I can only lift weights on two consecutive days a week, help me
February 17, 2016 1:06 AM Subscribe
Because of other commitments that are unalterable in the next 6-12 months, I can only do weight training on weekends.
I am 46, have been an off and on gym rat for years, intermediate level in terms of lifting, and these days am mostly interested in strength training to support martial arts performance -- not hypertrophy, not power-lifting per se, but having a great power-to-weight ratio.
Used to weight training 2-3 times a week, but this is increasingly impossible given other commitments I need to make and will not argue about here. Familiar with common lifts and exercises. Am training capoeira twice a week at the same time, which is my priority. I have a home gym set up with power rack, bench, Olympic bar and plenty of plates, and some adjustable dumbells.
What can I most usefully do on a Saturday and Sunday? Once a week training? Or use both days? Conscious of my diminishing recovery ability in middle age, but hoping to still go forwards or at least not backwards.
I am 46, have been an off and on gym rat for years, intermediate level in terms of lifting, and these days am mostly interested in strength training to support martial arts performance -- not hypertrophy, not power-lifting per se, but having a great power-to-weight ratio.
Used to weight training 2-3 times a week, but this is increasingly impossible given other commitments I need to make and will not argue about here. Familiar with common lifts and exercises. Am training capoeira twice a week at the same time, which is my priority. I have a home gym set up with power rack, bench, Olympic bar and plenty of plates, and some adjustable dumbells.
What can I most usefully do on a Saturday and Sunday? Once a week training? Or use both days? Conscious of my diminishing recovery ability in middle age, but hoping to still go forwards or at least not backwards.
Can you organise your schedule to do anything like the following?
I do about 1.5 hours of weights en route to my Systema classes during the week. Like capoeira, they tend to go for about 2-3 hours. That way I get the intensive days, with days of rest in between. Then one day on the weekend I do weights again. Whether Sat or Sun, it doesn't matter.
That means you do 3 "on" days a week, with one extra bonus day for recovery on the weekend. I'd recommend the extra rest day...for values of "rest" that equal "an hour of lap swimming or a 50km bike ride". Something light & relaxing like that. Just low impact cardio.
*Axe*
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:14 AM on February 17, 2016
I do about 1.5 hours of weights en route to my Systema classes during the week. Like capoeira, they tend to go for about 2-3 hours. That way I get the intensive days, with days of rest in between. Then one day on the weekend I do weights again. Whether Sat or Sun, it doesn't matter.
That means you do 3 "on" days a week, with one extra bonus day for recovery on the weekend. I'd recommend the extra rest day...for values of "rest" that equal "an hour of lap swimming or a 50km bike ride". Something light & relaxing like that. Just low impact cardio.
*Axe*
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:14 AM on February 17, 2016
Best answer: I'd do my regular lifts, with a primary focus on maintenance through high intensity (%1RM) and volume (# of sets and reps) as only a secondary goal. One or two workouts over those two days doesn't much matter; split the work as feels best. The reason to focus on maintenance rather than progress is that you won't really be able to hit the right timing of your supercompensation curve.
The choice of lifts depends on what you're already intermediate at, but I'd shoot for one or two sets of 5 per strength lift (squat, bench, overhead press, deadlift, rows), a total of 5 to 10 reps per explosive lift (e.g. 4 power clean doubles, or 8 power snatch singles, or two triples and one or two singles in the clean and jerk), and whatever you feel like—or whatever you have energy for—in bodyweight exercises (e.g. 2 or 3 sets of 10 pull-ups, 1 or 2 sets of dips, whatever). My theory is that low volume per individual exercise will allow you to hit a variety of exercises, thereby maintaining a broader base of ability than if you pushed the full 3 or 5 sets for an individual exercise.
