Each body part once per week.

[benchmstr]

Intensity and explosiveness are essentially the same here.

Grinding out reps is not intensity nor explosiveness.

Going through the motions is the worst thing to do. The body adapts.

Until the stimulus exceeds what the body can handle (homeostasis), there will be no growth.

Volume is the worst thing to do, even for a drug-aided athlete.

What you do, and how you do it, is far more important than how much you do.

Don't forget proper rest and recovery.

Growth comes during rest, not training.

Training is destructive. That is the whole point of it.

Explosiveness and intensity are far from the same thing..I’ve seen intense lifter all the time with no explosiveness

And rest is the most overrated prospect of lifting..yes, it’s important..but no, it’s not important in the way that the bodybuilding world makes it out to be...most lifters are gym bros..NOT ATHLETES!!

[PJim]

Explosiveness and intensity are far from the same thing..I’ve seen intense lifter all the time with no explosiveness

And rest is the most overrated prospect of lifting..yes, it’s important..but no, it’s not important in the way that the bodybuilding world makes it out to be...most lifters are gym bros..NOT ATHLETES!!

Explosiveness = inertia. Good for powerlifting/Olympic weightlifting, not so good for hypertrophy.

[Trev]

x2

I've trained once or twice a week at most (depending on work) for the past 10 years and progress in strength and size year on year. As you say, as a natural, your recovery is probably one tenth of that of someone on a heavy cycle, so it really is key. I'm the same height as you and a decent level of leanness (decent abs and vascularity/beach-ready type look) at 230lbs so goes to show it's working for at least some of us!

Yup. Your life is your life not bodybuilding unless its your career. Get in, get it done and then go home to eat and rest.

[Tennisballz]

I switched to only training at weekends ( Chest/Back Saturday & Delts, Arms & Legs Sunday ) 5 years ago and have put on over 15 pounds of muscle in that time. Always been natural as never interested in competing. I'm now 215 pounds at 5ft 11 whilst being lean enough to show abs, serratus, vascularity etc etc  ....

When natural you grow best when training hard once a week. I'm sore for 3-4 days.

Don't listen to all the bullshit from "experts" trying to sell you stuff. Same with supplements - YOU DON'T NEED THEM. A genetic freak on drugs only needs the extra protein in half an egg to grow the muscle he can put on in a day.

If you bust your bollocks in the gym for 2 hrs a week and eat healthily, you can live your life properly rather than waste all that time and money

Thats actually quite interesting.  What does your diet look like?  Sounds like you go lower protein.

[Primemuscle]

This was my very first workout program back in the day.  I would workout after school with friends 5 days a week for about 45 minutes.  It was super basic but I had great results.  It was:
Mon -  chest
Tue - back
wed - shoulders
Thu - legs
Fri - arms

The nice thing about this program is that you aren't usually sore and your workouts are pretty fast.  The downside is you only directly hit each bodypart once a week.  I've thought about trying this again.  Being as though I'm not in the beginniner stage anymore, you guys think I would progress on this?  My goal is not powerlifting or bodybuilding.  I just want to preserve good strength and continue to look good naked. 

I suspect it depends on your age and level of fitness. I'm good with the once per week routine. The routine I'm currently using is:

Monday - Triceps, biceps and forearms
Tuesday - hamstrings and calves
Wednesday - back
Thursday - delts and traps
Friday - pecs
Saturday - quads and calves

[IroNat]

I suspect it depends on your age and level of fitness. I'm good with the once per week routine. The routine I'm currently using is:

Monday - Triceps, biceps and forearms
Tuesday - hamstrings and calves
Wednesday - back
Thursday - delts and traps
Friday - pecs
Saturday - quads and calves

(Depending on your choice of exercises)

You are actually training your chest, delts and triceps 3 times week, Mon. Thursday and Friday.  Whenever you press you hit the delts and the pectorals and triceps get involved.

Biceps is being trained twice, Monday and Wednesday when you do back.

Legs on Tuesday and Sat.

Traps involve the back on Thursday and you also train back on Wednesday and involve the lower back in many other exercises.

So you are not really training each bodypart only once a week with your routine.

Now you can do this if you can recover well.

[Desolate]

Explosiveness and intensity are far from the same thing..I’ve seen intense lifter all the time with no explosiveness

I don't see how one can claim intensity while not working out explosively (i.e. controlled speed).

Doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

And rest is the most overrated prospect of lifting..yes, it’s important..but no, it’s not important in the way that the bodybuilding world makes it out to be...most lifters are gym bros..NOT ATHLETES!!

That is ridiculous.

Rest is one leg of the tripod along with nutrition and the actual training.

[kevcat]

Im natural now, but have dabbled in the past when I was younger chasing being massive

Stopped lifting altogether once I got into MMA for about 5 years (lifting didn't really fit in with me trying to train as much MA as possible per week ).

Lost a ton of weight, but fast forward, I had a few surgeries therefore couldn't do as much MA like before, so started lifting a bit again to try and compensate with some extra strength.
This worked great for grappling and wish id kept this routine years ago.

Im completely natural and only lift 2x per week and im actually sitting at my highest natural weight ever ( not fat ), and people are always stunned when I tell them I only lift a couple days per week.
Im by no means massive, but I look better than an average guy I suppose in a t-shirt.

