Training program for twice a week: are such training complexes effective, basic exercises for mass, strength, relief in the gym for men and women

Regular exercise strengthens the body, improves muscle condition and makes a person’s figure more attractive.

Due to busyness, not all people have the opportunity to train, performing effective fitness techniques, every day.

If you organize 2 workouts per week, you can achieve good results. In order for 2 days of training a week to be effective, you need to know how to properly build a training program for gaining muscle mass and shaping the relief.

Is it effective to exercise only a couple of days out of seven?

People involved in sports know that daily visits to the gym and intense exercise only lead to fatigue and joint problems. Also, excessive enthusiasm for sports training leads to a rapid loss of motivation.

To develop muscles, burn fat tissue and form a beautiful body shape, you don’t need to exercise every day. Due to anatomical features, a person’s muscles increase in volume not during exercise, but during rest. Therefore, training without rest for several days is ineffective.

Bodybuilding experts recommend modeling a beautiful body 3 days a week with equal intervals between workouts. But not everyone who wants to join fitness has the opportunity to organize 3 workouts a day.

Be sure to check out: Split program: training to pump up muscles with proven effectiveness Monthly training program: rules for drawing up a plan and sets of exercises Detailed training program with your own weight at home Effective training program for gaining muscle mass 3 times a week

Two-day split

A two-day split means that all muscle groups are worked out in 2 workouts. And these 2 workouts can fit into a calendar week of 7 days, or in any other period, preferably not beyond 3-10 days. As a rule, as working weights increase, the frequency of training decreases. You can just stick to the calendar week.

The division of the training program can occur in different ways: top-bottom, bench press-traction, etc. When creating a two-day split, it is advisable to divide the muscle groups into two approximately equal parts, so that about 50% of the muscles are worked out during each workout.

Before performing exercises in each workout, you need to warm up properly! Especially if you are over 30.

Be sure to ask the trainer in the gym to show you the correct technique for doing the exercises and observe from the sidelines. Ideally, take several personal training sessions to develop your technique.

Program for men

The volume of training, measured in the number of approaches and repetitions, is quite large. Therefore, choose moderate loads (working weights). As you work through the program, pay attention to the possible occurrence of symptoms of overtraining and overexertion. If they begin to appear, then slow down, if necessary, adjust your training program by removing duplicate exercises, reducing the number of repetitions, and extend the rest period for one or two days.

Day 1
Exercises for the pectoral muscles :
Incline Bench Press 3 sets x 8 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press 1 set x 12 reps
Dumbbell flyes 1 set x 12 reps
Shoulder exercises:
Standing Barbell Press 3 sets x 8 reps (watch your back)
Wide grip barbell rows 1 set x 12 reps
Biceps exercises:
Barbell curls 2 sets x 10 reps
Hammer 2 sets x 12 reps
Triceps exercises:
Close grip bench press 2 sets x 10 reps
French press 1 set x 10 reps
Day 2
Back exercises:
Pull-ups 2 sets x as many as you can
Bent-over barbell rows 2 sets x 8 reps
Lat Pulldown 1 set x 12 reps
Lat Pulldown 1 set x 12 reps
Leg exercises:
Barbell Squats 3 sets x 8 reps
Machine leg press 2 sets x 10 reps
Lunges 1 set x 12 reps
Ab exercises:
Roman chair crunches 2 sets x 15 reps

Program for girls

Day 1
Exercises for the pectoral muscles :
Bench press 2 sets x 12 reps
Back exercises:
Read also: What are the benefits of yoga for women? Positive impact on women's physical and mental health
Deadlift 1 set x 12 reps
Lat Pulldown 2 sets x 15 reps
Hyperextension 1 set x 15 reps
Shoulder exercises:
Standing Dumbbell Press 2 sets x 12 reps

Optimal intervals between trips to the gym

A properly organized training program 2 times a week will allow you to achieve good results, but only if the training is at equal intervals. The ideal option is the first workout on Monday, the second on Thursday.

On days off from training, you need to organize half-hour cardio exercises, which include:

jogging;
dancing;
cycling;
walking at a moderate pace.

These types of activities help maintain normal metabolic rates for the combustion process.

Important! For two-day workouts to be effective, they need to be combined with proper nutrition.

What can be achieved with a two-day training regime

By exercising 2 days a week at equal intervals, you can gain muscle mass within 1.5 months, if you focus on doing strength exercises. Regular, but not daily, training prevents the appearance of fat deposits in problem areas of the body, thereby maintaining a slim figure.

