Push, Pull, Legs, Split Is Dead
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Dr. Milo Farby and Dr. Milo Wolf discuss a meta-analysis on training frequency and muscle hypertrophy. They suggest that training each muscle at least twice a week is optimal for growth, with diminishing returns beyond that. The conversation covers the importance of volume and frequency, the impact of training status and failure on hypertrophy, and practical advice for maximizing muscle growth through workout routines.
Takeaways
- πͺ A new meta-analysis suggests that training frequency has a neutral to slightly positive effect on muscle hypertrophy when volume is equated.
- ποΈββοΈ For optimal muscle growth, it's recommended to train each muscle at least twice a week, as this maximizes the area under the curve of hypertrophy.
- π The benefits of increased training frequency are more pronounced when transitioning from training a muscle once to twice a week, with diminishing returns beyond that.
- π€ The meta-analysis did not look at unconstrained volume, but there's speculation that higher volumes might benefit from more frequent training sessions due to diminishing returns on a per-session basis.
- π§ The growth response of muscles to training stimuli has a limited duration, typically around two to three days, suggesting that more frequent training can provide more opportunities for growth.
- ποΈββοΈ Training with higher volumes may be better tolerated and performed with higher quality when spread across more sessions, leading to potentially better muscle growth.
- π The study also considered fractional frequency, which takes into account both direct and indirect training of a muscle, and found it to be the most accurate way to assess the impact of frequency on hypertrophy.
- π¨βπ« For those training two to three days a week, a full-body routine is suggested to ensure each muscle group is trained at least twice a week.
- π€ΈββοΈ For individuals training four to five days a week, an upper/lower split or a push/pull/legs split can be effective, as long as each muscle group is trained at least twice a week.
- π Specialization phases or high-volume training may benefit from higher frequencies, as the body can tolerate more volume and maintain better quality in more frequent, but less voluminous, sessions.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the discussion between Dr. Mik and Dr. Milo Wolf?
-The main topic of the discussion is the impact of training frequency on muscle hypertrophy, with a focus on a new meta-analysis that examines how often one should train a muscle to maximize growth.
What does the meta-analysis by Pelin and colleagues suggest about training frequency and muscle hypertrophy?
-The meta-analysis suggests that training frequency has a neutral to slightly positive effect on muscle hypertrophy when volume is equated, meaning that training a muscle more frequently can lead to slightly better results without increasing the overall training volume.
What does 'volume equated' mean in the context of the discussion?
-In the context of the discussion, 'volume equated' refers to a situation where the total volume of training for a muscle is kept constant, but the distribution of that volume across training sessions (frequency) is varied.
Why might training a muscle more frequently lead to better hypertrophy results?
-Training a muscle more frequently can lead to better hypertrophy results because it allows for more opportunities to stimulate muscle growth within a week, as the muscle protein synthesis response to training only lasts for a few days.
What is the significance of the diminishing returns on a per-session volume and hypertrophy?
-The significance of diminishing returns on a per-session volume and hypertrophy is that adding more sets in a single training session does not proportionally increase muscle growth, suggesting that spreading the volume across more sessions might be more effective.
What recommendations do Dr. Mik and Dr. Milo Wolf give for training frequency to maximize muscle growth?
-They recommend training each muscle at least twice a week for most people, as this frequency provides a neutral to slightly positive effect on hypertrophy. For those training with high volumes or specializing in certain muscles, slightly higher frequencies might be beneficial.
How does the concept of fractional frequency play into the discussion on training frequency and muscle hypertrophy?
-Fractional frequency takes into account both direct and indirect training instances for a muscle. For example, while bicep curls are a direct instance for bicep training, back training that involves pulling movements is an indirect instance. This approach provides a more realistic measure of how often a muscle is trained.
What is the practical implication of the study's findings for someone training with a full body split?
-The practical implication is that if someone is training with a full body split two days a week, they should ensure each muscle group is trained at least twice within that week to optimize hypertrophy, even if it's through compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups.
What does Dr. Milo Wolf suggest as a rough guideline for the number of sets per muscle per session for optimal hypertrophy?
-Dr. Milo Wolf suggests a rough guideline of 5 to 8 direct sets per session for optimal hypertrophy, with the recommendation to add an extra day of training for every 10 fractional sets per week.
How can a body part split be modified to be more effective according to the discussion?
-A body part split can be modified to be more effective by incorporating compound exercises that target other muscle groups on their respective days, ensuring that each muscle group is trained more frequently throughout the week.
