One Workout Per Week?

Hi folks… I was surfing the web, and came across this article (The 5 Most Critical Weight Training Exercises And How To Do Them.) which suggests that a teenage lifter can do one workout per week and make gains. There are two suggested workouts, to be alternated, and they consist of a) squat, barbell bent over row, and incline press and b) deadlift, barbell shoulder press. And supposedly these workouts are going to take 15 minutes?

Now, generally I would dismiss these claims as something to be seen on late night tv infomercials, except this is (I think) a reasonable site. So… what does everyone think, does this have any merit? Maybe it has merit as something to be done 3 or 5 times per week? Or even just as it is presented?

Sure you’ll make gains. At a snail’s pace. Once a week for only 15 minutes. Wow. A beginner would not have the ability to workout that intense to only need 15 minutes of muscle stimulation a week. Mike Mentzer claimed this was needed for more advanced body builders.

Actually that’s very similar to this routine

I like the one I posted better. It DOES work. I’m living proof. Even after a year of HIT I am still making gains. I have log in the Beginner section. See for yourself.

First, it’s talking about teenagers and it says “gains”, which implies any progress over no training at all. 1 workout a week will not be optimal if the goal is strength sports but assuming the teenager is actively involved in sports or some other activity and is eating reasonably, 1 good workout a week will make a difference. It’s a big difference from no training at all. This is actually very similar to how I train my children except I’d do six exercises and take 1 hour. Once a week is still enough though.

Stu

I don’t think that’s a good idea to do that only once a week. I would stick with a 3day fullbody/upper lower or something or the like.

[quote]stuward wrote:
First, it’s talking about teenagers and it says “gains”, which implies any progress over no training at all. 1 workout a week will not be optimal if the goal is strength sports but assuming the teenager is actively involved in sports or some other activity and is eating reasonably, 1 good workout a week will make a difference. It’s a big difference from no training at all. This is actually very similar to how I train my children except I’d do six exercises and take 1 hour. Once a week is still enough though.

Stu[/quote]

How do you train your kids? If I had to train sub 12 year olds I think something like

1:
squat
db bench press
pullups
ghr

Deadlift
db shoulder press
bent over row
calves

and do 2 days a week sort of thing this would be ofc on top of 3+days of practice for w/e sport a week +games/meets/etc

[quote]stuward wrote:
First, it’s talking about teenagers and it says “gains”, which implies any progress over no training at all. 1 workout a week will not be optimal if the goal is strength sports but assuming the teenager is actively involved in sports or some other activity and is eating reasonably, 1 good workout a week will make a difference. It’s a big difference from no training at all. This is actually very similar to how I train my children except I’d do six exercises and take 1 hour. Once a week is still enough though.

Stu[/quote]

I agree that progress can be made. I don’t think any workout should take 3-4 hours as the author suggested they do. 30-45 minutes is doable for good results. Since the OP is posting here and came from bb.com, I’m assuming he wants more than average or minimal results. I don’t think 1 workout a week is going to give him the results he is seeking.

Dude, You’re right and for guys like zephead or anyone else looking for optimal gains, 3-4 days a week is the way to go. For 13-14 year olds who are just starting out and can only get to a gym once a week, this program is fine.

It’s all a question of what the goal is. I’d be surprised if one kid in 10 actually picks up a barbell at all. 1 in 10 of those train like zephead. You’re not a teenager anymore so you don’t count. :slight_smile:

It’s a case of good/better/best. If this gets more kids to the gym, this is a good thing.

Stu

The OP is an engineering student, so let’s hope its college. So I don’t he is a teen as well.

Beautifully stated. Ok it wasn’t beautiful but it is true.

[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
stuward wrote:

how do you train your kids? If I had to train sub 12 year olds I think something like

1:
squat
db bench press
pullups
ghr

Deadlift
db shoulder press
bent over row
calves

and do 2 days a week sort of thing this would be ofc on top of 3+days of practice for w/e sport a week +games/meets/etc
[/quote]

My son is 14 and my daughter is 16. My son took to squats right away but my daughter found them really awkward and didn’t like them at all. Both were better with deadlifts. It’s just more intuitive. My son really liked pull ups and dips.

Both liked leg press. My daughter likes dumbbells better than barbells bu for my son it’s the other way around. Both regularly work out with body weight at home and I take them to the gym once in a while.

I think this program on top of regular bodyweight training is fine. If the training lights a fire they should train like you do, but it hasn’t caught fire yet.

Stu

[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
Sure you’ll make gains. At a snail’s pace. Once a week for only 15 minutes. Wow. A beginner would not have the ability to workout that intense to only need 15 minutes of muscle stimulation a week. Mike Mentzer claimed this was needed for more advanced body builders.

Actually that’s very similar to this routine

I like the one I posted better. It DOES work. I’m living proof. Even after a year of HIT I am still making gains. I have log in the Beginner section. See for yourself.[/quote]

Mr Dude, you’ve got me sold on this Rippetoe program with the gains I’ve seen on your thread. I’ll be starting at about where you started… I’d love to see the gains you’ve made applied to myself. I think I’ll start my own log thread too…nothing like having your progress visible to a bunch of real lifters to get the motivation going :stuck_out_tongue:

[quote]stuward wrote:
Dude, You’re right and for guys like zephead or anyone else looking for optimal gains, 3-4 days a week is the way to go. For 13-14 year olds who are just starting out and can only get to a gym once a week, this program is fine. It’s all a question of what the goal is. I’d be surprised if one kid in 10 actually picks up a barbell at all. 1 in 10 of those train like zephead. You’re not a teenager anymore so you don’t count. :slight_smile:

It’s a case of good/better/best. If this gets more kids to the gym, this is a good thing.

Stu[/quote]

Listen to stuward he knows his stuff. and I’m not just saying that because of the compliment. He’s probably the best person on here helping in the beginers forum.

edit-
stuward I know you’ve probably thought of this but just in case:
I’ve had MUCH better luck getting new lifters to start/continue squatting on a slightly below parralel box. it’s more comfortable/easy to tell if your doing it right/works really well. It’s also easier for people to hit depth with it due to confidence issues because they know theres a stopper there.

Beginners, as long as their in good health, will make gains doing ANYTHING.

Beginners who are drinking a lot, have a drug habit, eat only 1 big meal a day, or are ill by other means will only be torn apart by physical activity. This is true for anyone.

But as long as a beginner is healthy enough to recover from a workout, pretty much anything will work for them for at least 6 weeks. Hell, maybe 6 months for some people.

I’ve read somewhere that Beginners can achieve gains from using as little as 40% of their max for some lifts. Many beginners are also so neurologically efficient that they can use just 5 pounds less than their max for 10 reps.

What’s optimal is probably 3-6 days that includes some type of rigorous physical activity.

A N3wb to weight training should start out with a program that’s as simple as possible while still giving them optimal results. Doing just pull-ups, push-ups and Squats or Lunges will be enough in the very beginning.

[quote]illwerral wrote:
Mr Dude, you’ve got me sold on this Rippetoe program with the gains I’ve seen on your thread. I’ll be starting at about where you started… I’d love to see the gains you’ve made applied to myself. I think I’ll start my own log thread too…nothing like having your progress visible to a bunch of real lifters to get the motivation going :P[/quote]

Please don’t call me mister, I’m only 29 :wink: I know what works for me. I emphasize me because each person responds differently. I tried bodybuilder and HIT routines. They didn’t give me the results like Rippetoe. I hope you do Rippetoe and have more success than me, but it is no guarantee. You have to work hard, eat, and rest.

The rest shall be the issue… my seven courses with midterms and assignments and such are not conducive to sleep. Either that or sleep isn’t conducive to good marks. Either way it’s a rip-off…