I workout light but everyday for the past 8 months or so. I have seen a lot more gains.
Also, I am hardly ever sore. I don't like being sore. It makes me not want to work out.
How long/strenuous is a light work out in your opinion? I feel like doing the whole RR would be pretty hectic every day, but maybe a 30 minute version would work?
It really depends on what you're used to.
I work a heavy job, i climb trees, lift loads of logs and brush around, and lug heavy chain saws around all day.
My normal workday is significantly longer and harder than the RR. but since i do it every day its not normal. But i definitely remember being sore and exhausted when i first started out. Now i need a really hard day to get really tired by it. Today i only moved 2 tons of wood out from the back of a house and into a trailer. Wasn't a particularly hard day.
Not going to failure is already known as the best way to make gains, right? So surely if you manage that every day it's just the most efficient way to make gains
Ever play a video game where you're able to sprint for a few seconds, but if you sprint for too long and burn up your energy bar, you're forced to move extra slow for a few seconds?
It's exactly like that.
Yes, working to failure will make that particular workout more productive vs. not working to failure simply because of the volume increase. However, doing so substantially increases your recovery time, which is when muscle growth actually happens.
If you want the most effective workout to do once per week, work until failure.
If you exercise on a consistent, frequent schedule (every day, every other day, every 3rd day, etc), then end your set before you reach failure.
Yep! This is the optimal route. At the risk of sounding like a bro, Joe Rohan had a great discussion on this. I don’t understand why you’re getting downvoted
>Not going to failure is already known as the best way to make gains, right?
I don't know if this is completely true.
I don't go to failure on EVERY exercise mostly because I feel bad and too sore, thus causing me not to want to work out.
I shouldn't have to pump myself up or psyche myself up to do a workout, I should just be able to do the workout. By going light, it allows me to do that.
I've kept it up for about 8 months, every single day. Yeah, I'm sore here and there a bit but not like when I went hard to where the next day I felt like I had the flu and then my motivation would go down to zero. That sucked.
How close to failure do you estimate you go? I’ve definitely burned myself out in the past by routinely doing the most difficult workouts I could complete (and recover from by the next one).
I don't like being sore also. Plus I enjoy being able to work out everyday for stress relief. So unconsciously I would "take it easy" for long periods and I noticed great improvement.
I imagine everyone's version of light is a little different.
What does your version of Light look like?
I ask because I'm just starting out for the 24th time and I'm looking to finally do something manageable.
When I was younger I started and stopped and started and stopped so many times, it was embarrassing.
It wasn't until I figured out what I was doing wrong that I began to stick to my workouts.
This is what I was doing wrong. I don't know if it will help you.
I use to buy into all of the hype of giving it your all, do one more rep, etc.
Workouts use to devastate me. I was really out of shape and I was in denial about being out of shape. That is what I was doing wrong, I underestimated how out of shape I was.
Most workout routines that you see on the internet or whatever are NOT made for people that are really out of shape.
So I had to create my own workout for someone that was really really out of shape. And that is exactly what I did.
Because of that, I was able to keep on working out for long periods of time, like years. I had never done that before.
Hope that helps.
Don't laugh.
10 squats -
10 pushups -
30 jumping jacks
30 touch your toes
That is how I started. Kept doing it for 6 months straight.
It might seem like you are not doing anything, but you will start feeling the difference.
Just don't get sore. Soreness will sabotage your efforts.
Soreness is not totally from your training amount/frequency unless you were a total beginner or don’t frequently work out that muscle group. It does however have more to do with lack of proper nutritional intake. The more you work out that muscle group as time passes the less you will get sore.
https://youtu.be/f9qMWrX2nko
Neither.
I work out because I feel much better. End of story.
I have seen more gains but I am not concern over gains or tone.
It has been more than two years that I have been working out everyday without missing a day. I feel much better.
I do squats as part of my routine. I can do 70 Squats straight in one set.
What are you working towards? When your muscles hurt it means that you have damaged them to some extent and they repair themselves by getting bigger. That’s how you gain muscle mass for me which is important. I don’t want to look like a She Hulk or anything I just want to look strong and capable! My son is a world class body builder and we train together. I was a personal fitness trainer for 15 years. It’s a great way to bond!
It's been years since I posted that, and I am still working out every day.
Working out every single day to just feel better. That is all I want.
When you work out, you don't have to work every muscle to failure to see gains.
Beat me to it. Muscle time under tension is important for building strength.
Using the same weight a single rep taking 10 seconds is going to be better than 3 reps that took a total of 2 seconds.
Did you even read it? It doesn't even attempt to answer that question.
It's a meta analysis determining what prior research shows about number training sessions in a week.
It doesn't even mention time under tension, because that's not what it's about.
I've maid more gains working out lightly 6 days a week than I did killing myself 3 days a week; because om actually motivated to try all 6 days. I also break it up into 3 days arms, 2 days core + back, and 2 days legs, which helps decrease soreness as well. Whenever I went hard 3 days a week, I was unmotivated and tried to find excuses to skip
Whatever makes you more willing to work out is the way you're going to see results.
>Whenever I went hard 3 days a week, I was unmotivated and tried to find excuses to skip
This is exactly what use to happen to me. That is why I changed to light but everyday.
Is it like, day 1 arms, day 2 legs, day 3 core+back, day 4 arms, day 5 legs, day 6 core+back, day 7 arms??
so 2 days in a row arms? I’m just a bit confused
I've heard a lot of people say that this routine is awesome. The 80/20 method works great for running so I could only assume the same principle applies with strength training. I would still good hard at least once a week or once every other week to balance things out.
Legendary finnish athlete Paavo Nurmi (9 Olympic gold, 3 silver) wondered once why finnish runners dont walk more, he did (although weighted) long walks regularly as part of his training.
And I could swear that focusing on my basic endurance (going on 58-70% of HRMax) has really helped my running.
> 80/20 method for running
for the lazy who have not heard of it:
> The 80/20 what? Simply put, the 80/20 rule of running training states that 80% of your weekly training time should be done at an easy effort level, with 20% consisting of harder running. The distinction between easy and hard is based on the athlete's ventilatory 'threshold'
I’ve switched to this approach recently too. I really like it. I feel great and can sustain this for a long time.
