Working 1 body part per week!?

I'm looking to gain size and strength here with my workout plan.  My workout plan consists of working a different major muscle group 4 days a week and 3 days rest.  I've always been told that you should work every main muscle group 2 times a week?  So my question is would working out 1 major muscle group a week slow gains rather than working it out twice a week?  or is there not much of a difference?  Hope you guys understand my question.  Thanks

I'm not at all an expert but it seems to me that by the time you came back to doing that same body part you wouldn'y be any bigger or stronger. I dont kno doenst make sense to me.

i dont know who told you that about the 2 times a wk but it depends on the lifter
i work only 1 per wk
im fine with just one per wk 
the person makes the difference
do what your body tells you
if its good before the wk is up hey hit it
remember the body grows while restin
plus to much hypertrophy too quickly is not good

If weightlifting was easy, everyone would do it

You gotta lift BIG, to get BIG

Doesn't matter how much you lift but how you lift it

Well that sounds a bit strange to me.  I know people who do 1 major muscle group a day but not a week.  I wouldn't try it.

I am not sure if its true but i was told that if you don't work your muscles after 3 days, they start to shrink....

So my question is would working out 1 major muscle group a week slow gains rather than working it out twice a week? 

 
If you are talking about hitting each bodypart only once per week..that is fine, you should see good gains on that.
 
Depends on your training history, training, nutrition, and goals.
 
Here is a guide:
 
Optimal set / rep ranges and days between:
For muscle size rep range is 9-12 / 3 -4 sets per bodypart / 4-7 days between working a bodypart again
For Strength (vs. power) the rep range is 6-8 / 3-4 sets per bodypart / 4-7 days between working a bodypart again
For Power the rep range is 1-5  / 4-8 sets per bodypart / 2-3 days between working a bodypart again
 
Remember, DIET is 88% of your gains! 
 
gunthex

if you don't work your muscles after 3 days, they start to shrink

 
That is a  Big fat MYTH  do not even worry about that!

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I work every major muscle group 1 time per week. Way better gains over 2 times a week if you are going for size.
 

////*Watch for all "new me" coming in March 2007*////

I train 3 times per week (Tues/Thurs/Sun) focusing on the Bench/Squat/Dead Lift respectively

I found it works for me, and I've been stronger after each session since starting this routine (over the past six weeks)

I remember reading once that it takes roughly 48hrs to breakdown the muscle and another 72 hrs after that to rebuild them up again- in the past I've always trained more frequently however I'm convinced my gains were being compromised through over training

Age: 30
Height: 6'
Weight:185lb
Bench: 310lb
Dead Lift: 355lb
Squat: 330lb

i do a two day split for everything

Bench:300
Squat:350
Deadlift:425
Total:1075

Major as in chest/back/legs?

It depends on what your body reacts best to.

I've found that working every major muscle group once a week works wonders. Sure, tons of people out there work everything twice a week, but personally I've seen more gains with once a week as opposed to twice. The body takes a while to grow new muscle, it doesn't happen overnight- In fact, it can take longer than a couple of days for a muscle to fully recover and rebuild after a workout. Respectively, it also take a while for the human body to break down muscle- So losing muscle after three days is just another myth. Ever since switching to once a week years ago, I have never seen a loss in size or strength, only gains. My suggestion- Try once a week for three or four months, see how it works for you. Then switch, three or four months @ twice a week, and watch for differences. It usually takes about that long before you can see visible results from a serious change in workout routines.

The trick is to avoid clashes in your work out. Example, you don't want to train your triceps the day before you do your chest. You do your shoulders a few days before you do your chest, but when you get to chest day your delts are still hurting, meaning when you get on the bench press youre going to lose the work you did on delts. You know what i do? I train my body when it feels right. I won't train my chest on a monday if my shoulders are still sore from the friday before. If i have to then i will wait till tuesday or whenever it feels better. Listening to your body is the key.

Any new thoughts?

damn i didnt realise how old this post was till i saw CPL posting and read the date he published....
 
as to ur question no....danmirage pretty much summed it up like hes already done in some of his awesome posts...

So my question is would working out 1 major muscle group a week slow gains rather than working it out twice a week?  or is there not much of a difference?

