You’re right. I should have left this conversation long ago.
[quote]Cgunz wrote:
You’re right. I should have left this conversation long ago. [/quote]
Yep…before you even posted.
Goodbye now?
[quote]Cgunz wrote:
Guys, chill out. I used to care as much as you did. I spent a month abroad and still found a gym even thoug it cost the equivalent of $250 and was a 30 min subway ride each way. I’ve had squat racks in my basement before. Now, I just don’t care that much. I enjoy litfting, but I enjoy a lot of other things too. I fgure that on my deathbed, I will regret not working on my faith or my relatonships more than not working on my triceps.
I’m not critisizing anyone here for spending mammoth amounts of their short lives just talking about how to make their soon-to-decompose bodies better, let alone doing so in the gym. I don’t care how you spend your time, and I don’t see why anyone gives two shits about how I spend mine. I asked a question about the best lifts in a strange program, not for life advice.
Over the rest of my life, that extra 2 or 3 workouts a week equals a lot of missed time doing other things that are more important to me. Does the fact that lifting is not of paramount importance in my life mean I shouldn’t post on this forum, or pretend I’m a beginnr even though I haven’t missed more than a week of lifting in ten years? Maybe so. I won’t make that mistake again.[/quote]
That is some seriously condescending bullshit.
You HAVE to be trolling.
Is this another Brick screen name?
Reluctantly adding my two cents…
[quote]Cgunz wrote:
My goal is pretty much to maintain, maybe with gradual cuts or bulks via diet.[/quote]
Without some kind of increase in training, I’d expect you to, at best, maintain your current mystery physique. But more likely, you’ll eventually start regressing. You’ve said you’re happy with your current physique (what’s your current height, weight, and level of fatness?), but if you’re not carrying much muscle right now, there won’t be much to actually “maintain”, which makes it all the more pointless to just do the bare minimum.
Also, best of luck cutting and bulking via diet only, with no change in exercise. With the hectic schedule you’re talking about, I can’t imagine your nutrition being 100% spot-on at all times.
[quote]Decline bench (I’m in love with this lift)
Overhead squat
Weighted chinups
Deadlift
Dumbbell shoulder press[/quote]
Austin_bicep had solid advice for designing a one and done workout. Pick a handful of exercises that you know you respond best to, and work them hard. If you’re not sure which exercises work best for you, that’s another indicator that this is a terrible plan from the get-go.
Right here, you answered your own question about the biggest problem with this strategy.
That’s one word for it. But you know what, do what you want to do for six weeks, and post your results (with pictures) here some time in February. You’ll either get some "Told ya so"s or some “props”, as the kids say.
Are you absolutely sure you can’t find even 20 or 30 minutes twice a week to train? Weekends, early morning, late night, something? Crazy-busy schedules that balance personal and professional lives are one thing, but training once a week is so close to not even training at all, it’s almost hard to believe that you still want to make the effort.
To keep the in-gym time down, you might want to look into “high intensity”-type training. It usually involves fewer total sets and shorter workouts (often under a half-hour per workout). There have been a few articles about them, but even then, you’ll need to set aside a few more training days (or get some home equipment).
In an extreme example, Mike Mentzer wrote a lot about infrequent, high intensity training. He went so far as to recommend eventually adopting a super-minimalist training routine:
Workout One
Squat or leg press
Reverse-grip pulldown
Workout Two
Deadlift or shrug
Dip
Do workout one, rest seven days, do workout two, rest seven days, repeat. Each exercise is done for one set to total balls-out failure, I believe usually 6-8 or 8-10 reps.
But whatever. It seems like the issue is actually kinda resolved at this point. Just thought I’d throw out some more ideas.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
[quote]Loudog75 wrote:
I’m calling BS.
I used to work out one day per week sometimes 2 days every other week.
Here were my stats from 2 years ago as I was in the same place and just looking to kinda maintain.
6’3 220lbs 25-28% BF
Bench 225 Max (Generous Estimate)
Squat 255 Max (Generous Estimate)
Deadlift - IDK , never did them.
If you want to be as swole as I was, use a similar system op.
