types. Just my humble opinion, though...:)
 
This has been my rotation lately....lower body, upper body, cardio, lower body, upper body, cardio, rest day. The upper body workouts are sometimes splits but tough ones like Gym Styles or RWH. The lower body workouts have been all barre lately and those workouts have some upper body work also so even when I do the split workouts, I feel like my upper body is getting enough work for the week.

Years ago when I started exercising, I also did the alternating days of total body and cardio. I wouldn't even consider buying a DVD if it didn't fall into one of those categories! My Cathe obsession got me into splits and what a difference it has made in my strength and endurance.
 
On a side note, I was once so ridiculous about believing I needed floorwork for the legs every day or I would just never trim down my lower body. Getting results from a split training my lower body only twice a week seemed absurd to me, LOL. I was so scared of weight-training with heavy weights (i.e., more than 20 lb. dumbbells) and lower reps

:D:D:D

LOL I love the way you just say it. Harsh way to pass on a message some DO NOT want to hear!
Well, It has got to be said.:D
It makes two of us Liz:(
 
Are you referring specifically to split training? With splits, where I'm spending 40-70 minutes on only 1-3 body parts, I'd be unlikely to train those parts more than two times a week each. The volume of reps would be awfully high if I was to train every body part three times a week, if doing splits However, with a total-body workout program (Cathe's circuit workouts, Muscle Max, stuff like that), some people can handle doing those three times a week. It took me awhile, but eventually I worked up to handling a total-body workout (60 minutes or so) three times a week just fine, with cardio three times a week on other days. (I almost always do cardio three times a week, no matter what other training I'm involved in.) I think it took about six months to build up enough strength and endurance for me to train total-body three times a week consistently without experiencing any signs of overtraining.

I personally don't stick with one particular training model myself. My body gets used to set workout schedules or splits too quickly. I switch it up based on listening to my body and going by the overall results I'm getting, not rotating according any particular timeframe. I may train lighter weight/higher rep/total-body three times for a month, then do Gym Styles or Pure Strength for a month each, as an example. At times I will work smaller groups - abs, adductors, abductors - more than three times a week. I've done floorwork for the legs/glutes/hips daily before with fantastic results and no overtraining problems. The Glute Guy, Bret Contreras, has clients that work glutes with several different exercises 7x a week all the time without problems. (Although I will say that these clients are clearly not beginners, and all appear at least to be physically very fit...far more than I am, LOL.) I'm guessing that the training volume each person could handle depends upon genetics, as well as current fitness level. Personally, I cannot train abs/core more than 3x a week without experiencing some serious neck and back pain. I hope I may eventually get strong enough to train core more often, but I'm not worried about it.

I agree with what Liz has quoted above. Each person respond differently to various type of training.

In fact I relate to Liz and we do have similar attitude and approch towards training;)

I started total body training when I discovered cathe .3x per week power hour or muscle max plus various cardio and circuit.
my cardio consisted of circuit such as Body max, imax 2, cardio and weights and other non weighted boring cardio.
3x power hour and Muscle max consistently can feel brutal to some. Everyone in my opiinion should be honest with herself/himself.
There is no way to effectively working such rotation without being mentally strong and focused. I have just realised now that after
being off this type of rotation. I am re-building up to do it again. It just feels different to the body. It need re-adapting back.
While I was in this rotation i was working out consistently, still do, 6 days per week with one day completely off.
IMHO, it 's all about going all out to the point of being happy when it end. That is my way of not feeling guilty
to not add anything else later on the night while I should be enjoying being social or just go to sleep early to
recover and re-hit muscle hard the day after.:)
 
Last edited:
I agree with all you said! I too see a difference in body fat and my skin tightness while using heavy weights doing spilt training. I would love to get in weight to be able to hit all muscles two times a week. I want to see a rotation like that! With the cardio on different days


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok, Renee, here's your three day split.

Monday - Back and Biceps
Tuesday - Legs and triceps
Wednesday - Chest and shoulders
Thursday - Rest or short Hiit
Friday - Back and Biceps
Saturday - Legs and triceps
Sunday - chest and shoulders
Monday - Rest or short Hiit

Just keep rotating three days on, one day off, through the weeks. You can do your cardio after lifting, or do it on your days off from lifting. This is a bodybuilding schedule, and one I used to get in competition shape.
Switch it up every six weeks. It's a lot of lifting, but it will get you in kick butt shape. Just posting as a suggestion. Be careful, it can burn you out.
 
