how many times do you need to train to maintain muscle

Natty22

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Like Is

Chest/tris
Back bis
Legs
Shoulders/ abs

Enough to preserve strength and muscle?
 
bigbruiser739

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diet plays a bigger role
 
asooneyeonig

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depends, are you doing 1 set of 5 or 25 sets of 30? or somewhere in the middle. whats the intensity like, as in comparison to your 1RM? whats your diet like, how long have you been lifting, how long do you sleep each night?
 
GQNemesis

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once a week .. i do opposite ..

back/tri
chest/bi/forearms
legs/shoulders/abs
 

Natty22

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I have been training consistently 4.5-5 years more like five years though.

Right now I am overloaded with full time classes and 25-30 hours of work, so my training has been condensed to an hour workout..really trying to shorten rest time in between sets. I may resort to supersets.

I got my bench in the 300's again, so I am worried super sets and intense training will weakin me a bit.
 

PaulBlack

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To maintain...
Heck there were abbreviated (2x per programs) in HG mag years ago that could find one gaining, let alone maintaining.
And 1 hour is plenty of time to beat yourself up. In fact, longer is not necessarily better.

Monday...
Squats 5x5
BP's 5x5
Rows 3x8

Thursday...
OHP's 4x8
Deads 3x5
Chins/Pull ups 5x5

Depends on how bad you want it and how hard you work it. These W/O's can fit within an hour and you are hitting 95% of the body's mass at each one.
Throw in some direct arm/core work if you want.
As was mentioned, eating enough goes pretty far too.
 
HATEFULone

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I'm a firm believer in this age old fact: Don't be a *****. Train hard and honestly it doesn't matter how many times a week, with proper diet you will continue to grow and very minimum maintain.
 

Natty22

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I'm a firm believer in this age old fact: Don't be a *****. Train hard and honestly it doesn't matter how many times a week, with proper diet you will continue to grow and very minimum maintain.
You know thats more then likely true...my brothers has maintained well by doing the two full body workouts a week. Hes a little smaller then me

I just wish I could get my bench up and maintain it. Do you think body weight has anything to do with bench numbers, bc I am at 178-180 6% b.f 5'10 and I have been benching from 300-320 for far long. I really wanna break the gap and get to 350+ but my body just wont let me.

Oh and im 21 so maybe age too?..
 

PaulBlack

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Do you think body weight has anything to do with bench numbers, bc I am at 178-180 6% b.f 5'10 and I have been benching from 300-320 for far long. I really wanna break the gap and get to 350+ but my body just wont let me.
2 pesos...
IMO, yes BW does have some correlation to strength for many guys, since many guys hit their highest PR's, at their heaviest BWs. And (depending on how close you are to your true potential at that certain BW!?)
I also do think you have to take what you said into consideration...

Oh and im 21 so maybe age too?..
And you most likely still have some good wiggle room for just standard growth, since mass and density still matures into say 25 or so.
And lots of training time and years ahead of you, so try to be patient too.
Lastly, remember, (I am of the belief anyway) that BPs are only utilizing 25% of the body's mass (chest shoulders/arms) and muscle structure, so increasing other big mass lifts like the squat, deads and or heavy rows, seemingly puts the system into a growth gear, since you are tapping a lot more of the body's musculature, thus beefing the entire system along with appetite as well.

All that said, again, it is possible not only to maintain a level of strength, mass & power, but, depending on a trainees potential levels, a vast majority of trainees, can improve levels of strength/mass/power with abbreviated 2 day a week big compound lift routines.
 

Natty22

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2 pesos...
IMO, yes BW does have some correlation to strength for many guys, since many guys hit their highest PR's, at their heaviest BWs. And (depending on how close you are to your true potential at that certain BW!?)
I also do think you have to take what you said into consideration...

And you most likely still have some good wiggle room for just standard growth, since mass and density still matures into say 25 or so.
And lots of training time and years ahead of you, so try to be patient too.
Lastly, remember, (I am of the belief anyway) that BPs are only utilizing 25% of the body's mass (chest shoulders/arms) and muscle structure, so increasing other big mass lifts like the squat, deads and or heavy rows, seemingly puts the system into a growth gear, since you are tapping a lot more of the body's musculature, thus beefing the entire system along with appetite as well.

All that said, again, it is possible not only to maintain a level of strength, mass & power, but, depending on a trainees potential levels, a vast majority of trainees, can improve levels of strength/mass/power with abbreviated 2 day a week big compound lift routines.
Alright well great advice! It does make sense too, bc what youre saying is similar to football training and those guys are strongg(typically)
 
GeekPoop

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fkc beats me. still trying to figure it out
 

PaulBlack

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It also seems to me, that most younger guys (I did it for years) or trainees who have only been lifting a year or so, are nearer their potential for say favorite lifts, like the BP or say the curls. (A small portion of the body's musculature) Not to many average gym guys ever argue how much their standing pushpress or OHP is, or want to specifically get their squat or deadlift higher in sets and or up the rep numbers. (No you do not need to want 1 RM's) So, IMO the potential for some of those exercises have more room to improve mass strength and over a lift they do hard 2-3 times per week.