Or you could just join a 24 hour fitness and workout at 4 or 5 AM in the morning like I do now. Allows me to workout first before I’m depleted, get into the office and put up a 50-60 hr work week, come home and be a father and a husband.[/quote]
Really? You used to be damn near 30% body fat?
Are you serious or joking because I never would have guessed that.
Then again, my training partner looks like he is damn near ready for IFBB but claims he used to be a fat kid.[/quote]
No, not that high but I was a fat bastard!! I’ve only been fat twice in my life - as a toddler and when I first moved to Texas. Good food, office job and a weekend warrior attitude in the gym. Get’s em everytime.
[quote]Cgunz wrote:
I’ve been lifting seriously for a number of years, but for various reasons in my professional and personal life, from now on I can only make it to the gym once a week for weights. My goal is pretty much to maintain, maybe with gradual cuts or bulks via diet. What do you think about the following program on that day:
Decline bench (I’m in love with this lift)
Overhead squat
Weighted chinups
Deadlift
Dumbbell shoulder press
If this looks like a decent program, what set/rep ranges should I do, keeping in mind that this is going to be pretty taxing if I have to go max effort on every body part? One thing I’ve considered is each week rotating the order of the lifts so that each week I hit a new one when I’m fresh.
I should note that I pretty much do this program now, but spread out over three days, and each body part is usually sore up until the next week’s lift, so I think the volume is pretty good. The challenge, of course, is that when I deadlift, I pretty much ONLY deadlift, and I’m dead afterwards. So this will be interesting.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.[/quote]
(1. you say that your professional and personal life is getting in the way of you going to the gym. to that i say BULLSHIT!
one of my freinds is like that. he says he has too much homework to go to the gym more than twice a week. i asked him what else he does, he told me he’s on facebook for 5 hours a day and plays video games(black ops). he has plenty of time, he just wastes it on unproductive stuff.
if you’re really serious about this(which i doubt you are), MAKE TIME. limit television(record your favorite shows), and you’ll see that you have time to spare.
(2. if you really have professional and personal problems that are getting in the way, fix them.
[quote]Loudog75 wrote:
[quote]Professor X wrote:
[quote]Loudog75 wrote:
I’m calling BS.
I used to work out one day per week sometimes 2 days every other week.
Here were my stats from 2 years ago as I was in the same place and just looking to kinda maintain.
6’3 220lbs 25-28% BF
Bench 225 Max (Generous Estimate)
Squat 255 Max (Generous Estimate)
Deadlift - IDK , never did them.
If you want to be as swole as I was, use a similar system op.
Or you could just join a 24 hour fitness and workout at 4 or 5 AM in the morning like I do now. Allows me to workout first before I’m depleted, get into the office and put up a 50-60 hr work week, come home and be a father and a husband.[/quote]
Really? You used to be damn near 30% body fat?
Are you serious or joking because I never would have guessed that.
Then again, my training partner looks like he is damn near ready for IFBB but claims he used to be a fat kid.[/quote]
No, not that high but I was a fat bastard!! I’ve only been fat twice in my life - as a toddler and when I first moved to Texas. Good food, office job and a weekend warrior attitude in the gym. Get’s em everytime.[/quote]
Yeah, but “fat bastard” to you probably means “18%” body fat. I would have to see pictures to believe that.
Considering the real fat bastards who live in Texas, my guess is, they still considered you one of the skinny ones.
Either way, your avatar seems to be showing progress…so either you finally started eating and taking advantage of those genetics, or these are “My Space angles”.
Don’t let everyone dissuade you, most of them are just trying to help, with their own brand of aggressive, superior, knowitall attitudes. That said, they’re right. 1 day a week with a program comprised of all those intense lifts will probably make you hit a point of diminishing returns faster than it will do much else. I urge you to try something a bit more logical, given what we all know about training, at this time. I’d rather see someone deadlift once a week, and try to hit one other big lift later in the week.