Outlines
πͺ Optimal Training Frequency for Muscle Hypertrophy
Dr. Milo Farby and Dr. Milo Wolf discuss a new meta-analysis on training frequency and its impact on muscle hypertrophy. The study indicates that training a muscle more frequently, even within the same weekly volume, can have a neutral to slightly positive effect on muscle growth. They emphasize the importance of training each muscle at least twice a week for optimal hypertrophy, as this maximizes the growth response over time. The conversation also touches on the diminishing returns of per-session volume and how spreading high volumes across more sessions might be beneficial.
π Deep Dive into Training Frequency and Hypertrophy
The discussion continues with a focus on the diminishing returns of per-session volume and hypertrophy. Dr. Wolf hypothesizes that spreading high volumes across more sessions could be more effective due to the strong diminishing returns on a per-session basis. They also consider the practical implications of training frequency, suggesting that for those with limited time, a full-body split that trains each muscle twice a week is ideal. The conversation also addresses the potential benefits of higher frequencies for those training with very high volumes or specializing in certain muscle groups.
ποΈββοΈ Balancing Training Frequency and Volume for Maximal Gains
Dr. Farby and Dr. Wolf explore the idea that while volume is crucial for muscle hypertrophy, the distribution of that volume across training sessions also plays a role. They suggest that for those who can tolerate higher volumes, a higher frequency of training might be beneficial to maintain quality and intensity in workouts. The conversation also includes practical advice for individuals looking to optimize their training, such as incorporating additional exercises on off-days to increase frequency without adding extra volume, and the importance of recovery in relation to training frequency.
π Personalizing Training Frequency Based on Training Volume and Goals
In the final part of the discussion, the doctors address how the optimal training frequency can vary based on an individual's training volume and goals. They suggest that for those training two to three days a week, a full-body approach is suitable, while for those training four to five days, an upper/lower split or a push/pull/legs routine might be more effective. The conversation concludes with advice on how to adjust training routines to ensure each muscle group is trained at least twice a week, and the potential benefits of higher frequencies for those specializing in certain muscle groups or training with very high volumes.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Hypertrophy
π‘Training Frequency
π‘Volume Equated
π‘Full Body Training
π‘Body Part Split
π‘Push Pull Legs
π‘Training to Failure
π‘Diminishing Returns
π‘Fractional Frequency
π‘Optimization
π‘Specialization Phases
Highlights
Push Pull training is beneficial for those consistently training 6 days a week or more.
Dr. Milo Wolf discusses a new meta-analysis on training frequency and muscle hypertrophy.
The meta-analysis shows frequency has a neutral to slightly positive effect on hypertrophy when volume is equated.
Volume equated means the same total sets per week are distributed across different training days.
Muscle growth response lasts for about two to three days, suggesting more frequent training could be beneficial.
Training a muscle once a week might miss out on growth opportunities.
Maximizing the area under the hypertrophy curve is ideal for muscle growth.
Training a muscle more frequently could lead to slightly higher muscle growth.
Three days a week of training allows for more rest and potentially better stimulus.
There's a potential for higher quality volume when training with higher frequency.
An upcoming analysis suggests a diminishing return on a per-session volume basis for hypertrophy.
Spreading high volume across more sessions might be more effective for hypertrophy.
Training each muscle at least twice a week is recommended for most people.
Full body training is beneficial for those with limited time, ensuring each muscle is trained twice a week.
Upper/lower split is suggested for those training four to five days a week to maintain twice weekly muscle training.
Push Pull Legs is recommended for those training consistently six days a week or more.
Body part split can be effective with modifications to ensure muscles are trained at least twice a week.
Specializing on a muscle or training with high volumes might benefit from higher frequencies.
Dr. Milo Wolf suggests around 5 to 8 sets per session per muscle as a practical limit for optimal hypertrophy.