The goal is to remind your body weekly that it must remain good at the things it is now good at. (Rather, it must stay strong and powerful at the things it is now strong and powerful at.) With only 2 consecutive days a week to lift, don't distress your body too much with demands to lift more weight than last week, or more volume, though both of those will possibly increase slowly.
posted by daveliepmann at 3:58 AM on February 17, 2016
The choice of lifts depends on what you're already intermediate at, but I'd shoot for one or two sets of 5 per strength lift (squat, bench, overhead press, deadlift, rows), a total of 5 to 10 reps per explosive lift (e.g. 4 power clean doubles, or 8 power snatch singles, or two triples and one or two singles in the clean and jerk), and whatever you feel like—or whatever you have energy for—in bodyweight exercises (e.g. 2 or 3 sets of 10 pull-ups, 1 or 2 sets of dips, whatever). My theory is that low volume per individual exercise will allow you to hit a variety of exercises, thereby maintaining a broader base of ability than if you pushed the full 3 or 5 sets for an individual exercise.
The goal is to remind your body weekly that it must remain good at the things it is now good at. (Rather, it must stay strong and powerful at the things it is now strong and powerful at.) With only 2 consecutive days a week to lift, don't distress your body too much with demands to lift more weight than last week, or more volume, though both of those will possibly increase slowly.
posted by daveliepmann at 3:58 AM on February 17, 2016
Best answer: I've been lifting for a lot of years now, and 5 years or so ago I figured something out about lifting: it's not that complicated.
I stopped obeying all of the rules (I started eating dairy again! I trained the same muscle groups on consecutive days!) and just started doing what I knew was supportive to my goals and my body.
You have just two days, and it's two consecutive days. It's not enough to make real lifting progress, and besides, you're old like me and you aren't training for any kind of lifting contest. You need to focus on lifting to support your health, maintain strength, and support your martial arts.
I would use both days. And since I'm a rule breaker, I would do full body both days. (Ever notice programs for people that aren't trying to get super ripped (i.e. women) are less likely to have arm day/chest day/leg day? Women are more likely to do full body every time we hit the gym and I think it's the route you should go, even though you aren't a woman.)
If it were me, and I'm old with a powerlifting focus, a bad back and most of my strength in my lower body, I'd do day 1 with a focus on one of the big lifts - either a squat/deadlift/hip thrust and then do a bunch of supportive exercises. A row, a press, something shoulder-y, and some extra leg work or heavy farmers carry and be done. I'd focus hard on the squat/dead/thrust, doing 3 sets of 10 or till failure. For us old people, failure is a TINY loss in form. Then the supportive exercises I would go 3 or 4 sets of 10-15 or till failure. Looking for heavy sets with 5x5 or looking to PR will be fruitless or dangerous since you only have two days.
Do your Oly lifting on day 2. I don't do any Oly (not my thing) but it's a good match for your goals. I'd follow that with grip work and tough body weight stuff (chinups, difficult planks, hard push-ups, etc.).
Lifting isn't that complicated when you aren't looking to win a contest. The biggest rule is to just keep doing it and let your body guide you. If you're just too tired going back to back days full body, you might have to do leg day then upper body day.
posted by littlewater at 4:38 AM on February 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
I stopped obeying all of the rules (I started eating dairy again! I trained the same muscle groups on consecutive days!) and just started doing what I knew was supportive to my goals and my body.
You have just two days, and it's two consecutive days. It's not enough to make real lifting progress, and besides, you're old like me and you aren't training for any kind of lifting contest. You need to focus on lifting to support your health, maintain strength, and support your martial arts.
I would use both days. And since I'm a rule breaker, I would do full body both days. (Ever notice programs for people that aren't trying to get super ripped (i.e. women) are less likely to have arm day/chest day/leg day? Women are more likely to do full body every time we hit the gym and I think it's the route you should go, even though you aren't a woman.)
