Training 1x/2x times a week

Hi, I have a question, how do you approach writing out plans for people who only want to train 1 or 2 times a week to improve their health?
I work as a trainer and it is often hard to persuade people to do additional training without my participation.

Currently I have been managing in a way like this: (general outline)

  1. squat/single leg exercise
  2. pull type exercise
  3. hinge type exercise
  4. push type exercise
  5. some accessories
  6. conditioning style training like interval or metcon style finish

How do you approach the selection of exercise volume and intensity in such situations?
In these situations, does it make more sense to shorten the intervals if someone trains with me 60 min to do more volume or keep longer intervals?

Dvito,

I think getting people to lift 2x/wk is adequate for many with respect to health promotion. 1x/wk is probably better than nothing as well. Neither are sufficient for weekly exercise activity, as additional conditioning work is needed.

In general, I’d pick 3 compound exercises per 60-minute session, likely a squat, hinge, and push or pull pattern. I do not suspect their will be time for much else in the session, though some targeted isolation arm, upper back, posterior chain, or trunk work could be included. I would not spend their time doing conditioning during their time with you, but rather find solutions for them to do this on their own.

I would cycle through something like the following for 1x/wk sessions:

Week 1: squat, press, RDL + lat pull down
Week 2: DL, bench, row + hamstring curls

For 2x/wk, it’d look something like:

Day 1: squat pattern, press pattern, hinge pattern + acc
Day 2: Press pattern, squat pattern, row pattern + acc

I think that regardless of frequency, training intensity should be pretty similar, e.g. use a variety of rep ranges for each pattern to build a big base of physical development. Each of these should be done to ~ 4-5 RIR or less. Volume should be tailored to the individual based on their needs, likely somewhere ~ 5 to 8 sets/wk for each movement pattern to start and building up from there. I would not rest less than 2-3 minutes between work sets. I talk about why extensively in the rest periods podcast here.

All in all, these restrictions don’t really change how you program. Our current programming resources include about a half dozen no cost podcasts on the topic, a similar amount of articles, plus the texts accompanying our most recent templates, e.g. Bodybuilding II, General S/C II, and the Low Fatigue Templates.

@Jordan_Feigenbaum is there any validity to the idea that by reducing the frequency of your training, you can also reduce the fatigue/aches/pains while maintaining progress? Since research shows that weekly volume equated leads to similar gains in strength and hypertrophy. I ask bc some of those mongo strongmen will squat/pull on the same day and only 1x week in order to give their low back a whole week off heavy loading.

There’s no evidence showing that to reduced frequency reduces fatigue, injury, or pain.

There are a wide variety of training methods in strength sports.

Thank you Jordan for your extensive response. As for the templates, I am currently training G&S II myself in the 3 day version and it has suited me very well. I’m looking forward to more templates and a book on programming.

Me too :slight_smile: Cheers!