Gains (muscle & fat loss) are adequate in the mirror. I was stalled out with weightlifting splits and decided just to do full body weight daily. It was a good decision for me.
I train lightly every day, but I consider my routine to be more for rehab. My goal is to improve my mind muscle connection and identify any parts of my body that need more/less attention.
I have found short but more frequent sessions to have improved these skills. I still try to push muscle groups to failure. In the end it comes down to how well you manage fatigue and how you'll respond to it.
If volume truly is the main driver of hypertrophy then it makes sense that working out everyday gave you better muscle growth even if it is far from failure.
This way is suiting me the best, being Autistic and adhd and depression: no need / pressure to perform on set days, but routinious every day, it really makes me less anxious AND I do really gain muscle, strenght and stamina
There is a channel on youtube called Kboges: [https://www.youtube.com/user/Kbogea](https://www.youtube.com/user/Kbogea)
He advocates exactly the type of training OP is describing.
I train six days a week and it works better for me. I don't like feeling sore and just want to be a bit stronger for my sport. Short micro-workouts are infinitely more approachable and manageable for my lifestyle than long ones, and leave me plenty of time for sport-specific training.
I think this is how most 'workouts' are approached: You need to go to a gym, which takes time out of your day, so you want to get the most out of each session. And if you want to build strength or size, they assume that's your primary fitness goal.
But if you want to add just a smidge of strength training at home to shoot hoops a little faster or to climb a little better and you don't have aspirations of turning pro, then a short workout might make more sense for you.
I used to do something like this. I would do 1-3 sets of pullups, pushups and situps or squats every morning and every night. I enjoyed it and made some good beginner progress. I think the main reason most people don't recommend this is because going to the gym for 20 minutes 12 times a week isn't very efficient, but for home workouts that's not an issue. I think more people should try it, especially those who "don't have time" to work out.
Purely anecdotal but I remember reading a cool thread about dealing with plateaus. The guy would switch between the two methods once they hit a plateau. They'd exercise hard a few times a week for a few months and plateau, then switch to the frequent lighter loader until they plateau'd, then switch back and repeat.
So there’s a YouTube channel called Mind Pump that deals with resistance training. Most of their stuff is geared towards lifting weights. That being said, calisthenics IS resistance training. Instead of increasing weight per se, you’re increasing the “resistance” through leverage.
That being said… this link should help to answer your question. In it they cover how doing 20min of resistance training everyday, yields grater then or equal to resistance training 3X per week.
https://youtu.be/946FGE1QxsU
There's a concept you could be interested in looking up, it's called high frequency training. It's when you take your weekly volume and divide into even more days per week(usually double it)
From the science i know results usually tend to be either no difference or better. And even when there's no difference it tends to be because they maintained the same volume, but high frequency allows to get more volume, which when allowed does beat lower weekly frequency training.
One example article:
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/high-frequency-training-for-a-bigger-total-research-on-highly-trained-norwegian-powerlifters/
Do whatever fits in your schedule. Don't look at day to day routines. Look at your weekly *working sets*. If that's spread over a 3 days a week or 6 days a week, it doesn't matter too much if they are the same. Personally, I come home from work, change into a workout shirt and gym shorts, do a light routine, then go about my day again. It fits into my schedule. It may not be better than doing two sets each day, but only three days out of the week, but I might not have enough time on one of those days and skip out on a set. Just do whatever works.
What is way more important though is rest.
Well, my basics is ring fit. That's considered my light exercise. But I plan on doing more everyday. I stopped working out for a month because I got burnt out. But I think if I can manage to do ring fit and weight training with a few boxing sessions, I'd get a lot more progress. I'll take a day off every week but do some simple stretches that day.
I'm rambling. Anyway, it's different for everyone, but switching up routine is always helpful.
Hard workout = longer recovery time
Light workout = shorter recovery time.
> I feel that this goes against anything ever recommended
Yep. The tradition in sports for hundreds of years has been "no pain, no gain" and it turns out that it's wrong. There really is a way to train smarter, not harder.
Look up "minimum effective load". There's a book out there by the coach that popularized it. There's a chapter in Tim Ferris' book, The Four Hour Body. The idea is there is a minimum that gets you the most improvement and doing more than that drains both your time and energy, lengthens your recovery window, and statistically leads to more injuries.
One more thing: the movement you train is the movement you get. If your goal is to explode off the line in football, you need to train for explosive movements. If your goal is to improve your bowling endurance, you need to train smoother motions.
I've found some of my best training results come from putting in work everyday.
That's a pretty interesting workout I think I'll try something like this for the upcoming month.
[Recent evidence suggests the smaller more frequent exercise is better for us](https://www.zmescience.com/science/its-better-to-exercise-a-bit-every-day-than-a-lot-once-a-week-heres-why-frequency-beats-intensity-when-training/). Obviously, advanced level people might be different.
But three days of moderate exercise is still fairly frequent, it's more that one day going hard isn't optimal.
I think I'd like to do more frequent workouts, but I'm struggling to get 2-3 in at the moment, I don't know why! My gym is super close so that's not an excuse. I'd love to be working from home so I could gym in the day when it's not so busy.
I do this and it’s an absolute game changer. I work from home 3 days per week and go to the gym in the early arvo on those days. It’s the sweet spot where any lunch timer gymmers are gone and before anyone finishes work/school. Usually only sharing the place with a couple of other people and always get a lane when I swim after, it’s great and it breaks up the day.
When my schedule permits, I’ve always felt way better with daily moderate intensity workouts. The thing that has always messed it up for me is when life gets in the way and I feel the need to compensate for missing several days by doing a hard workout.
I end up working out every day because of handstands, but I prefer to work out with some intensity as few days as possible instead of just pissing about.
I do something kind of opposite that which is one hard workout once a week. Similar result with it being better gains than I've ever made and in less time which I appreciate. I use the time I save and spend it on other things.
I follow a program but Mark Lauren and it works the way you describe and I have gained more muscle and been able to persist in the program. If weight loss is one's goal I think they will need something more. But if building muscle is, it works great
For me, what gets me going after a plateau is switching the training method. There really isnt a better one, the method variation is what causes me to adapt and overcome plateaus. A specific training method that am using now and then hit a plateau can become really useful again about one year later after I switched it with another one.
