7 Day Training

[Bradford Reeves]

Hey Andy,
Bradford Reeves here. I've read quite a bit of your stuff, and appreciate your wisdom.
If someone wanted to train everyday, primarily with barbells and the most common assistance exercises, how would you organize it?

I'm particularly interested in how you prioritize things, the more days you train the more things can interfere with each other. How do you go about getting the most out of every day without something getting totally shafted? I know there are no free lunches. Thanks again for all your help.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I would not train 7 days per week. There is no reason to do so. Remember you grow and get stronger from RECOVERING from lifting weights, not from lifting weights.

The highest volume programs I write for clients are 6 days per week. And even those programs operate on a 3 on / 1 off schedule, so that you don't train more than 3 days in a row without a break.

6 days in a row can work if you kinda organize it along the lines of a body part split or like a 1 lifter per day organization. It can also work if you are a well conditioned olympic weightlifter who is performing mostly quick lifts and mostly singles and doubles on the slow lifts.

[Tennisgolfboll]

Is there a problem with doing:

Day 1 bp
Day 2 sq
Day 3 pr
Day 4 dl
Day 5 rest
repeat

Ive been doing a top set on all days and then 3 sets backoff(no extra sets on dl) and it seems to be working well. Sessions are short and i dont feel spent. But im not sure its ok, no programs seem to have this kind of frequency.

[Bradford Reeves]

I see. Eventually I would like to train 6x/week. Hit it hard and quit it, just often. 3 on, 1off, like you suggest.

At the root of my question is another question- how to you prioritize the order of your exercises? In a week, in a day, etc? For instance, some solid guidelines might be: if the lifts are on different but consecutive days, do the upper body lifts the first day and lower the second (bench on mon, squat on Tues). If the exercises are on the same day and work similar muscles, do the biggest stuff first and work down to the lightest/smallest (bench, then db press, then curls). I'm sure all these things depend on a variety of factors, but I'd like to get your take on this line of thinking. Any tips or guidelines from your experience? Why would you do it such-and-such way?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I don't have a problem with that. If you are making progress then keep at it.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I see. Eventually I would like to train 6x/week. Hit it hard and quit it, just often. 3 on, 1off, like you suggest.

At the root of my question is another question- how to you prioritize the order of your exercises? In a week, in a day, etc? For instance, some solid guidelines might be: if the lifts are on different but consecutive days, do the upper body lifts the first day and lower the second (bench on mon, squat on Tues). If the exercises are on the same day and work similar muscles, do the biggest stuff first and work down to the lightest/smallest (bench, then db press, then curls). I'm sure all these things depend on a variety of factors, but I'd like to get your take on this line of thinking. Any tips or guidelines from your experience? Why would you do it such-and-such way?

The week is organized in a way that allows you to train each lift in the most optimally recovered state as possible. We preferably put days between heavy squat and heavy deads and between presses and bench presses. In each session, yes, generally we go big and heavy down to small and light.

We do it this way because doing it the opposite way would be retarded.

[Adam Skillin]

We do it this way because doing it the opposite way would be retarded.

I'm going to begin using this explanation way, way more.

[Bradford Reeves]

I'm going to begin using this explanation way, way more.

Me too. Thanks Andy, seems pretty straightforward, just wanted to get all my bases covered.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

No problem. Good to hear from you

[Bradford Reeves]

Come a little furthur north into Oklahoma territory sometime and I'll treat you to some real good beef, show you RSC.