A good diet, and not overkill with workouts is definitely the best type of routine for a natural.

[PJim]

Im natural now, but have dabbled in the past when I was younger chasing being massive

Stopped lifting altogether once I got into MMA for about 5 years (lifting didn't really fit in with me trying to train as much MA as possible per week ).

Lost a ton of weight, but fast forward, I had a few surgeries therefore couldn't do as much MA like before, so started lifting a bit again to try and compensate with some extra strength.
This worked great for grappling and wish id kept this routine years ago.

Im completely natural and only lift 2x per week and im actually sitting at my highest natural weight ever ( not fat ), and people are always stunned when I tell them I only lift a couple days per week.
Im by no means massive, but I look better than an average guy I suppose in a t-shirt.

A good diet, and not overkill with workouts is definitely the best type of routine for a natural.

I think it comes down to overcompensation. If you train infrequently, but very intensely, with a focus on progressive overload, you can push the envelope on every workout. This is so important as a natural/clean trainer.

Keep your working sets to a minimum. Focus on increasing something every workout, either an extra rep or a little bit more weight. I can honestly say I've made some improvement in this regard every workout for donkey's years.

[Trev]

Thats actually quite interesting.  What does your diet look like?  Sounds like you go lower protein.

Diet is pretty normal .... Oats in the morning, chicken breast mid morning, 3 eggs scrambled (1 yolk) for lunch, banana mid afternoon, Bowl of peanuts early evening and whatever my wife is cooking in the evening (chicken and pasta or other meats and rice or potatoes) .... Don't eat any puddings or high sugar. Good healthy diet.

Training is just churn away as much as poss in an hour to 80/90 mins depending on energy levels and then rest for a week. Simple but VERY effective.

[benchmstr]

I don't see how one can claim intensity while not working out explosively (i.e. controlled speed).

Doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

That is ridiculous.

Rest is one leg of the tripod along with nutrition and the actual training.

That thinking of yours is why you will always be just a gym bro..

Keep buying cell tech sweetheart

Bench

[ChevChelios]

x2

I've trained once or twice a week at most (depending on work) for the past 10 years and progress in strength and size year on year. As you say, as a natural, your recovery is probably one tenth of that of someone on a heavy cycle, so it really is key. I'm the same height as you and a decent level of leanness (decent abs and vascularity/beach-ready type look) at 230lbs so goes to show it's working for at least some of us!

I'd be very interesed in seeing a pic of you, 230 lbs at 5 11 you say with decent abs and vascularity that is what.... 10% bf right? I have a hard time believing that honestly....

[oldgolds]

Well, "heavy" is relative to the rep range you train in, and yes, progression is necessary.

"Heavy" in the 2-5 rep range is a different "heavy" than in the 8-12 rep range.  Progression can take place in both and growth can take place in both.

You don't have to kill your joints to build muscle and strength for bodybuilding purposes.  

Unfortunately there are natural limits (for natties) to what you can achieve and everybody's limits are different.  You just can't keep on gaining forever no matter how you train.  We all know this but some of us can't accept it.

True....Lottsa knowledge here.
After about 2 years a natty reaches his peak. Size/strength can be improved but only by gaining weight and it's usually fat. All the routines in the mags are geared for steroid users.
Natural lifting is an entirely different sport and much more difficult to achieve a degree of success. Many drug users don't have a clue about proper training, the steroids are producing the muscle irregardless of what they do in the gym.

[Primemuscle]

(Depending on your choice of exercises)

You are actually training your chest, delts and triceps 3 times week, Mon. Thursday and Friday.  Whenever you press you hit the delts and the pectorals and triceps get involved.

Biceps is being trained twice, Monday and Wednesday when you do back.

Legs on Tuesday and Sat.

Traps involve the back on Thursday and you also train back on Wednesday and involve the lower back in many other exercises.

So you are not really training each bodypart only once a week with your routine.

Now you can do this if you can recover well.

You are right of course, there are other muscles involved in various exercises. I forgot to mention abs which I train on Thursdays. Actually, I messed up; more often than not I train traps on Wednesdays when I'm already training my back. I doubt I am over training my legs and butt. Anyway, they are skinny and need it.

[HTexan]

I’m a natural and I workout very similar to what you posted.
Only 3 days a week, but it looks like this.
-chest/back
-legs
-arms/shoulders
(Calves and abs every workout)
I am thinking about switching over to a full body workout but I feel my best side and strength gains come from giving my muscles a few days to recover.

Chest and back together?

[Desolate]

That thinking of yours is why you will always be just a gym bro..

Keep buying cell tech sweetheart

Bench

I have no desire to compete.

I do it just for myself.

And I don't use cell tech.

But you are completely clueless with regard to training.

Must be a druggie.

[Equalizer]

Diet is pretty normal .... Oats in the morning, chicken breast mid morning, 3 eggs scrambled (1 yolk) for lunch, banana mid afternoon, Bowl of peanuts early evening and whatever my wife is cooking in the evening (chicken and pasta or other meats and rice or potatoes) .... Don't eat any puddings or high sugar. Good healthy diet.

Training is just churn away as much as poss in an hour to 80/90 mins depending on energy levels and then rest for a week. Simple but VERY effective.

What does your routine look like as far as sets, reps, exercises per bodypart?