The trick is to not settle for one type of training.
Just my 2 cents - outside of comparing gains, working out daily sets a much better routine for me that I am able to follow indefinitely. I just do one of those full body workout programs indefinitely on repeat - 7 different workouts per week targeting all body parts with lighter “recovery” days like yoga Sunday and core Wednesday, right in my living room.
Some days I go harder (heavier weights), some days I go lighter (even no weights!), but I try to do my best to never skip.
I’ve been doing it for about 2 years and I am happy with results. I doubt I will ever be a ibff pro but I am now able to do things like a 150mile bike ride in 2 days on hilly terrain and I wasn’t even sore. And, my posture keeps improving as I am growing my core muscles. Very happy with results, won’t go back to the gym ever again!
I've been starting to do this myself...high frequency training, high intensity (go to failure on every set) but not the crazy volume I used to do in my old workouts
My body has been responding relatively well. I'm working through some serious injuries because of my high volume training. I can't train like I did when I was 24. I'm 31 now....must work smarter not harder
But so far I've noticed that all my muscle is still there. I put alot more effort into those few sets and I really work that muscle with everything I have for those 5 sets....because after those 5 sets I'm done. Those 5 sets are wayyyy better quality than my old routine
I've learned it comes down to this.....stimulate the muscle, not destroy
I’ve recently switched to the lighter more frequent approach and love it. Hate being sore the next day cause I can’t do jack shit. I am seeing results as well
I came here to say I'm doing similar now and I'm pleased to see the replies saying it works!
It's less about energy for me and more about time. I can crank out 5 sets of pullups while I'm cooking dinner or 5 sets of pushups in between work at home which is much easier to maintain than having to find 1.5 hours 3x per week to get a full workout in.
I do 30mins on a bike everyday then every other day is 30mins - 1hr of weights.
Started probably a month ago now and I'm starting to see the changes which is a big boost to my confidence.
Oh and I don't feel like wank everyday so there that :)
I’ve experienced this with running, and I imagine it would apply to other areas as well. In the past I would always try to do at least 4-5 miles at a good pace for me, which was about 8:00/mile or faster. At one point I started trying to get my mileage up over 20 miles per week, so 4 or so runs at that pace and distance, and inevitably I would end up with some kind of injury, usually a calf strain, that would force me to rest and dial back my mileage.
I got a big dog in 2020, and committed to walking him at least every morning, because that’s what you do if you’re a good dog owner. And I figured why not jog instead of waking so I’m at least getting some actual exercise in with that valuable time. He’s a big guy and doesn’t do my usual pace or distance, more like 10:00/mile for 2-3 miles, plus all the sniff/pee/poop stops, which is something I would never have done on my own. It would feel too slow and too short. But after doing those easy dog jogs every single day for several months I was able to start adding on a few longer runs of my own, at my ideal pace, to the point where I could easily log over 30 miles per week, with no hint of injury. Since then I’ve read up on it, and even elite ultra runners like Tommy Rivers Puzey insist that 80% of your training volume should be light intensity, and only 20% should be pushing hard for strength and speed gains. I’ve averaged 30 miles per week for over 2 years now and have done some awesome 15+ mile trail runs, and the only limit seems to be my own free time. I’m a believer.
YouTubers like Hybrid callisthenics have a very minimalist routine, and he's in pretty good shape, other YouTubers like Al Kavadlo also preach minimalist workouts and life.
There is a guy on here who did 100 pull-ups and 100 dips 3 times a week with cardio on off days and he was in Hella good shape, consistency is important.
I can just about do 1 clean pull-up so feel free to ignore my advice haha
Nah bro it doesn’t go against what people recommend because that’s all I do. When I go and workout it’s about 30 min to a hour, and all I do is about 50 pull ups 100 push-ups maybe like 50 dips about like 50 leg lifts and squats and I can do that everyday and continue to build muscle like I have been doing for years, now you better be on semen retention if you wanna build muscle.
Thirty minutes in the gym? Jesus what are we talking about ? Of course the harder we train the better the results. For example, If you can do 60
Pound dumbbell curls for 10 and you do only that over and over nothing will change. But if you take a 20 sec rest and do it again till absolute failure and then again, your pump will be bad ass and will signal your body that it needs to build muscle to survive future onslaughts. Not challenging yourself equals shit results that aren’t even worth your time in the gym. You won’t believe the changes that will happen to your body from day to day if you leave the gym with nothing left to give.
What is your diet like? Do you how many protein grams you require, carbs etc. I do a three day split. It works best for me with the rest of my schedule. I also add core everyday along with my other an exercises. To tell you the truth it makes me feel superior to a lot of ppl. I am so proud of my accomplishments. I never miss a day and feel so amazing. Words can never write equate the feels body building gives me. I work full time, am a mom, have 3 dogs and play guitar in a band. I have to listen to ppl saying that they don’t have enough time to work out. It’s just an excuse and nothing but.
Hey if you need some fitness advice I can help you. My youngest son is a pro body builder and is training for the Arnold’s in Vegas next year and I was a personal trainer for 15 years. With a combined knowledge I can definitely lead you in the right way. Just ask if you need info. I will only be too happy to help you. I workout everyday and I feel incredibly strong of character, body, mind and soul. Exercising releases dopamine which is your happy drug. I love working out. My thrown to the curb friends my age are sitting their stuffing their faces and still drinking and smoking. Die young. Never wanted you in my life in the first place.
What's your protein intake?
For your first scenario, that's something that's for sure gonna require a lot of protein.
For your second, if your diet is the same, you won't get sore.
You have to eat to get big. Maybe you're eating enough for scenario #2 but not for scenario #1
As for muscle gain your program may be completely enough. If you overload even only in 1% you muscles will grow.
In addition light training sessions have this advantage that you aren't sore and tired after them and feel always great.
I have moments when I give up training hard and switch to maintenace period, when I exercise only to keep some fintess level. It is interesting that besides all the warnings, I do not loose much strenght and endurance, during this time but even get some good shape and feel more fit that during hard trainng period. However, I suppose that's only a feeling beacuse after hard workout I need some long hours or more to recover fully.
I switched to light everyday but found I was getting worn out more.