If a person has significant excess body weight, then it is optimal for him to combine a visit to the gym with daily cardio exercises.

Is it possible to do less

Physical activity, organized only once a week, is suitable as a dynamic recreation, if we are talking about swimming, walking in the mountains, skiing, skating, cycling. If a person intends to visit the gym with the same frequency, then he will not be able to achieve pumping up muscles and modeling the athletic relief of the body. Between training sessions, we allow a break, the duration of which reaches 3 days, but no more.

Two-day training program for weight loss

Two days a week, of course, is not the best option for training for burning fat deposits , but if you add nutritional restrictions (diet) to everything else, then you can quite achieve impressive results with such a training schedule.

It is important to understand that the process of losing weight is directly related to what we eat, and if you consume calories than you burn, then no amount of training, even 5 times a day, will help you get rid of extra pounds.

An approximate menu for weight loss can be found in this article. Well, we are gradually moving on to a 2-2-day training program for weight loss.

Workout program for weight loss

1 day

Run for 20-30 minutes (on a treadmill or outside, but away from roads)
Jumping rope 5 sets of 3 minutes
Plank 4 sets of 2 minutes
Jumping up from a low squat 4 sets of 20 times
Push-ups 4 sets of 25 times (for girls you can use a lighter version - knees on the floor)
Burpees 4 sets of 20 reps

Day 2

Running with acceleration (alternating segments with high and low intensity, for example, 5 minutes at an average pace, 15 seconds with acceleration) - 30 minutes.
Forward lunges 3 series of 20 times on each leg
Exercise “bicycle” 3×3 minutes
Plie squats 4 series of 20 reps
Burpees 3 series of 20 repetitions
Jumping rope 10 series of 1 minute, rest between series 1 minute.

When performing exercises, try to keep your pulse in the range of 120-130 beats per minute - the fat burning zone.

Commentary on the program:

Any workout begins with a warm-up. Warm-up can be different, general and specialized , for example, when performing strength exercises, it is necessary to perform specialized exercises, that is, do an exercise planned not with the working weight immediately, but with a light 50-60% of the working weight, or increase it in 10-20% increments weight on a barbell/dumbbells/simulator.

If we are talking about aerobic exercises for weight loss, then a general warm-up , which will help increase body temperature and warm up the muscles and ligaments. Exercises from general physical training (general physical training) are best suited for warming up before training for weight loss, these include:

Lay down running
Lunges from side to side
Air squats
Mill by hand
Bend the torso to the sides
Tilts head forward, backward, left, right
Circular movements of the knees
Circular rotations with hands
Calf raise

Air squats
If you exclude training and lose weight only on nutrition , then this is a pretty good option, however, unfortunately, you will not see muscle tightness That is why we recommend that all people who are obese include not only dietary adjustments, but also aerobic training in their weight loss process.

After the weight is gone, you can start doing anaerobic (strength) training, which will give girls pronounced tone , and men their hypertrophy .

Complexes of basic exercises

The specifics of the two-day training program depend on the goals the person is pursuing. Classes at intervals of 3 days should be structured so that it is possible to work all muscle groups. The duration of one training should not exceed 1 hour.

As a warm-up, it is recommended to do cardio exercises for 10 minutes, which will help warm up your muscles and speed up your metabolism.

For men on strength

If a man wants to increase physical endurance by increasing muscle volume, then he should focus on strength fitness techniques.

What the program will look like:

Day	Loads	Technique
First. Pay attention to the muscles of the limbs and back.	Warm-up	10 minutes are devoted to general warm-up for all muscle groups. A workout on a treadmill or exercise bike is suitable as exercise.
	Dumbbell Bench Press	You will need an incline sports bench. They lie on it so that the pelvis, back and back of the head are pressed against the bench. Your legs should rest your feet on the floor. The shells are picked up and placed on the knee joints. The limbs are extended so that a small angle is formed at the elbow joint. In this case, the shells must be at the same level. Afterwards, you can smoothly lower them down by inhaling. As you exhale, take the starting position. Repeat the fitness move up to 15 times in one approach.
	Hyperextension	The simulator is adjusted so that you can lie tightly on it with your thighs. From behind, your feet firmly rest on the roller of the unit, and your hands are placed behind the back of your head, fixing them in position. The body should form a straight line. Hands are placed behind the back of the head, and then lowered down, smoothly bending at the lumbar region. Having reached a right angle, you need to stay in this position for a second, and then smoothly lower down. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
	Pull-ups of legs to buttocks with a dumbbell 2 kg	Hold the dumbbell with your feet while lying on the floor. As you exhale, bend your limbs at the knee joints, pulling your feet with the load towards your buttocks. Repeat 10 times for 4 sets.
Second. The workout has increasing intensity and allows you to work the most important muscle groups.	Cardio exercise lasting 10 minutes
	Facial thrust	Grab the handle of the machine and step back at arm's length. The limbs must be completely straight. Pull your hands towards your face so that your forearms take a vertical position at the peak point. As you inhale, smoothly take the starting position.
	Classic pull-ups on the bar	Do it according to the traditional scheme 15 times in 3 sets.
	Spring lunges with heavy dumbbells weighing 5 kg or more	Place your feet shoulder-width apart and straighten your posture. Bend the knee joint of the leg extended forward at a right angle. The second leg is pulled back in line with the other limb. You need to take dumbbells in your hands and straighten your limbs along the body. As you exhale, strain your thigh and sink down, lowering the knee of your abducted leg to the floor. As you inhale, you need to get into the starting position.
	Press	Spend 10 minutes doing straight and cross crunches for your abdominal muscles. Perform fitness techniques on a sports mat.

