Let’s Talk Training Frequency

Finding optimal training frequency is not only an often overlooked but vital part of your fitness journey, but it can change and your progress hinges on it! So how do you find that "sweet spot" between overtraining and under-training?

Here is a breakdown of what you need to know:

The Warning Signs:

● Too Frequent (Overtraining): You risk injury, performance decline, and adverse health effects like constant soreness, increased resting heart rate (5–10 bpm up), hormonal imbalances, and even emotional fatigue like anxiety or depression.

● Not Frequent Enough (Under-training): You’ll notice a lack of improvement, low or no DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), and very short recovery times.

Factors That Dictate Your Frequency:

1. Nutrition: This is arguably the biggest factor. In a calorie deficit, your body can’t recover as quickly as it does in a surplus.

2. Sleep & Stress: These are highly correlated; better sleep and lower stress mean better recovery.

3. Age: Unfortunately, recovery naturally slows down as we age.

4. Intensity & Volume: The harder and more you train (reps/sets), the more recovery time your body requires.

What is Ideal?

● The 48-Hour Rule: Typically, I recommend giving a body part at least 48 hours of rest before training it again. This usually results in training the same body part every 3 to 4 days.

● I’m a fan of 4 to 5-day splits. Normally, I adhere to a 4-day split, but this can be adjusted based on the factors above.

● Frequency can change per the factors above. Currently I’m only training 2-3x per week to make sure I maximize healing while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Don’t just train hard—train smart! Listen to your body’s feedback and adjust your frequency to maximize your gains.