How Often Should You Train For Maximal Muscle Growth

How often should you train for maximal muscle growth? If hypertrophy is your goal, scroll down and keep reading.

Train hard and you will reap its benefits, but only to a certain point. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to working out and building muscle. However, Dr Mike Israetel is set on a goal to make hypertrophy as simple as possible for people to become a better version of themselves.

Dr Mike Israetel, PhD in Sport Physiology and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, made a video posing the question: How often should you train for maximal muscle growth? Check out his answer.

How Often Should You Train For Maximal Muscle Growth

As expected, there is not a set number for how often should you train for maximal muscle growth. However, you can see some general rules and discover what applies to you.

Depending on how hard you train in each session, you may need to take a longer rest period. A good rule of thumb to follow is to train when the muscle is no longer sore or when you can perform the same training session again normally.

Here is a quick rundown:

• 4 sets per session might mean you do 4 sessions per week
• 8 sets per session might mean you do 2 sessions per week
• Between 2-4 sets per session should be combined into fewer sessions
• Above 12 sets should be split up
• 2-6x sessions per muscle per week is great depending on recovery and how big each session is

Related: Junk Volume Weight Training – What Is It and Why You Must Avoid It

Another way to look at is to see how many sessions per week you should be performing depending on your fitness level.

Beginners

• 2-4 sessions per week
• Don’t burn out, ignite a desire for more
• Focus on compound movements and full-body workouts in every session

Intermediates

• 3-6 sessions per week
• More sessions to overcome plateaus for each muscle group
• Split programs become common such as push/pull/leg workout

Source: Norbert Buduczki / Unsplash

Advanced

• 5-12 sessions per week
• Each muscle needs to be first in its session at least once a week
• Train 2-3 muscles per session to avoid junk volume training
• Double-daily sessions if you want to

So, how often should you train for maximal muscle growth? As you can see, the answer is not black in white, but you can take everything from the above into consideration to continue your hypertrophy journey.

If you want to know more about the reasonings behind each fact presented above, check out Israetel’s arguments in the video below.

VIDEO – How Often Should You Train For Maximal Muscle Growth

Read More: How Hard Should You Train to Build Muscle – 5 Experts Give Their Answer