Is Once a Week Enough......

F

fitat40

Member
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-23-02 AT 09:55AM (Est)[/font][p]to work each bodypart? To clarify, this is what I'm thinking of doing. I'd like to do a rotation consisting of a bodypart per day, with cardio 5x per week, and abs 3x per week. Shoulder day would look like this: the sections from MIS, PS, and CTX, along with abs from Power Circuit and Step and Intervals thrown in for cardio.
OR....I could double up bodyparts, do less cardio, and work everything twice a week.
What do you guys think?
Terry
P.S. Would it help if I told you I'd like to gain strength and definition? I *finally* can say I don't have to loose any weight, but I'd like to tighten everything up!
 
I was wondering the exact same thing. I also am trying to create a rotation in which I work each part thoroughly on a different day. I was not sure if working that part only once per weeek is enough though. Your rotation sound similar to what I am trying to create.

Alicia
 
I think I am going to try this also. If you notice when fitness girls or bodybuilders for instance, they all work each bodypart once per week.
Lori S.
 
Is once a week enough? It depends.

ALL of the fitness models and bodybuilders don't just work one body part per week. Their programs vary, as should anyone elses, based on body, muscle fiber type and training routines.

I have a friend who could model in anyone's fitness mag and she works glutes at least 4 times per week. Once a week for my lower body wouldn't get it for me, either. But, although we have more frequent training routines in common, our body types are opposite and the reasons for our routines working for us are vastly different. How frequently you should train a body part depends on the individual.

While there are a variety of factors that play a role in increasing muscle fiber size (hypertrophy), there is one MAJOR factor in the capacity of the muscle as a whole to increase in size--the total number of myofibrils--and, according to muscle
physiologists, that number is fixed by the second trimester of fetal development, in other words, genetically determined. It is independent of sex, training, predominant fiber type, nutritional status after birth, hormonal levels, etc, since
the current thinking indicates that humans do not have the capacity for muscular hyperplasia (increasing the NUMBER of fibers) after birth.

Fiber type and hormonal levels determine potential for increasing the size of an individual fiber. Progressive overload and nutritional status determine the degree
to which each fiber reaches its maximal size potential. Volume of training determines the degree to which the muscle reaches its overall potential for growth (maximizing size of all fiber types). But the primary factor for determining how
large a muscle has the potential for growing is dependent on the total number of fibers--something completely beyond our control and the destiny of genetics.

The point of the previous paragraphs are to indicate that there are no hard and fast rules. Following the training routine of a person with a different body type, with muscles more or less dense, and/or with a different predominant fiber type than you won't work the same for you as it does for the other person.

Frequency will be an individual thing based on all the above and depending on your goals.

Maribeth
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-23-02 AT 08:21PM (Est)[/font][p]Yeah, that is why I thought it would be fine. I am not sure though. I thought I read somewhere that for maintenance once per week is good (of high intensity strength training), but if you want to improve you should do it 2x per week (again high intensity). You read so many different things that one does not know what to believe. Is it good waiting 7 days before working a muscle again? Maybe I'll try to do some research to find out. There had to be studies done on this. There has to be some scientific info that can help me figure this out. I saw the training program of quite a few fitness models/competitors on websites/magazines and many do work the body part only once per week.

I just looked over an article of a woman named Jennifer Thomas. She is 5'1" and weighed 172. Now she weighs about 126. She completes an hour of cardio daily. She loves running. She lifts weights 6 days a week, training each part twice and alternating between heavy and light workouts. She kept the weight off for 5 years.

Jen Hendershott's training program sounds good. I guess they do what is better for their body based on experience. So the only way is by testing different routines on ourselves and changing what does not work. Jen does this:
day 1 chest
1.5 hours of cardio

day 2 back
1.5 hr of cardio

day 3 cardio boot camp (plyometrics and cardio conditioning)

day 4 shoulders
1.5 hours cardio

day 5 arms
1.5 hrs cardio

day 6 cardio boot camp

day 7 rest

For her weight training she tries to keep it no more than 45 minutes. She does about 5-6 different exercises per body part, but she continually alters her workout routine. One week she may do 5 exercises and then next week she may try to do 5 different exercises or she changes it a bit. She stretches everyday. She focuses on peak contractions. abs are done 5 days per week. She supersets 2 ab exercises into the middle of daily weight training. Cardio is a substitute for leg training (I guess she has very strong legs.) She only rests 20-40 seconds per sets for extra fat burning. I am not sure if she does the complete cardio at one time or if she does 45 min in the morning and 45 min in the evening (that is what some competitors do). I notice these competitors do 6-7 days of cardio when preparing for a competition. They are trying to get their body fat down. I wonder if doing that much cardio is good for me. I have plenty of body fat. Do you know of a good tough cardio boot camp tape? Some Firm tapes have quite a bit of plyos. I love super cardio.

Alicia
 
Working out like you just described would set a lot of people out for burnout real fast. I've said many, many times that you don't have to devote your life to exercise. One hour or less should do it, weights, cardio - everything. The key is do work out a smart, efficient plan.

Maribeth is right....a lot depends on your body type as to whether working each body part once a week would work.

Enough said....this is the "Ask Cathe" forum, and I'm not her so I'll shush up already.
 
I could never do this much cardio. If boot camp days are only 30" there is still 7 hours of cardio per week. Is that really necessary? What would be the chance of injury with that much cardio per week? Stretching would have to increase also.

I did try to keep track of my cardio minutes over the spring and summer. 300" was my goal. It was an arbitrary number. I did do it most weeks.Currently I do 245" minimum.This appears to be enough , and I have less aches and pains. BTW I include 2 solid weight (PH /MIS) workouts per week and one circuit workout (Circuit Max).


Take time to enjoy those who matter most to you & do all things in moderation :)
 
Maribeth --

Just a note to tell you that I LOVE reading your posts. I always learn something more about fitness and wellness. You are so articulate and so knowledgeable and such a welcome addition to this wonderful group here.

You know, I am the Keeper of the Flame who compiles our rotations volumes -- I'm thinking semi-seriously about compiling a whole volume JUST of posts to you and your responses. With your permission, of course. You really ought to write a book!

Thank you again for sharing your hard-earned wisdom with us laypersons (Trevor, notice I did NOT say laywomen in honor of you. :))

http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif [FONT C OLOR=Blue]Kathy S.[/FONT]
 
Well, I guess the reason they do so many hours is because it is part of their job. I was looking at some of the rotations in Vol 1-4 and I notice that some people do a lot of cardio. I will probably do about 4 cardio days per week. I'll also probably work each body part 2x per week. Then I will see how that works for me.

Alicia
 
Isn't Jen Hendershot the one that does lots of extra cardio because she's got a metabolic disorder that makes it really easy for her to gain weight? Could be another fitness model.
 
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