once you reach natural limits, should you cut back to 1-2 time a week training?

[ob205]

for calorie burning you can do low intensity cardio which doesn't cause the body to release physique wrecking stress hormones

I was actually referring to EPOC, and I highly doubt that 3x a week resistance training is physique wrecking.  And yes, you can do low intensity cardio on other days, but I thought the original intent was to do less not more.

[CrazyWhite]

You should never train more than 2-3 times a week at any time if you are natural and have typical genetics. Obviously people haven't heard of abbreviated training.

[Dr Dutch]

fuck that, i haven't seen any progress in years, and i have better shit to do.

i work out 3 days a week, run 4 days a week.  stopped training legs completely as they haven't grown since about 2000, now i just run.  feel better, look better, with less effort.  chasing the dream's stupid.  work out hard enough so you're not fat and look better than most and enjoy life.

So your legs really look like those in your avatar....

[MB]

Not just people who are approaching their natural limit, but even a beginner can make gains on 1-2 workouts per week.

[MAXX]

there is no such thing as maintainance aka "keeping what you built up"

not even for a natural.

you will shrink if you train less natural or not.

[Dr Dutch]

there is no such thing as maintainance aka "keeping what you built up"

not even for a natural.

you will shrink if you train less natural or not.

Of course there is. When you train just enough to counter atrophy. Don't mean you don't have to train hard.

[Tito24]

doing pushups and chins once a week at home is enough to keep everything in place.

[MAXX]

Of course there is. When you train just enough to counter atrophy. Don't mean you don't have to train hard.

well that is just not my experience.

for the last year i've been doing about 2 workouts a week on average. I'm smaller and weaker than when I did more serious 4 times a week.

[Ursus]

I train 4x week but am still making progress.

[Dr Dutch]

well that is just not my experience.

for the last year i've been doing about 2 workouts a week on average. I'm smaller and weaker than when I did more serious 4 times a week.

Then 2 a week isn't maintenance for you man...

[purenaturalstrength]

well that is just not my experience.

for the last year i've been doing about 2 workouts a week on average. I'm smaller and weaker than when I did more serious 4 times a week.

you could have done full body twice a week

[Red Hook]

fuck that, i haven't seen any progress in years, and i have better shit to do.

i work out 3 days a week, run 4 days a week.  stopped training legs completely as they haven't grown since about 2000, now i just run.  feel better, look better, with less effort.  chasing the dream's stupid.  work out hard enough so you're not fat and look better than most and enjoy life.

We have the exact same routine. Also I look forward to the running just as much as the weighs.

My goal is keeping my abs somewhat visible.

[Army of One]

surely theres still another 5 pounds of lean tissue in you -

There is, his boyfriend.

[asbrus]

N0 NATURALS NEED M0RE STIMULATI0N T0 TAKE ADVANTAGE 0F MUSCLE PR0TEIN SYNTHESIS WHICH G0ES T0 BASELINE AFTER 48- 72 H0URS. IF Y0U G0 D0WN T0 0NCE A WEEK Y0U'LL MAINTAIN BUT W0N'T GR0W. 0NE 0F THE REAS0NS I WAS ABLE T0 PUT 0N S0 MUCH MUSCLE AND MAX 0UT NATURALLY WAS UNDERSTANDING H0W THE NATURAL B0DY W0RKS AND N0T D0ING 0NCE A WEEK TRAINING LIKE M0ST GUYS D0 AND THEY W0NDER WHY THEY NEVER REACH THEIR P0TENTIAL. F0LL0WING A PR0'S R0UTINE 0N R0IDS BLASTING THE MUSCLE 0NCE A WEEK W0N'T GET Y0U ANYWHERE.

[RC Money]

I too have cut back to 2 maybe 3 days a week ever since attaining a desirable level of muscle sie. Through out the years I have come to see that this is optimal for maintenance and injury prevention as I still wrestle and practice bjj regularly and would get regularly injured when still lifting 5 times and for no reason as there was no growth due to over training and natural plateau. The key for me in proper calorie consumption based on the week's level of intensity and physical activity time. Sometimes I lift the 3 days instead of 2 if I feel I have the energy from easier grappling weeks and/or start to get the feeling of regression.