On the relief

To achieve beautiful relief by exercising only 2 days a week, you can take note of a sports program for drying the body.

First lesson:

incline bench press – from 15 to 25 times in one set;
craving for the chest - similar;
crossover leg abduction – 15 times on each leg, 4 sets in total;
lying crunches in the simulator - 15 times in 4 sets.

Second lesson:

dynamic lunges – 25 repetitions in 3 sets;
Incline dumbbell rows – 15 repetitions in 3 sets;
hyperextension – 20 repetitions in 3 sets;
squats with a barbell – 15 times in 3 sets.

Warming up before strength training is not excluded.

For weight loss

If a person needs to lose excess fat tissue, then during training the entire emphasis is on cardio. They need to be organized at the beginning of the complex. At each lesson, 10 minutes are devoted to exercise on a treadmill, bicycle or elliptical trainer.

The program includes:

First day:

Incline dumbbell press – 15 times in 3 sets;
arm extensions on a block - similar;
body lifts (twisting) straight and oblique – 20 times in 3 sets of each type;
buckles with skipping rope – 5 minutes.

Second day:

pull-down of the upper block to the face – 15 times in 4 sets;
hyperextension – similar;
swinging legs and buttocks on a crossover – 20 times, 2 approaches.

To lose weight with two days a week, you need to lead an active lifestyle.

Training program for muscle growth for two days a week

If we compare a program for increasing muscle mass with other types of training (weight loss/muscle functionality), then it will bring the best results for its intended purpose , mainly due to the fact that large muscle groups recover much longer from strength training than from others types of load, so resting for 2-3 days will only be beneficial .

In addition to basic exercises also auxiliary (isolated) or auxiliary exercises that need to be performed to diversify the training (additional prevention of muscle adaptation to power load), as well as for deeper development of muscle groups (especially important for experienced and advanced levels of training of an athlete) .

overly tired in auxiliary (isolating) exercises , or bring your muscles to failure in each approach. Otherwise, this approach will play a “wicked joke” on you, and symptoms of overtraining , not to mention the fact that such an approach to performing assistance will take away additional strength , instead of accumulating it for performing basic approaches to basic exercises.

Training program for muscle growth

1 MICROCYCLE

1 day

Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 3x12
Horizontal barbell bench press 4x8
Dumbbell flyes lying on a 3x12 bench (utility)
French bench press 4x8 (auxiliary)
Standing dumbbell biceps curl 3x12 (auxiliary)
Press crunches 2x50

Day 2

Deadlift (sumo/classic) 5x6
Horizontal bench press 3x12
Seated dumbbell press 3x12 (auxiliary)
Reduction of arms in the 4x8 butterfly simulator (utility)
Wide grip vertical row 4x12 (auxiliary)
Raising straight legs while hanging on the bar 4x20

2 MICROCYCLE

1 day

Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 4x8
Horizontal barbell bench press 5x6
Bench press at an upward angle 4x8 (auxiliary)
Dips, with a weight not greater than 4x8 (auxiliary)
Barbell curl for biceps with straight bar 3x12 (auxiliary)
Raising straight legs while hanging on the bar 4x20

Day 2

Deadlift (sumo/classic) 5x6
Horizontal barbell bench press 4x8
Barbell press with a narrow grip, on a horizontal bench 3x12 (utility)
Information in the crossover through the upper blocks 4x12 (utility room)
Alternating dumbbell lifts on a 3x12 Scott bench (auxiliary)
Press crunches 2x50