Transcripts
and I think Push Pull likes for example
I see a use case for but it's only for
those who are consistently training 6
days a week or more essentially cuz
otherwise you're missing out typically
on training each muscle twice a
week folks Dr mik here farby strength
and I'm here with Dr Milo wolf
researcher
extraordinaire actually doing research
on how to get jacked anything on how to
get tan from your
lab looking at me you would think I'd
have the keys apparently not on getting
jacked you told me listen this new meta
analysis came out and it's kind of about
how to get jacked in general or training
for getting jacked but it has a few
unique features that it also has
training frequency recommendations as
well as volume tell us about the new
metaanalysis what we can learn from it
sure as of this video when this comes
out there should be a pre-print of
metanalysis on train frequency and
muscle hyper so we're getting the shit
early early getting exclusive
exclusive essentially they looked at all
the studies that manipulated frequency
having people train a muscle fewer times
a week or more times a week and they
looked at how that influenced
hypertrophy I'm sure you've heard the
claim online that certain people say
full body training is best you want to
have a full body split train each muscle
as often as possible or back in the day
especially body part splits were
best next Monday exactly back Tuesday
shoulders get the deal this meth
analysis tried to look at that
idea and we found a few things this was
a metanalysis by Pelin colleagues
frequency seems to have a neutral to
slightly positive effect on hypertrophy
so as you volume equated or not volume
equated okay correct so let's just
describe to folks quickly what that
means volume equated means if you have
to do let's say 12 sets per week you can
do them Monday Wednesday Friday four
sets or you can do them Monday Thursday
six sets each still 12 sets per week so
the frequency doesn't raise the volume
but it just hits you with a little less
a little bit more often and what you're
saying is the effect is either like man
nothing write home about or like a
little bit of a boost even if the volume
doesn't go up what do you ascribe that
to hypothetically I have my own guesses
but I want to hear from you there's a
variety of things mechanistically
whenever you muscle that growth curve
response only lasts so long mhm so even
if you blast a muscle with more and more
volume in a single bout that myoi
protein synthesis response muscle growth
essentially will only take so long
several days correct not eight days not
seven days probably not six or five
correct more like two to three correct
so if you're only training a muscle once
a week you're missing out on three or
four days out of that week where you're
not growing that mus at least neutral
and then you grow it but again and at
least neutral missed opportunity to get
more growth correct because essentially
what we want to do is maximize that area
under the curve of hypertrophy and so if
we only aggregating one bump that is
only so much area on the curve we could
potentially get yeah so that is my most
likely explanation to be clear the
effect is somewhere between there is
next to none and there's a slight
positive effect slight so if we want to
maximize muscle growth we probably want
to ear on the side of training muscle a
bit more often rather than a bit less
often because there's nothing to be lost
but there is potentially a small thing
to be gained train a muscle a little bit
more frequently but with the same volume
12 for three sessions versus 12 for two
sessions six versus four
sets in those extra sets on the fewer
sessions at the end you kind of a little
bit lit tired as the French would say
and then maybe your stimulus isn't as
great as if you were more Fresh So in
essence three days a week of training
gives you kind of more rest breaks
between the sets on average and the
workouts on average so you can come back
fresh and hit it do you think there's
maybe some reason to think that a little
bit it's funny you mention that because
I'm aware of a upcoming analysis on the
topic of procession volume and
hypertrophy now that is probably not
going to be published at the time of
this video if it is I'll comment it
below so you can check it
out but the relationship between pession
volume in hypertrophy displays more
strongly diminishing returns compared to
weekly
now as we mentioned in our video on
volume we don't have any studies looking
at high frequency training in
conjunction with high volume training
yeah we don't really have studies where
people are training five or six days a
week with really high volumes most of
our studies are on high volumes but
training muscle two or three times a
week yeah we have very few studies on
frequencies of like four five six times
a week per
muscle however with a previous analysis
by creger James ker for example on per
session volume and this one that I'm
aware of behind the scenes
I can tell you that there is more of a
diminishing returns situation with per
session volume and hypertrophy which
with a bit of speculation and a bit of
theory crafting leads me to think
practically speaking if you're trading
with really high volumes if we want to
maximize that area under the C we're
better off spreading that high volume
across more sessions because we get such
strong diminishing returns On A
procession basis yes and so if you're
doing say 20 30 plus sets for a muscle
fractionally speaking
counting both direct volume and indirect
that is where I think there's a case to
be made as we'll probably see in the
metanalysis by remon colleagues for your
volume to be spread out across three or
more sessions it's just that we don't
have the research on that yet to make
any super clear inferences right all
right so small increase in growth
potentially neutral to small from added
frequency in a volume constrained manner
did they look at unconstrained volume as
well they did not however they looked at
a variety of potential moderators so
they performed sub analyses based on
training status whether they were more
untrained or at least slightly trained
whether they were trained to failure Etc
and just like with volume the
relationship between frequency and
hypertrophy seems to be robust to
different moderators so for most
populations in most contexts where
you're trained to failure Etc training a
muscle a bit more often is going to have
a sort of neutral to positive effect so
I would say as a rough ballpark train
each muscle at least twice a week mhm
that relationship between frequency per
week like how often you train muscle and
hypertrophy you see slightly larger
returns when you go from say once twice
a week then you do after that I would
say this kind of an inflection point
where after twice a week There's may be
a positive effect but it's very minimal
so significantly different returns from
one to two versus practically I would
say so practically I would say that you
better off training each twice a week
then once a week past that it's probably
a neutral positive effect but it's a
very slight one that there is one very
so practically that means that if you
are training two days a week for example
your someone doesn't have much time you
should almost certainly be training with
full body split there's no real downside
but there is an upside to training each
muscle twice a week or more likewise if
you're training say four days a week
you're likely better off with something
like an upper lower split compared to
like a body part split sure
importantly here's an interesting part
just like with volume they looked at
frequency
fractionally so they looked at direct
instances of training a muscle like for
example the biceps doing bicep curls
would be a direct instance they looked
at indirect instances where for example
doing back training would still Target
the biceps but just not as well and they
looked at fractional frequency where
essentially they counted direct bicep
training as
one unit of training frequency for the
biceps and back training is half a unit
of training frequency for the biceps
and once again just like for volume
fractional frequency was the most
accurate way of looking at the data
excellent so back training still counts
for something because it's more
realistic correct it's it would be a lie
to say that 16 sets of back work on a
Friday does nothing after a Monday and
Wednesday bicep workout doesn't have any
more effect on biceps it would also be a
lie to say that it counts for 16 CS of
biceps that's fucking crazy but it might
for something like 4 to 12 yeah some
half there sure so that was interesting
as well because it means that a body
part split can be modified to be pretty
effective like don't get me wrong
training a muscle once a week probably
not ideal and if I were coaching you I
would say try training at least twice a
week sure but if you modify it a little
bit say instead of just doing Monday
chest Tuesday back Wednesday shoulders
Thursday legs and Friday arms you add in
some compound training for your arm day
you do some chinups and do some bench
pressing maybe you add some a couple of
leg exercises on your shoulder day all
of a sudden for most muscle groups
fractionally speaking you're actually
training them one and a half or two
times a week yes it doesn't take a lot
of modification to make even something a
body part split pretty effective with
frequency not playing so big of a role
in the first place with it being more so
about volume and potentially other
factors even the body part split can be
effective but if you want to improve
that a little bit just some small tweaks
can take it from effect
to quite a bit more
effective many people may see this study
and as usual without reading it will
conclude that c frequency is not a big
deal neutral effect may be a little
positive but what do you think they're
missing Milo if they don't include the
fact that this was a volume equated
study tell us a story about non-volume
equated frequency that makes some sense
yeah so a few things one with really
high volumes like we just mentioned
there is a potential use case for higher
frequencies that is one thing equally I
think most people will be able to
tolerate more volume and have higher
quality volume quote unquote if they're
doing the same amount of sets with a
higher frequency so just spread out
across the week better technique Better
Effort better follow through less likely
to SLO off on later sets correct is set
number seven of legs you're like man
I'll do it but I'm not going to do it to
it whereas if you take those eight sets
for example you're doing in one session
and spread it into two days yep mentally
present for each 100% so I think with
specialization phases where you're
performing higher volumes
or if you want to get the most out of
each set a slightly higher frequency can
be beneficial look it's not going to be
a 9-day effect but I think if you want
to optimize your growth slightly higher
frequencies are probably a good idea
it's an optimization thing but it's also
a question of what exactly do you lose
by just taking single mouth training and
spreading it out more I think it's a
personal preference thing for a lot of
people they like to just smash the
muscle just a few times a week or even
once but even for the one time a week
your recommendation is like okay fuck it
you like once a week sweet Monday hit
chess like crazy hit a few sets of
triceps after though and then Thursday
hit your tricep workout your Bice still
say arms Thursday Thursday arms back
shoulders arms somewhere there and uh
legs never shows up but uh after you
finish your bicep stuff and your tricep
stuff do a couple of sets of close grip
presses or push-ups after your triceps
stuff it'll cook your triceps even
better but it'll get you enough of a
stimulus for chest that it's you're
definitely benefiting from multiple per
week frequencies and you'll probably be
able to put in a little bit more volume
that way and a little bit more of an
elevation of the fractional synthetic
rate of muscle growth and you'll get
more jacked over long term versus Monday
chest Thursday shoulders and arms but
nothing remotely to do with chest at all
because it needs recovery bro because it
probably doesn't training once a week I
agree and I think people can think of
frequency of training kind of like
protein where total protein intake is
fairly important for hypertrophy and you
want to make sure you're getting enough
protein each day to maximize hypertrophy
but exactly what your meal frequency is
in a given day like whether you're
having three or four wheels or four six
or what have you doesn't seem to play
nearly as large of a role it's the same
with volume and frequency where volume
seems to be quite important for hopy as
we've discussed but exactly how you
spread that out plays potentially a
small R but certainly not as large as
volume yes unless we go to the extremes
correct one meal a day difficult to get
your protein at all just like one
workout a week is how you're going to
get all your volume in it's practical
consideration but also a lot of the
Protein that's available to you in the
digestive tract from any one meal some
fraction of it gets used for muscle
synthesis not high and the rest of it
the body doesn't need at the time just
gets burned directly for energy and so
you eat 250 grams of protein and one
meal you may find that like you only
really analized 125 of that which is
good but if you ate 100 grams of protein
per meal twice a day or 125 you may
anabolizantes because I think here's
here's where I'm going this
Smo some people are looking what what
can I get away with doing the minimum to
still get great results and there's
nothing wrong with that's great but a
lot of people are looking
for I want to make sure that my workout
routine is checking all the big boxes
and not missing out some shit where it's
like man I wish I knew that you know
like for example talk to people who try
to get bigger shoulders side delts and
they training shoulders the shoulder day
is crazy but it's once a week I usually
talk to those people and I go dude try
two or three shoulders per week
exercises and or sessions rather you're
going to see a huge difference because
your shoulders just take that long to
recover and you can multiply your volume
by
XYZ those people typically experience
that they go God damn it why didn't
anyone tell me this shit so as far as
frequency per week we're ready to say
you and
I real serious effort at getting jacked
two times a week frequency is the meat
and potatoes for most people sometimes
higher is better unlikely that lower is
better solid take I think practically
for people what that means is if you're
training two to three days a week I
would typically stick with a full body
approach that allows you to train most
muscles two to three times a week and
real quick just for folks that don't
connect the dots yet because it took me
a while to understand this the
alternative is people will say okay I
train Monday Thursday you're okay great
and you and I are on making think in
full body because it takes the growth
happens for a few days it comes down
down happens a few days comes down but
some people will be like okay so I do
upper body on Thursday lower body on
Monday and you're like oh man the volume
is the same total if the total amount of
workout 's the same but now the
frequency is insufficient and now you
grow a little bit but then you sort of
and you grow a little bit more so just
the frequency alone even if it's a
smaller effect and between one and two
it's a notable effect it's a good idea
to do a 2X or more even if you just
train twice a week correct which means
the best routine for you will depend on
how often you train CU we want to hit
each muscle at least twice a week
sometimes more so I think if you're
training two to three days a week all us
being equal a full body routine will be
pretty adequate for most people if
you're training four days a week or five
days a week an upper lower split could
work great full body can work great too
still luck for sure if you're recovering
joints feel okay but then four to five
days a week is where upper lower starts
become more viable because it allows you
to train each muscle twice a week at
least if you're doing a 5day split for
example you could do upper lower upper
lower upper yep days for upper body
which anecdotally I enjoy two days for
lower body and I think Push Pull legs
for
example I see a use case for but it's
only for those who are consistently
training six days a week or more
essentially because otherwise you're
missing out typically on training each
muscle twice a week for you to train
each muscle twice a week you need two
full rotations of the push pull legs
sequence sure so I think that's more of
a reserved use case a body part split
can work but you need to be smart about
it essentially you need to make sure
you're making those modifications to
your routine to make each muscle beain
at least twice a week so it's not a b
split anymore it's a body emphasis if
spiritually yeah you view it as a body
part split and you still enjoy it and
that's probably what you're doing in the
first place just those modifications
make it a bit more effective I wonder is
that why SCI there you go proved correct
and then the final use case I would say
is if you're specializing on a muscle or
you're training with really high volumes
all around that's where experimenting
with slightly higher fre quencies for
those muscles muscles you're
specializing on or for your whole body
can become beneficial if you have the
time and the inclination to say get 20
30 fractional sets per muscle per week
that's where maybe doing a full body
split three or four days a week or
training the specialized Aon muscles
three or four days a week could become
beneficial as I mentioned those
diminishing returns on per session
volume yeah might allow you to get more
overall hypertrophy if you spread that
out or stretch it out across the week
how many sets per muscle per session
would you say starts to be a little much
for optimal hypertrophy I've heard eight
I've heard 12 I've heard six what is
your take on that on average that's a
great idea that's a great question for
my own coaching process and the app
developing I have essentially set a
limit of around 5 to eight sets per
session so for every five to eight sets
direct sets you do per week for a muscle
I would add one extra day of training to
people that's direct training so in
fractional terms maybe we're talking
about 10 fractional sets so for every 10
fractional sets I would add one day of
training if you're getting 20 sets a
week in for muscle that gets into about
two days a week if you're doing say 30
sets or below like between 20 and 30 I
would do 3 days that makes sense I think
that's a rough ballpark in theistic I
use that makes perfect
sounds that's it that's it I
think all right guys like subscribe do
YouTube things check out Milo he's on
YouTube he's on Instagram we'll have all
the links below see you guys next time
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