[Papper]

there is no such thing as maintainance aka "keeping what you built up"

not even for a natural.

you will shrink if you train less natural or not.

This sounds logical.

If you go 5 times a week training effectively and have reached a natural state in which you do not grow anymore. No increase in weights are made. Decreasing that effort to 1 day a week, how will the muscles not adapt to the lesser effort, ie shrink? Do tell.

[Meso_z]

well i train delts only once in the two weeks because it already gets enough work to do with the other muscle groups combined for instance.

if i never train again i will remain probably almost as wide as im now, training often is overrated imo, training right is where its all about.

I have a wide cock.

[MB]

This sounds logical.

If you go 5 times a week training effectively and have reached a natural state in which you do not grow anymore. No increase in weights are made. Decreasing that effort to 1 day a week, how will the muscles not adapt to the lesser effort, ie shrink? Do tell.

Several of those 5 gym days per week become wasted effort if you're not growing anymore.  Wouldn't it be logical to eliminate some of those wasted effort days?  Muscles do not shrink that quickly. 

[Tito24]

[Tapeworm]

Thanks bro.  Some of those schoolgirls were pretty hot.

[MCWAY]

i've reached my natural limit, but i still like to hit each bodypart once a week (and don't see how you can do it effectively in less than 3 days per week.)

Mon: back & shoulders
Wed: legs
Fri:  chest & arms

How do you know you've reached your "natural limit"?

Sometimes you'd be amazed at what you can do, with a few changes here and there. I used to think that I reached that at age 24, when my max bodyweight was 247 lb. I had a max bench of 375 and 17^3/4" arms. This was back in 1997.

I stalled for an number of years. The older I got, the greater I was, in my mind. But in 2004 and 2005, I pushed myself, made some changes in my diet here, went a little old-school there.

By Sept. 2005, I exceeded all my previous limit, DRUG-FREE. I bulked up to 252 lbs., pushed 405 for the first time, and had arms at 18^1/4" arms.

I didn't think I'd be bigger and stronger at 32 than at 24. But, I managed to pull it off.

[Man of Steel]

I followed Mentzer's routine to the letter for almost a year, meaning 4 workouts per month and didn't lose any muscle.

In fact, I was at my stongest during that point in time. Maybe I'll switch my routine around again and see how I fare.

I haven't followed Mentzer's routine, but I do agree with this 100%....as soon as I backed off significantly I realized I can both retain and even build with less.  I've also been the strongest when I back off.  Also I liked that Mentzer said that the outrageous amounts of food bodybuilders consume is unecessary.  You don't need 6000-8000 calories per day, just need slightly increased protein intake and that's sufficient for growth....I also find this to be true. 

[Papper]

Several of those 5 gym days per week become wasted effort if you're not growing anymore.  Wouldn't it be logical to eliminate some of those wasted effort days?  Muscles do not shrink that quickly. 

Absolutely, if the mininum level to keep muscle are confirmed at one session per part per week ~ roughly, then you're certainly wasting time with 5 days.

I just thought that overall lean mass would shrink over time if you reduced amount of sets and frequency of sessions. But maybe ~ once a week is confirmed as enough for keeping it all. I'm really not familiar with maintence training

[asbrus]

How do you know you've reached your "natural limit"?

Sometimes you'd be amazed at what you can do, with a few changes here and there. I used to think that I reached that at age 24, when my max bodyweight was 247 lb. I had a max bench of 375 and 17^3/4" arms. This was back in 1997.

I stalled for an number of years. The older I got, the greater I was, in my mind. But in 2004 and 2005, I pushed myself, made some changes in my diet here, went a little old-school there.

By Sept. 2005, I exceeded all my previous limit, DRUG-FREE. I bulked up to 252 lbs., pushed 405 for the first time, and had arms at 18^1/4" arms.

I didn't think I'd be bigger and stronger at 32 than at 24. But, I managed to pull it off.

CERTAIN STATS. AT 5 11 I W0N'T GET PAST 182 AT 6 PERCENT B0DY FAT.

[mesmorph78]

I train 4x week but am still making progress.

same here
I train SUPER HARD 5 times a week and have never stop making progress..
...