Train at home if you absolutely can’t make it to the gym. Get a chin up bar and a set of power rings, it will open up infinite possibilities. In the past, I’ve done quite well with a deadlift day, a ring day, and another day focusing on things like handstand pushups, various chinning movements, etc. Its not going to win you any bodybuilding competitions, but at least you won’t be a fatass, assuming you eat half decently. And if you don’t eat half decently, and if you want to win bodybuilding shows, you need a bloody therapist anyway. Cheers
[quote]Cgunz wrote:
I’ve been lifting seriously for a number of years, but for various reasons in my professional and personal life, from now on I can only make it to the gym once a week for weights. My goal is pretty much to maintain, maybe with gradual cuts or bulks via diet. What do you think about the following program on that day:
Decline bench (I’m in love with this lift)
Overhead squat
Weighted chinups
Deadlift
Dumbbell shoulder press
If this looks like a decent program, what set/rep ranges should I do, keeping in mind that this is going to be pretty taxing if I have to go max effort on every body part? One thing I’ve considered is each week rotating the order of the lifts so that each week I hit a new one when I’m fresh.
I should note that I pretty much do this program now, but spread out over three days, and each body part is usually sore up until the next week’s lift, so I think the volume is pretty good. The challenge, of course, is that when I deadlift, I pretty much ONLY deadlift, and I’m dead afterwards. So this will be interesting.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.[/quote]
[quote]Professor X wrote:
[quote]Cgunz wrote:
You’re right. I should have left this conversation long ago. [/quote]
Yep…before you even posted.
Goodbye now?[/quote]
Didn’t you say they made you a mod or something? And implied that this is your ‘job’?
You should probably just close this then? I mean 90% of your posts in this topic were just insults, so um, good job you’re doing awesome at moderating.
Oh this is a juicy thread.
Time to muddy up the waters a bit.
When I’m on business travel out of the country (not often thank goodness), there are times when getting to a gym simply won’t happen. This is either due to the country/city not having a gym in close proximity or simply no time left in the day/night for training.
I hate these types of trips. If they weren’t necessary for business, I would simply not go.
Nevertheless, what is one to do?
The longest trip I went on where it was simply too difficult to get to a proper gym on a regular basis was a month. During that time, I was able to hit a gym only once a week and simply had to improvise the remaining days. I didn’t do anything fancy except to make sure I hit the big movements and moved the biggest weights on that one day (this is NOT optimal, but sometimes one has simply no choice). For me, that means what I can the “big 5”: squats, deadlifts, benching, rowing, and overhead pressing.
On the other “non-gym” days, I improvised as best I could. Luckily I was able to bring my travel chin bar and was able to do chins. Depending on what room you stay at, the chairs might be sturdy enough to do dips. When my wife comes with me on my business trips (she did during that month long ordeal), she gets on my shoulders and I do set after set of dips that way. If my sons were with me, they would hang onto my back when I did pullups/chins…they had a blast doing this…I had a blast kicking the crap out of my back and bis.
The name of the game here is that I tried to still train everyday…load the muscle in some way. Somethings I simply was not able to conceive of a way to load the muscle…those were the breaks.
So if you can only make it to the gym once a week, I think it is imperative that you at least get some equipment so you can do something in your home. A pullup bar and some dipping bars are the minimum I think. Get a dipping belt and buy some plates to add on when you dip and chin and I think you are good to go. Seriously.
[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:
Random Question…
Are there still training effects after a period of exercise is over?
Say someone lifts hard for 12 weeks then has a two week break…will that person keep growing or start losing?
[/quote]
Many people take a week off every 8 to 12 weeks of training with no ill effects over the long term. Actually, Sebastian Burns (700+ bencher takes every 5th to 6th week off, if I remember correctly.)
[quote]Cgunz wrote:
[quote]riddle22 wrote:
Assuming you’ve built a respectable amount of muscle in the years you have been lifting, it would be tough to maintain with only one day a week. In the short term you would be fine (it could almost be a beneficial deload if you’ve been training hard enough recently), but after a while you would see noticeable strength and size losses.
If you haven’t built a respectable amount of muscle already, then one day a week is probably plenty to maintain whatever you have gained.
If for some reason I could absolutely only make it to the gym once a week, I would buy some adjustable dumbbells to use at home. Do all your big lifts the one day that you can make it to the gym and do isolation work and focus on some of the smaller muscles at home. Even if it’s just two additional brief workouts in addition to the one longer workout, you would be glad you included them.