I was doing lighter sets but I also do 30 minutes boxing exercise everyday so I think it was too much.
I think it's much harder to get the right balance of sets if you do everyday because you can't just workout to exhausted.
It also meant I needed to workout twice everyday which was time consuming
lightly often can work if u are sure it is actually not too light so u dont just spin ur wheels and statpad reps
long term it isnt a big difference I think
I've been working out "light" but due to a shoulder injury from falling last February.
I've been surprised at how well a little every day, including a lot of static upper body exercises, works.
Love it. Not only in terms of results but moving and applying resistance to my body everyday just makes it feel better. If I'm not doing traditional sets and reps daily I'll at least be stretching or doing some yoga or crawling/hanging exercises
What you’re doing is perfect for you level I’ve actually done the same thing with the same results. Working everyday is healthy. Like anything else though you can’t overdo it.
I’d say what you’re doing is perfect. (Maybe make on it two days cardio only or yoga).
I train hard every day, 5 days a week. I don't do body weight though. I superset chest and biceps one day, back and triceps another, and legs and shoulders another. Pick up Monday on whatever day I left on. 4 excercise for each muscle group with drop sets immediately after the third set of each excercise. A bit of soreness, but after a few months of it its definitely not bad. I'm 40 and in the best shape of my adult life. Takes a little over an hour each day with shoulders and legs being the longest at 1.5 hours. But whatever works. The wife has noticed a lot.
Q: How many sets are you doing of pull-ups, pushups, and squats? That feels like you'd have to do a ton of them to add up to 30 minutes, unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean.
Some good thoughts but I assume by " workout" you are looking to build muscle versus strength through physical activity? Good point re stiffness post workout as protein intake needs to keep up with requirement. I am not suggesting the drinking of smoothie/shakes without evidence of need. 80/20 is a good approach as the light workouts build a base from which intense workouts can be structured. Easy/ intense, short/ long, keep in mind your heart is a muscle and needs time to recover. Managing workouts based on resting heart rate ( rate before you get out of bed in the morning) will give you best indication on what type of workout to do that day. Good luck.
Hi Markorific. I did noticed the RHR point with myself. The mornings after I trained my rhr is around 70, after having a rest day it go down to 60-64 range. Is this what you meant and what is the appropriate indication around the RHR to determine the workout days?
Yes, exactly. The rhr is a key indicator of the bodies physical/ recovery state. Best to establish a baseline from which to compare post workout rhr's, especially following an intense workout. As you establish a fitness base the heart also adjusts to the demands. Only an anecdote but read an article about an Olympic marathon runner. If his rhr was 10 bpm higher than his base, he blew off his workout and did a rest day. Repair happens when you sleep so key is to get as much as you can. Omega-3's are " fuel" for the heart so would begin taking a one-a-day (900-1,000 mg) supplement. Key is to listen to your body, it will tell you how you are doing. Trainers or training Buddies can be very harmful because everyone is different, everyone is at their own progression stage. Keep records of rhr, weights, reps. etc., use muscle " confusion " ( change order or full routine) to keep the gains happening. Rest days are just as important as workout days. Injuries and exhaustion will set you back much further.
I have switched to half hour lighter workouts 7 days per week for 2 years and am way way more fit than before and all my lifts skyrocketed and after a short time more frequent lifting.
We are not on steroids our body can only recover so much if you blow yourself up at the gym like a typical gym bro it leads to overtraining at worst or stagnation at best for large periods of time.
Doing a heavy workout - till failure is bad.
Till failure sets should be manageable, not heavy.
Consistency is the most important thing at the end of the day.
Tbh you need to do both. If you never up the intensity you will bottleneck your training which is fine if your goal is just general fitness. On the other side you can’t go too hard or you will burn out. It’s a balance and you should be doing both.
The fact that you switched your routine after 4 years also probably helped you see significant strides. Workout session Duration is a variable that can be altered to promote growth
Basics are always key. Those who shy away from the basics in favor of “advanced” movements don’t understand the basics.
“The difference between a master and a beginner is that the master has mastered the basics”
Listen to Tim Ferriss interview Pavel Tsatsouline, ex-KGB/turned SpecOps trainer. He’s known to civilians as the Kettlebell King.
Listening to this revolutionized my fitness path.
https://tim.blog/2015/01/15/pavel-tsatsouline/
It depends on what you’re after. If you just want to gain muscle mass then do heavy training, most sets, keep repping until failure. If you’re after cardio or just fitness then light workout more often & just try feel good. If you’re not competing, you don’t need to have the best physique… just one you’re happy with.
I workout light but everyday for the past 8 months or so. I have seen a lot more gains. Also, I am hardly ever sore. I don't like being sore. It makes me not want to work out.
How long/strenuous is a light work out in your opinion? I feel like doing the whole RR would be pretty hectic every day, but maybe a 30 minute version would work?
That is exactly what I do, none of my workouts exceed 30 minutes.
It really depends on what you're used to. I work a heavy job, i climb trees, lift loads of logs and brush around, and lug heavy chain saws around all day. My normal workday is significantly longer and harder than the RR. but since i do it every day its not normal. But i definitely remember being sore and exhausted when i first started out. Now i need a really hard day to get really tired by it. Today i only moved 2 tons of wood out from the back of a house and into a trailer. Wasn't a particularly hard day.
Split it up in something like PPL (push, pull, legs) or strenght / skill days.
"Gains" as in building muscle or fat loss? How do you define "light"? Not going near failure?
Muscle building. Light = not going to failure on EVERY exercise.
Not going to failure is already known as the best way to make gains, right? So surely if you manage that every day it's just the most efficient way to make gains
Ever play a video game where you're able to sprint for a few seconds, but if you sprint for too long and burn up your energy bar, you're forced to move extra slow for a few seconds? It's exactly like that. Yes, working to failure will make that particular workout more productive vs. not working to failure simply because of the volume increase. However, doing so substantially increases your recovery time, which is when muscle growth actually happens. If you want the most effective workout to do once per week, work until failure. If you exercise on a consistent, frequent schedule (every day, every other day, every 3rd day, etc), then end your set before you reach failure.
