Dr. Bret Contreras

So you might have, you might, if you're hitting three full body workouts a week, maybe only do heavy deadlifts once a week.

But the other time you're doing a more like a hingey, like a stiff leg deadlift or a good morning, real strict, not going crazy, you might leave some reps in reserve or you're just really strict so you don't get as sore from that.

And then the other day might be a hamstring, you start out with a hamstring movement or something.

These lifts have different rules that you figure out over time.

And it also depends on the individual.

Some people can squat three times a week.

Some people can't get away with that.

They'll develop hip pain, knee pain, low back pain.

So there's kind of this art of how to design programs that allow the masses to build strength.

But whenever you work with someone individually, you have to, you stray from it a little bit.

But anyway, I do believe hitting a muscle three times a week

is a little bit better, but it's more risky.

You can spin your wheels.

I don't want to say overtrain because overtraining syndrome is something, but we all know what it means.

It means stagnating because you're not properly recovered.

You're spinning your wheels.

And it's really hard to recover from three times a week.

So that's why the safest bet is hit a muscle twice a week.

But I think if you know what you're doing, you can do three times a week.

First of all, what you're saying about most people, you're insinuating that people have different recovery genetics, and there's research on that.