once a week advantages

[deanie]

I was wondering what the advantage or benefit is to working one muscle group each once a week. Legs on monday, tricep and bicep on tuesday, ect. I have always done a total body workout 2 or 3 times a week. So I am curious to know if I would lose muscle tone if I were to change my routine, and what are the benefits for the change. It seems from reading the forum that it is a popular and fun routine I just want to know more about it. thanks, Deanie

 

[Lunacat]

The main advantage I've found with this approach is that you can put more focus and concentration on each body part when you split them up. During a total body weight workout, you are expending energy across your entire body. If you were to do triceps once per week, for example, you could probably go heavier on them, work them with a wider range of exercises and really fatigue them. Then you can let them recover until you get to them again next week.

Try alternating your approach for a few weeks to see how you feel about it. Maybe do 2 total body workouts one week, then for the next three weeks, split up your routine, then back to a week of 2 total body workouts.

Just a thought.

Becky

 

[deanie]

Thanks! One reason I was asking was I bought the BB series and the timesaver dvd, and then realized the timesaver dvd works a diferent muscle group each day. I do like your rotation idea and will try it. I could easily work it into my rotation. This whole rotation thing is new to me. deanie

 

[kathryn]

I think this is an excellent way of working out, once are a pretty advanced lifter with a good base of muscle and good technique, and can lift heavy.

I wouldn't go directly from doing a total body workout 2 or 3 times a week to doing a "each body part once a week" routine. Instead, make your way first through a two-day split (upper and lower body worked separately, two days a week each), then go on to a three-day split (working each body part once a week, but several body parts each day), then finally onto a "one body part per day" routine (you could even do a 4-day split in between here, but none of Cathe's workouts are split that way out of the box). Working the entire body two, then three, days a week is what is often recommended for beginning weight trainers. After you've done that for a while, if you want to make progress, it's time to go on to the 2-, then 3-, (then 4-) then 5-day split. Then you can mix things up and do different types of workouts on different rotations.

P90X is a "each body part once a week" type of workout (a three-day split, though, rather than a "one body part per day" split), and it was very effective for me. The combination of working out as hard as you can, followed by allowing each muscle group recovery time, really helps with strength and muscle-size gain (at least in the upper body, for me, and more strength than size, which I like).

 

[deanie]

Okay- so would you say doing a rotation of PUB, imax 2, PLB, off, step max, PUB, and PLB would be a good rotation before I try the timesaver workouts? Is that enough cardio? See how confused I am.?! I'm not even a exerciser!! Thanks again.

 

[kathryn]

>Okay- so would you say doing a rotation of PUB, imax 2, PLB,
>off, step max, PUB, and PLB would be a good rotation before I
>try the timesaver workouts? Is that enough cardio?

It could be enough cardio if you are looking to build strength and muscle. Make sure that you get in activity during your day (using the stairs, parking at a distance in a parking lot rather than looking for a close spot, etc.). You might want to do what I do lately: a short (10 minute) workout before my split workouts. I have a couple workouts that offer 10 minute options, like "Quick Fit: Total Cardio Kicks" and "10-Minute Solution: Carb Burner." It helps me warm up a bit more, and raise my heart rate so my metabolism is boosted a bit more while I workout.

You could use a workout with a longer warm-up (like Cardio Kicks, which is about 12 minutes long), or the warm-up and part of the rest of the workout for this.

 

[kathryn]

>Okay- so would you say doing a rotation of PUB, imax 2, PLB,
>off, step max, PUB, and PLB would be a good rotation before I
>try the timesaver workouts? Is that enough cardio?

It could be enough cardio if you are looking to build strength and muscle. Make sure that you get in activity during your day (using the stairs, parking at a distance in a parking lot rather than looking for a close spot, etc.). You might want to do what I do lately: a short (10 minute) workout before my split workouts. I have a couple workouts that offer 10 minute options, like "Quick Fit: Total Cardio Kicks" and "10-Minute Solution: Carb Burner." It helps me warm up a bit more, and raise my heart rate so my metabolism is boosted a bit more while I workout.

You could use a workout with a longer warm-up (like Cardio Kicks, which is about 12 minutes long), or the warm-up and part of the rest of the workout for this.

 

[deanie]

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it. I think I will give the above a try as my rotation this month, for something different. I get plenty of activity in during the day(stay at home mom- rarely get to sit down! ) So I think this could be fun for a change. I don't have any of the 10 minute workouts but I can jump on the elliptical for 10 or so minutes. Deanie Also on the above message, I meant to say I'm not even a beginer exersizer!! See what happens when my husband is talking to me and I'm typing!!