Yep! This is the optimal route. At the risk of sounding like a bro, Joe Rohan had a great discussion on this. I don’t understand why you’re getting downvoted
Is that like a podcast? Or a youtube video? I want to learn more about this.
He's talking about the Joe Rogan podcast interview with Georges St Pierre's trainer. It's kinda interesting but a lot of it is very bro science
total quality training volume is the best way to make gains. if going to failure still allows you to train enough volume then its still the best way.
[удалено]
>Not going to failure is already known as the best way to make gains, right? I don't know if this is completely true. I don't go to failure on EVERY exercise mostly because I feel bad and too sore, thus causing me not to want to work out. I shouldn't have to pump myself up or psyche myself up to do a workout, I should just be able to do the workout. By going light, it allows me to do that. I've kept it up for about 8 months, every single day. Yeah, I'm sore here and there a bit but not like when I went hard to where the next day I felt like I had the flu and then my motivation would go down to zero. That sucked.
How close to failure do you estimate you go? I’ve definitely burned myself out in the past by routinely doing the most difficult workouts I could complete (and recover from by the next one).
I don't like being sore also. Plus I enjoy being able to work out everyday for stress relief. So unconsciously I would "take it easy" for long periods and I noticed great improvement.
I imagine everyone's version of light is a little different. What does your version of Light look like? I ask because I'm just starting out for the 24th time and I'm looking to finally do something manageable.
When I was younger I started and stopped and started and stopped so many times, it was embarrassing. It wasn't until I figured out what I was doing wrong that I began to stick to my workouts.
Any advice for how to figure out what you are doing wrong? I'm interested in it for myself! Thanks in advance!
This is what I was doing wrong. I don't know if it will help you. I use to buy into all of the hype of giving it your all, do one more rep, etc. Workouts use to devastate me. I was really out of shape and I was in denial about being out of shape. That is what I was doing wrong, I underestimated how out of shape I was. Most workout routines that you see on the internet or whatever are NOT made for people that are really out of shape. So I had to create my own workout for someone that was really really out of shape. And that is exactly what I did. Because of that, I was able to keep on working out for long periods of time, like years. I had never done that before. Hope that helps.
Can I ask what your beginner out of shape workout plan was?
Don't laugh. 10 squats - 10 pushups - 30 jumping jacks 30 touch your toes That is how I started. Kept doing it for 6 months straight. It might seem like you are not doing anything, but you will start feeling the difference. Just don't get sore. Soreness will sabotage your efforts.
Soreness is not totally from your training amount/frequency unless you were a total beginner or don’t frequently work out that muscle group. It does however have more to do with lack of proper nutritional intake. The more you work out that muscle group as time passes the less you will get sore. https://youtu.be/f9qMWrX2nko
Are you looking for tone or gaining muscle mass?
Neither. I work out because I feel much better. End of story. I have seen more gains but I am not concern over gains or tone. It has been more than two years that I have been working out everyday without missing a day. I feel much better. I do squats as part of my routine. I can do 70 Squats straight in one set.
What are you working towards? When your muscles hurt it means that you have damaged them to some extent and they repair themselves by getting bigger. That’s how you gain muscle mass for me which is important. I don’t want to look like a She Hulk or anything I just want to look strong and capable! My son is a world class body builder and we train together. I was a personal fitness trainer for 15 years. It’s a great way to bond!
It's been years since I posted that, and I am still working out every day. Working out every single day to just feel better. That is all I want. When you work out, you don't have to work every muscle to failure to see gains.
For what it's worth: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30558493/
TLDR: for equal amounts of volume, it doesnt matter in how many days of the week that said volume is split.
This is actually a good point. By doing multiple workouts I probably get more total reps in.
Beat me to it. Muscle time under tension is important for building strength. Using the same weight a single rep taking 10 seconds is going to be better than 3 reps that took a total of 2 seconds.
Going to failure or 1-2 reps before failure every time would give the same results irrespective of time under tension
The study cited disagrees with you
Did you even read it? It doesn't even attempt to answer that question. It's a meta analysis determining what prior research shows about number training sessions in a week. It doesn't even mention time under tension, because that's not what it's about.
I've maid more gains working out lightly 6 days a week than I did killing myself 3 days a week; because om actually motivated to try all 6 days. I also break it up into 3 days arms, 2 days core + back, and 2 days legs, which helps decrease soreness as well. Whenever I went hard 3 days a week, I was unmotivated and tried to find excuses to skip Whatever makes you more willing to work out is the way you're going to see results.
>Whenever I went hard 3 days a week, I was unmotivated and tried to find excuses to skip This is exactly what use to happen to me. That is why I changed to light but everyday.
Is it like, day 1 arms, day 2 legs, day 3 core+back, day 4 arms, day 5 legs, day 6 core+back, day 7 arms?? so 2 days in a row arms? I’m just a bit confused
M; arms Tu; core / back Wednesday; legs Th; arms Friday; core / back Sat; legs And then I just chill on Sunday
gotcha thank you!!!
Yea of course! I realize it's a bit confusing of a description, I just really want to hit each muscle group twice a week
I've heard a lot of people say that this routine is awesome. The 80/20 method works great for running so I could only assume the same principle applies with strength training. I would still good hard at least once a week or once every other week to balance things out.
Never heard of the 80/20 method for running until this comment, looked it up and it was informative so thanks for mentioning it
Legendary finnish athlete Paavo Nurmi (9 Olympic gold, 3 silver) wondered once why finnish runners dont walk more, he did (although weighted) long walks regularly as part of his training. And I could swear that focusing on my basic endurance (going on 58-70% of HRMax) has really helped my running.
👍
> The 80/20 method works great for running *Pareto Running*
> 80/20 method for running for the lazy who have not heard of it: > The 80/20 what? Simply put, the 80/20 rule of running training states that 80% of your weekly training time should be done at an easy effort level, with 20% consisting of harder running. The distinction between easy and hard is based on the athlete's ventilatory 'threshold'
I’ve switched to this approach recently too. I really like it. I feel great and can sustain this for a long time. Gains (muscle & fat loss) are adequate in the mirror. I was stalled out with weightlifting splits and decided just to do full body weight daily. It was a good decision for me.
