I have experimented with many different workouts. Very high rep, and high set training. And low rep, low set, training. Even mixing them up. And doing other things like all rest pause training.
The research suggests that it is best to work out a muscle every other day, otherwise atrophy can set in. Other research suggests once a week is sufficient, and that it’s more about total weekly volume. I’ve tried it both ways. I end up overtraining both ways.
With hitting one body part once a week, the soreness can be extreme. But every other day training, doing the full body, HIT style to failure or beyond failure with one set, with high reps from 20-25, with rest pause and forced negatives as advocated by Mike Mentzer and Arthur Jones, also leads to overtraining after about 2 months.
One of the solutions to the problem of overtraining was to train every 4th day, instead of every 2 days, but then, that removes the training stimulus of every 2 days, which some think is ideal. So my new solution is to do progressive training, with easier days mixed in. It looks like the following:
The first week, everything is 30 reps.
Monday is a light day. Leg press with the stack set to 7. Lat pull, machine on 6. Chest press, machine on 5. Shoulder Press with 5 lb. dumbbell. Standing bicep curls with 5 lb dumbbell. Pushups, but partial to make them easier.
Wednesday: Leg press with the stack set to 8. Lat pull, machine on 7. Chest press, machine on 6. Shoulder Press with 10 lb. dumbbell. Standing bicep curls with 10 lb dumbbell. Pushups, but partial to make them easier.
Friday is the hardest day of the 3 week program: Leg press with the stack set to 9. Lat pull, machine on 8. Chest press, machine on 7. Shoulder Press with 15 lb. dumbbell. Standing bicep curls with 15 lb dumbbell. Pushups, but partial to make them easier.
Second week, everything is 12 reps.
Monday is easy. Leg press with the stack set to 10. Lat pull, machine on 9. Chest press, machine on 8. Shoulder Press with 20 lb. dumbbell. Standing bicep curls with 20 lb dumbbell. Pushups, but all the way, and slow.
Wednesday, a bit harder. Leg press with the stack set to 11. Lat pull, machine on 10. Chest press, machine on 9. Shoulder Press with 25 lb. dumbbell. Standing bicep curls with 25 lb dumbbell. Pushups, but all the way, and slow.
Friday is hard. Leg press with the stack set to 12. Lat pull, machine on 11. Chest press, machine on 10. Shoulder Press with 30 lb. dumbbell. Standing bicep curls with 30 lb dumbbell. Pushups, but all the way, and slow.
Third week, everything is 5 reps.
Monday is easy again. Leg press is at 13. Lat pull at 12. Chest Press at 11. Shoulder press with 35 lb dumbbell. Biceps, 35 lb dumbbell. Close grip pushups, very slow.
Wednesday. Leg press on 14. Lats, 13. Chest 12. Shoulder Press 40’s. Bi’s 40’s. Pushups.
Friday. Legpress on 15. Lats 14. Chest 11. Shoulder Press 45’s. Bis 40’s, because 45 is still too much. Pushups.
Main points. The entire thing I’m generally avoiding failure. Since I’m below failure, I can focus more on great form, and slower movements to try to get the most from every set. Fridays are the hardest day, and I get the full weekend for more recovery.
Best of all, so far, I am on my 4th rotation, I’m avoiding overtraining, and for me, that’s a big bonus. I’m also less sore than on any other routine, like my soreness is a 1 out of 10 almost nothing. I have more brainpower for work and writing.
Overall, I’m at about 225-230 pounds of bodyweight. I’m 6’1″. My legs are 25 and a half inches. My biceps are 15.5 inches. I’m probably just over 20% bodyfat, but I feel like I’m getting a bit leaner. I blame the increased potassium and copper. Time will tell.
In general, I’ve learned that overtraining has many symptoms similar to copper deficiency. https://revealingfraud.com/2022/04/health/overtraining-looks-like-copper-deficiency/
And on copper, I have an even greater tendency to want to overtrain because the former pain that existed when I was copper deficient is no longer there telling me to stop. Also, there is less delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) on copper and potassium, which tends to encourage overtraining.
I have also learned that muscles grow when you sleep and rest. They do not grow in the gym. We merely need to stimulate, not destroy the muscles. And muscles are supposed to grow easier with copper and potassium, so why not let it just happen? And it is.
It’s also far easier to be consistent, when it’s all easier.