# 1 day per week training?



## All4n (May 30, 2008)

I've landed a job (providing nothing changes over the next 6 weeks) which is pretty much going to give me no life (i.e time to train :laugh for the next year. After the year is up i will be be set though, will be able to train as normal and be earning a very comfortable living. The job is 100% worth it in the long run, it just means a year of hard graft. But then what's a year if it sets you up for life?

So..how would you structure training if mon-fri is out of the question? Saturday is a maybe, sunday is defiantly free. Could i get away with it? Thinking just do a sat or sun and simply concentrate on strength progression for a year? Current split low vol and always concentrating on strength progression

mon - squat/dead/good mornings/calf raise

wed - flat bench (PL style)/incline DB/shoulder press/CGBP

fri - bent over bb row/lat pull down/seated EZ bar curls

Often rotate mon with squat/dead varations. Recently switched to training arms every other week instead of every week to see if they grow at decent rate for once.

Suggestions? Work mon-fri (maybe sat) will be active all day but not strenuous.

Is it workable? Only a year but don't want to give up training completely.

sun - squat/dead/bench + few assitance exercises? Be hard work as used to low volume and keeping session pretty short. Find this works best for me, never worked well with high volume.


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## gerg (Aug 17, 2008)

you could try completely destroying yourself in the gym on a sunday, perhaps even training once in the morning and once later on to help you keep the intensity and energy levels high.

will you have no free time at all during the week?


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## Abi.x. (Apr 15, 2009)

Yeah, could train after work even if it's just a little while

Be well worth it after the year as you would have progressed both job wise and your body would have progressed also

good luck with job hope all goes well 

x


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## All4n (May 30, 2008)

Gym shuts at 9 and i will prob more often than not finish around half 7 or 8, so not enough time to get there.

Gym only open 10-1 on a sunday so would only be able to do once per day. But don't think twice in same day would work for me anyway? Not sure. Still should be able to progress on stength hitting big lifts once per week, maybe rotate assistance exercises to keep overall volume down i.e biceps one week triceps the next.


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## ManOnAMission (May 1, 2009)

Which career are you moving into?


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## UKWolverine (Apr 25, 2009)

How about getting a pullup bar in your place so you can throw some in when you get a spare few minutes, then do an all out session on Sunday?


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## Will101 (Apr 14, 2009)

I struggle to train during the week sometimes...

What about getting some dumbells at home? You could just do a quick 30 mins while waiting for dinner or something. Could do a whole bunch of stuff with some imagination! I got some cheap bars from JJB then single dics so I can change the weight according to what I am going.

Then on weekend I would go deads, bench, military press and rows followed by abs / arms if any energy left (if not do at home during the week)

Less than ideal but like you say, if nothing else just maintains what you already have.


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## gerg (Aug 17, 2008)

i'd stick to the big compound moves, and forget about any isolation stuff for the most part.

there's plenty of stuff you can do at home, though it's obviously harder to motivate yourself


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## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

Deadlift, Bench Press, Chin Up

I'd do a 10 week block, aiming at strength progression, then switch to

Squat, Inc BB Press, Chin Up

Then repeat.

Or

Train each body part every 2 weeks, and split it over 2 sessions.

I did this for a few years, and made probably my best gains.


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## All4n (May 30, 2008)

Nytol said:


> Deadlift, Bench Press, Chin Up
> 
> I'd do a 10 week block, aiming at strength progression, then switch to
> 
> ...


I read your training split on ukiron, but since it was twice per week do you still think it would work well once per week? Something like...

Week 1 - squat/deadlift/good mornings/chin ups

Week 2 - Flat bench/standing press/CGBP/calf raises

Only thing i don't really like about the 10 week block split is not doing squat/dead/bench week in/week out. I find doing it weekly or at least every other weeks builds confidence on the lift. Find strength progresses nicely doing it this way.


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## essexboy (Sep 7, 2008)

All4n said:


> I've landed a job (providing nothing changes over the next 6 weeks) which is pretty much going to give me no life (i.e time to train :laugh for the next year. After the year is up i will be be set though, will be able to train as normal and be earning a very comfortable living. The job is 100% worth it in the long run, it just means a year of hard graft. But then what's a year if it sets you up for life?
> 
> So..how would you structure training if mon-fri is out of the question? Saturday is a maybe, sunday is defiantly free. Could i get away with it? Thinking just do a sat or sun and simply concentrate on strength progression for a year? Current split low vol and always concentrating on strength progression
> 
> ...