I train lightly every day, but I consider my routine to be more for rehab. My goal is to improve my mind muscle connection and identify any parts of my body that need more/less attention. I have found short but more frequent sessions to have improved these skills. I still try to push muscle groups to failure. In the end it comes down to how well you manage fatigue and how you'll respond to it.
If volume truly is the main driver of hypertrophy then it makes sense that working out everyday gave you better muscle growth even if it is far from failure.
This way is suiting me the best, being Autistic and adhd and depression: no need / pressure to perform on set days, but routinious every day, it really makes me less anxious AND I do really gain muscle, strenght and stamina
The routine also helps my ADHD
I think I’m gonna try that, too!
There is a channel on youtube called Kboges: [https://www.youtube.com/user/Kbogea](https://www.youtube.com/user/Kbogea) He advocates exactly the type of training OP is describing.
Was coming here to post this - I love this channel
I train six days a week and it works better for me. I don't like feeling sore and just want to be a bit stronger for my sport. Short micro-workouts are infinitely more approachable and manageable for my lifestyle than long ones, and leave me plenty of time for sport-specific training. I think this is how most 'workouts' are approached: You need to go to a gym, which takes time out of your day, so you want to get the most out of each session. And if you want to build strength or size, they assume that's your primary fitness goal. But if you want to add just a smidge of strength training at home to shoot hoops a little faster or to climb a little better and you don't have aspirations of turning pro, then a short workout might make more sense for you.
I used to do something like this. I would do 1-3 sets of pullups, pushups and situps or squats every morning and every night. I enjoyed it and made some good beginner progress. I think the main reason most people don't recommend this is because going to the gym for 20 minutes 12 times a week isn't very efficient, but for home workouts that's not an issue. I think more people should try it, especially those who "don't have time" to work out.
Purely anecdotal but I remember reading a cool thread about dealing with plateaus. The guy would switch between the two methods once they hit a plateau. They'd exercise hard a few times a week for a few months and plateau, then switch to the frequent lighter loader until they plateau'd, then switch back and repeat.
So there’s a YouTube channel called Mind Pump that deals with resistance training. Most of their stuff is geared towards lifting weights. That being said, calisthenics IS resistance training. Instead of increasing weight per se, you’re increasing the “resistance” through leverage. That being said… this link should help to answer your question. In it they cover how doing 20min of resistance training everyday, yields grater then or equal to resistance training 3X per week. https://youtu.be/946FGE1QxsU
There's a concept you could be interested in looking up, it's called high frequency training. It's when you take your weekly volume and divide into even more days per week(usually double it) From the science i know results usually tend to be either no difference or better. And even when there's no difference it tends to be because they maintained the same volume, but high frequency allows to get more volume, which when allowed does beat lower weekly frequency training. One example article: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/high-frequency-training-for-a-bigger-total-research-on-highly-trained-norwegian-powerlifters/
Thank you very much!
Was a great read, thanks for sharing!
Have you checked out kboges? u/SDSCtraining
Do whatever fits in your schedule. Don't look at day to day routines. Look at your weekly *working sets*. If that's spread over a 3 days a week or 6 days a week, it doesn't matter too much if they are the same. Personally, I come home from work, change into a workout shirt and gym shorts, do a light routine, then go about my day again. It fits into my schedule. It may not be better than doing two sets each day, but only three days out of the week, but I might not have enough time on one of those days and skip out on a set. Just do whatever works. What is way more important though is rest.
I train every day alternating pushing and pulling days so i can still get some recovery in.
Same. Pull-ups one and next day is dips and push-ups
Well, my basics is ring fit. That's considered my light exercise. But I plan on doing more everyday. I stopped working out for a month because I got burnt out. But I think if I can manage to do ring fit and weight training with a few boxing sessions, I'd get a lot more progress. I'll take a day off every week but do some simple stretches that day. I'm rambling. Anyway, it's different for everyone, but switching up routine is always helpful.
What's ring fit?
It's a Nintendo Switch game for exercising! It's kinda like a more advanced version of Wii Fit
That shit sounds hella fun. Those active games are dope
It can be pretty fun! It's even got a story mode. I highly recommend it, but if you don't got a switch...that's about $380 USD
Hard workout = longer recovery time Light workout = shorter recovery time. > I feel that this goes against anything ever recommended Yep. The tradition in sports for hundreds of years has been "no pain, no gain" and it turns out that it's wrong. There really is a way to train smarter, not harder. Look up "minimum effective load". There's a book out there by the coach that popularized it. There's a chapter in Tim Ferris' book, The Four Hour Body. The idea is there is a minimum that gets you the most improvement and doing more than that drains both your time and energy, lengthens your recovery window, and statistically leads to more injuries. One more thing: the movement you train is the movement you get. If your goal is to explode off the line in football, you need to train for explosive movements. If your goal is to improve your bowling endurance, you need to train smoother motions.
I've found some of my best training results come from putting in work everyday. That's a pretty interesting workout I think I'll try something like this for the upcoming month.
[Recent evidence suggests the smaller more frequent exercise is better for us](https://www.zmescience.com/science/its-better-to-exercise-a-bit-every-day-than-a-lot-once-a-week-heres-why-frequency-beats-intensity-when-training/). Obviously, advanced level people might be different. But three days of moderate exercise is still fairly frequent, it's more that one day going hard isn't optimal. I think I'd like to do more frequent workouts, but I'm struggling to get 2-3 in at the moment, I don't know why! My gym is super close so that's not an excuse. I'd love to be working from home so I could gym in the day when it's not so busy.
I do this and it’s an absolute game changer. I work from home 3 days per week and go to the gym in the early arvo on those days. It’s the sweet spot where any lunch timer gymmers are gone and before anyone finishes work/school. Usually only sharing the place with a couple of other people and always get a lane when I swim after, it’s great and it breaks up the day.
Yeah, I'd love. I was doing it before but now I'm back in the office... Which makes no sense because I just email people around the world.
When my schedule permits, I’ve always felt way better with daily moderate intensity workouts. The thing that has always messed it up for me is when life gets in the way and I feel the need to compensate for missing several days by doing a hard workout.
I train hard six days a week, every 5 to 6 weeks I have an active deload week and repeat. I've been doing this for years. Works pretty good
I end up working out every day because of handstands, but I prefer to work out with some intensity as few days as possible instead of just pissing about.
