How Often Should You Train?

In a recent Instagram post (@_etxtraining) I introduced the question above. How often should you train? And brought up the idea of frequency. The post outlined the importance of identifying your end goal (main / long term goal), timeline, and level of commitment. Ideally we find ourselves asking pertinent questions pertaining to our current state and future goals, this will ultimately provide you with the best pathway to reach your intended outcome.

Let's first touch on End Goals / main goals...

End goals are the overarching goal that you've set for yourself. This plays a large factor in your training frequency. You can have two general types of main goals. Macro and micro. A macro goal could be something like going to the olympics. It's both a large task in making it and a long term process. A micro goal is something personal / small in its level of difficulty and duration. An example of a micro goal could be losing 5 pounds.

Knowing your end goal allows you to develop what is known as a macrocycle or a long term road map. This road map depicts the entire process from start to finish in blocks. Each block pertaining to smaller cycles known as mesocycles and even smaller ones known as microcycles. A macrocycle allows us to know when we are implementing high, moderate, and low frequency training sessions. For a macro goal like the olympics this can be very important, as it allows athletes to have set phases that allow for specific growth. For micro goal setters, developing a general layout of your end goal is important but isn't essential. A micro cycle may only last a month or two thus focus should be set on a micro or mesocycle.

All this jibber jabber doesn't lead to much specifics it seems. However, picking up on this jargon will help you better segment and understand your approach to your personal end goal.

So you've set an end goal and built your road map. First step complete! You now have a better idea of how much intensity needs to be put and where.

How do you determine when to have high frequency training and when to have lower frequency?

This can be answered when we ask ourselves what our timeline is. For micro goal setters with a timeline of 1-2 months, ideally training frequency is between 3-5/week with one active recovery day and the intensity of the workouts are high. Training tenure and proficiency will dictate intensity level, but for general guidelines 3-5/week of high intensity workouts is suitable for most micro goal setters.

Those with long term or macro goals, like the olympics, creating undulating intensity and training frequency will be important to avoid overtraining, cessation of progress, and or damage / injury to the body.

Let's look at a 1 year plan of an athlete trying to build sport specific strength and conditioning:

Start date Jan 1st. 2021.

The macrocycle will last 365 days / 12 months and consist of 4 phases lasting 1-3 months each.

January - February (2months)

Preparation phase

- Work on muscle discrepancies

- Rehab and build on injuries

- Develop new skills

- Develop former skills

Training frequency: 6 days / week

Training intensity: moderate

Mon: Lower Focused

Tue: Upper focused

Wed: Aerobic conditioning

Thur: Upper Hypertrophy

Fri: Lower stability

Sat: Speed, Agility, Quickness

Sun: Rest

March-May: (3 months)

Strength-Hypertrophy Development

- Build muscle mass

- Improve muscle synergy and maximal strength

- Link body components

- Improve body composition

Training frequency: 5-6 days / week

Training Intensity: High

Mon: Lower Strength

Tue: Upper Strength + Conditioning

Wed: Anaerobic conditioning Even weeks / Rest odd weeks

Thur: Zone 2 recovery intervals

Fri: Lower Hypertrophy

Sat: Upper Hypertrophy

Sun: Rest

June-September: (4months)

Strength-Power

- Force development

- Improved force management

- Improved body composition

- Further skill acquisition and development

Training frequency: 5-6 days / week

Training Intensity: High

Mon: Full body power

Tue: Lower strength

Wed: Conditioning

Thur: Active Rest

Fri: Olympic lift centred + conditioning

Sat: Upper strength

Sun: Rest

October-December: (3 months)

Sport power

- Maximize force transfer and output

- Highest degree of sport specificity

- Body composition maintenance

- Lower volume / higher output

Training frequency: 3-5 days / week

Training intensity: Low-moderate

Mon: Full body day 1 (Oly. lift focused)

Tues: Practice / conditioning

Wed: Full body day 2: Strength focused

Thur: Active recovery + mobility

Fri: Full body (low intensity power driven)

Sat: Game day simulation or tough conditioning piece

Sun: Active recovery

If an athlete is peaking in December / January, then a specific focus would be placed on their sport specifics and generating highest game pace outputs. If the focus is bodybuilding or body composition oriented, then focus should be placed on peaking physically. This may look like the end of a 12 week cut, bulk, or transition into one of the latter.

There is plenty that goes into a lengthy plan, and it requires asking yourself a boat load of questions. But the one that still remains most pertinent is the following. How committed to your goal are you?

Whether setting a micro goal or a macro goal, you're level of commitment is what will determine success. A macro goal, as seen above, is lengthy and requires a lot of detail. In order for a plan of such great detail to work out effectively the athlete must put in what is required of them. This is the toughest part for most. It is what makes setting micro goals so appealing. The buy in factor is much smaller and the threshold for discomfort just as small. So when it comes down to setting goals, laying out the road map, and determining factors for success you must first ask yourself your commitment to the goal itself.

Recap...

1) Determine goal: Macro or Micro?

2) Determine timeline: 1 month? 1 year? Never ending?

2.1) Lay out the road map = 1+2

3) Evaluate self commitment to the goal

3.1) Book a consult with me and lets get this ball rolling!

Look, I could and quite literally would love to, go on and on about the keys to frequency in training. But everyone is different and it requires specific attention. Thus of course I open up my services to you, so that together we can work towards your personal goals and attain them in the best and most efficient way possible.

"Progression is built through consistency and tested by passion"

JB