3 MICROCYCLE

1 day

Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 3x12
Horizontal bench press 3x12
Seated barbell press 4x8 (auxiliary)
Dumbbell flyes lying on a horizontal bench 4x8 (utility)
Pull-up on the bar with a wide grip 4x12 (auxiliary)
Raising legs while hanging on the bar, up to an angle of 90° 4x15

Day 2

Deadlift (sumo/classic) 4x8
Horizontal barbell bench press 5x6
Bench press at an upward angle 4x8 (auxiliary)
Barbell row to the waist with a straight grip 3x12 (auxiliary)
EZ-bar biceps curl 4x8 (auxiliary)
Bench crunches 2x50

4 MICROCYCLE

1 day

Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 5x6
Horizontal barbell bench press 4x8
Dumbbell bench press 3x12 (auxiliary)
Press to the bottom in a 4x8 block machine (auxiliary)
Straight barbell curl for biceps 4x8 (auxiliary)
Shrugs with barbell 3x12 (auxiliary)
Press crunches 2x50

Day 2

Deadlift (sumo/classic) 3x12
Hyperextension, with weights fixed on the chest 10-15 kg 4x15 (auxiliary)
Horizontal bench press 3x12
Standing barbell press 4x8 (auxiliary)
Bent-over dumbbell flyes 3x12 (auxiliary)
Pull-up on the bar with a reverse grip, with 4x8 weights (auxiliary)
Raising bent legs while hanging on the bar, up to an angle of 90° 4x15

Before completing the training program, do not forget to perform warm-up approaches - put the weight on a barbell/install it on a machine, or take light dumbbells ( 50% of the working weight) and perform several sets 12-15 repetitions gradually increase the weight approaching the working approach (usually the latter option is used when performing basic exercises: squat, bench press and deadlift).

Downloaded: 613, size: 19.4 KB, date: 11 Jul. 2020

Commentary on the program:

There are 4 microcycles in total, which make up one megacycle . After 2-3 completed megacycles, we recommend, firstly, weigh yourself and evaluate the result in the mirror, and secondly, perform a walk (lift the weight one time with the correct technique in basic exercises - squat, bench press and deadlift) in order to evaluate objectively an increase in strength and muscle mass.

Try to ensure that on the same day the basic exercises in terms of the number of repetitions in an approach do not overlap each other, that is, they are not the same, otherwise the intensity of the workout increases (especially important when there is overlap in medium and heavy approaches), and therefore the recovery time between workouts also increases. In this example of a training program, such a coincidence occurs only for a “light” load, on the 1st day of the 3rd microcycle, and on the 2nd day of the 4th microcycle.

All efforts should first of all be concentrated and aimed at performing basic exercises (opposite which the % is indicated); it is by these that one can and should objectively judge training progress , but if there is progress in these exercises, then visual progress in hypertrophy will very quickly be made target muscle groups.

It is important that the load is not repeated, that is, there are light, medium and heavy workouts . All this is done so that, firstly, your muscles do not get used to the load, and secondly, this approach is a kind of prevention of overtraining.

Isolated exercises in bodybuilding

It is generally accepted that the working weight, which is from the maximum :

60-65% – light
70-75% – average
80-85% – heavy

strength - that is, typical powerlifters - periodically train on such scales

If you experience pain in your back (lower back) when doing deadlifts, then you can replace deadlifting with squats, that is, perform deadlifts once every 3 training days.

The principle of the above two-day program is similar to the fullbody, the main emphasis is to load large muscle groups, which make up the bulk of the athlete’s muscle mass and strength:

Breasts
Leg muscle
Back muscles

Your task is to strive for progress in basic exercises:

Horizontal bench press
Deadlift (sumo/classical)
Squats with a barbell on your shoulders

If the working weight of the above exercises increases, then very soon you will see progress in the mirror (visually the muscles will become more massive and more prominent).

The main thing is not to try to quickly increase the weight on the barbell (add no more than 2.5-5 kg when you feel that the weight you worked with has already become quite light for you). The more smoothly you gain strength, the more effective and safe your training will be.

Main conclusions

Exercising twice a week will effectively help you get in shape and become the owner of an athletic body. However, a maximum of three days interval is required between classes.
The duration of the lesson is 40-60 minutes. Features of the selection of fitness techniques depend on the goals of the practitioner.
In addition to visiting the gym, you need a balanced diet and an active lifestyle.
People who want to gain noticeable muscle definition are recommended to focus on strength fitness techniques, and those who are losing weight, on cardio exercises.