The 7 day week is a curse for building muscle !!!

[Peaking at 45 !!!]

I posted a similar thread a few years back, but in view of my recent success with high frequency training, it got me thinking about it again.
Many of us train each bodypart once a week, but I believe the 7 day week  is a curse for those of us trying to gain as much muscle as possible.
The 7 day week is only numbered days that make it conveinent for many of us to train.
Many many moons ago, when the 7 day week was invented, do you suppose they based it on the best amount of days to train your muscles ?
For those of us who train each bodypart once a week (and for many , many years, that includes me too)------let me ask this: What if a week was only 6 days ? Then I would bet we would get our entire body worked in that 6 days. What If a week was 5 days ? Then I bet we would get our entire body worked in 5 days !!! see my point ?
A 7 day week just makes everything conveinent, but is it really the best way to build as much muscle as possible?
How many of you have monday as your chest day ?   AH HA !!!!!!
See what I'm saying ?
For those who hit each muscle once a week, doesnt 7 days seem like too long to wait to hit the muscle again ? Especially since the muscle can fully recuperate in only a few days ?
Just stirring up some food for thought--------and no, I am not saying to work chest 3 times a week 20 sets each workout--------but maybe 3 to 5 sets per workout ? (I'm talking good intense sets---and 3 to 5 sets done correctly will work the muscle and give you a good pump)
Just think , instead of working a body part 52 times a year, you could be working it 104 to 156 times a year !!!!
Assuming you were recuperating, look at all those extra chances to grow !!!
Just some food for thought, nothing new, and probably this is a temporary program you would do from time to time-------but if you want to build as much muscle as possible, why not try it ?

[MeatMop]

Personally, I think you're spot on.

Last summer I was hitting everything twice a week, and had very good results.  Then I tried Max-OT for 10 weeks and plateaued about 3 weeks into it.  I took most of November and December off.  Now I'm back to my twice a week splits and am having good gains again. 

BTW, I try to adhere to Art Atwood's basic mass workout program, listed on his website (www.artatwood.com).  Everything gets hit twice- once heavy and once light.  It's pretty intense to pull of in an hour, but after a few weeks my body is getting used to the intensity and I'm growing again.

Later.

[Peaking at 45 !!!]

Personally, I think you're spot on.
Last summer I was hitting everything twice a week, and had very good results.  Then I tried Max-OT for 10 weeks and plateaued about 3 weeks into it.  I took most of November and December off.  Now I'm back to my twice a week splits and am having good gains again. 
BTW, I try to adhere to Art Atwood's basic mass workout program, listed on his website (www.artatwood.com).  Everything gets hit twice- once heavy and once light.  It's pretty intense to pull of in an hour, but after a few weeks my body is getting used to the intensity and I'm growing again.

Thanks for the input. Its good to hear from those who have tried different routines that have gotten good results !! Allright !!!   

[Rimbaud]

Interesting point. In my opinion it all depends on the individual. Some people can train every body part twice a week & grow others need a week to rest. I think everyone needs to figure out what works best for them. & even after you find what works for you it needs to be changed at times to keep youself from hitting a plateau.

I personally right now am hitting quads twice a week & either bicep or triceps twice a week. While hamstrings, shoulders, back, & chest get hit once a week.

[GET_BIGGER]

I hit arms twice a week and everything else once.  I tried legs twice a week but it was too much.  The only way I could fathom twice a week workouts is if I worked out twice a day, say afternoon and evening.  I don't know if I have enough time for that.  After doing one bodypart, I just don't have enough to do another one.  But thats just me. 

[lilwoday09smb]

i think its all about intensity, after reading some of these post, how could you hit legs and back three days a week unless your on gear, me personaly after a leg day i can barley walk for 3 days, but i supose if you do less sets then maybe

[Ursus]

I...
squat
dead
bench
weighted dip
chin

all about 3x a week and its goin good for me.

[L.T.]

ask your self this why twice a week then. why not twice in ten days or eight days.

I do 3 on one off 2 on 1 off but i train 2 bodyparts a workout.  each muscle group  rests 6 days on the first rotation and 5 days on the next.

[candidate2025]

i dont go by weekdays i have continuos 5 day cycle with no rest days.

[pumpster]

I could never stick with once a week training. Relatively short but intense exercise that is best for gains doesn't require a week's worth of recovery. Even volume trainers don't need a week. Even with gains made, IMO something's being left on the table to leave the muscle a week or more between workouts.

