Quantity matters - How often to train to build muscles?

Certainly, you may have already noticed that at a certain point, your regular training no longer brings the desired results. Perhaps you still remember when you could build visible muscle mass after a short period of training, but now that is no longer the case.

You might be wondering if you are training too little and too briefly. However, even additional training sessions and longer workouts do not result in new muscle mass. Why is that? How often should you train to see visible results?

This phenomenon of stagnation has a natural explanation. At the beginning of your training, your body quickly adapted to bodybuilding and the path to a physique like Mr. Olympia, making it easier to build muscle mass.

After several months of regular training, the so-called muscle memory effect sets in, where your body no longer considers the effort as a challenge but rather as something routine. Additional muscle growth is no longer stimulated. In addition to the muscle memory effect, training too frequently can quickly lead to overtraining. In this case, your body becomes overwhelmed and stagnates.

In severe cases of overtraining, you can even experience muscle loss instead of gaining muscle mass. This happens when your body does not have enough energy available, and the muscles are used as an energy source.

To overcome these two undesirable circumstances, you should regularly modify your usual training routine and incorporate varied exercises. With some patience and new and unfamiliar stimuli and training methods, you can overcome the stagnation phase and once again enjoy training, as you will gain muscle mass.

How long should your training be to build muscle mass?
Now that you know how to prevent the muscle memory effect and overtraining, let's return to the initial question: How often and how long should you train to build muscles?

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because individuals are different and respond differently to specific workouts. One bodybuilder may train for two to three days, each for 60 minutes, while another may train only two days or even less and achieve the same results.

What matters is not the number of days and hours of training, but primarily the intensity and, subsequently, the frequency of the sessions. In other words, if you cannot train frequently, your workouts should be longer.

If you can train frequently, short and intense workouts are sufficient. It is important to adjust your training intensity based on the frequency. If the exercises are too strenuous or not strenuous enough, both cases hinder effective muscle building.

Additionally, you must regularly allow your body to rest. If the muscles are constantly working, you skip the valuable recovery time during which the muscles can grow. Continuous training does not promote muscle growth. Your body needs at least two, if not three, days per week without training to recover and promote the growth of muscle mass.

Conclusion
As is often the case in life, the quantity matters in strength training too! If you train too often and too much, there is a risk of overtraining. On the other hand, if you train too little and too briefly, you may have to wait a long time for visible results.

The majority of bodybuilders agree that two to three training sessions per week yield the best results. You can either opt for full-body training or the split training method.

What is crucial is to adjust the training intensity according to your individual progress and listen to your body. If you no longer find your exercises challenging, you should vary your training plan and introduce new stimuli to build muscle mass.

Lastly, keep the following in mind: the harder your training is, the longer rest periods you need, and the longer the recovery time should be.

Ideally, strength training should be performed two to three times per week to effectively build muscle. The intensity of the training is crucial: with lower training frequency, the workouts should be longer and more intense, while with more frequent training, shorter but still intense sessions can be sufficient. It is important to regularly vary the training plan to overcome the "muscle memory" effect and avoid stagnation. Overtraining, which can lead to muscle loss, should be avoided by providing the body with sufficient rest and recovery time. It is recommended to have at least two to three days per week without training. Ultimately, the optimal frequency and intensity of strength training are individual and should be adjusted based on personal progress and well-being.