Am I training too much?

[MischievousMonkey]

I was watching this Picturefit video

(timestamped:

Spoiler

)

where dude was saying that 12 to 20 sets per muscle group per week was the "sweet spot" for muscle growth.

Thing is, I usually do almost double that superior limit. I train each muscle group at least twice every week, 4 exercises per muscle group, 3 to 5 sets per exercise ( 4 or 5 sets more often than not). So that's around 17 sets per muscle group per session, and 34 per muscle group per week (51 sets when I train a group three times).

Have I been wasting my time or is it more nuanced than that?

I know that recovery is important but I'm respecting the 48 hours "rule". When I do push on Monday, Thursday and Sunday, there's 72 hours between every session. I make sure to always alternate between push, pull and legs.

Info dude in the video gives is usually referenced and critically analyzed, so I'm considering it.

 

[Kyle C. Barker]

12 sets per week seems low as hell.

My main glamour muscles are my pecs and I do about 27 sets per week with them. Same for my back to keep that v taper a

And what's the rule for core work since they're involved in other exercises that don't target them? Is there a penalty for going out of the sweet zone?

I probably should watch the video

 

[Wildin]

I was watching this Picturefit video

(timestamped:

Spoiler

)

where dude was saying that 12 to 20 sets per muscle group per week was the "sweet spot" for muscle growth.

Thing is, I usually do almost double that superior limit. I train each muscle group at least twice every week, 4 exercises per muscle group, 3 to 5 sets per exercise ( 4 or 5 sets more often than not). So that's around 17 sets per muscle group per session, and 34 per muscle group per week (51 sets when I train a group three times).

Have I been wasting my time or is it more nuanced than that?

I know that recovery is important but I'm respecting the 48 hours "rule". When I do push on Monday, Thursday and Sunday, there's 72 hours between every session. I make sure to always alternate between push, pull and legs.

Info dude in the video gives is usually referenced and critically analyzed, so I'm considering it.

You have to check and monitor your stats weekly.

That's everything. Your weight. Your strength. Your fat. Measurements for your body. Week over week, month over month. It's not something where you can switch things up weekly. But you have to keep conscious tabs on everything all the time and if you aren't getting the results you want you gotta change some stuff. You gotta give your body time to adjust too. You can't just change something and expect an immediate change.

 

[Mindfield333]

12 sets per week seems low as hell.

My main glamour muscles are my pecs and I do about 27 sets per week with them. Same for my back to keep that v taper a

And what's the rule for core work since they're involved in other exercises that don't target them? Is there a penalty for going out of the sweet zone?

I probably should watch the video

That’s like 2 days 6 sets. On a upper lower split that’s pretty decent. Especially if you do 2 lifts per body part. Back, shoulders, chest, biceps

 

[Serious]

The better is question is how much rest are you getting between muscle groups.


I’d say the number 1 reason why people plateau is because they don’t rest enough.


That’s why I enjoy doing full body workouts. I leave everything in the gym then give myself 48 to 72 hours to recover.

 

[The ADD]

There is some research that indicates something similar to that. I was following a guy on IG that doesn’t a good job explaining it as his core setup. Generally speaking 2-3 sets close to failure us more optimal for growth. That’s 2-3 sets of it without 10 sets leading into it.

 

[Son Goku]

I was watching this Picturefit video

(timestamped:

Spoiler

)

where dude was saying that 12 to 20 sets per muscle group per week was the "sweet spot" for muscle growth.

Thing is, I usually do almost double that superior limit. I train each muscle group at least twice every week, 4 exercises per muscle group, 3 to 5 sets per exercise ( 4 or 5 sets more often than not). So that's around 17 sets per muscle group per session, and 34 per muscle group per week (51 sets when I train a group three times).

Have I been wasting my time or is it more nuanced than that?

I know that recovery is important but I'm respecting the 48 hours "rule". When I do push on Monday, Thursday and Sunday, there's 72 hours between every session. I make sure to always alternate between push, pull and legs.

Info dude in the video gives is usually referenced and critically analyzed, so I'm considering it.

I don’t follow a 48 hour “rule” and wasn’t aware that there was one.



Thirty-four sets per week could be a lot or could be nothing; all sets are not created equally.


Are these barbell sets or resistance band sets? Are they AMRAPS, dropsets or barely above warmup sets? What is relative intensity?

In truth, you didn’t provide enough pertinent information to answer this question.



Regardless of what the “research” says, especially since the conditions of the studies used to generate it may not be applicable to you, as long as you can: 1) recover from the extra sets; and 2) have the extra time to spend, I say send them.

 

[Serious]

I'm almost 100% positive the main reason people don't see gains in the gym is because they're overtraining.

48 hour does right by more.

Better to be safe than sorry.

My lifts went from intermediate to advanced / elite because of the 48 hour rule