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

[True]

and call it a day?

because seems that continuing banging my head against the (genetic) wall with my hardest most unrelenting efforts i still dont make the magic gains and this just leads to frustration and bitterness

if i cut back training to "maintenance" will i regress or not really?

maybe i should just do this and stop frustrating myself into depression

Absolutely! Unless your really hardcore and motivated enough to go through a shitload of hard work and dedication in order to make small gains every year, then yes you should most defintly cut back and just maintain instead. Funny thing is, I can easily maintain most of my muscle mass and strength by doing a full body workout just one-two times per week. The rest of the week I just jog and swim to stay in proper shape. Works just fine and you can eat more balanced as well and not gain that much fat. After Im done dieting, I will probably go back to just maintaining again, but if Im really motivated I will continue a 4-split. I wont be bulking myself up again though, but rather just keep a healthy balance. I cant stand all that excessive fat anymore no matter how much stronger it makes me... Its just not worth it in the end, and you`ll just end up having to put up a lot of hard work to get it all off again. But that is my 2 cents. Just workout, eat what you want and be happy.

[Nomad]

very very interesting


look i train something like this


monday: 5x5squat, 1x3 bench, 1x3 row, abs, calves
wednesday: 5x5 light front squat, 3x3 deadlift, 5x5 military press, 3x8 weighted chin ups, abs
friday: 1x5squat, 3x3 bench, 3x3 row, 3x8 weighted dips, 3x8 barbell curls, calves


considered cutting wednesday out but i'm not sure

I dont bother doing that much volume even on cycle and if you are natty no wonder you are not getting anywhere. Make one day/week your heavy compound day and the rest light isolation lifts or doing your other compound lifts at 60-70% of your 3rm.

So 1 heavy lift day, 2 light lift days.

[apply85]

I would train every day if I could, here's my split

day1, bi and tri

2 hams, glutes, lower back

3) chest, lats

4) brachialis, inner calves

5) quads, glutes

6) shoulders, upper and middle back

7) outer calves, abs

[Ursus]

I used to train 6x week.

In hindsight i was alwyas injured. Then I dropped it down to 4 and added about 6lbs in about 2 weeks. I have added about 20lbs in total in the last 2 years since doing 4x week.

[purenaturalstrength]

I dont bother doing that much volume even on cycle and if you are natty no wonder you are not getting anywhere. Make one day/week your heavy compound day and the rest light isolation lifts or doing your other compound lifts at 60-70% of your 3rm.

So 1 heavy lift day, 2 light lift days.

this actually seems to be working strength wise

i tried 5 day a week splite and that didnt do anything size wise and destroyed my strength levels


so i dont believe in hypertrophy pretty much you can only hope to gain some strength naturally

when i can full squat 180kg for 5 reps i'll be satisfied for legs and 3 reps bench with 140kg or so

currently 5 reps with 160kg squat, 3 reps with 120kg

[Dr Dutch]

I would train every day if I could, here's my split

day1, bi and tri

2 hams, glutes, lower back

3) chest, lats

4) brachialis, inner calves

5) quads, glutes

6) shoulders, upper and middle back

7) outer calves, abs

You are one funny mister too....

[Hulkotron]

You should give outer calves their own day.  Stupid split.

[tlc]

You should give outer calves their own day.  Stupid split.

Agreed. Some of you guys are just plain lazy. My ab workout split alone is:

1. Upper left ab, middle right ab
2. Lower right ab, middle left ab
3. Upper right ab, lower left ab
5. Serratus and right oblique
6. Intercostals and left oblique
7. Rest, feel guilty about it, do ten thousand crunches

[Tito24]

people go way too often, for cardio i rather bike or jog on the beach.

[Mick33]

how can anyone seriously like training? that is if you are actually training with a lot of intensity it's torture and u would only do it for gains. but once the gains stop then well....u start wondering

I like training for the daily accomplishment!

[Meso_z]

people go way too often, for cardio i rather bike or jog on the beach.

I jog naked on the beach.

[Tito24]

I jog naked on the beach.

[Dr Dutch]

Agreed. Some of you guys are just plain lazy. My ab workout split alone is:

1. Upper left ab, middle right ab
2. Lower right ab, middle left ab
3. Upper right ab, lower left ab
5. Serratus and right oblique
6. Intercostals and left oblique
7. Rest, feel guilty about it, do ten thousand crunches