The closer the competition gets, the more cardio you do. I don't know if this is still the game plan, but back then,we started lifting very heavy, wanted to pack as much muscle as possible. Then you start cutting up, with a serious diet, and cardio. You were going to lose some muscle, that's why you pack it on early.
 
Last edited:
Ok, Renee, here's your three day split.

Monday - Back and Biceps
Tuesday - Legs and triceps
Wednesday - Chest and shoulders
Thursday - Rest or short Hiit
Friday - Back and Biceps
Saturday - Legs and triceps
Sunday - chest and shoulders
Monday - Rest or short Hiit

Just keep rotating three days on, one day off, through the weeks. You can do your cardio after lifting, or do it on your days off from lifting. This is a bodybuilding schedule, and one I used to get in competition shape.
Switch it up every six weeks. It's a lot of lifting, but it will get you in kick butt shape. Just posting as a suggestion. Be careful, it can burn you out.
Karen, I'm interested in your thoughts on isolation exercises for small muscle groups. I've heard some say that, unless you're a figure competitor, you need far less of them than you think. (I'm guessing this is because figure competitors need to have their muscles as balanced as possible -- and their muscles are so visible!)
Of course, you can get in great shape with just the big movements, no question. But interested to hear how you've used isolation exercises for various goals over the years.
 
I think when trying to put on muscle, big compound exercises with heavy weight are the best. If you are competing, especially bikini or figure, bring in the isolation exercises along with more cardio to define the muscles, and make them pop, to bring out the bicep, and a nice quad sweep, nice calves, great defined shoulders. That stuff. Basically chest press to build, then bring in the flies for definition. Squats for building legs and butt, then bring in some cable or band work, to define. Hope this makes sense.
 
Last edited:
I think when trying to put on muscle, big compound exercises with heavy weight are the best. If you are competing, especially bikini or figure, bring in the isolation exercises along with more cardio to define the muscles, and make them pop, and to bring out the bicep, and a nice quad sweep, nice calves, great defined shoulders. That stuff. Basically chest press to build, then bring in the flies for definition. Squats for building legs and butt, then bring in some cable or band work, to define. Hope this makes sense.

Karen, you're not a personal trainer because why???? Seriously, I'd love to train with you. You know your stuff, woman! Time for a career change. Those engineers can get along just fine without you. ;)

Lisa
 
Lisa, you're so kind. I was a personal trainer a few years ago. I got busy, and let my certification lapse. I keep thinking about it, but then I think nobody wants to train with an "older lady." But I did love it. In Seattle I was a gym member at a place where the busiest personal trainer was an older lady, a little overweight, but she knew her stuff, and people were not intimidated by her, because she didn't look like an actress. She used to put them through the paces. Lots of balance work, like squats on the bosu, she was great.
 
Last edited:
I think when trying to put on muscle, big compound exercises with heavy weight are the best. If you are competing, especially bikini or figure, bring in the isolation exercises along with more cardio to define the muscles, and make them pop, and to bring out the bicep, and a nice quad sweep, nice calves, great defined shoulders. That stuff. Basically chest press to build, then bring in the flies for definition. Squats for building legs and butt, then bring in some cable or band work, to define. Hope this makes sense.
Totally makes sense -- thanks, Karen!

Re: personal training, I'd definitely rather train with someone with many years of experience in the field than some twenty-something who's tweeting between my sets. I'd want someone who's seen a zillion deadlifts and can give me very specific feedback, not just 'drive through your heels'.
Or just let them see your killer squat -- as they say, worth a thousand words. :)
 
I have absolutely NO certifications in fitness or Kinesiology etc. nor do I know anything about fitness competitions, but just from own personal experience, working the smaller muscle groups weekly (strengthening and releasing) has helped me with muscle imbalances. (I have skeletal scoliosis with results in muscle imbalances in the oddest of places sometimes) lol.
Serratus posterior inferior is one example.
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top