More Support for Infrequent Whole-Body Workouts

[Frederick Foresight]

Well, this is annoying. My sleep is getting fractured again, and I missed a rep on my last 2 workouts when doing chest dips. As usual, I have been going all out, to true failure and, more recently (again), just a bit beyond on a couple of the exercises.

And so, I am strongly considering giving a once-a-week resistance workout a go again. It's either that or reducing either the already low volume, or the intensity. But I don't like giving up the intensity. I'm toying with the idea of 8 multi-joint sets to failure, which would include a forced negative or two for a couple of the exercises, along with a compound/"superset" thing for upper legs. Followed, of course, with some brief ~HIIT cardio. I would do the cardio thing again on one other day of the week. I've done this sort of thing in the past for over a year and a half without any ill effect, apart from getting a bit ansty about only doing resistance work once a week. But I do recall being better rested.

I seem to have a pattern of periodically ratcheting up and then down. But I don't like the idea of periodization.

And so it goes:

 

[CaptainObvious]

Well, this is annoying. My sleep is getting fractured again, and I missed a rep on my last 2 workouts when doing chest dips. As usual, I have been going all out, to true failure and, more recently (again), just a bit beyond on a couple of the exercises.

And so, I am strongly considering giving a once-a-week resistance workout a go again. It's either that or reducing either the already low volume, or the intensity. But I don't like giving up the intensity. I'm toying with the idea of 8 multi-joint sets to failure, which would include a forced negative or two for a couple of the exercises, along with a compound/"superset" thing for upper legs. Followed, of course, with some brief ~HIIT cardio. I would do the cardio thing again on one other day of the week. I've done this sort of thing in the past for over a year and a half without any ill effect, apart from getting a bit ansty about only doing resistance work once a week. But I do recall being better rested.

I seem to have a pattern of periodically ratcheting up and then down. But I don't like the idea of periodization.

And so it goes: View attachment 228435

Awhile back you posted a picture of yourself. You look to be quite fit, very fit. Why would you change a routine that had worked so well for you? Just get bored with it? Falling into the trap of continous improvement? There does come a point where the engine you're working with is running at peak performance and trying to get more out of it leads to diminished returns and unforeseen problems. It's the challenge we all deal with in the area of self improvement. Gets kind of maddening at times. I'm off to the garage

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Awhile back you posted a picture of yourself. You look to be quite fit, very fit. Why would you change a routine that had worked so well for you? Just get bored with it? Falling into the trap of continous improvement? There does come a point where the engine you're working with is running at peak performance and trying to get more out of it leads to diminished returns and unforeseen problems. It's the challenge we all deal with in the area of self improvement. Gets kind of maddening at times. I'm off to the garage

As unlikely as it sounds, I think I might be overdoing it. Not that my most recent volume and frequency was overkill by any stretch, but combined with my propensity to taking every set to true failure (and a bit beyond here and there), it just feels like I entered into "overtraining" territory. As I noted, my sleep is becoming fractured, and I see this as a warning sign.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

And so, I am strongly considering giving a once-a-week resistance workout a go again.

Why would you change a routine that had worked so well for you?

Okay, I can go up to 10 "full-bore" multi-joint sets per workout, which is what I did yesterday. But it will still be once a week.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Okay, I can go up to 10 "full-bore" multi-joint sets per workout, which is what I did yesterday. But it will still be once a week.

Who am I to argue with your success? Obviously it works for you. Any improvement with sleep? 2016 when I was in the heights of my train to death program my sleep went to hell and stayed that way for months, even after I backed off. Anxiety was also a part of that which also can be a result of overtraining. Hopefully you have nipped it in the bud

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Who am I to argue with your success? Obviously it works for you. Any improvement with sleep? 2016 when I was in the heights of my train to death program my sleep went to hell and stayed that way for months, even after I backed off. Anxiety was also a part of that which also can be a result of overtraining. Hopefully you have nipped it in the bud

Well, just at around the time they closed the gym due to COVID-19, I began having fractured sleep and thought I was overdoing it. But what confounded the issue is that I started drinking coffee each morning a few weeks ago -- 2 or 3 half-cups of fairly strong (instant) coffee. And it affected my sleep. Not at first, but slowly and progressively. So I didn't immediately make the connection and thought my recently reduced workout regimen was still too much for me. But my sleep is slowly improving since I eliminated the daily coffee, and I hope that trend continues. This is why I added a couple of sets to the reduced frequency workout.

I used to only have a cup of espresso long on weekends (which, as they serve it, is more of an Americano) at my favorite cafe before things shut down. It didn't seem to affect me if I only had one cup each weekend day. Two, and we were gambling. I guess I just haven't built up a tolerance for strong coffee on a regular basis. So I had no business indulging daily. Live and learn, eh?

 

[CaptainObvious]

Well, just at around the time they closed the gym due to COVID-19, I began having fractured sleep and thought I was overdoing it. But what confounded the issue is that I started drinking coffee each morning a few weeks ago -- 2 or 3 half-cups of fairly strong (instant) coffee. And it affected my sleep. Not at first, but slowly and progressively. So I didn't immediately make the connection and thought my reduced workout regimen was still too much for me. But my sleep is slowly improving once I eliminated the daily coffee, and I hope that trend continues. This is why I added a couple of sets to the reduced frequency workout.

I used to only have a cup of espresso long on weekends (which, as they serve it, is more of an Americano) at my favorite cafe before things shut down. It didn't seem to affect me if I only had one cup each weekend day. Two, and we were gambling. I guess I just haven't built up a tolerance for strong coffee on a regular basis. So I had no business indulging daily. Live and learn, eh?

I cannot tolerate much caffeine at all, coffee or soda, so I drink neither. Little dark chocolate is okay and some tea doesn't bother me.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I cannot tolerate much caffeine at all, coffee or soda, so I drink neither. Little dark chocolate is okay and some tea doesn't bother me.

I have no use for soda, but I do drink green tea daily, which has less caffeine than regular tea. I use 3 bags to make about a liter and a half in the morning, which I drink during the course of the morning and early afternoon.

I like dark chocolate, but I haven't had any for a long time, since I try to avoid added sugar. However, I add unsweetened baking cocoa to my 2 daily milkshakes and my weekly oatmeal. God, how I love the stuff.

 

[ElCubano]

Good stuff, thanks.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

There is one other benefit of infrequent workouts, especially once-a-week workouts, that Clarence Bass and Marty Gallagher failed to mention in their respective articles. And that is that you have that much more time to talk and post about it during the rest of the week.