Ive been traning weekly for 8 months.Afer not being able to recover from two weekly sessions, ive cut back. sometimes , its every 8 days dependding on how recovered i am.If your not recovered you wont grow. However , in their haste to progress, BB train 5/6 times a week. when one or two sessions would give them more time to recover & GROW.my routine today was;

Nautilus pullover to failure, immediately followed by nautilus close grip pulldowns, to failure, 30 second negative rep, and a static hold to failure.

Nautilus ohp 8/10 reps to failure,weight drop, 2 more reps, weight drop, 2 more reps, static hold to failure.

nautilus leg press bi-laterally to failure, 2/3 forced reps.one set.

nautilus seated dips, 8/10 reps to failure, drop set , static hold.

that takes approx 20 minutes.Its totally debilitating, and my pulse hits 180, im gaining strength (every w/o)& size.

7/8 days later ill sometimes, leave the dips and do deadlifts instead.

weekly trainning maybe the best thing you ever did.

check out bodybyscience.


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## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

All4n said:


> I read your training split on ukiron, but since it was twice per week do you still think it would work well once per week? Something like...
> 
> Week 1 - squat/deadlift/good mornings/chin ups
> 
> ...


I would do

Week 1 - Squat, Flat Bench, Chin Up

Week 2 - Deadlift, Overhead Press, Calf Raise (if you feel the need) or BB curls.

That way the muscle are getting some indirect stimulation each week.

I'd probably grow really well on that, but I'm not sure if I could convince James to train once a week, :confused1:


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## 54und3r5 (Apr 11, 2008)

Invest in a home gym?


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2009)

Nytol said:


> I would do
> 
> Week 1 - Squat, Flat Bench, Chin Up
> 
> ...


Agreed, less is nearly always more.

Unlike Matt i am always prone to training a bit more than is needed ie if i was in your situation i would probably go.... squats, leg curl,decline bench, shoulder press, dip, reverse grip pull downs, deadlift, some sort of curl probs hammer curl. I would not count warm ups and then do 1 working set to failure for a few of the exercises and then perhaps 3 sets with 1 minute between sets not to failure (because obviously if you took all those moves to failure you wouldnt be getting out of bed for a few days).


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## All4n (May 30, 2008)

Nytol said:


> I would do
> 
> Week 1 - Squat, Flat Bench, Chin Up
> 
> ...


I'm liking this idea, think will give it a shot. Will add/subtract through trial/error depending on how i feel as time goes on but obv keep the basics in there i.e squat, dead, bench, press.



Con said:


> Agreed, less is nearly always more.
> 
> Unlike Matt i am always prone to training a bit more than is needed ie if i was in your situation i would probably go.... squats, leg curl,decline bench, shoulder press, dip, reverse grip pull downs, deadlift, some sort of curl probs hammer curl. I would not count warm ups and then do 1 working set to failure for a few of the exercises and then perhaps 3 sets with 1 minute between sets not to failure (because obviously if you took all those moves to failure you wouldnt be getting out of bed for a few days).


I'd find that too much volume and too time consuming. Hate long workout with too many exercises and never seem to do well on them. I think the varations but hitting muscle indirectly may be the way forward as per nytols idea :thumbup1:


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2009)

All4n said:


> I'm liking this idea, think will give it a shot. Will add/subtract through trial/error depending on how i feel as time goes on but obv keep the basics in there i.e squat, dead, bench, press.
> 
> I'd find that too much volume and too time consuming. Hate long workout with too many exercises and never seem to do well on them. I think the varations but hitting muscle indirectly may be the way forward as per nytols idea :thumbup1:


Indeed that is why i said i personally always do a bit too much.


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## All4n (May 30, 2008)

Guilty of this myself mate, tonight in fact with that pointless extra set of light cable curls after doing heavy ez bar curls. May turn out to work well as long as i restrain from adding in too many extras. Prob will be able to resist tho as workouts obv going to be a lot more condensed now.


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## Adam T (Jun 6, 2009)

get a setup at home seems your best option?


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## All4n (May 30, 2008)

Not really. No room for a start. Would need the essentials i.e squat rack, bench, barbell, selection of weights. No way have the room for that currently, plus no time to train after work doing 12-14 hour days mon-fri.


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