Author Topic: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?  (Read 18881 times)

crc69

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #50 on: November 22, 2008, 06:52:07 PM »
Twice a week !! Ah ha ha!
Ae you dreaming or what ?
The minimum is twice a day for a natural (1H * 2)
Eash group muscular twice a week.

MuscleMcMannus

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #51 on: November 23, 2008, 01:49:23 AM »
Twice a week !! Ah ha ha!
Ae you dreaming or what ?
The minimum is twice a day for a natural (1H * 2)
Eash group muscular twice a week.

You're an idiot.  Natural trainees need to workout less not more.  Hence why most natural trainees with average genetics either give up or turn to steroids. 

Fatpanda

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #52 on: November 23, 2008, 02:01:26 AM »
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. 

nope you are wrong.

protein synthesis after a workout stays raised in that muscle group for 48-72 hours,there is evidence that the cns takes 72 hours to fully recover. also meta studies show that working out twice a week produces the same muscle mass as working out three times per week, but more strength gains.

now that leaves us with the optimum being 2 full body workouts a week - so personally if i were to workout twice a week each workout would look like this:

3-5 sets of 5-8 deadlift
3-5 sets of 5-8 rows (each set superseted with bench)
3-5 sets of 5-8 bench (see above)
3-5 sets of 5-8 squat

i'd eat everything in sight an our before and immediatly after, or use shakes pre/post workout.
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turnerg31

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #53 on: November 23, 2008, 07:02:29 AM »
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 aggravated, it would also coincidentally take LONGER for it to do so. Take that logic and apply it to your muscles.

Great analogy.  I've been around Gyms most of my life. If not working in them or managing them then I've been putting them together.  I've seen thousands upon thousands of motivated lifters who all seem to make the same mistake.  Not allowing enough recovery time for their muscles.  Training to often and not taking enough time off.  One of the biggest mistakes a young bodybuilder can make.  It's great to be motivated but don't be so motivated that you hinder your potential progress/gains. 

Pat

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #54 on: November 23, 2008, 07:03:34 AM »
Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?

  According to Mike Mentzer, you can grow muscle with one training session every 9 days and training each bodypart once every 21 days.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #55 on: November 23, 2008, 08:59:25 AM »
the late great paul borreson used to theorise about training twice per week, with 2 am pm workouts, realy killing your self and havn the rest of the time off to inject tons of gear, eat and rest..

Man of Steel

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #56 on: November 23, 2008, 09:20:12 AM »
I farted for three seconds in an empty coffee can this morning.

The Coach

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #57 on: November 23, 2008, 09:28:14 AM »
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.


Then what are your goals?

ManBearPig...

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #58 on: November 23, 2008, 09:33:36 AM »
I farted for three seconds in an empty coffee can this morning.

yes, but can you do it twice a week?
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The Coach

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #59 on: November 23, 2008, 09:36:45 AM »
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.

I've been doing periodization programs for my athletes for a long long time, IMO it's a must for ANY program. This is why no one should not go into a program, bodybuilding or otherwise without a plan. Depending on the sport or any activity, there must be a plan or development and progress won't be made as quick as you might like them to be.

The Coach

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #60 on: November 23, 2008, 09:38:36 AM »
Periodization is a big reason why my athletes succeed.

d0nny2600

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #61 on: November 23, 2008, 09:41:40 AM »
menzer only trained once a year and only one bodypart and only one set of only one rep
That was only if he felt fully recovered from the last 1 rep session

bodybuilder1234

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #62 on: November 23, 2008, 10:35:40 AM »
Then what are your goals?

I was thinking to train perhaps 2-3 days a week and continue with my boxing
I need bigger arms, I naturally have flat biceps.

Ive seen people who dont train who have better bicep peak then me and Ive been doing this for years.

Monday: Biceps/Back/upperchest
Wednesday: Triceps/shoulders/traps
Friday:Legs

The Coach

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #63 on: November 23, 2008, 11:47:07 AM »
I was thinking to train perhaps 2-3 days a week and continue with my boxing
I need bigger arms, I naturally have flat biceps.

Ive seen people who dont train who have better bicep peak then me and Ive been doing this for years.

Monday: Biceps/Back/upperchest
Wednesday: Triceps/shoulders/traps
Friday:Legs


If your goal is now boxing, then why a bodybuilding type split?

bodybuilder1234

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #64 on: November 23, 2008, 11:58:13 AM »
If your goal is now boxing, then why a bodybuilding type split?


I still want to build muscle on the off days where im not weightlifting

d0nny2600

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Re: Can you build muscle by only going to the gym twice a week?
« Reply #65 on: November 23, 2008, 12:45:08 PM »

I still want to build muscle on the off days where im not weightlifting
Test, Deca and Dbol will help with this.