Find out if an ordinary person should train 2 times a day if there is no goal to compete. Now athletes use the latest training programs, most of which involve training the whole body at once. However, there are a lot of supporters of split training and, in their opinion, two sessions on the same day can bring overwhelming results. Many of them are sure that it is not enough for a man to perform, say, push-ups and a couple of other movements for high-quality pumping of chest muscles.
They are sure that in the same workout it is quite possible to work out the lower body as well. However, this is not as easy to do as it seems, and often athletes cannot train upper and lower bodies in one session at the same time. It is this fact that is decisive when choosing separate workouts. Let's find out what the answer to the question of whether it is possible to train 2 times a day, fitness experts and science. For example, well-known Western trainer Jeff Bauer believes that two workouts a day is a more effective and convenient approach to solving the problem.
Why train 2 times a day?
Many experienced bodybuilders use a 5-day workout program that can look like this:
- Monday - chest.
- Tuesday - legs.
- Wednesday - shoulder girdle.
- Thursday - back.
- Friday - hands.
This training program has one very significant drawback - the body is given little time to recover. While a quick glance may seem like the muscles manage to rest for about 48 hours, in practice this does not happen. If you visit the gym every day, then, for example, during back training, the muscles of the arms also have a certain load.
It is quite obvious that this should not be allowed. It is also necessary to remember that the nervous system actively works during any physical activity, regardless of which muscle group is being worked out. Even if we assume that the muscles have enough rest during a five-day training program, then this definitely cannot be said about the central nervous system.
Recall that it is the nervous system that needs the most time to recover after training. Working constantly every day in training, the fatigue of the nervous system accumulates and one day it will begin to malfunction. As a result, serious health problems can arise. You are already beginning to understand what answer Jeff Bauer will give to the question of whether it is possible to train 2 times a day.
Let's take a look at his reasons, because you shouldn't start using something right away without getting enough evidence of effectiveness. The first thing to look out for is saving time. By conducting two classes a day, other days of the week are freed.
It is necessary to forget that frequent training allows you to achieve your goal faster. This myth has been hovering over the athletes for a long time and it is time to dispel it. If you load the muscles until they fully recover and grow, then you will only harm your body. As a result, instead of the growth of muscles and physical parameters, such an approach to organizing the training process will bring directly opposite results.
However, with easy training, troubles can be avoided. Such training does not deliver a powerful destructive blow to the muscle tissue, since you have given the body enough time to recover. He will be able to prepare for new powerful loads. By exercising twice a day, you can carve out one extra day off for yourself.
When using a 5-day training program throughout the year, a natural athlete can gain about two kilograms of mass. If you switch to two-time training a day, then in a year your muscle mass gain can be up to five kilograms. Agree, only for this reason it is worth thinking not about whether it is possible to train 2 times a day, but how to do it faster?
Often you can hear from athletes that for a long time of active regular training they have not been able to achieve their goal. Many people think they just didn't exercise much. However, most often the reason is the overload of the muscles, which in such a situation will not grow. If you divide one lesson into two parts, the results will almost double.
How to train correctly 2 times a day?
- Time. If you decide to start training twice a day, then first of all you need to make the right routine. The first lesson should be held in the morning, and the second in the afternoon or in the evening. At the same time, at each of the workouts, you must give all your best. It is very important to remember that there should be a sufficient break between classes on the same day so that the body recovers its strength. For example, a two or three hour pause is clearly not enough for this.
- Recreation. You should always remember that muscles do not grow during the lesson itself, but exclusively during rest. If your work is connected with serious physical activity, then most likely such a training regimen is not suitable for you. According to fitness experts, the optimal interval is six hours.
- Nutrition. No matter how you exercise, you need to devote enough time to nutrition. After class, you need to not only eat, but get enough. The diet must include foods containing protein compounds and carbohydrates. It is very important to ensure that you do not feel hungry before starting the second session. Note that it is necessary to limit fat intake so as not to slow down the delivery of other nutrients to target tissues. In addition, on training days, it is necessary to increase the energy index of the diet, since the energy consumption will be huge.
- Balance. Every athlete should try to avoid overtraining. From this it can be concluded that a balance must be found between high and low intensity activities. It is important to gradually increase the frequency of your workouts, their duration and intensity. We recommend that most athletes avoid doing two high-intensity activities a day.
- Duration of the lesson. Since it is recommended to train for an hour or a maximum of one and a half during the day, do not spend more than 30–45 minutes in the gym at a time with two sessions. You should listen carefully to your body so as not to end up in a state of overtraining.
Knowing the most important factors, it remains for you to create your own lesson plan. Most often, athletes train their legs in the morning, as this requires a lot of energy. If you are not sure that the available potential is enough for this, then you may well work on the upper body first, and train the bottom in the evening. Here's an example of a workout program to guide you:
- Monday - lower and upper body in the morning and evening, respectively.
- Closed Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Wednesday - Work on the top in the morning and work on the bottom in the evening.
- Friday - we train the bottom in the morning, and work on the upper body in the evening.
Commenting on the presented training program, it should be said that on the second and fourth days of the week you need not to load the heart and vascular system. If for some reason this fails, then on Saturday and Sunday you should only rest.
The choice of strength movements is also an important issue. Focus on basic exercises like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, etc. At the same time, it makes no sense to give up exercises for working out the biceps, calves and muscles of the shoulder girdle. In each movement, about 25 repetitions should be performed. However, if the exercise involves several muscle groups at once, then 20 repetitions will be enough.
Advantages and disadvantages of training 2 times a day
We have already answered the question whether it is possible to train 2 times a day. Let's take a closer look at all the pros and cons of this approach to organizing classes. Note that this training system is not suitable for every athlete. If you are just starting to do fitness, then such loads may be excessive. In addition, many find it difficult to find free time to organize a second training session. But the system has certain advantages.
pros
- After doing the warm-up for the second workout, you might get a second wind. The human body perfectly adapts to new living conditions and in a short time gets used to the new training regimen.
- Stamina is increasing - now we are talking not only and even not so much about physical endurance, but psychological. Agree that it is extremely difficult for fitness lovers to tune in to two workouts in one day.
- A difficult lesson is divided into two simpler ones - it is not necessary to carry out two strength training in one day. For example, you can schedule a cardio session in the morning. And in the evening, work with weights.
- Experienced athletes can perform only basic movements in the first lesson, and devote the second to isolated ones.
- We have already mentioned the increase in the number of days off, but we will note this advantage again.
- If desired, you can combine two types of fitness.
- Correctly organized two-time classes will allow you to quickly achieve the task.
Minuses
In any business, you can find your disadvantages and 2-time workouts are no exception:
- Increased risk of overtraining - if you have been playing sports for less than two years, then you should think carefully about the feasibility of switching to this training system. There is a thin line between overloading and overloading, and you may not be able to hold onto it.
- The system is not always effective for weight loss - in order to get rid of excess weight, it is necessary to reduce the calorie content of the diet. If you train twice a day, then you will need a lot of energy, which cannot be delivered to the body due to calorie restriction. It should be remembered that your body is already in a depleted state.
- Need to find time for two workouts - not every person will be able to adjust their daily routine for such a training regime. Household problems and affairs can make adjustments, and you will have to skip workouts. If classes are not regular and you often have to skip them, then this will only slow down your progress.
As a reminder, this system will work for all athletes and you should experiment and track the results. Often the builder, and especially the amateur, needs to train three or four times a week. Scientists believe that it takes up to six days for a muscle group to recover. The supercompensation phase, in turn, occurs only on the sixth or seventh day.
When and how to start training 2 times a day, you will learn from this video:
