recovery

[beginnerbb]

to build muscle size, how long do your muscles need between workouts, ie is it better to go for a standard push/pull/legs routine where each muscle group will be given a week between each workout do your muscles REALLY need this much?, or is it better to go for 3 full body workouts, or somewhere inbetween? I am 100% natural, steroid free as i know that makes a difference.

 

[ectomorph141]

My workout follows the push/pull/legs routine with a little mix.

Tuesday - Chest and Triceps
Wednesday - Back and Biceps
Friday - Legs and Shoulders

I have experimented with different layouts and this routine works very well for me. It also gives plenty of time between workouts so they dont conflict with other muscles and also have time to heal before the next workout. Everyone is different so its best to experiement to see what works for you.

 

[CaptainNapalm]

You'd need to stimulate each major muscle group at least twice a week if your goal is to pack on muscle mass in general. I've done both methods over the years where I did each muscle group only once a week and then I would do each muscle group twice a week and I would always pack on more muscle during the twice/week split. Three times a week (full body) is a bit much for me as I would feel that I'm not giving my body enough time to rest but I've heard of others, especially beginners, do well on this program.

 

[beginnerbb]

does anyone have any scientific journals or some literature of some kind addressing this? Thanks for the info so far, ectomorph141 how many sets do you do per muscle group and are you natural?

 

[ectomorph141]

does anyone have any scientific journals or some literature of some kind addressing this? Thanks for the info so far, ectomorph141 how many sets do you do per muscle group and are you natural?

I am natural. The only thing I take is scoop or 2 of protein powder as a post workout meal. Back when I was bulking up I took more protein each day. I usually do 4-5 sets per workout with about 1 minute between sets. No more than 1 min 30 seconds between sets. Sometimes I also do supersets. If you only work a specific muscle group once a week make sure to hit it hard with multiple exercises.

 

[beginnerbb]

what do other people find effective for building mass? what rep range? 5-8 reps?

 

[ALBOB]

to build muscle size, how long do your muscles need between workouts, ie is it better to go for a standard push/pull/legs routine where each muscle group will be given a week between each workout do your muscles REALLY need this much?, or is it better to go for 3 full body workouts, or somewhere inbetween? I am 100% natural, steroid free as i know that makes a difference.

That's something only you can answer. Everybody is different with different recouperative abilities. Your body's ability to repair itself depends on genetics, your diet, the amount of high quality rest you get between workouts, how hard you push each workout, etc.

What you should strive for is to get stronger with each and every workout. I'm not talking about just adding weight to the bar either. If you can just get one more repetition with the same amount of weight you used in your last workout then, you got stronger. That's what you want to do and that's why keeping a very precise journal of your workouts is so important. You need to be able to track your progress.

If you are getting stronger each workout then you're doing great. If not, if you plateau or get weaker, you've got a problem. The most common problem is not enough time between workouts. But other factors may come into play such as what I listed above; diet, rest, etc. You just have to adjust your routine until you get back on track and start making gains again.

 

[Phineas]

what do other people find effective for building mass? what rep range? 5-8 reps?

Theoretically, you can put on muscle mass with any rep range. At the end of the day, it all comes down to diet.

I've always had more results with mass gain (hypertrophy) in the mid-rep ranges (3 x 8 - 3 x 10). Then again, everyone is different.

Play around with rep ranges, intensities, and training techniques and find a program that's suitable to you.

 

[ALBOB]

Theoretically, you can put on muscle mass with any rep range. At the end of the day, it all comes down to diet.

I've always had more results with mass gain (hypertrophy) in the mid-rep ranges (3 x 8 - 3 x 10). Then again, everyone is different.

Play around with rep ranges, intensities, and training techniques and find a program that's suitable to you.

Yep, what he said. And also remember that each individual body part may be different. Whereas my chest responds well to an 8-12 rep range, my lats respond better to an 18-22 rep range. Experiment and find what works best for each of your body parts.

 

[Gazhole]

Legs generally respond to higher reps/volume, but i generally use 3's and 5's for everything else, and i don't have any trouble putting on weight if the food is there. Progressive overload is the key factor as far as training goes. Doesn't really matter what or how you accomplish it, just that you do.

As for recovery, don't forget about systemic recovery as well as local body-part recovery. Your CNS takes a beating as well as your muscles. I try to put in about the same amount of rest days as training days.