From what I gather there are muscles you should work maybe once a week and others that can and/or should be worked more than once a week. Can someone give a quick rundown on the muscle groups and dictate how frequently they can be worked?

Also, on a side note. When working biceps I have a problem with my left bicep. I feel something kinda ... how to describe this ... popping in and out of place. It feels like perhaps a vein or tendon or something that is moving about. It is located on the underside of my left elbow. It is not painful but almost sickeningly annoying. Any clues what this is and if it can cause any future issues?

Any muscle group can be worked several times per week. Most full body routines, for example, will hit each muscle group 3 times per week.


No clue about your bicep inquiry. Sorry.

As Karatetricker said, they can all be trained 3 times a week very safely. You need 48 hrs. between trainging the same body part. As you advance, and intensity increases, more rest is necessary (as in HIT training), but that might be a long way off. To answer your question, ALL parts can be trained 3 times a week.

As Karatetricker said, they can all be trained 3 times a week very safely. You need 48 hrs. between trainging the same body part. As you advance, and intensity increases, more rest is necessary (as in HIT training), but that might be a long way off. To answer your question, ALL parts can be trained 3 times a week.

I have to disagree to some extent. As a lifter advances, depending on their routine, the rest periods can be drastically different. With some training routines, one can train the same body part multiple times a day, many times a week.

Also, I don't think the blanket statement that all parts can be trained 3 times a week. That is also routine and trainee specific. I know that you and a few others advocate for HIT, but with the plethora of programs out there, 3x/wk is not appropriate. Sometimes 1x every 10 days might be right for someone doing heavy, high volume work. That is something HIT and similar programs' tenants are not applicable.

I suggest you look at their programs besides HIT to see how other people have been successful in creating a strong body.

In addition to what KT and kovacs have said, I find that my traps, abs, forearms, and calves can be trained frequently. In fact, they seem to benefit greatly from high volume. Your mileage may vary.

It sounds like you've got a tendon snapping over the elbow joint. Probably the linkage of the brachioradialis since it wraps over the top of your forearm and around the elbow. Have you tried altering your grip?

I'm assuming that the popping is happening when you're using a supinated (palms facing your body) grip. Does it occur when you're using a semi-supinated (hammer curl) grip or pronated (palms facing away) grip?

If you're feeling any pain from the movement, anything throbbing or lingering after working biceps, or any heat from the muscles around your elbow area a couple of minutes after working out, then you should stop biceps work for a bit and see a doctor.

I have to disagree to some extent. As a lifter advances, depending on their routine, the rest periods can be drastically different. With some training routines, one can train the same body part multiple times a day, many times a week.

Also, I don't think the blanket statement that all parts can be trained 3 times a week. That is also routine and trainee specific. I know that you and a few others advocate for HIT, but with the plethora of programs out there, 3x/wk is not appropriate. Sometimes 1x every 10 days might be right for someone doing heavy, high volume work. That is something HIT and similar programs' tenants are not applicable.

I suggest you look at their programs besides HIT to see how other people have been successful in creating a strong body.

Actually, I did point out that with higher intensity work, as you advance, there are times where you need more than 2 days rest between workouts...and that IS AN HIT PRINCIPLE! Also, he said how many times CAN they each be trained, not should. Had he said "should" the next question would be in regards to program type, goals, and personal fitness level. Anyway, no harm no foul.

And for your info, I have done at least 4 other complete programmes Max OT, various splits, circuit training), giving at least 2 months to each. Actually, HIT came right at the end of my transformation... icing on the cake, if you will. Not to mention that I've completed a personal training course, which doesn't make me an expert, but shows that I at least know a little of what I'm talking about. :)

Anyway, good dialogue!

Cheers, Mike

On a general basis:-

According to Dr.Fred Hatfield (world class powerlifter) larger muscles take longer to recover than smaller muscles. I assume he meant when trained to failure.

Dr.Ellington Darden (in his interview with Chris Mason of AtLarge Nutrition) states that he is now rethinking HIT programs... with an eye towards split routines. He now thinks that split routines are of merit, where previously he didn't.

It is not whether you should train a muscle "x" times a week but rather what you personally can handle.

We all look at things through our own particular pair of rose-colored glasses.

A 20 year old lifter will generally have a far greater recovery rate than a 40 year old.

I think HIT is a good philosophy. That said, If I max bench on Monday I'm not ready to go again on Wednesday.

