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What weekly bodybuilding program?

 

Are you interested in bodybuilding, but you don't know how to organize your weekly bodybuilding program or how often to train? We'll give you the keys to getting organized.

Bodybuilding can be practiced with or without equipment, at the gym, at home, outdoors... There are many playgrounds and programs! How do you know which program to choose? How to organize your bodybuilding week? How often should you train? We answer your questions.

Bodybuilding: how many sessions per week?

The big question... How many times can I do bodybuilding per week? Well, the answer will depend on several factors, such as your availability, your schedule, your goal, your level, your practice of other sports... Not to mention: your desire!

If you are a beginner, 3 sessions per week seem to be a good start. Space out your sessions by 24 hours, so that you can recover properly. Then, you can gradually increase the number of workouts.

If you are already athletic, you can include 5 or 6 bodybuilding sessions per week.

 If your goal is not to practice bodybuilding only, but it complements another sport (such as swimming, rugby, running, etc.), a good rhythm would be to practice twice a week.

How to organize a week of bodybuilding?

It all depends on the number of workouts you can (and want to) do per week.

If you are going for a routine of 2 or 3 weekly workouts, focus on full-body or half-body workouts. Full-body training allows you to work all muscle groups in a single session, generally distributing one exercise per muscle. Half-body training, on the other hand, involves either the upper body or the lower body. The advantage of this type of training is that you can work all muscle groups in the week without dedicating a full session to them.  This is the ideal solution when you are starting out or when you don't have time to fit a session per muscle group into your weekly schedule.

If you are planning a week with 4 or 5 workouts: opt for a split routine. The principle? Each bodybuilding session is dedicated to one (or even two) specific muscle groups (back, shoulders, pectorals, legs, etc.). This type of training is recommended for athletes from an advanced to expert level.

Each session is composed as follows: warm-up, core, cool-down. The warm-up is essential; it is what conditions your session. It gets the body moving and raises its temperature. The warm-up should be gradual and last between 10 and 15 minutes.

Which muscle for which day?

As you can imagine, there is no obligation to work your legs on Monday rather than Wednesday! There is no set day, you simply need to find the alternative that suits you and build a coherent bodybuilding program. You do not have to do two or three sessions on the same muscle group several days in a row.

It is important to be at your own pace and, above all, to listen to your body. For this reason, it is recommended to give yourself at least one or two days of rest before working the same muscles again.

If your bodybuilding program is organized as a split routine and you work one or even two muscle groups per workout, here is how to choose which muscles to work:

- Choose to work one of the large muscle groups (e.g. legs, pectorals, back, etc.).

 - Add (in addition) some targeted exercises on other smaller muscle groups (e.g. biceps, triceps, abs, etc.) to complete your session.

Which muscles to work together? By following the logic of working a large muscle group and associating it with a smaller muscle group, you can for example break down your training week as follows:

. Hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves

. Pectorals, shoulders, triceps

. Back, biceps, abs

. Or, for more targeted workouts: pectorals, triceps / back, biceps / shoulders, abs, etc.

Which muscles to work together?

If you are following a routine bodybuilding program, which consists of working a large muscle group and combining it with the work of a smaller muscle group, here is an example of a workout that integrates the muscles to be worked together:

- Hamstrings; glutes; quads; calves.

- Pectorals; shoulders; triceps.

- Back; biceps; abs.

You can also opt for more targeted workouts: pectorals, triceps / back, biceps / shoulders, abs...

Bodybuilding program: gym or home?

Gym VS home gym: in both cases, you will have advantages and disadvantages... Let's review them to help you choose.

Training at home can be a good option whatever your goals. The advantages are numerous, especially on an organizational level.  You don't have to travel to the gym or deal with opening and closing times. When you work out at home, it can seem easier to fit your sessions into your schedule. Working out at home is also less expensive, because you don't have to pay for a gym membership. Another point not to be overlooked: you don't have to wait in line at the machines and... You choose the background music during your workouts! However, working out at home has its drawbacks. Alone in your home, you don't have any assistance to make sure you're doing the movements correctly. Depending on where you live, the lack of space can also be a factor. In this case, why not try training outside?

