Muscle Recovery: Definitive Answer

[Tommy Seoul]

Okay, I've heard a lot of good explanations for all the different reasons and I want to know, for sure; how long do I need to let a major muscle group recover before I can train it again?

I.E., should I be bench pressing once, twice or three times a week?

Trying not to just work really hard and short-circuit my results. Couldn't find a hard and fast answer in the stickies or FAQs. Thanks.

 

[Barut]

Unless you're benching 1.5 - 2 times your BW, sitck with benching heavy once a week. If you are in the 1.5 - 2 times BW range you might want to take a look at Westside Barbell programs/ME and DE style programs.

I'm going to assume that you just asked about bench as an example and that you actually do squat and deadlift. Read the stickies. Carnal has a good starter routine as does Urban on his website.

What does you current routine consist of? (List the days you lift, the rep and set scheme that you use with each exercise. Saying "I do back on monday, chest on wed, and lower body on friday" doesn't give anyone an accurate idea of your training.) What are your goals? How old are you? How much do you weigh? What are you current max lifts? How much wood could a woodchuck chuck?

 

[bacon]

This is difficult to question answer. The amount of wood that woodchucks would chuck on a given day varies greatly with the individual woodchuck. According to a Wall Street Journal article, New York State wildlife expert Richard Thomas found that a woodchuck could chuck around 35 cubic feet of dirt in the course of digging a burrow. Thomas reasoned that if a woodchuck could chuck wood, he would chuck an amount equal to 700 pounds.


BTW, Sally sells seashells by the seashore so she can buy crack.

 

[CarnalSalvation]

There are no definitive answers, or hard and fast rules with lifting.

It's an art, not a science.

 

[JohhnyDakota]

yah id say no definiteive answer. u can only really rule out the extremes like 7 days a week of high volume and intensity.

 

[farmboy]

Yeah, I started using Carnal's template, adjusted it to suit me, took a little of what I learned from some of Keith Wassung's articles, and so far it's been working pretty well for me. Carnal's template has you doing the major muscle groups once a week.

 

[fat_wilhelm]

In my opininon, you're best sticking to once a week unless your second day is a light, dynamic effort day, but as Barut suggested, that is better suited to those who have already progressed to a certain point.

Bacon, have you not talked to Sally in a while? I didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but she OD'd about three weeks ago. I thought it seemed strange that I didn't see you at her funeral, but now I know you never received the news. I'm sorry you have to find out via an internet forum.

 

[bacon]

In my opininon, you're best sticking to once a week unless your second day is a light, dynamic effort day, but as Barut suggested, that is better suited to those who have already progressed to a certain point.

Bacon, have you not talked to Sally in a while? I didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but she OD'd about three weeks ago. I thought it seemed strange that I didn't see you at her funeral, but now I know you never received the news. I'm sorry you have to find out via an internet forum.

Figures....Bitch owed me 10 bux

 

[Tommy Seoul]

Okay, as far as details...

Currently I do an upper body set alternated with a power cord set every day, basically, so that's like thrice a week.

Upper body (Mon, Wed, Fri) Bench Press, bicep curls, tricep pull-downs, military overhead press, shrugs

Body chord/abdominals, lower back, obliques (Tues, Thurs, Sat) incline sit-ups with added weight for resistance, lower back lifts, side oblique lifts (all with weight added).

I have read proponents of Push/Pull/Squat but it seems to neglect the body chord (abs, obliques, lower back) which my strength and conditioning coach always stressed to me as the most essential group of muscles in the body. (Helps with balancing, body control, calorie management, etc.) Also, squatting isn't really a priority in my weight lifting regime.

Any added insights? Fair enough there is no hard and fast rule, (there never is goddamn it) but I'm assuming three a week could easily be qualified as excessive?

 

[bacon]

Okay, as far as details...

Currently I do an upper body set alternated with a power cord set every day, basically, so that's like thrice a week.

Upper body (Mon, Wed, Fri) Bench Press, bicep curls, tricep pull-downs, military overhead press, shrugs

Body chord/abdominals, lower back, obliques (Tues, Thurs, Sat) incline sit-ups with added weight for resistance, lower back lifts, side oblique lifts (all with weight added).

I have read proponents of Push/Pull/Squat but it seems to neglect the body chord (abs, obliques, lower back) which my strength and conditioning coach always stressed to me as the most essential group of muscles in the body. (Helps with balancing, body control, calorie management, etc.) Also, squatting isn't really a priority in my weight lifting regime.

