Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?

[Hedgehog]

At 2 days per week you are simply not training enough. Try to go a min of 4 day per week.

my humble opinion: I don't think it's that simple.
2 full body workouts a week will get you good results IMO.
Also, I've recently become a big fan of periodization.
Eg, for 3-4 heavy weeks you may go 4-5 times a week, perhaps even 3 days a week, twice a day.
 Followed by 3-4 weeks of reduced volume and frequency, ie 2 fullbody workouts a week.
My opinion is that Mentzers clients got results because they usually came from a period of fairly high volume and the tapering off would initially produce big gains.
But Mentzer never put his clients back on a higher volume.

[Stavios]

my humble opinion: I don't think it's that simple.
2 full body workouts a week will get you good results IMO.
Also, I've recently become a big fan of periodization.
Eg, for 3-4 heavy weeks you may go 4-5 times a week, perhaps even 3 days a week, twice a day.
 Followed by 3-4 weeks of reduced volume and frequency, ie 2 fullbody workouts a week.
My opinion is that Mentzers clients got results because they usually came from a period of fairly high volume and the tapering off would initially produce big gains.
But Mentzer never put his clients back on a higher volume.

great theorie

[MichaelScottDM]

Im not interested in diet anymore or bodybuilding for that matter
If I want to get lean that'll probably the only time where I will proceed with a bodybuilding diet


Other than that I now feel sorry for people who eat 6 times a day clean and worry about menial bodybuilding persuits, if you can achieve a body that the public appreciates I dont see why you need to go on.

I follow the eating 6 times a day approach but only cuz i've done it for so long. I totally agree with you though. If your over the BB thing, then I would just say screw it and eat decent but also eat crap when you want while hitting the gym whenver you feel the urge to go.

[Disgusted]

MOst people only work a body part once per week so why not?

[just_a_pilgrim]

my humble opinion: I don't think it's that simple.
2 full body workouts a week will get you good results IMO.
Also, I've recently become a big fan of periodization.
Eg, for 3-4 heavy weeks you may go 4-5 times a week, perhaps even 3 days a week, twice a day.
 Followed by 3-4 weeks of reduced volume and frequency, ie 2 fullbody workouts a week.
My opinion is that Mentzers clients got results because they usually came from a period of fairly high volume and the tapering off would initially produce big gains.
But Mentzer never put his clients back on a higher volume.

Yeh i agree don't keep everything the same all the time.

If you are experienced you could go by feel. Feel good, do more or heavier, if you're out of it a bit then lower it.

BTW you can definately grow going twice a week.

[Viking11]

2 times a week may be ideal for the average, 'natural' trainee that is looking to add muscle and doesn't care about competition. Just use basic exercises and low sets. Use an 'A' and a 'B' workout, half the body each  workout

[aglifter]

Im not interested in diet anymore or bodybuilding for that matter
If I want to get lean that'll probably the only time where I will proceed with a bodybuilding diet


Other than that I now feel sorry for people who eat 6 times a day clean and worry about menial bodybuilding persuits, if you can achieve a body that the public appreciates I dont see why you need to go on.

You can never be too big.  The more muscle, the better you are.  Period.

[PJim]

Why is the time frame of a week the most critical component to every trainer? Why not how much success you have in besting your previous lifts, coupling that with increased effort and intensity with each workout over the course of let's say a month. I know I aim to train when I feel one hundred percent confident that I am going to be able to train to my full ability and improve myself in some way, shape or manner. Again it depends on the individual but I know I can get away with training once a week and still gain. I don't really want to bring Jones/Mentzer into it, but the guys weren't lying when they continuously pointed out that volume had a negative effect on the recovery capability. It makes perfect sense when you actually analyse what they are saying. I ALWAYS revert to this idea when people ask me what my logic is behind my training; if you were to cut yourself, the body would have to build it's barrier up (skin in this case) thicker and more resilient to try and stop the same thing happening again. Well, if you were to keep picking at the scab, not only would the body have to use up more energy, vitamins and minerals to fix the problem you have now aggrivated, it would also coincidentally take LONGER for it to do so. Take that logic and apply it to your muscles.

[Relentless]

menzer only trained once a year and only one bodypart and only one set of only one rep

He also enjoyed cigarettes.  I think I am going to take that habit up in memory of the great Mike Mentzer.

Cigs get you ripped!  Just ask Dennis Wolf, Markus Ruhl or Victor Martinez! 

The KEY to getting ripped is CIGS!

[Relentless]

You can never be too big.  The more muscle, the better you are.  Period.

I think you're onto something....

[Viking11]

He also enjoyed cigarettes.  I think I am going to take that habit up in memory of the great Mike Mentzer.

Cigs get you ripped!  Just ask Dennis Wolf, Markus Ruhl or Victor Martinez! 

