How many times a week do you practice for the best muscle building effect?

Theoretical exploration

Training frequency has always been a controversial topic. Some people believe that practicing more is better because it can provide high-frequency stimulation to the target muscle, while others believe that an appropriate training frequency combined with sufficient rest can maximize muscle growth.

In a meta-analysis, it was found that if the total amount of training (or total work) is the same, training frequency does not affect muscle growth (i.e., the number of exercises performed is the same level of muscle growth). However, without a limit on the total amount of training, a higher training frequency will lead to more muscle growth [1].

This conclusion is in line with the consensus in the current research field of muscle hypertrophy. Because mechanical tension is the main driving force for muscle growth, in order for muscles to grow more, they need to withstand higher levels of mechanical tension (such as increasing the weight of squats from 100kg to 120kg), or they need to withstand longer tension application times when the tension is constant (such as practicing squats 100kg once a week for 4 groups of 10 times=40 times -->practicing squats 100kg twice a week for 3 groups of 10 times=60 times). So a larger total weekly training amount (=training frequency * single training amount) will allow the muscles to withstand longer periods of tension, allowing them to grow more.

practical application

If we practice legs once a week, most trainers will generally follow a similar arrangement as follows (for example only):

1. Squat 4 groups

2. Hard pull 4 groups

3. Four leg lifts

4. Four sets of leg flexion and extension

5. Four sets of leg bending lifts

If we break down the training into three days, such as every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the plan will become:

Monday: 4 sets of squats and 4 sets of leg lifts

Wednesday: Hard pull 4 groups

Friday: 4 sets of leg curls and 4 sets of leg flexions and extensions

Compared to a single leg training session, dividing leg training into three sessions allows trainers to train with greater intensity and more stable techniques each time. However, considering the total training amount=training weight * number of sessions * number of groups, we will find that the three-way leg training can yield a larger total training amount. This approach conforms to the principle that "more mechanical tension leads to more muscle growth". What would happen if we split the entire body muscle group into multiple days of training according to the leg training approach? There was an experiment comparing the difference between five days of full body training and five days of differentiated training (with the same amount of training). The results showed that compared to the differentiated training group, the full body training group had a 15% increase in chest training, a 9% increase in back training, a 22% increase in quadriceps training, a 7% increase in hamstring+calf training, and a 5% increase in shoulder training. 【2】 Although the additional training amount may not seem as exaggerated, even with such a difference in training amount, it is still a significant gap after accumulating for a period of time.

A research project called the Norwegian National Power Lift Project explored this issue and found that participants who received 6 training sessions per week had more muscle growth and decreased body fat than those who received 3 training sessions per week [3]. In another experiment, three-day systemic training resulted in more lean weight gain and more decrease in body fat compared to three-day differentiation training (but the difference did not reach a significant level) [4]. In another study of rugby players, it was found that participants who underwent differentiation training three times a week experienced a significant decrease in fat compared to those who only underwent 1.5 training sessions per week. However, there was no significant difference in muscle changes (although the average showed a greater increase in muscle growth with higher frequency training).

Induction and summary

Before reaching a conclusion, we must reflect on an important question: what is the impact of the difference in muscle gain caused by the level of trainer on the frequency of training? As I mentioned in previous articles, for novice trainers, any form of training stimulation can lead to positive adaptation (=level improvement), while for experienced trainers, to trigger relatively significant adaptation, they need to use all their skills. Advanced trainers experience an exponential increase in fatigue levels when increasing training volume (frequency), while fatigue beyond recovery capacity only leads to a decrease in training level, and in severe cases, overtraining may occur. The balance between training and fatigue requires careful handling.

When we discuss training frequency, we are actually discussing the total training amount per unit of time (such as a week), and the ability to withstand the total training amount is influenced by factors such as training experience (novice vs. experienced), fatigue, family and society. Although the larger the training volume, the more in line with the principle of "increasing mechanical tension -->improving muscle synthesis", humans are not machines, and we are always constrained by a marginal condition, which is our body's recovery ability. On the other hand, adjusting the training frequency for a single session under a given amount of training can alleviate fatigue and can also be a training strategy in the medium to long term.

Reference materials

1、How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency，by Brad Jon Schoenfeld,Jozo Grgic &James Krieger

2、High Resistance-Training Frequency Enhances Muscle Thickness in Resistance-Trained Men, by Rafael S Zaroni, Felipe A Brigatto, Brad J Schoenfeld, Tiago V Braz, Júlio C Benvenutti, Moisés D Germano, Paulo H Marchetti, Marcelo S Aoki, Charles R Lopes

3、Raastad T, Kirketeig A, Wolf D, et al. Powerlifters improved strength and muscular adaptations to a greater extent when equal total training volume was divided into 6 compared to 3 training sessions per week. In17th annual conference of the ECSS, Brugge 2012 Jul (Vol. 4, No. 7).

4、The effects of a resistance-training program on strength, body composition and baseline hormones in male athletes training concurrently for rugby union 7's, by B T Crewther, T L Heke, J W Keogh

5、The effects of two equal-volume training protocols upon strength, body composition and salivary hormones in male rugby union players, by BT Crewther, TOL Heke, JWL Keogh

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