IMO high intensity 3 times a week, moderate sets of 4-6 sets for smaller muscles, 6-8 sets for larger muscles. Or 2 times a week with slightly higher sets.

Some gain on once a week training, but I doubt that gains are maximized given the excessive down time. Anyone who really needs a week to recover from workouts is doing something wrong anyway.

[candidate2025]

Anyone who really needs a week to recover from workouts is doing something wrong anyway.

ummmm   i can see a leg day needing a full week to recover if you dont have endless funds for protein.


as  it is right now after my leg day i connsume 3 protein  shakes, three caarb shakes and 1 1/2 creatine drinks just so my legs will recover in 5 days...that way my other body parts will not have to wait ( or have "downtime" so you say) for my legs to recover.

[the king]

I...
squat
dead
all about 3x a week and its goin good for me.

that's pretty damned crazy but good luck if it's working for ya

[CominBack]

I trained each body part once a week for years and didn't make much progress and I see most people in the gym doing the same thing and making no strength or mucsle gains (using AAS is a different story, you can trash a body part with 20 sets, grow and get strong, do that naturally and you wont make gains unless its your first year or two of training). I finally started to grow and get strong again after discovering DC training which on some weeks has you training body parts twice a week - made great gains but was hell on the joints and CNS. I found another system, HST (Hypertrophy-Specific Training) which has a unique system with high frequency/low volume, varies reps schemes and progressively higher waits but the key is SD (Strategic Deconditioning), no lifting for 9-12 days. Check it out, I am making good gains in size and its been easier on the joints - its geared for natural lifters but using AAS will greatly enhance the experience.

[NoCalBbEr]

for me, i've learned to  train everything once a week. but the biggest thing is how much intensity your putting in. I tend to give  a lot of intensity in my workouts were afterwards i feel sick or on the weekends my legs are dead to me. and everythings hurting. if a person  give 100% intensity and goes 70-90% of a mex weight (not HIT) i dont see them  pulling that off for more then 4-5 days a week without gear  and without overtraining. I've  tryed every kind of spilit in the book. i've even tryed the lee priest way. not having a set rest day but to train untill, you feel like crap and take one.all i got was burning myself out. same goes withe six days splits. i grow but not ask quickly as the once a week. every bodies different.  check out in how the pros do it.ronnie does six days, jay does 2 on/1 off, dex days 4 days a week and Gus does six days. but only ronnie does a six days. and these ppl all are on gear

[homer77]

i guess it depends on who you are.
you are right, it is convenient to use a 7 day week. 
but i have found that that 7 day week gives the best results. 
dec - jan i tried every 4 - 5 days and i worked for one month.  soon i started getting aches and pains from overtraining areas.  i dont think a muscle truely gets a week off on a 7 day split.  for example- chest, ok i have chest/bi day but, chest is slightly hit on delts and i even feel it in my upper chest doing shrugs.  I think the 7 day and even 8 day split gives your full body time to recoop.  maybe if i were loaded with gh i  could have kept doing the 4-5 day split. 

[shiftedShapes]

I...
squat
dead
bench
weighted dip
chin
all about 3x a week and its goin good for me.

Goudy you are missing overhead pressing and horizontal pulling in that routine.  Add Hand Stand Push ups, and tuck lever pullups (basically a pull up with the body horizontal and legs tucked up to the chest) to round it out

[kicker]

Goudy you are missing overhead pressing and horizontal pulling in that routine.  Add Hand Stand Push ups, and tuck lever pullups (basically a pull up with the body horizontal and legs tucked up to the chest) to round it out

Agree, you need to add horizontal pulling movements like seated rows to balance out all the bench work you do.  For every set on the bench, you should do an equal amount on rowing.  You don't want to create a postural or structural imbalance which may lead to injury down the road.  Good luck.

[NYCDVR]

I like lifting and would do it everyday

However Dexter Jackson when asked by Arnold on staged after winning the asc

Arnold "Tell the people how much you trained"

Dex " Well there going to be mad but I only lift 3 days a week"

not verbatim but close

Point is Arnolds old school volume theory more is better is not adhered to by all

Some people have good results from less

[Cold]

I went from a 120 lb weakling to 185 lb in about 6, 7 years. Tried them all. Been there done that. I swear by Maximum Intensity / Low Volume / Very high Frequency training. I train my muscles everyday. I train so much that my lactic buildup is virtually gone. I can do 30 sets for each muscle, come back the next morning, STRONG and ready. Occasionally I switched back to high volume / low frequency (such as one body part a day once a week), and I can't say anything great about it.