The KEY to getting ripped is CIGS!

     god damn it! You HAD to go spill the beans. Now everyone is going to do it. I was counting on the 'edge' to win next years Nationals...  if you had kept your mouth shut....

[shadow]

you probably have better chance of building muscle twice per week vs 3/4 days a week.  Overtraining is far too common in gyms. People think if theyre not gaining on 3 times a week they should increase to 4 or 5 days or even more. Bollocks. If you have average genes etc your chances of sufficiently recovering from 3/4 + per week is greatly reduced.

 Try chest shoulders triceps on workout 1 and back biceps legs on workout 2. Low volume and high intensity compound moves 6-8 reps 1or 2 sets per excercise and 2/3 excercises per major bodypart. Im not exactly blessed with good genetics but have found better results from this type of training than "conventional" training splits. I just wasnt recovering and was grossly overtrained.

Youll probably get people calling you a lazy bastard for only doing twice a week but fuck them! Youre training for you not them

[Gino30]

Im not interested in diet anymore or bodybuilding for that matter
If I want to get lean that'll probably the only time where I will proceed with a bodybuilding diet


Other than that I now feel sorry for people who eat 6 times a day clean and worry about menial bodybuilding persuits, if you can achieve a body that the public appreciates I dont see why you need to go on.

yes, that's it -----> let the opinions and views of the docile, sheep, ignorant, majority of society dictate your appearence

you really reach high dont you

[drkaje]

Depends on the intensity and what someone's realistic goals are.

I couldn't maintain weight only hitting the gym twice a week.

[El_Pajero]

I do that too, I train with weights only 2 times a week next to boxing 3 times a week. And I am gaining strength and weight.

So the answer is yes.

The 2 days that I train with weights I do a fullbody workout consisting of heavy squats, benchs presses and rows. When I feel I can do more I do more exercises, but it's not necessary because of the boxing too and i don't want to overtrain.

hope this helps

[wavelength]

Great concept el pajero, are you a boxer?

[El_Pajero]

Great concept el pajero, are you a boxer?

thanks  , yes

[Fatpanda]

yes, but you have to focus on big compound movements, like pajero.

squats, deads, benches, rows, pull ups, presses. 

eat everything in sight, an hour before and immediately after.

[wavelength]

I made great progress strength wise with full body workouts and big compound movements.

[MuscleMcMannus]

At 2 days per week you are simply not training enough. Try to go a min of 4 day per week.

Translatioin= a negroid with great genetics AND/OR I know fuck all about training and building muscle! 

You can most definitely build muscle going to the gym and weight training 2x/week.  In fact for the majority of genetically average trainees this is the best approach. 

[Fatpanda]

You can most definitely build muscle going to the gym and weight training 2x/week.  In fact for the majority of genetically average trainees this is the best approach. 

training a muscle group twice a week is proven by science to be the best approach for mass and strength.

only if the volume is enough though.

[MuscleMcMannus]

training a muscle group twice a week is proven by science to be the best approach for mass and strength.

only if the volume is enough though.

Well genius why don't you post the "science".  I can refer you to trainers like John Christy and Stuart McRobert and many others who've had LOTS OF success putting genetically average trainees on abbreviated routines and have made great progress drug free.  Science and real world experience are two very different things. 

[Fatpanda]

Well genius why don't you post the "science".  I can refer you to trainers like John Christy and Stuart McRobert and many others who've had LOTS OF success putting genetically average trainees on abbreviated routines and have made great progress drug free.  Science and real world experience are two very different things. 

You are quite the retard.

My post agreed with yours yet you feel the need to further expose your lack of intelligence 

Good stuff, keep on trucking racist.

if you would like the study ask nicely - or you can go through my post history. its in there somewhere, not that you will understand it 

[TechnoViking]

If your only going to go twice a week, then just work on your arms and chest like every other EMO fag that walks around in hollywood...You won't get any respect from most guys but dumb chicks will love ya

[MuscleMcMannus]

You are quite the retard.

My post agreed with yours yet you feel the need to further expose your lack of intelligence 

Good stuff, keep on trucking racist.

if you would like the study ask nicely - or you can go through my post history. its in there somewhere, not that you will understand it 

You simply stated training a muscle twice a week is the best.  I was assuming you were talking about upper/body, classic splits etc. which has you in the gym a lot more than 2x week.  Everything depends on how you group your muscles and how you workout.  If you are doing a full body workout twice a week that's one thing.  If you are trying to hit your muscle groups twice a week but are doing a lower/upper split that means you have to be in the gym 4 days a week.  Hypertrophy specific training has you in the gym doing a full body workout 3 times a week.  Saying that "science" says training a muscle twice a week is the best is utter horseshit and has absolutely no relevance to real world training.