Working out in a gym has many advantages, the first of which is undoubtedly that you're in a very well-equipped place.  You have all the machines at your disposal and you can also often count on the presence of a coach in the room or regular athletes who can guide you. The disadvantages? They have been indirectly mentioned above: cost of the subscription, timetables, travel...

Some will find motivation in the gym rather than at home and for others, it will be the opposite! Considering all these points, it is up to you to know where you will feel good to practice.

What is the best bodybuilding program for beginners?

When you start bodybuilding, the priority is to go gradually. The goal: not to lose motivation!

A successful session is not necessarily a long session. The more hours you spend training, the more your body will tire. Choose workouts of 30 to 50 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week. For example, you can train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, leaving the weekend free.

One of the golden rules for starting bodybuilding is to work both the upper body and the lower body. Otherwise, after years of neglecting certain muscles, it will be much more difficult for you to catch up! Start with bodyweight training or moderate weights and take the time to master the basic movements.  To start, we will prioritize polyarticular exercises in order to work several muscle groups at the same time (as opposed to isolation exercises). Your program can include 5 to 7 exercises per session, with each exercise involving 2 to 4 sets of around ten repetitions.

Gaining mass or losing weight: which training?

It all starts with what you eat! To gain mass, there is no secret, you need to eat more. Carbohydrates are essential for developing muscle mass, so it is mainly the carbohydrate intake that will change depending on your goal. For a weight loss goal, a diet rich in protein, but lower in carbohydrates, is often recommended. The ideal is to eat everything, in a balanced way and in good quantities.

Weekly program to gain mass

For a bodybuilding program with a mass gain objective, we will look for muscle hypertrophy work (i.e., work to increase muscle volume) which will depend on the time during which the muscle is under tension. This type of program is mainly aimed at already experienced athletes.

Favor medium-length sets which are more effective than short sets (even if the latter are more loaded). Little reminder: a set in bodybuilding is a set of repetitions, without rest. For example, you can do 8 to 12 repetitions per set, 3 to 4 sets per exercise. Take a fairly long rest time between sets, between 75 seconds and 1 minute, to allow your muscles to recover their nerve flow.

And the loads then? Take loads heavy enough to be able to perform the movement in a correct posture, but without being able to do more repetitions at the end of the set.

 Warming up is always important during a bodybuilding session, as we saw above. To warm up, you can do 5 to 10 minutes of cardio (bike, rowing, stairs) as well as a few long sets (15 - 20 repetitions) of exercises with no load or with low loads.

What exercise ratio for gaining mass? Basic exercises that will use large muscle groups (polyarticular exercises) can make up 80% of the exercises in your bodybuilding or mass gain program, the remaining 20% ​​will be devoted to isolation exercises.

Weekly program to lose weight

For weight loss, the goal is to reduce fat mass while maintaining your muscle mass. To do this, cardio and strength training are complementary. You can therefore organize a training program as follows: 2 cardio (or hiit) sessions and 3 strength training sessions per week. Cardio or hiit type sessions allow you to accelerate the loss of fat mass, while strength training sessions maintain muscle mass.

The training is of moderate intensity. For example, perform 4 sets of 12 repetitions per exercise, with average loads.

What types of exercises should you focus on for strength training? The ratio will be approximately 50/50: 50% basic exercises (polyarticular), which will stimulate the metabolism, and 50% isolation exercises to target the strengthening of specific muscles.

Finally, sports activity must be associated with a diet adapted to energy expenditure. This means that you must eat everything and in good quantities to have a balanced diet.

Beginners or experienced, in the gym or at home, looking to gain mass or lose weight... Your bodybuilding program must be chosen according to your level and your goals. And above all, keep in mind that bodybuilding must remain a pleasure. So choose a suitable program that will also be a source of motivation!