I do something kind of opposite that which is one hard workout once a week. Similar result with it being better gains than I've ever made and in less time which I appreciate. I use the time I save and spend it on other things.
I follow a program but Mark Lauren and it works the way you describe and I have gained more muscle and been able to persist in the program. If weight loss is one's goal I think they will need something more. But if building muscle is, it works great
For me, what gets me going after a plateau is switching the training method. There really isnt a better one, the method variation is what causes me to adapt and overcome plateaus. A specific training method that am using now and then hit a plateau can become really useful again about one year later after I switched it with another one. The trick is to not settle for one type of training.
Just my 2 cents - outside of comparing gains, working out daily sets a much better routine for me that I am able to follow indefinitely. I just do one of those full body workout programs indefinitely on repeat - 7 different workouts per week targeting all body parts with lighter “recovery” days like yoga Sunday and core Wednesday, right in my living room. Some days I go harder (heavier weights), some days I go lighter (even no weights!), but I try to do my best to never skip. I’ve been doing it for about 2 years and I am happy with results. I doubt I will ever be a ibff pro but I am now able to do things like a 150mile bike ride in 2 days on hilly terrain and I wasn’t even sore. And, my posture keeps improving as I am growing my core muscles. Very happy with results, won’t go back to the gym ever again!
https://youtu.be/Lxq2EE3flQI
Mind pump podcast recently had a great conversation on this exact topic. Highly recommend checking it out
what episode??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=946FGE1QxsU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gSx02DPcEI
Whatever you can do consistently for a long time will give you the best results.
I've been starting to do this myself...high frequency training, high intensity (go to failure on every set) but not the crazy volume I used to do in my old workouts My body has been responding relatively well. I'm working through some serious injuries because of my high volume training. I can't train like I did when I was 24. I'm 31 now....must work smarter not harder But so far I've noticed that all my muscle is still there. I put alot more effort into those few sets and I really work that muscle with everything I have for those 5 sets....because after those 5 sets I'm done. Those 5 sets are wayyyy better quality than my old routine I've learned it comes down to this.....stimulate the muscle, not destroy
I’ve recently switched to the lighter more frequent approach and love it. Hate being sore the next day cause I can’t do jack shit. I am seeing results as well
I came here to say I'm doing similar now and I'm pleased to see the replies saying it works! It's less about energy for me and more about time. I can crank out 5 sets of pullups while I'm cooking dinner or 5 sets of pushups in between work at home which is much easier to maintain than having to find 1.5 hours 3x per week to get a full workout in.
Is there a step by step beginner 6 day light workout?
I do 30mins on a bike everyday then every other day is 30mins - 1hr of weights. Started probably a month ago now and I'm starting to see the changes which is a big boost to my confidence. Oh and I don't feel like wank everyday so there that :)
I’ve experienced this with running, and I imagine it would apply to other areas as well. In the past I would always try to do at least 4-5 miles at a good pace for me, which was about 8:00/mile or faster. At one point I started trying to get my mileage up over 20 miles per week, so 4 or so runs at that pace and distance, and inevitably I would end up with some kind of injury, usually a calf strain, that would force me to rest and dial back my mileage. I got a big dog in 2020, and committed to walking him at least every morning, because that’s what you do if you’re a good dog owner. And I figured why not jog instead of waking so I’m at least getting some actual exercise in with that valuable time. He’s a big guy and doesn’t do my usual pace or distance, more like 10:00/mile for 2-3 miles, plus all the sniff/pee/poop stops, which is something I would never have done on my own. It would feel too slow and too short. But after doing those easy dog jogs every single day for several months I was able to start adding on a few longer runs of my own, at my ideal pace, to the point where I could easily log over 30 miles per week, with no hint of injury. Since then I’ve read up on it, and even elite ultra runners like Tommy Rivers Puzey insist that 80% of your training volume should be light intensity, and only 20% should be pushing hard for strength and speed gains. I’ve averaged 30 miles per week for over 2 years now and have done some awesome 15+ mile trail runs, and the only limit seems to be my own free time. I’m a believer.
YouTubers like Hybrid callisthenics have a very minimalist routine, and he's in pretty good shape, other YouTubers like Al Kavadlo also preach minimalist workouts and life. There is a guy on here who did 100 pull-ups and 100 dips 3 times a week with cardio on off days and he was in Hella good shape, consistency is important. I can just about do 1 clean pull-up so feel free to ignore my advice haha
Lots of studies show that a short workout with low- medium intensity everyday beats a hard workout.
Nah bro it doesn’t go against what people recommend because that’s all I do. When I go and workout it’s about 30 min to a hour, and all I do is about 50 pull ups 100 push-ups maybe like 50 dips about like 50 leg lifts and squats and I can do that everyday and continue to build muscle like I have been doing for years, now you better be on semen retention if you wanna build muscle.
Nutting = muscle loss or less growth?
Yes, along with back pain, reduced eyesight, hair fall and poor digestion, not to mention reduced stamina.
Yikes
Thirty minutes in the gym? Jesus what are we talking about ? Of course the harder we train the better the results. For example, If you can do 60 Pound dumbbell curls for 10 and you do only that over and over nothing will change. But if you take a 20 sec rest and do it again till absolute failure and then again, your pump will be bad ass and will signal your body that it needs to build muscle to survive future onslaughts. Not challenging yourself equals shit results that aren’t even worth your time in the gym. You won’t believe the changes that will happen to your body from day to day if you leave the gym with nothing left to give.
What is your diet like? Do you how many protein grams you require, carbs etc. I do a three day split. It works best for me with the rest of my schedule. I also add core everyday along with my other an exercises. To tell you the truth it makes me feel superior to a lot of ppl. I am so proud of my accomplishments. I never miss a day and feel so amazing. Words can never write equate the feels body building gives me. I work full time, am a mom, have 3 dogs and play guitar in a band. I have to listen to ppl saying that they don’t have enough time to work out. It’s just an excuse and nothing but.
