Slow & Heavy - one body part a week enough?

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putz168

Cathlete
Hi Cathe,

I apologize if this has already been addressed, but I'm doing a rotation that uses the S&H series (which I love by the way!). Question: Is doing each body part just once a week enough to really build and define muscles? Also, I see that the body parts combined in S&H are different than those combined in the Gym Style Series (another fabulous series). Any reason? THANKS, and I'll see you again tomorrow at 5 a.m. for KPC!

Beth
 
When I do S&H rotations, I aim to do each upper body part twice each week. It's a question of preference. When last I did this, it was part of a 6-7 week rotation of S&H and I saw miraculous stregth gains and lean muscle tissue gains.

However, I then didn't do any weight training for the whole of last year and just started back up this September. I have not been able to strength train more than once per week due to busy schedule, and I have to tell you that the once per week approach is working great for me. My efforts were spotty to begin with because I had visitors to stay for half of September, but once I got going in a concentrated way, I have seen great gains in a relatively short time.

What I am doing at the moment is a mix of S&H and GS. I know both sets of workouts so well, I can combine them to suit my body's needs. I do S&H purely for chest, biceps, and then a mix of slow-mo count and a faster GS count for all other upper body muscles. I am already nearly back where I was when I stopped lifting a year ago on chest, back, shoulders and biceps. Triceps are my weakest area anyway, so I don't use them much as a measurement of progress and success.

Chest and shoulders are the two muscles I have been working strictly once a week because there is too much overlap between them to make it possible for me to use a slow approach and work each one twice. And yet, these are the two muscle groups I have seen the most sustained strength increases in.

Does that answer your question?

I have always thought that weight training the lower body once per week is enough, especially if you do a lot of cardio. When I can't get the cardio in that I wish, that is when I step up and increase the lower body weight workouts to 2 or 3 depending, but this is not because I wish to speed up muscle gain in the lower body but because I need to move and sweat and burn off some calories.

Remember however that as with all facets of exercise you have to do some trial and error experimentation to find out what works best for your body and timetable.

Clare
 
Hi Randi:

I haven't yet because although I have 4DS, I have yet to try any of it. I wanted to make sure I had regained a sufficient level of strength and muscle before starting 4DS weight training. Once I do, however, I am sure that these three weight training approaches will lend themselves to being blended by creative minds to suit individual body types and personal temperaments!

Clare
 
Slow & Heavy was one of the first videos I purchased. I think as long as you put all your CONCENTRATION and EFFORT into what you are doing (and also use a challenging weight), ONCE a week per body is MORE THAN ENOUGH. This gives those body parts ample time to rest and recover! Do that for about 5 weeks, then switch to a different weight training method for a while to keep those muscles guessing!!! I've done this and was amazed at how my muscles grew.;-)
 
Hi Beth,

In a post from awhile ago, Cathe mentioned that each person's body responds differently to various types of weight training, and so you have to experiment to see what works best for you.

In my experience, though, I've had wonderful results with training one body part per week, using either S&H or the GS series. I was worried about the same issues as you, but have seen definitely progress and have some decent muscle definition now.

Hope this helps!
Leanne
 
Thanks Leanne,

I must admit I'm feeling changes from the S&H rotation, so maybe really pushing the weight is going to be enough for each body part each week. I think I'll mix in some of the GS series in the fourth week of this rotation and maybe my fav, Muscle Max, to give my brain a break from the concentration required from S&H as Cathe suggests. Thanks everyone!

Beth
 
>Thanks Leanne,
>
>I must admit I'm feeling changes from the S&H rotation, so
>maybe really pushing the weight is going to be enough for each
>body part each week. I think I'll mix in some of the GS series
>in the fourth week of this rotation and maybe my fav, Muscle
>Max, to give my brain a break from the concentration required
>from S&H as Cathe suggests. Thanks everyone!
>
>Beth

Hi Beth,

That sounds like a great idea! Good luck!
Leanne
 
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