Any added insights? Fair enough there is no hard and fast rule, (there never is goddamn it) but I'm assuming three a week could easily be qualified as excessive?

1) Its CORE, not chord.
2) Bicep Curls are to be done only in a closet while wearing mass quantities of pink, and no small amount of lip gloss (the cheap glittery kind that gets all over your...sorry) But more importantly, bicep curls should be performed only AFTER a good pullup session.
3) You have no lower body lifts which leads me to believe you are either a) already in the aforementioned closet.... b) you just want to look good and care nothing of strength (you're in the wrong forum) or c) you're a parapallegic....in which case I appologise, but only a little.
4) Read the stickies, build a real fuckin routine.

 

[CarnalSalvation]

if you have AIM, PM me, my screename is the same as my name here, I'd be pleased to talk to you about training, and even make you a custom routine if you're interested. Free of charge (feel like I have to point that out since the days of James Smith).

 

[DEVILsSON]

Okay, as far as details...

Currently I do an upper body set alternated with a power cord set every day, basically, so that's like thrice a week.

Upper body (Mon, Wed, Fri) Bench Press, bicep curls, tricep pull-downs, military overhead press, shrugs

Body chord/abdominals, lower back, obliques (Tues, Thurs, Sat) incline sit-ups with added weight for resistance, lower back lifts, side oblique lifts (all with weight added).

I have read proponents of Push/Pull/Squat but it seems to neglect the body chord (abs, obliques, lower back) which my strength and conditioning coach always stressed to me as the most essential group of muscles in the body. (Helps with balancing, body control, calorie management, etc.) Also, squatting isn't really a priority in my weight lifting regime.

Any added insights? Fair enough there is no hard and fast rule, (there never is goddamn it) but I'm assuming three a week could easily be qualified as excessive?

You coach is an idiot....bitch slap him then ask him if he wants another...i think he might...you may both enjoy the process....

Squats are essential part of any good strength program....as are deadlifts....and other big lifts....training lower body is essential ...probably more so than upper body even....

doing curls and pushdowns is downright a waste of time if you want sport performance and strength improvements.....

There's no need to train abs ....you may add some heavy ab work/rotation movements to supplement your workouts...but your body should get more than enough from heavy squats, deadlifts, goodmornings, pull ups, dips, bench, military presses....etc..etc....

 

[Tommy Seoul]

1) Its CORE, not chord.

It's "it's" not "its."

 

[Tommy Seoul]

You coach is an idiot....bitch slap him then ask him if he wants another...i think he might...you may both enjoy the process

Yeah, I *might* enjoy that, but I *know* I would enjoy telling some white belt n00b who just joined yesterday and for all I know has never touched a weight in his fucking life to shut the fuck up and get some courteous posts done before he starts going off on people who have been here awhile, so maybe I'll just stay with that.

I mean, why take the chance, right?

 

[bacon]

It's "it's" not "its."

Touche....but you should still be squating.

 

[Ted-P]

How is Benching more of a priority than Squatting?

and you can always include AB work into the pull/push/legs routine.

 

[Tommy Seoul]

Don't mistake me guys, just because you're giving me shit and I'm giving it back I'm definitely still listening to everything you say. That's just sherdog, and I know it goes with it.I've PM'd carnal (don't have AOL IM) and am googling dead lifts and squats. I'm changing my routine based on the information here, and I sincerely thank each of you guys for contributing.

 

[Ted-P]

Don't mistake me guys, just because you're giving me shit and I'm giving it back I'm definitely still listening to everything you say.

Yup, a golden rule in almost any forum.

 

[bacon]

Don't mistake me guys, just because you're giving me shit and I'm giving it back I'm definitely still listening to everything you say. That's just sherdog, and I know it goes with it.I've PM'd carnal (don't have AOL IM) and am googling dead lifts and squats. I'm changing my routine based on the information here, and I sincerely thank each of you guys for contributing.

(applauds)

You sir, are headed in the right direction. Good luck

 

[mysexisfartsy]

Not that I am any kind of expert by any means. But I would give your body at least 3 days time off between muscle groups. And depending on exactly how heavy you are working out maybe a little more. I don't really know what type of routine the guys on here have. But I split mine down into three seperate days and go every other day.