Enough time for Gym?

[Zurdo]

Hey guys I was wondering if going to the gym 3 days / week for 1-2 hours / per day, like: monday, wednesday and friday is good enough to build some muscles? The thing is I could go 5 days to the gym or hey .. even the whole week, but being in college and with a tight schedule on tuesdays and thurdays and jogging everyday (30 mins) at night makes me wonder if i would be able to handle it, any suggestions??

[Projali]

It depends if your calories/macros are solid, your training regimen is solid and your intensity is there.

Can you get results with 3 days a week? Absolutely.

[Deleted]

Three day splits are fine.

I alternate between a three day split and four day split myself.

[Against the Modern World]

Until autumn i won't be doing splits at all.. full body training 3 times a week it is

When it's hot I'm lazy, so will do only (weight and rep count vary on different days, from 5-6 to 18-20):

standing military press
pull-ups for reps (unweighted)
dumbbell bench press
good-mornings with barbell
front squat
some sort of calf raises
hammer curls

[Stankymcgee]

That is how I do it. I do same three days and I am pretty built. I do back/legs, chest/triceps, sholders/biceps. I go for about 2.5 hours each day and lift as heavy as possible. What I do is work every section of what body parts I am doing for the day. When you are finished you should feel that you can't lift anymore, well at least thats how I feel.

[Cfex623]

Sorry if i derail this thread, but is everyday at the gym too much? I Mean basic cardio every day, lower body / upper body every other day. Should a trainee rest and recover between those. Or is the few days a week enough ? Talking about normal slob with enough muscle mass to have a decent program. Opinions?

[Projali]

Sorry if i derail this thread, but is everyday at the gym too much? I Mean basic cardio every day, lower body / upper body every other day. Should a trainee rest and recover between those. Or is the few days a week enough ? Talking about normal slob with enough muscle mass to have a decent program. Opinions?

It depends on your goals and how hard you're training.

I'll tell you right now you can get the same or better results with a more structure 3 or 4 day split in terms of weights.

[freebaser]

If you can workout the same muscle group everyday, then you are not pushing hard enough.

[Deleted]

If you can workout the same muscle group everyday, then you are not pushing hard enough.

If you're pushing so hard you're in pain after every workout then you're doing it wrong.

[freebaser]

If you're pushing so hard you're in pain after every workout then you're doing it wrong.

I should elaborate so my comment isn't taken the wrong way. Obviously don't injure yourself, but a lot of newcomers don't understand working a muscle til muscle fatigue (or failure). Simply doing a number of sets and reps everyday with no relation to what your max is, just delays progress or completely hinders it. Most common routines use a 3 to 4 day split working different groups while others recover. No need to workout everyday of the week.

[Deleted]

I should elaborate so my comment isn't taken the wrong way. Obviously don't injure yourself, but a lot of newcomers don't understand working a muscle til muscle fatigue (or failure). Simply doing a number of sets and reps everyday with no relation to what your max is, just delays progress or completely hinders it. Most common routines use a 3 to 4 day split working different groups while others recover. No need to workout everyday of the week.

Working to failure is also something a newcomers should never do.

Failure curves are not conductive to new athletes, gradual building for 6 months is far healthier and safer. You're most likely at a place where working to failure is routine, I doubt the OP is.

[handsdown]

Yes, 3 times a week is just fine, and you don't need to be in there any more than an hour.
I would work towards incorporating the barbell squat, deadlift and bench press and perhaps barbell overhead shoulder press (I just feel like a BAMF lifting heavy things over my head) into your routine. Of course, I would get someone who knows what they are doing to show you how they are done, but Mark Riptoe has videos on Youtube that will provide you with a lot of helpful advice for these 4 movements. If this is your first time lifting, then this is not only the best time to make gains but to learn how to do the biggest compound movements properly and save you trouble (and avoid possible injury) down the road. I do suggest throwing in alternatives until you get the form down for those and start building up strength for those movements. I.e., goblet squats, walking lunges, one-legged leg press, ham-glute raise, hip thrusts (look dirty but they are awesome), kettle-bell swing or pull-throughs, back extensions, floor presses, dumbbell overhead presses.
Chin ups and pull ups are also worthy, but if you're just starting .. do alternatives until you build strength for those: pendlay rows, lat pull downs and/or close-grip pull down are my personal favourites, but whatever works.
Most important advice overall, please do not be a curl monkey. Two or three sets of curls are fine to help you progress with chin ups but don't mess with it beyond that.

PS. Is there a reason you need to jog every night? Sorry, I am a little against running - I really do not believe the human heart was designed for running for long periods; hence why I'm never surprised when someone drops dead in the middle of a marathon (I'm terrible I know).

[freebaser]

...
PS. Is there a reason you need to jog every night? Sorry, I am a little against running - I really do not believe the human heart was designed for running for long periods; hence why I'm never surprised when someone drops dead in the middle of a marathon (I'm terrible I know).

There are definitely conflicting theories on humans and our history of running, but you may find this video interesting that supports our desire to run long distances.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/chr...rn_to_run.html

[handsdown]

Interesting talk; but I still believe that we were designed for burst of speed (sprinting) rather than endurance. However, if running is your only form of exercise ... then by all means go for it because you are much more damned if you don't exercise at all.
Sorry by the way, Zurdo, didn't mean to deviate away from your original post P:

[Deleted]

Interesting talk; but I still believe that we were designed for burst of speed (sprinting) rather than endurance. However, if running is your only form of exercise ... then by all means go for it because you are much more damned if you don't exercise at all.
Sorry by the way, Zurdo, didn't mean to deviate away from your original post P:

You can believe what you like. Doesn't make you any less wrong.

[handsdown]

You can believe what you like. Doesn't make you any less wrong.

Never claimed I was "right" now did I? Neither of us truly know; just opinions based off the research we have both done and perhaps personal experiences (for me any way).