Which Is BETTER - 2 Days vs. 3 days a Week to Train a Lift?
- Geoff Neupert
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Here’s a 3-day/week double KB program built off “Specialized Variety”
Here’s a 3-day/week single KB program that has LOTS of variety in it
Here’s a 4-day/week single & double KB program that uses the “Light-Heavy” split
Here’s a 5-day/week single and double KB program that takes your from “easy” to “hard” over the course of one year https://salutis.kartra.com/page/Iyq450
Which Is BETTER - 2 Days vs. 3 days a Week to Train a Lift?
Ever wonder how often to train a lift?
There’s a good post about this over on the StrongFirst forum.
Essentially, the OP wondered if training a lift 2x a week is better than 3x a lift.
And that’s because, due to life’s circumstances, he got mentally burned out from training a lift 3x a week.
Well, that’s certainly one of the reasons why to switch from 3x a week to 2x a week - mental fatigue. For some, doing the “same thing” every training session becomes a drain.
So, let’s look at some other reasons you might not want to / shouldn’t train a lift 3x a week:
1- Larger Exercise Selection:
You may want to include a broader variety of exercises in your training program.
Instead of “just” Presses, you may want to include TGUs, Bent Presses, and or Push Presses.
2- Lacking Energy:
Some people have a lot of energy, others don’t.
Training hard on a 3x a week may be too much for you in your stage of life right now.
Examples are having toddlers… working swing shifts/ nights… caring for a loved one…
Twice a week may be all you can muster.
3- Lacking Desire:
This is a biggie.
Maybe you just don’t want to train a lift 3x a week. That’s totally fine and your prerogative.
4- Lacking Time:
For many, this really isn’t a thing. It’s managing the time wisely we do have.
But for some, 12-hour days leave little time for hard-core training.
As a result, a Wednesday evening and Saturday morning training session may be all that’s truly manageable right now.
5- Poor Recovery:
Some guys just don’t recover well.
3x a week is just too much for them.
How would you know if that’s you?
A- Your training log shows that you’re no longer making results.
B- You’re losing the desire to train.
C- You don’t sleep well - routinely less than 7 hours a night.
6- Programming:
[a] The more exercises per session, typically the lower the frequency
[b] The higher the volume (work completed), typically the lower the frequency
[c] The higher the effort level (energy expended), the lower the frequency
[d] The higher the neurological demand (Deadlift vs. Bench Press), typically the lower the frequency
[e] The longer the training session, typically the lower the frequency
Conversely -
The less exercises per session, volume, effort, and neurological demand, the more frequently you can train a lift
The “secret” is to figure out what you really CAN do (NOT “Want” to do), and then consistently do that.
Sub-optimal programming is better for seeing progress than the traditional “over 40 workout cycle” -
“Find” motivation → Workout too hard → Get sore / injured → Take [more] time off → Lose motivation → REPEAT CYCLE.
Again, this is typically why I recommend most of us “over 40 types” train 3 days a week, for between 20 and 30 minutes.
Over the decades, I’ve found this is the “Sweet Spot” where we can get some high quality work done, without crushing ourselves, so we can see and measure progress.
And if you have the time, desire, energy, and good recovery?
Train 4-5 days a week.
Training more frequently typically (but not always) allows for a greater variety of exercises throughout the week.
Here are some templates you can use:
3-Day Week:
[1] A/B Split - Week 1: A-B-A, Week 2: B-A-B
[2] MHL - Medium - Heavy - Light - or any other combination
4-Day Week:
[1] Light, Heavy, Light, Heavy
[2] Light, Medium, Heavy, Light.
5-Day Week:
[1] Light, Medium, Heavy, Light, Medium
[2] Light, Heavy, Medium, Light, Heavy
So again, at the end of the day, how many times you train a lift is ultimately up to you - your goals, circumstances, and desires.
Hope you found this helpful.
Stay Strong,
Geoff Neupert.
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