Personally, I started grad school last year and switched to 2-3 relatively short (about 60 min) sessions a week and have still been seeing gains. Obviously these gains are slower than if I devoted more time and yes, if I really wanted to I could find the time to spend more time training. Honestly though, it’s not my #1 priority in life right now so it’s on the backburner. Don’t let people pass judgment on you because you’ve decided there are other things more important than training. A lot of people like to adopt an all or nothing mentality, but I think that’s completely unnecessary.[/quote]
Wait a sec, 60 minute is a short workout? I almost never lift that long on a normal workout. I think you guys do way more volume than I do. Is that why everyone is saying this would be bad? Too little volume?
[/quote]
You’ll most likely have to use more volume to get a training response if you reduce frequency to once per week.
[quote]buffd_samurai wrote:
Oh this is a juicy thread.
Time to muddy up the waters a bit.
When I’m on business travel out of the country (not often thank goodness), there are times when getting to a gym simply won’t happen. This is either due to the country/city not having a gym in close proximity or simply no time left in the day/night for training.
I hate these types of trips. If they weren’t necessary for business, I would simply not go.
Nevertheless, what is one to do?
The longest trip I went on where it was simply too difficult to get to a proper gym on a regular basis was a month. During that time, I was able to hit a gym only once a week and simply had to improvise the remaining days. I didn’t do anything fancy except to make sure I hit the big movements and moved the biggest weights on that one day (this is NOT optimal, but sometimes one has simply no choice). For me, that means what I can the “big 5”: squats, deadlifts, benching, rowing, and overhead pressing.
On the other “non-gym” days, I improvised as best I could. Luckily I was able to bring my travel chin bar and was able to do chins. Depending on what room you stay at, the chairs might be sturdy enough to do dips. When my wife comes with me on my business trips (she did during that month long ordeal), she gets on my shoulders and I do set after set of dips that way. If my sons were with me, they would hang onto my back when I did pullups/chins…they had a blast doing this…I had a blast kicking the crap out of my back and bis.
The name of the game here is that I tried to still train everyday…load the muscle in some way. Somethings I simply was not able to conceive of a way to load the muscle…those were the breaks.
So if you can only make it to the gym once a week, I think it is imperative that you at least get some equipment so you can do something in your home. A pullup bar and some dipping bars are the minimum I think. Get a dipping belt and buy some plates to add on when you dip and chin and I think you are good to go. Seriously. [/quote]
Good stuff. I travel a lot for work as well and 9/10 of the time I can find a local gym to hit. Once in a great while I’m forced to take a few days off.
The difference between what some have posted for alternatives and the OP’s apparent situation is that the alternatives are temporary. Sure, a month might blunt progress, but that’s easy enough to catch up to.
OP’s situation sounds like it’s long-term/permanent. I’m no expert but I’m skeptical that real progress, at least in a bodybuilding context, can be expected with just one workout per week. Of course, there’s always a freak out there, but generally speaking…
This thread is such bullshit.
After reading through all these pages, one can only come to one conclusion:
If you can only train once per week, DON’T POST IN THE BODYBUILDING FORUM!
[quote]Sarev0k wrote:
This thread is such bullshit.
After reading through all these pages, one can only come to one conclusion:
If you can only train once per week, DON’T POST IN THE BODYBUILDING FORUM![/quote]
You’re so hardcore.
[quote]riddle22 wrote:
[quote]Sarev0k wrote:
This thread is such bullshit.
After reading through all these pages, one can only come to one conclusion:
If you can only train once per week, DON’T POST IN THE BODYBUILDING FORUM![/quote]
You’re so hardcore.[/quote]
Oh you told me broski, get your curls up to 30 reps yet with those 15’s?
If you don’t think this thread is a joke, you probably should be on BB.com
[quote]Sarev0k wrote:
Oh you told me broski, get your curls up to 30 reps yet with those 15’s?[/quote]
In real life or my internet persona? I’m trying to stay natural, so I haven’t started creatine yet.
Really though, by reiterating what was already said, only with caps and an exclamation point, you really contributed to this amazing thread. Maybe I should start posting on bodybuilding.com. If I want to be a true internet warrior I should listen to the best, right?