training each body part once a week vs. two

i've been training each bodypart once a week, instead of twice (which is what i used to do).  it feels like i've lost some muscle mass/hardness and was wondering if that's anything i should expect? 

sorry if it's a stupid question, i'm just confused, and don'd know the answer...

ORIGINAL: boomersooner1331

i've been training each bodypart once a week, instead of twice (which is what i used to do).  it feels like i've lost some muscle mass/hardness and was wondering if that's anything i should expect? 

sorry if it's a stupid question, i'm just confused, and don'd know the answer...

 
Hey boomer
I'm just the opposite...I just switched from once a week to twice a week and was wondering if I was giving myself enough time to recover....LOL

Current supps: Cell Tech,Superpump 250,Animal pak,ON 100% whey

have you decreased overall volume or intensity?

ORIGINAL: David1991

have you decreased overall volume or intensity?

as far as intensity goes, i've been doing much much more. 

i'll use chest as an example.  i trained my chest on monday, and it felt good tuesday, wednesday, and some of thursday. then it felt like i was losing volume/mass and hardness

ORIGINAL: boomersooner1331

ORIGINAL: David1991

have you decreased overall volume or intensity?

as far as intensity goes, i've been doing much much more. 

i'll use chest as an example.  i trained my chest on monday, and it felt good tuesday, wednesday, and some of thursday. then it felt like i was losing volume/mass and hardness

i asked if you decreased volume or intensity, im not sure what you just tried to explain lol.  what were you doing before and what are you doing now as far as the routine goes. use your chest and back for example

ORIGINAL: David1991

ORIGINAL: boomersooner1331

ORIGINAL: David1991

have you decreased overall volume or intensity?

as far as intensity goes, i've been doing much much more. 

i'll use chest as an example.  i trained my chest on monday, and it felt good tuesday, wednesday, and some of thursday. then it felt like i was losing volume/mass and hardness

i asked if you decreased volume or intensity, im not sure what you just tried to explain lol.  what were you doing before and what are you doing now as far as the routine goes. use your chest and back for example

aight, i think we're on two different channels.

this is what i used to do for chest:
Monday---Chest - bench, incline bench, flat flys, incline flys.....4 sets 8-12 reps ON each one

this is what i've been doing. 

Monday--- INC. DB PRESS - 12-10-8 Reps     INC DB FLYES - 10-10-10 Reps     DECLINE BB PRESS - 10-10-10-10 Reps     DECLINE DB FLYES (OPT) - 10-10-10 Reps     BENCH PRESS - 10-10-8-8 Reps     FLAT DB FLYES (OPT) - 10-10-10 Reps    

you said you used to train your muscles twice a week though right? so for the first example would you do that again a second time in the week?

ORIGINAL: David1991

you said you used to train your muscles twice a week though right? so for the first example would you do that again a second time in the week?

yeah, thursday too.  my bad

it was monday- arms and chest
tuesday- shoulders and back
wed-legs
thurs-arms chest
friday-shoulders and back

well theres 2 things i notice. one is that your going from a weekly volume of 32 sets to 20 sets. and secondly your training 20 sets for chest in one session! you probably killing it in that day and "overreaching" if youve been doing high volume that long. honestly i think your doing way too much both ways

ORIGINAL: David1991

well theres 2 things i notice. one is that your going from a weekly volume of 32 sets to 20 sets. and secondly your training 20 sets for chest in one session! you probably killing it in that day and "overreaching" if youve been doing high volume that long. honestly i think your doing way too much both ways

that's what i had originally thought was the problem. but i disregarded it. 

I'll have to put something else together then.  thanks David

I was going to say as far as workload regarding sets dont you generally wanna stick to 9-12 for compounds...

20 really does seem like overkill

ORIGINAL: boomersooner1331

ORIGINAL: David1991

well theres 2 things i notice. one is that your going from a weekly volume of 32 sets to 20 sets. and secondly your training 20 sets for chest in one session! you probably killing it in that day and "overreaching" if youve been doing high volume that long. honestly i think your doing way too much both ways

that's what i had originally thought was the problem. but i disregarded it. 

I'll have to put something else together then.  thanks David

current 3x3 max's (Work in progress)
Squat:325
Deadlift:380
Bench:265
BB Row:225
My lifting journal
http://strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php?p=16591#post16591

ORIGINAL: deadlysuperstar

ORIGINAL: boomersooner1331

i'll use chest as an example.  i trained my chest on monday, and it felt good tuesday, wednesday, and some of thursday. then it felt like i was losing volume/mass and hardness

That is totally normal. That is seriously exactly what happens to me. You aren't losing volume or mass at all, it just means your muscles have fully recovered.

If I worked out my chest on a Monday, it would feel good tuesday, wednesday, and if I go to the beach or w/e and hit up pushups to show out, I can keep that feeling throughout Thursday, but Friday it's gone.

It's not even DOMS or anything. It's hard to describe but honestly, it just means your muscles have fully recovered.

Some argue that it takes 48-72 hours for your muscles to fully recover... which is exactly how long you've described having that voluminous feeling... 48-72 hours.

That's my take on it.

yeah i can see that, it makes alot of sense.

OK.. so I have a question for anyone who cares to answer.
 
If everyone agrees it only takes 48-72 hours for the muscle to recover, what is the point in allowing the muscles to go un-worked for another 96 hours?
 
If you're training for general health, I understand but if you're training for Hypertrophy or strength, it makes absolutely no sense what so ever...
 
Please elaborate and enlighten me on this methodology where a muscle is only worked 1 X per week and explain the benefits of it.. In more detail, explain what's going on with the muscles in those 96 hours it's doing nothing and explain how that is a functional way to train.. Details please..
 
 

There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing

 

2 things..
1. i dont think most people should only train the muscle once a week

unless...

2. they are doing very high volume and/or high intensity workouts where they will need more than 72 hours to recover.

if someone is doing 6 sets for chest i think they can definitely hit it again in 3-4 days. if they're doing 9+ sets using intensive methods they will need longer. basically frequency will be related to intensity and volume

OK... I somewhat agree with that but lets look at the other side of the coin... Who would these people be that are hitting their muscles with so much intensity that they might need a full week to recover.  As we all know, for both strength and hypertrophy, the muscle only needs micro-damage in order for strength and growth to take place..

Micro: very small, tiny,..etc.....

So other than someone such as an anabolic steroid injecting pro, who are these people that are at a level where they would need to do 20 plus sets of intense work on a muscle to achieve micro-damage???.. so again..

I ask, even if the muscles hasn't fully recovered after 72 hours.. what is the benefit of allowing it another 96 hours to do so.. Studies have shown that a muscle doesn't need to fully recover before it can be stimulated again... Please, anyone who cares to jump in and, I'll repeat.. EXPLAIN IN DETAIL THE BENEFITS OF THIS...

Thanks for your reply David, I'm farily confident you and I are on the same page with this..  but I'm looking for a little more in depth answer...

FYI, I've done some fairly gruesome workouts and can't ever recall needing longer than 2-3 days to fully recover, or at least recover enough to hit the muscle again within a few days...

ORIGINAL: David1991

2 things..
1. i dont think most people should only train the muscle once a week

unless...

2. they are doing very high volume and/or high intensity workouts where they will need more than 72 hours to recover.

if someone is doing 6 sets for chest i think they can definitely hit it again in 3-4 days. if they're doing 9+ sets using intensive methods they will need longer. basically frequency will be related to intensity and volume

There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing