How Often Should I Train?
When it comes to improving your olympic lifts or athletic performance, consistency beats intensity over the long haul. Smashing yourself into the ground once a week and expecting results ins't the move. Training frequency (how often you hit specific lifts or movement patterns) is the secret sauce that builds results sustainably.
I get it, scheduling is a factor in this process but if training is a priority for you (and if you play sports or plan to improve in the sport of weightlifting, it must be), you'll find a way to make it happen. By the way, sport athletes, take a damn off season and get in the weight room like ALL high level athletes do. Train in season. You won't be too sore to practice or play if done correctly, I promise.
A few notes:
- More Practice = More Skill
Strength isn’t just about getting jacked; strength is a skill. The more often you train, the more your body adapts. The more your body adapts, the more results you'll have to show for it. Your body responds to the stress imposed on it. Applying the right amount of stress frequently has worked to produce results time and time again.
- Recovery and Adaptation
Training 3-5 days a week allows your body to recover while still getting frequent exposure to key lifts. It’s about balancing stress and recovery so you don’t plateau or burn out. If you don't train frequently enough, you're simply not getting enough stimulus to produce an adaptation. If your training is really infrequent (less than 1x/week), you'll probably detrain and get pretty sore from your next workout. This is why it's important to keep doing something in the gym all year round.
- Volume Without Overkill
Frequent sessions allow you to spread your volume (total sets and reps) across the week. Instead of crushing your legs in one marathon session, split your squats into 2-3 manageable workouts.
- Momentum Builds Results
Success breeds success. Sometimes success in training is simply making it through the gym doors. Training regularly keeps you engaged, motivated, and moving forward. If you can't trust yourself to train consistently you can't expect to get the results you're looking for and how will you trust yourself to do the other things required to find athletic success?
Best of luck with your training today!