Take a look at "Kenchi's" physique. Has own website. He's over 70. Does one bodypart per week. It works.

HIT bench:- 12 reps x 3 sets a week= 36 reps.
Split routine bench (one bodypart per week) 12 reps x 3 sets= 36 reps.
'' '' ' (twice a week) = 12 reps x 6 sets= 72 reps.

A lot of people that go on fullbody routines eventually reach a point where they are forced to compromise. e.g.:-

" I lifted max on Monday so I'll lift light on Wednesday and lift medium on Friday"

Why do they do this? Because they are outstripping their recovery rate yet somehow feel compelled to lift 3 times week.

This happens in spades to beginning lifters who are constantly bombarded with advice to increase the resistance every workout, 3 times a week, with no thought to recovery. They are told that will get more growth hormone production by doing fullbody in this method.

While this may be true, they will eventually reach a point where if they continue on in this fashion their body simply cannot keep up in terms of recovery.

Even on HIT there are those out there for whom 3 times week will not work.

If you are lifting 3 times week and making gains ...all well and good.

If you are lifting 3 times week for all muscles and you continually feel like an exhausted sack of spuds, making no gains and just doing it because others said so...you are wasting your time and overtraining.

On the other hand..if you are training one bodypart per week and don't see any real improvement then maybe you should try twice week.

There are HIT routines that can be done twice a week. Or once a week. Or three times a week.

It's not about the program. it's about how YOU PERSONALLY RESPOND TO IT.

Lifting weights is not the problem. Everybody lifts weights all the time.

Hundreds of programs ...hundreds of styles...dozens of gurus...diet plans coming out the ying-yang. You'd think with all this we'd all be walking around with physiques of Arnold. But we're not.

The reason we are not is mis-application of the criteria for us personally.

One of the reasons we mis-interpret the criteria is because there is so much conflicting criteria.

That is why we spend so much time looking for the bodybuilding prophet that will lead us out of the wilderness.

That is why we look for dietary "magic potions".

That is why we buy book after book looking for "insider" information.

While increasing our knowledge is definitely a "plus", too often we give up listening to ourselves and our bodies and gladly hand the reigns over to someone else.

But it depends quite a bit on who that "someone else" is.

Our gullibility precedes us in many cases.

But at the end of the day it comes back to the results for us personally.

Either you are getting results or you're not.

If it's "broke" you're definitely going to have to fix it ....or suffer the consequences.

The first rule of bodybuilding is...there are no rules.

Bodybuilding can be defined as progressive muscular adaptation to a weight-resistance formula.

The key word being "adaptation". If you are on a program where no muscular adaptation can take place...you aren't going to grow.

So you adapt the program to your adaptative abilities.

Once a week? Could be. Twice a week? Could be. Three times a week? Could be.

Recovery is more important than the number of times a bodypart is worked per week.

I'm assuming that the popping is happening when you're using a supinated (palms facing your body) grip. Does it occur when you're using a semi-supinated (hammer curl) grip or pronated (palms facing away) grip?

Yes, the popping only happens while curling a barbell using a supinated grip. I can feel the pop when my arms reach about a 15 degree angle both while raising and again while lowering the bar. There is no pain to speak of. Just want to know if this is something I should be worried about.

Also, if I were to remove curls from my routine, anybody have any suggestions as to which weight exercises I might incorporate that hit the biceps with the intensity that curls do?

Thank you to everybody for all the responses Ive gotten on my post. The input is greatly appreciated.

There is no pain to speak of. Just want to know if this is something I should be worried about.

If there's no pain then I wouldn't worry about it. Since the popping isn't occurring with other grips I'd just use dumbbells and a different grip or use an EZ-Curl bar.

Chin ups (multiple grip variations), horizontal rows, and bent-over rows will hit your biceps hard while working your back and shoulders as well. :tu:

I liked the HevyMetal post on this thread...I agree..He mentioned my buddy Kenchi,who at 70 is still at it and looks pretty good for a guy his age..I'm older than him and rtestes is just a "kid"..joke...but there is a lot of good stuff in what he said...you got to try,experiment,and find out what works for you...and everybody is different...honking on as long as you can like Kenchi is the ticket...Count your blessings if you can still lift,run,workout,or whatever...and still learn as much as you can...great post hevymetal..

Depends on you and how you go at it. Personally, I've found training once a week does nothing, zilch for me besides maintaining what I have. If I want to grow more I need to work out more often, though I could probably get away with once a week if I spent a really long time on that muscle group.