That said, if one has only 2 days to train, and picks Monday for squats, rows and OHP's and has an hour to rip it up, you can get a ton of work, volume and intensity in that hour for 2-3 exercises. Now, if one improves the squats, rows and OHP or even just one, (3 exercises that are not necessarily favs) for a cycle, adding weight at nearly each Monday session, your overall mass and power will be higher, period. Not just maintaining. Now say you do the same for the deads and BP's on say Thursday. (moving from heavy to medium intensity on the 2 days)

You are going to get carryover from the squats to deads and deads to back/row work building the body's overall mass and the same with pressing, BP's.
Also, if you improve those lifts, you arms will grow to keep up with the power demands. I know this is tough for some to believe, but I had to learn the hard way myself.
It is pretty simple, really, but don't confuse simple routines, with brutal hard work and eating and resting well.
And the above is not my idea (my experiences yes) but this stuff has been written about in old Hardgainer Mags and has been touted by lots of old strength/power guys for years from Dr Ken to Brooks Kubik to Stuart McRobert to John McKean to Bob Whelan to, Mike Thompson to Bryce Lane, to Brad Steiner to Bill Starr to Rich Abbott to Dick Conner, to Anthony Dittillo to Mark Rippetoe, to John McCallum and the list goes on to some present day gurus...
 

Natty22

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It also seems to me, that most younger guys (I did it for years) or trainees who have only been lifting a year or so, are nearer their potential for say favorite lifts, like the BP or say the curls. (A small portion of the body's musculature) Not to many average gym guys ever argue how much their standing pushpress or OHP is, or want to specifically get their squat or deadlift higher in sets and or up the rep numbers. (No you do not need to want 1 RM's) So, IMO the potential for some of those exercises have more room to improve mass strength and over a lift they do hard 2-3 times per week.

That said, if one has only 2 days to train, and picks Monday for squats, rows and OHP's and has an hour to rip it up, you can get a ton of work, volume and intensity in that hour for 2-3 exercises. Now, if one improves the squats, rows and OHP or even just one, (3 exercises that are not necessarily favs) for a cycle, adding weight at nearly each Monday session, your overall mass and power will be higher, period. Not just maintaining. Now say you do the same for the deads and BP's on say Thursday. (moving from heavy to medium intensity on the 2 days)

You are going to get carryover from the squats to deads and deads to back/row work building the body's overall mass and the same with pressing, BP's.
Also, if you improve those lifts, you arms will grow to keep up with the power demands. I know this is tough for some to believe, but I had to learn the hard way myself.
It is pretty simple, really, but don't confuse simple routines, with brutal hard work and eating and resting well.
And the above is not my idea (my experiences yes) but this stuff has been written about in old Hardgainer Mags and has been touted by lots of old strength/power guys for years from Dr Ken to Brooks Kubik to Stuart McRobert to John McKean to Bob Whelan to, Mike Thompson to Bryce Lane, to Brad Steiner to Bill Starr to Rich Abbott to Dick Conner, to Anthony Dittillo to Mark Rippetoe, to John McCallum and the list goes on to some present day gurus...
You make very valid points. Idk why bench is so important!? I just want huge pecs honestly..like arnold size. Also I do believe you because when my legs grew it helped stablize my body during bench.

Now barbell military should be considered very important but isnt cared about that much. I would love to do 250 lbs some day and stay in the 180 body weight range. You think thats possible without drugs?. Oh and sitting bc less strain on my back
 
asooneyeonig

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You make very valid points. Idk why bench is so important!? I just want huge pecs honestly..like arnold size. Also I do believe you because when my legs grew it helped stablize my body during bench.

Now barbell military should be considered very important but isnt cared about that much. I would love to do 250 lbs some day and stay in the 180 body weight range. You think thats possible without drugs?. Oh and sitting bc less strain on my back
Uhm sitting will increase the potential harm in the overhead press.
 

PaulBlack

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I would love to do 250 lbs some day and stay in the 180 body weight range. You think thats possible without drugs?.
Depending on your height/arm length, a push press or push jerk, yeah not impossible really. A strict feet together military press, that might be pretty hard, but who am I to say. My pressing was mediocre at best when I was younger as I am structured to pull much better at 6' tall and longer arms.
Bottom line is, it may be very much in your backyard, but only you will have to work at it some to see!!!?

Oh and sitting bc less strain on my back
Well, that all depends on the incline and how strict you/one presses from a seated position!?!? I have seen a few guys, myself included, years ago over arch the low and mid back and turn the press into a seated back warped incline press without any support.
Personally, I feel standing is probably safer and more respectable by strong OH guys, since as I said, some seated press units, have an incline, making it a bit easier.
I can't remember what Roger Daggit weighed ( I know over #200-#250) but he BNP seated pressed something like #425. I think Arcidi did some insane amount too.
Quite a few WSM guys have some great OHP's actually.
Zavickas is no slouch either, but those guys weigh over #300 #350 and use supplements
 
HATEFULone

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You know thats more then likely true...my brothers has maintained well by doing the two full body workouts a week. Hes a little smaller then me

I just wish I could get my bench up and maintain it. Do you think body weight has anything to do with bench numbers, bc I am at 178-180 6% b.f 5'10 and I have been benching from 300-320 for far long. I really wanna break the gap and get to 350+ but my body just wont let me.

Oh and im 21 so maybe age too?..
Heavy dips in the 3-5 rep range, dead press, and floor press should help. Lots of AC joint work as well. Monster bench is a really good routine as well for pure benching increases. Give it time as well, but age doesn't necessarily correlate to strength.
 

m82000

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Train everything once but train one muscle group twice. Normally on Saturdays and rotate every 4-6 weeks!

Example: shoulders Wednesday and Saturday.
 

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