It has always amazed me how a person can weight train 4 to 6 days a week, lift heavy, be consistent, train to failure, give your bloody all, enjoy it and benefit from it. I don’t believe it can be humanly possible unless the person per se is a genetic freak, is putting into himself steroids, or growth hormones which enable that person to recover, and to be able to have the recovery ability and fortitude to keep it up week after week and year after year. They don’t last, they can’t keep up the pace, their body falls apart mentally as well as physically. They need a chemical aid, simple as that.
In my hometown gym where I train, I observe and take note, when a new person starts training, the instructors have them training 4 to 6 days a week. They split their body parts at each work out and do at least 4 sets of each exercise use incorrect form and focus. Chest is standing cable pullovers, seated machine fly’s and a bench press a total of 12 sets none worked to failure. Arms are tricep pushdowns, concentration curls and machine bicep curls again all 4 sets each, never I repeat never using good form and focus. In between each set 3 minutes rest and sometimes longer, which normally involves chatting on facebook, or talking or catching up on the local gossip, non-training talk using the mobile phone, and looking at themselves in the many mirrors.
There are different types of split systems, the most simple split system involves training four days per week. Here is an example: Monday, Thursday: chest, shoulders, upper arms, calves and abs. Tuesday Friday back, thighs, forearms, calves, and abdominal muscles. He is an example of six days a week : Monday, Wednesday, Friday abdominals, chest, shoulders, upper back, forearms and calves, then Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday abdominals , thighs, lower back, upper arms, forearms and calves. Each muscle group is trained three days a week.
It’s a known fact when we are in the gym, we break down the muscle tissue, it grows bigger and stronger during rest. The blood stream, which is like a river feed the muscle with nutrients. The blood should be full of nutrients, not chemicals or harmful substances, to replenish and encourage new growth, and tissue enlargement. Of course one needs adequate rest at least 3 to 4 full days of rest, that rest may encompass walking, or hard cardio once or twice a week, swimming or martial arts . But at least rest from weight training and breaking down muscle tissue.
At 71 years of age I am full of discipline, strength and vigor after 4 days of rest from my full body workout, and that is after 55 years of training twice a week , and at times every 5th day. Yet when I talk to people who attend and train six days a week, they lack enthusiasm, vigour, discipline and seem to me would rather be home making a cup of tea and watching the idiot box. Today after my workout a twenty one year old man came in the gym, “training full body “ I said to him, “no “ he said I am bored at home thought l would come to the gym and train my chest and arms. Why not full body I said. “That’s too hard not for me,” the young bloke said. Is he going to be training for health, strength, and longevity in 50 years’ time, I doubt it.
Everyone is in a hurry to attain the ultimate physique. The bloke who is in the gym 4 to 6 days a week say’s I got results training my arms twice a week if I train them 4 times a week with twice as many sets I should get twice the results lies, lies and lunacy. When you bench press, lat machine pull, dumb bell row, overhead press you work your arms. When you squat with 250 pounds on the bar and the bar is on your back shoulders blades back, your indirectly work your upper back and rhomboids, and all the other stabilizing muscles of the body, abdominals, hips , legs ,side obliques and lower back.
I appreciate the pressing need of the aspiring bodybuilder for fast muscular development. He wants the ultimate in size and muscularity and will do almost anything to attain his goal. My advice is: do anything but stop short of the total lunacy of overtraining four to six days a week, and drug abuse. People who have taken doses of steroids and other chemicals permanently damage their health and in numerous cases have brought about untimely death.
One would best achieve the finest results from training full body once every 4th day, or if you are younger than I every 3rd day. I am a prime example of a man in his early seventies who has trained since 16 years young. Four years ago I suffered a virus causing me to have an atrial fibrillation attack and heart failure, my heart rate went to 180 beats per minute and was irregular for 10 days, which could have caused a stroke. Six months after my wife whom I nursed and cared for, for 8 months died of cancer, and next my left hip needed to be replaced. I lost weight and muscle going from 187 pounds with a 36-inch waist to 165 pounds, and looking like death warmed up.
With the help of Bob Whelan, I now weigh 184 pounds with a 34 inch waist, I train full body every 4th day, and the three days in between I walk for 40 minutes twice and push the air dyne bike once, hard for 30 minutes. I eat over 3000 calories a day and 160 grams of protein. At 71 years of age I can do it training twice a week, so imagine what a viral, healthy younger person can do. Ask Bob Whelan he knows he has trained many a person building them into a human superman, training twice a week or twice every 7 to 10 days.
If you have any brains train full body twice a week, and stay well away from all harmful substances. If you train 4 or even 6 days a week you are living in the gym. My motto is getting in, get the work done and get out. Go home rest, eat big and nutritiously, stay away from alcohol and all drugs. It is a well-known fact if you want a long strong life, strength train in moderation, therefore twice a week, condition your heart and lungs and be strong mentally and spiritually.
What a recipe for success.
Don’t say ... Do!
Editors Note: Thanks for the kind words David. You did all the work. Great job!