If it were me, and I'm old with a powerlifting focus, a bad back and most of my strength in my lower body, I'd do day 1 with a focus on one of the big lifts - either a squat/deadlift/hip thrust and then do a bunch of supportive exercises. A row, a press, something shoulder-y, and some extra leg work or heavy farmers carry and be done. I'd focus hard on the squat/dead/thrust, doing 3 sets of 10 or till failure. For us old people, failure is a TINY loss in form. Then the supportive exercises I would go 3 or 4 sets of 10-15 or till failure. Looking for heavy sets with 5x5 or looking to PR will be fruitless or dangerous since you only have two days.
Do your Oly lifting on day 2. I don't do any Oly (not my thing) but it's a good match for your goals. I'd follow that with grip work and tough body weight stuff (chinups, difficult planks, hard push-ups, etc.).
Lifting isn't that complicated when you aren't looking to win a contest. The biggest rule is to just keep doing it and let your body guide you. If you're just too tired going back to back days full body, you might have to do leg day then upper body day.
posted by littlewater at 4:38 AM on February 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
What about full-body sessions on both Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon/evening to give yourself a day and a half of rest between sessions, and doing different alternating small muscles on Saturday and Sunday?
posted by shortyJBot at 6:22 AM on February 17, 2016
posted by shortyJBot at 6:22 AM on February 17, 2016
Would it be at all possible to squeeze in an "active recovery day" sometime mid-week?
I stalled out on the Starting Strength beginner program, tried another program for a little while and now I'm using the basic Texas Method program of a volume day on Monday, a light day on Wednesday, and a heavy day on Friday. Mondays can be pretty grueling but I don't really even break a sweat on the light-days so it's easier to squeeze in and really does make a difference.
2nd'ing Creatine. There is a lot of mis-information about supplements and the effectiveness of a lot of stuff is questionable at best. Creatine is about the only supplement that isn't. It's been proven to be safe and effective and it's dirt cheap. I mix a heaping tea-spoon in with some sugary drink mix (the little spike in blood-sugar is supposed to help absorption) both before and after my workout. The dose before helps during the workout and the dose after helps with soreness the next day. The caveat is that if you're already eating a lot of red meat (the most common natural source), it might not do much for you if you're already getting as much as your body can use from the meat.
posted by VTX at 7:20 AM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
I stalled out on the Starting Strength beginner program, tried another program for a little while and now I'm using the basic Texas Method program of a volume day on Monday, a light day on Wednesday, and a heavy day on Friday. Mondays can be pretty grueling but I don't really even break a sweat on the light-days so it's easier to squeeze in and really does make a difference.
2nd'ing Creatine. There is a lot of mis-information about supplements and the effectiveness of a lot of stuff is questionable at best. Creatine is about the only supplement that isn't. It's been proven to be safe and effective and it's dirt cheap. I mix a heaping tea-spoon in with some sugary drink mix (the little spike in blood-sugar is supposed to help absorption) both before and after my workout. The dose before helps during the workout and the dose after helps with soreness the next day. The caveat is that if you're already eating a lot of red meat (the most common natural source), it might not do much for you if you're already getting as much as your body can use from the meat.
posted by VTX at 7:20 AM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Another option: if you're up for reading, try 5/3/1 and browse the 2-day-a-week templates in articles across the web. I do something similar (squat/pullups one day, deadlift/overhead-press or deadlift/dips the second day, plus whatever else I have energy for) and it works fine. Again, the focus is mostly on maintenance, though 5/3/1 allows for some slow progress.
posted by daveliepmann at 12:19 PM on February 23, 2016
posted by daveliepmann at 12:19 PM on February 23, 2016
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You may want to use creatine to get through your workout faster. It reduces recovery time between sets, and maybe BCAA to minimize delayed-onset muscle soreness. In addition to lots of protein, of course.
I'm doing a 5x5 program with a push exercise, a pull exercise, and a couple of accessory exercises. I do squats each workout but varying the focus (4-5 rep heavy vs 12 rep lighter), and rotate through other free weight standards.
I think you could probably work large muscles two days back to back, as long as it's not heavy both days.
posted by zippy at 1:26 AM on February 17, 2016