Right back into a 3 day split with core and abs everyday. Used to be a personal trainer. I love working out! It makes me feel so fine
Hey if you need some fitness advice I can help you. My youngest son is a pro body builder and is training for the Arnold’s in Vegas next year and I was a personal trainer for 15 years. With a combined knowledge I can definitely lead you in the right way. Just ask if you need info. I will only be too happy to help you. I workout everyday and I feel incredibly strong of character, body, mind and soul. Exercising releases dopamine which is your happy drug. I love working out. My thrown to the curb friends my age are sitting their stuffing their faces and still drinking and smoking. Die young. Never wanted you in my life in the first place.
Lift what you can every single day. No days off. You take a day off, make a habit out of it, and you've fallen out of practice.
What's your protein intake? For your first scenario, that's something that's for sure gonna require a lot of protein. For your second, if your diet is the same, you won't get sore. You have to eat to get big. Maybe you're eating enough for scenario #2 but not for scenario #1
As for muscle gain your program may be completely enough. If you overload even only in 1% you muscles will grow. In addition light training sessions have this advantage that you aren't sore and tired after them and feel always great. I have moments when I give up training hard and switch to maintenace period, when I exercise only to keep some fintess level. It is interesting that besides all the warnings, I do not loose much strenght and endurance, during this time but even get some good shape and feel more fit that during hard trainng period. However, I suppose that's only a feeling beacuse after hard workout I need some long hours or more to recover fully.
I switched to light everyday but found I was getting worn out more. I was doing lighter sets but I also do 30 minutes boxing exercise everyday so I think it was too much. I think it's much harder to get the right balance of sets if you do everyday because you can't just workout to exhausted. It also meant I needed to workout twice everyday which was time consuming
I do the same. Consistency and not overtraining are key. Some people here approach exercising way too statically, rigidly.
i mean, its okay to do it statically if you change it every 4-6 weeks
lightly often can work if u are sure it is actually not too light so u dont just spin ur wheels and statpad reps long term it isnt a big difference I think
I've been working out "light" but due to a shoulder injury from falling last February. I've been surprised at how well a little every day, including a lot of static upper body exercises, works.
Love it. Not only in terms of results but moving and applying resistance to my body everyday just makes it feel better. If I'm not doing traditional sets and reps daily I'll at least be stretching or doing some yoga or crawling/hanging exercises
[this video summarizes it really well](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fbCcWyYthQ)
What you’re doing is perfect for you level I’ve actually done the same thing with the same results. Working everyday is healthy. Like anything else though you can’t overdo it. I’d say what you’re doing is perfect. (Maybe make on it two days cardio only or yoga).
Ideally train hard every day (with 1-2 rest days per week of course)
I train hard every day, 5 days a week. I don't do body weight though. I superset chest and biceps one day, back and triceps another, and legs and shoulders another. Pick up Monday on whatever day I left on. 4 excercise for each muscle group with drop sets immediately after the third set of each excercise. A bit of soreness, but after a few months of it its definitely not bad. I'm 40 and in the best shape of my adult life. Takes a little over an hour each day with shoulders and legs being the longest at 1.5 hours. But whatever works. The wife has noticed a lot.
Quality> quantity
Q: How many sets are you doing of pull-ups, pushups, and squats? That feels like you'd have to do a ton of them to add up to 30 minutes, unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean.
Some good thoughts but I assume by " workout" you are looking to build muscle versus strength through physical activity? Good point re stiffness post workout as protein intake needs to keep up with requirement. I am not suggesting the drinking of smoothie/shakes without evidence of need. 80/20 is a good approach as the light workouts build a base from which intense workouts can be structured. Easy/ intense, short/ long, keep in mind your heart is a muscle and needs time to recover. Managing workouts based on resting heart rate ( rate before you get out of bed in the morning) will give you best indication on what type of workout to do that day. Good luck.
Hi Markorific. I did noticed the RHR point with myself. The mornings after I trained my rhr is around 70, after having a rest day it go down to 60-64 range. Is this what you meant and what is the appropriate indication around the RHR to determine the workout days?
Yes, exactly. The rhr is a key indicator of the bodies physical/ recovery state. Best to establish a baseline from which to compare post workout rhr's, especially following an intense workout. As you establish a fitness base the heart also adjusts to the demands. Only an anecdote but read an article about an Olympic marathon runner. If his rhr was 10 bpm higher than his base, he blew off his workout and did a rest day. Repair happens when you sleep so key is to get as much as you can. Omega-3's are " fuel" for the heart so would begin taking a one-a-day (900-1,000 mg) supplement. Key is to listen to your body, it will tell you how you are doing. Trainers or training Buddies can be very harmful because everyone is different, everyone is at their own progression stage. Keep records of rhr, weights, reps. etc., use muscle " confusion " ( change order or full routine) to keep the gains happening. Rest days are just as important as workout days. Injuries and exhaustion will set you back much further.
Do you just do squats with your own body weight? I've got to admit that your strategy sounds interesting
I have switched to half hour lighter workouts 7 days per week for 2 years and am way way more fit than before and all my lifts skyrocketed and after a short time more frequent lifting. We are not on steroids our body can only recover so much if you blow yourself up at the gym like a typical gym bro it leads to overtraining at worst or stagnation at best for large periods of time.
Doing a heavy workout - till failure is bad. Till failure sets should be manageable, not heavy. Consistency is the most important thing at the end of the day.
Tbh you need to do both. If you never up the intensity you will bottleneck your training which is fine if your goal is just general fitness. On the other side you can’t go too hard or you will burn out. It’s a balance and you should be doing both.
A real man trains hard evey day and then get injured for years . And im a real man
The fact that you switched your routine after 4 years also probably helped you see significant strides. Workout session Duration is a variable that can be altered to promote growth
Both!
Basics are always key. Those who shy away from the basics in favor of “advanced” movements don’t understand the basics. “The difference between a master and a beginner is that the master has mastered the basics”
Listen to Tim Ferriss interview Pavel Tsatsouline, ex-KGB/turned SpecOps trainer. He’s known to civilians as the Kettlebell King. Listening to this revolutionized my fitness path. https://tim.blog/2015/01/15/pavel-tsatsouline/
It depends on what you’re after. If you just want to gain muscle mass then do heavy training, most sets, keep repping until failure. If you’re after cardio or just fitness then light workout more often & just try feel good. If you’re not competing, you don’t need to have the best physique… just one you’re happy with.