If you’ve ever wondered how many times a week you should work out or — more specifically — how many times a week you should work each body part, simply search the subject on YouTube and set aside approximately 900 hours to wade through it all. In the “YouTube Fitness” world at least, it’s probably the most debated topic. There are studies. There are studies of studies. There are very smart people droning on and on about the studies.
A quick word about studies, particularly ones on workout routines and training schedules: if the difference between the results of one method and another is so imperceptible that we need a study, then we know in advance that the results of the study are insignificant. If there were a significant difference, it would have been obvious to the naked eye long before Pumping Iron was filmed nearly 45 years ago and hence, no need for a study.
But back to the calendar. Your muscles don’t know what day of the week it is, what a week is, or what a calendar is. The only thing they know (or more accurately what your brain knows), is how much stress is applied to them and — maybe — how frequently. The current science seems to favor twice-a-week, but again, what does a week mean to a muscle?
To illustrate this, I’ll use a basic, “old school,” upper/lower split, performed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Week 1 is Monday: Upper, Wednesday: Lower, Friday: Upper.
Week 2 is Monday: Lower, Wednesday: Upper, Friday: Lower.
Week 3 repeats Week 1, and so on…
At first glance, you might think this is insufficient, given that each calendar week half your body is only being worked once. But how many days is it between the first Lower workout (Wednesday) and the second one (Monday)? Is it eight? No. Is it seven? Nope.
It’s five.
Is five less than seven? Yes.
Congratulations, you have worked your legs twice in less than a week.
So, get off the grid that’s in your phone or hanging on your fridge. That only exists to make sure everyone shows up to work at the same time. Your muscles don’t care.
Thanks for reading,
Dan
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