Reason I ask about your training is because I hear that over training can become more of a concern when running low to moderate dosages. What are your thoughts on this?
Like gal said, it depends on your daily average activity. People who work in an office all day like me can get away with different things because we rest so much. I don't think overtraining is something to worry about, but if you train a muscle group too often then that is another issue. I think hitting each muscle group once a week is fine as long as you hit it with some intensity. I'm not a high volume guy, but I'm a high intensity guy, almost all of my workouts are extremely intense with very little rest in between sets. After 4 weeks of high intensity workouts, i deload one week and just use 60% of the weight i normally and just go through the motions for an entire week. Then i change up my routine completely and hit it hard again.
My best advice is to not worry too much about overtraining as long as you are making progress in the gym and feel good. The only times i ever felt worn down and beat up from lifting was when i was training like a mad man for power lifting meets. I was training each lift twice a week, one day was max effort and the other was speed day. I was training way too often and wore myself out. After a few weeks away from the gym i felt fine and i was on some massive dosages. Even on 3g's of AAS and eating 6k calories a day i was overtraining IMO, i just wasn't resting enough and was in the gym 6 days a week. My gains slowed down and i felt like shit.
These days i train very intense, but i only use medium weights for sets of 10-15 reps. Very rarely will i go heavy. Typically i do 12-16 sets per muscle group and i only do 4-6 sets for arms. I have noticed that direct arm training doesn't really do much for me as i do a lot of dips and rows. My arms never really respond to it and it makes my elbows sore as shit, so i rarely train arms and when i do it's very light weight.
I will pick 3-4 exercises per muscle group and do a few warm ups, then i do 3-4 working sets, i only count working sets. I don't go to failure, but i get pretty close to it on my last set. I typically start off with the most difficult movement and then do the easier ones later in the workout as I'm losing energy. I will stick with a routine for 5 weeks, the first 4 weeks i train balls out, maximum intensity, i sweat like a beast and put 100% into the workout, no slacking. Then on the 5th week i deload and take it easy. Then i completely change my routine and go through the same layout. I have noticed one of the biggest keys to success is to change up your workouts frequently, keep your body guessing, do movements you have never done, do a weird order of exercises that makes no sense, just change shit up in the middle of a workout. It sounds silly, but i swear it works. Don't get stuck in a rut thinking you have to do flat bench or you have to start off with pressing. Fuck it, start off with dips, then machine flys, then incline DB. Just mix it up.
Example routine, this is what i am doing right now, keep in mind i train for endurance and Muay Thai:
Workout 1:
Flat DB press: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Dips: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Cable incline flys: 3 sets 10-15 reps
Machine decline: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
1 minute rest max between sets.
Workout 2:
Wide grip chins: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
one arm DB rows: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Seated cable rows: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Reverse machine flys: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Deadlifts: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Workout 3:
Standing BB press: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
One arm DB snatch: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Upright rows: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
DB shrugs: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Workout 4:
Front BB squats: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Power cleans: 5 sets of 3 reps
Leg extensions: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Single Leg curls: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Seated calf raises: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
This is a typical week for me, i also do Muay Thai twice a week and sometimes i will miss a weightlifting session to spar or do bag work. It just depends on my work schedule. As you can see i keep it pretty straight forward and i don't get too crazy, but i train like a beast, nonstop work, very little rest. I will do this routine for 5 weeks and then change it up completely, almost every exercise will change or be in another order. Sometimes i do 6-8 reps if i feel really good, but heavy weights aren't my concern anymore.
Let me know what you think, i have a bunch of other layouts i use as well. Some are strength based or more full body based. I like to mix Olympic lifting in with my routines as well as some speed training.
Good luck!
