Hello everybody, I am a beginner (actually trained consistently and hard for a few years in the past).
I decided ti give a shot to HIT-ish routine (now to be clear It was 2x6-12 on 9 exercises: bench Press, barbell row, standing ohp, chin ups, dips, alternate dumbell curl, Rdls, heels elevated squats, calf raises).
At First i was progressing nicely by training twice a week, since It suited my schedule. Which means i was resting either 2 or 3 days between workouts. I have noticed that progress was more consistent whenever i rested 3 days.
I think I was right, since It looks like progress Is coming more Linearly and consistently since when i started to rest 3 days between EACH workout (which means One day i workout, then i rest - do cardio - the following 3 days).
HOWEVER it looks to me that my overall training frequency Is embarassingly low, but should I change It unless progress stalls?
To give a bit more context, my goal Is to get lean as i got a bit Chubby, and It looks like I’m slowly losing fat (-4kg since november) while steadily regaining muscle and strength.
If I was in a situation where training more was getting me less results and training less was getting me more results, and my goal was to get more results, I would train less.
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Probably due to stress/calorie deficit/sleep/hydration/amount of training stimulus/genetics and so on (that Is to Say the balance of stimulus and recovery), this Is just the sweet spot for me right now, and if It works It works, why fix something that isnt broken haha
Probably this Is just overthinking, as I see most people training 3-6xweek and i would train LESS than 2xweek
But yeah I also see most people (even beginner) not making real progress while I have been beating my logbook AT LEAST by 1 rep or 5 lbs almost every workout for months on almost every exercise with good form
Instead of doing what most people do, I try to do what most successful people do.
Much smaller pool.
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As others stated, go with what has worked for you. Everyone is different. If it’s working for you, stick with it.
You’re doing great! Please trace my activity back here on Tnation forum to hopefully find valuable advice re HIT strategies twice weekly. In short, my successful full body regimen twice weekly has heavily relied upon shifting strategies between the two workouts and/or cycling different HIT regimen. Occasionally periodization with tweaked programs, where “Fortitude Training” stands out, as well as strength oriented training periods (powerlifting). Lately, after getting to know my response to what stimuli over time, a personalized hybridization routine.
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I’ve been reading these posts for a long time but have never responded…so my first post. Your training program is almost identical to mine. I do 2 sets of squats, RDL’s, bench presses, barbell rows, dumbbell overhead presses, pulldowns, and lateral raises. Sometimes I add arm work and face pulls.
I notice that doing two sets per body part 3 times a week seems to be a “sweet spot” for me. I recover much easier (I’m 63 years old but have been lifting for a long time) and my strength seems to increase with 2 sets vs 3. I had to take a 6 month layoff due to an inguinal hernia. I finally got surgery on November 1st and was able to start again in mid-December.
Although there are alot of “rules” for strength training, all of us are different. The statistical difference between 2 sets and 3 sets is insignificant according to the research. If you are making gains with 2 sets twice a week, stick with it. Program hopping seems to be the thing that affects alot of lifters and leads to no results.
Do what works for you. Check out some stuff from Stuart McRobert and Jay Ferruggia. Both advocate for fewer but more intensive sets. When the whole “3 sets for hypertrophy” guideline came out, two of those sets were actually warmups (ramped) followed by one good, hard set. It also depends on your goals. I work out to stay in shape, maintain health, and maintain some muscle, so it works well for me.