Have you been training too much?

If you’ve been chasing strength gains and wondering if you’re training often enough—or maybe too much—this is for you.
Training frequency is one of the biggest factors that can make or break your progress. Most of us start with bodybuilding principles, but here’s the truth: building strength isn’t about growing muscles; it’s about retraining your nervous system.

 

Here’s what I mean:

Your brain communicates with your muscles through nerve signals. When you lift, your muscles either contract fully or they don’t—it’s all or nothing. Training for strength means teaching your brain to recruit the right muscles at the right time, in perfect coordination, to lift massive loads. This takes skill, not just brute force.
So, how often should you train? Here’s the breakdown:

For Novices

If you’re just starting out, you can train a movement 4–7 days per week. This high frequency helps you nail the form and technique faster, while keeping the intensity moderate. Think of it as practice rather than punishment.

For Intermediates

Once you’ve been training for six months or more, 3–5 sessions per movement per week are ideal. By now, your nervous system is firing more efficiently, and your muscles are closer to their potential. Training hard every session won’t cut it—you’ll need to vary the intensity and focus on addressing weaknesses.

For Advanced Lifters

After two years of dedicated strength training, your body’s limits are much closer. At this stage, training drops to 1–3 sessions per week per movement. Advanced lifting is about maximizing recovery to continue making progress without injury. For example, while I can overhead press three times a week, I can only deadlift once—any more would push my body beyond its capacity.

Recovery Is the Superpower
To train more frequently without burning out, focus on these three pillars:
  1. Nutrition: Micronutrients matter as much as macros. They’re the key to digesting and utilizing what you eat.
  2. Sleep: Quality sleep is non-negotiable for recovery. Check out my free sleep guide for tips.
  3. Stress Management: Emotional and mental stress add up. Keep it in check to prevent it from hindering your progress.
Train as often as you can recover. Monitor signs of overtraining, like irritability, trouble sleeping, or appetite changes. And remember, progress isn’t linear—it’s a wave. Build strength in cycles, increasing and then backing off to recover before starting again at a higher level.

As always Lift Heavy and Be Kind,

- Mitchell Hooper

If you want to watch the full video, check out the link below.

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