The Optimal Training Schedule

When deciding how many days per week to train (i.e. Training Schedule), you will likely see 2-3 days as the common recommendation. It makes sense - this allows for adequate recovery time, training multiple patterns, and making progress without spending too much of your week in a gym. Resistance training is more than muscle groups and movement patterns however. There are a variety of stimuli that can be trained, and each output has an optimal training frequency range. Strength, hypertrophy, endurance, and mobility can all be trained in the same session if programmed well, but you may be able to structure your training week to optimize each of these outputs. If you are currently completing 1-2 training sessions per week, you are likely doing enough to make progress, but possibly leaving some progress on the table depending on your goals.

Why is training frequency important?

Every time you train, you introduce a stressor, or stimulus, to your body. Your brain adapts to this stress to improve the efficiency of your movement the next time you experience it. Many systems of your body adapt to resistance training, most notably your nervous system, musculoskeletal system, and cardiopulmonary system. The entire goal of training can be summed up to a system of stressors that progressively increase to create adaptation beyond the previous stress/adaptation cycle (also known as a training session).

If these cycles, or sessions, are too intense and too frequent then you never have a chance to recover. If they are too far apart, your body will adapt to the lack of a training stimulus, and you will struggle to make progress. You should choose a training frequency and stimulus arrangement that allows for both progress and recovery, which is typically a minimum of once per week, an average of 2-4 per week, and a maximum of 5-7 per week for more advanced training.

How often to train each stimulus?

Strength 

“Strength” is an umbrella term for your muscle’s ability to exert force against resistance. The problem with the term strength is it lacks nuance. Maximal strength, power, speed strength, endurance, mobility, and even balance are all types of or expressions of strength in some way. For this article, Maximum strength will be in reference to high relative intensity compared to a maximum effort. Think 85-100% of your 1 Rep Max, 1-5 reps, high nervous system fatigue. General strength will refer to other strength related, higher volume training in which you are still getting stronger via improved coordination and some hypertrophy, but not lifting at maximal loads. 

Maximum Strength progress can be made with as little as 1 session per week, and in some cases, this may even be optimal to allow for nervous system recovery. Many people can train the strength stimulus more than this, however this may exceed the minimum effective volume (lowest amount of work needed to produce strength improvements). While higher maximum strength frequency is useful in many situations, it is likely not necessary for improvement, and may take up time which could be used to train another output such as muscular or cardiovascular endurance, or skill acquisition training. These outputs have a positive effect on maximum strength performance without fatiguing the central nervous system as much as an additional maximum strength session.

So, how frequently should strength be trained? As frequently as the nervous system can recover between sessions, which is dictated by your personal capacity for movement and intensity. This can take 2-7 days depending on the intensity level, and possibly more for true maximal exertion. Between 3 and 15 working sets can be split up between 1 and 5 days per week, with higher volumes reserved for experienced lifters. For most people, 1-2 days of high intensity, high load, maximum strength training per week makes sense, or 1 day dedicated to each compound movement (squat, bench press, deadlift, etc.). General strength can be trained 2-4+ times per week, commonly seen in phases other than max. strength phases and in programs for beginner lifters.

Hypertrophy

Muscular hypertrophy, or the increase in muscle size or density, is the chronic result of resistance training. Training can be tailored to maximize it, however it is just that - a result. Training focussed on inducing maximal hypertrophy optimizes multiple logistical variables to keep muscular synthesis occurring faster than muscular breakdown. These variables include muscle group training frequency (sets and days per week), caloric and macronutrient intake, exercise selection, tempo, rest, and more. Regardless of all of these variables, mechanical tension (force exerted against a muscle) is what drives and signals for hypertrophy, with everything else being secondary. Therefore, every time you resistance train, you are hypertrophy training.

The difference with hypertrophy focussed training is that it prioritizes volume and muscular fatigue, instead of maximal neural drive like strength-training, so the central nervous system is less fatigued, and the musculoskeletal system is more fatigued. Just like strength-training, to optimally progress hypertrophy, you want to train as soon as your muscles recover. Muscles typically repair and replenish in 2-3 days. This leads to a training frequency of 2-3 days per week. Many people train at a higher frequency by splitting muscle groups into separate days to accumulate more total volume per muscle group without overloading themselves metabolically, and to avoid spending too much time working out in a single day. This is useful for highly trained people, or those training for sport, but is likely not necessary for the general population. Realistically, training muscle groups twice per week (far superior to once per week) and utilizing appropriate set volume across 2-4 days per week will yield advanced progress. 

Other Work Capacity Pillars (Mobility, endurance)

Mobility and endurance respond well to consistent and frequent stimulation. Cardiovascular  endurance can be trained almost every day, depending on the intensity of the exercise (incorporate rest days for high intensity training, but light activity can be done daily). Mobility training is similar, responding well to high frequency and even daily sessions. The good news is that during your resistance training sessions you are also training your mobility, so you only need to fill in the gaps at home with some lower intensity exercises.

How to choose the frequency best for you?

We would all prefer to have perfect, stressless schedules when in reality we are constrained by the logistics of our lives. While health should be high on your priority list, many people may not have the time to train at a high frequency, especially when accounting for prep and driving time. If you truly only have time for one training session per week, this is much better than zero and this should be your frequency. If you have time and ability to train more, then 2-4 times per week is likely a good choice. Talk with your trainer to establish the frequency best for you.

Method Strong trainers offer many options for helping you maximize your training quantity and quality. Options include:

Complimentary Home Exercise Program (Homework): An extra day of training that can be completed at home with minimal equipment. The goal is to improve capacity related outputs that will support your Method training sessions.

Hybrid Training: a 3-4 day program combining in-person and remote training. In-person sessions are delivered at Method, and remote sessions are delivered online for you to complete at a home, commercial, or community gym. Remote sessions focus on hypertrophy, general strength, and capacity exercises (Maximum strength is typically completed during in-person sessions). You meet with your trainer 1-2 times per week, and complete remote sessions 1-2 times per week.

• Note: Remote sessions are not virtual video sessions. They are delivered online via spreadsheet or app, and include video demonstrations

Semi-Private training: If looking for another session but our trainers do not have the availability you need, you may be able to combine M2 and Method Fitness to achieve the frequency you want. Both services are within the Method Strong ecosystem, meaning the training style is similar. Your trainer and M2 coach will work together to ensure your programming is cohesive and appropriate. 

Flex Sessions: In addition to your current regularly scheduled session(s), your trainer can “flex” you into their schedule when availability allows. A good option if you want higher frequency but scheduling is the main constraint.

Split Trainer Sessions: If your current trainer does not have extra scheduling availability and a different trainer does, you can add sessions with another trainer. Programming is created by your current trainer so it is as personalized as possible. 

Virtual Sessions: Video call sessions for home and travel workouts. 

• Note: not available during international travel

Remote Training: A deliverable program with online coaching, with no regular in-person sessions. All sessions are done in a home, commercial, or community gym while following programming from your trainer.