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!

The results of your program depend on many factors and a progressive routine is one.  If you train 3x a week and switch to two...that can be a form of progression...if you switch to 1, that can be a progression...you have to modify the training  to match the goal and the frequency.

At different times and with different training, we each have different recovery cycles.  Someone who has slower recovery might benefit from 1x a week training.  Someone who wants to train very hard might want to train 1x/week as well.

Most people can increase their recovery cycle timing and take advantage of faster training-recovery cycles.  If you train 1x a week, you can also switch to 2x a week and modify training, rest and diet and see an improvement in training response. 

So, you see...there is no one "right way."

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ORIGINAL: danmirage



Optimal set / rep ranges and days between:
For muscle size rep range is 9-12 / 3 -4 sets per bodypart / 4-7 days between working a bodypart again
For Strength (vs. power) the rep range is 6-8 / 3-4 sets per bodypart / 4-7 days between working a bodypart again
For Power the rep range is 1-5  / 4-8 sets per bodypart / 2-3 days between working a bodypart again

Dan i was wondering about this. why is the optimal rest time for muscle size 4-7 days? is that just disregarding full body workouts?

Most people can increase their recovery cycle timing and take advantage of faster training recovery cycles.  If you train 1x a week, you can also switch to 2x a week and modify training, rest and diet and see an improvement in training response....

You can train on a 3-day routine and modify training, rest and diet and increase the cycle even more...Then you can cycle back to a 2x per week with harder training and continue the endless progressions...

If someone asked me what the general recommendation was for a given goal....that guide would be the good starting point.

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Thanks!

I feel like I waste so much poteintial if i only lift once a week i do twice a week and almost feel 3 would be best but try a monday/friday full body workout i kinda like it.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

ORIGINAL: connelly

I feel like I waste so much poteintial if i only lift once a week i do twice a week and almost feel 3 would be best but try a monday/friday full body workout i kinda like it.

why dont u just do monday/wednesday/friday?

ORIGINAL: connelly

I feel like I waste so much poteintial if i only lift once a week i do twice a week and almost feel 3 would be best but try a monday/friday full body workout i kinda like it.

I think 2 times is plenty.

ORIGINAL: PurePower405

ORIGINAL: connelly

I feel like I waste so much poteintial if i only lift once a week i do twice a week and almost feel 3 would be best but try a monday/friday full body workout i kinda like it.

I think 2 times is plenty.

if its a full body workout 3 times would be recommended

ORIGINAL: PurePower405

ORIGINAL: connelly

I feel like I waste so much poteintial if i only lift once a week i do twice a week and almost feel 3 would be best but try a monday/friday full body workout i kinda like it.

I think 2 times is plenty.

I mean for a 2 day split.

How many do it once a day per body part?

No other info?

Muscles atrophy (shrink) when they are not used after a certain period of time.  It really depends on the person and they're metabolism/diet...etc.

Your body has a certain happy point that it likes to be at, and if you don't work the muscle fibers, they will go to that happy homeostatic  area.

By hitting a muscle on day one, it repairs itself in 48 hours and is ready to go by day 3.

so.. essentially, you could hit the muscles every other day, and have 4 days off/week to rest or do some cardio

Just remember.. you grow outside of the gym, not in it.

My name is FOX.... and I approve this message.

ORIGINAL: TheSilverFox

Muscles atrophy (shrink) when they are not used after a certain period of time.  It really depends on the person and they're metabolism/diet...etc.

Your body has a certain happy point that it likes to be at, and if you don't work the muscle fibers, they will go to that happy homeostatic  area.

By hitting a muscle on day one, it repairs itself in 48 hours and is ready to go by day 3.

so.. essentially, you could hit the muscles every other day, and have 4 days off/week to rest or do some cardio

Just remember.. you grow outside of the gym, not in it.

NICE!

I tried 1 time a week per body part and it is GREAT so far!

cool.  just remember pure power that you're body is resting for 6 days before you get back to that muscle group.  which does not force the muscles to grow.

yes.. u will grow, and get strength from isolatory workouts.  but only for a certain amount of time.  

you will plateau eventually and have to change it up. 

My name is FOX.... and I approve this message.