Flexible approach to training

[imnotsleep]

I was wondering if training not on planned out days but instead focusing just on finishing X amount of days a week is valid or if its sub-optimal. i ask this as planning out specific days to train on, makes training less accessible to me simply because how much my days fluctuates in terms of energy and time.

I have been for the past month doing a 3 day compound focused training days followed by "+" days where i choose how many of my "rest" days can be dedicated to fluff work. All of the days are random based on feel but the goal is always the set amount of days chosen for compounds and at least 2 "+" days within a week.

[EricK]

In my grossly unqualified opinion, it would be next to impossible to "optimize" training at unpredictable frequency unless you're an insanely intuitive lifter. But even an insanely intuitive lifter will eventually need more reliability in training time to keep making progress. But, really overall I think the futile quest for optimization has done a lot of damage to many prospective trainees with little gain. Discussing ideas about ways to make a given training plan better for a given trainee with specific goals is far more fruitful. If you can't consistently train on the same days every week, it's still probably better for you to train when you can rather than just give up because it's not optimal.

Specify your goals, compare them to where you are and use that info to inform a plan. Execute the plan, observe the results, ask questions to yourself and others, tweak as needed. If you can't train consistently, don't expect perfection, just work towards better. And for the love of all the best gods, have a little fun while you're at it.

/rant

Hope that helps. Good luck with your training.

[Clearwater47]

I agree. For 99.9 percent of people who train, optimal is a pipe dream. For some people lifting is almost literally the focus of their life, and for them it's probably worth aiming for optimal, but even then it's very individual and hard to define.

For the rest of us it's good enough to do the best we can. Great progress can still be made. I've done something similar to what you're doing and made good, steady progress with that approach. So yes, do what you can when you can, to the best of your ability. It won't make you the worlds strongest man or mr olympia, but it will still give you good results.

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

@imnotsleep Are you seeing any progress with your current approach ?

[Philbert]

I was wondering if training not on planned out days but instead focusing just on finishing X amount of days a week is valid or if its sub-optimal. i ask this as planning out specific days to train on, makes training less accessible to me simply because how much my days fluctuates in terms of energy and time.

I have been for the past month doing a 3 day compound focused training days followed by "+" days where i choose how many of my "rest" days can be dedicated to fluff work. All of the days are random based on feel but the goal is always the set amount of days chosen for compounds and at least 2 "+" days.

Assuming everything else in your life is optimal, training on correctly planned days will be optimal. All other situations, including training on planned days with unplanned other life stressors and training on unplanned days without unplanned life stressors, will by definition be sub-optimal. I doubt that anyone actually knows whether, say, bumping the training planned for Wednesday to Thursday is worse than training on Wednesday as planned despite spending half the night up cleaning vomit off small children and not eating any normal food all day. We do know that worrying about these kinds of things is far more suboptimal than not worrying about them, as long as you get some reasonable dose of training in. If you can do your main weight training twice a week on non-consecutive days you will probably achieve at least 80% of the real benefit of an optimal program. If you are making some progress with flexible training, and are not miserable doing it, then carry on.

[platypus]

For the last two years, I've mostly trained using a 4 day split. Usually I do Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, but often I have to adjust due to work and school schedule. For a while, I used a 4 day split across 3 days per week, making my training week more like 9 days.

In that time, I've set some modest PRs: +10lbs on bench, +40lbs on squat, +20lbs on press, and +5lbs on deadlift.

So in my experience, yes, progress is possible while varying your training days.

Whether or not it would be more optimal for me to train on the same days each week is, for me, a non-question because I won't do it consistently: I have other priorities that get in the way. So for me, the choice is between training on varied days, and just skipping the workouts. One works, the other doesn't.

[cgeorg]

Hanley autoregulates his schedule based on daily preparedness with great success. But he's Hanley

[imnotsleep]

@imnotsleep Are you seeing any progress with your current approach ?

In size yes, in strength maybe.

[AlanMackey]

or if its sub-optimal.

In my experience, sub-optimal usually equals sustainable and sustainable is probably better than optimal.

In my opinion, optimal should be reserved for peaking only.

[mgil]

or if its sub-optimal.

In my experience, sub-optimal usually equals sustainable and sustainable is probably better than optimal.

In my opinion, optimal should be reserved for peaking only.

Pretty accurate imo.

OP, if your training schedule is snafu, then just prioritize a lift. Pick one. In my case, I prioritized (trap bar) deadlifts since they hit most of what I want to hit. If I have a second session in the week, it’s pressing stuff based on what my shoulders will put up with. If a third day, like this week, I hit trap bar again. I usually pair some accessory work with those main lifts, but those are suited to how I fell. Of course I’ve been putzing around with weights in some way, shape, or form since 1989 or so.

Anyhow, keep things simple and set reasonable goals so that you have the most amount of flexibility when your schedule is unreliable.

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

@imnotsleep Are you seeing any progress with your current approach ?

In size yes, in strength maybe.

Then your training is already optimal, and you should not change it.

[EricK]

or if its sub-optimal.

In my experience, sub-optimal usually equals sustainable and sustainable is probably better than optimal.

In my opinion, optimal should be reserved for peaking only.

Pretty accurate imo.

OP, if your training schedule is snafu, then just prioritize a lift. Pick one. In my case, I prioritized (trap bar) deadlifts since they hit most of what I want to hit. If I have a second session in the week, it’s pressing stuff based on what my shoulders will put up with. If a third day, like this week, I hit trap bar again. I usually pair some accessory work with those main lifts, but those are suited to how I fell. Of course I’ve been putzing around with weights in some way, shape, or form since 1989 or so.

Anyhow, keep things simple and set reasonable goals so that you have the most amount of flexibility when your schedule is unreliable.

Taylor, is that you?!

[houzi]

I think @Hanley has some good resources for this. He shared a bench program in his training log, with different sessions based upon how he felt that day. (Feel good, do session A, feel not so good do session B, feel tired do session C).


I did something similar last year, I just had a bunch of sessions listed for each lift, and depending on how I felt I would choose one or two lifts per session. Im considering doing something similar again in the future, since it was pretty fun to train like that.

[mgil]

or if its sub-optimal.

In my experience, sub-optimal usually equals sustainable and sustainable is probably better than optimal.

In my opinion, optimal should be reserved for peaking only.

Pretty accurate imo.

OP, if your training schedule is snafu, then just prioritize a lift. Pick one. In my case, I prioritized (trap bar) deadlifts since they hit most of what I want to hit. If I have a second session in the week, it’s pressing stuff based on what my shoulders will put up with. If a third day, like this week, I hit trap bar again. I usually pair some accessory work with those main lifts, but those are suited to how I fell. Of course I’ve been putzing around with weights in some way, shape, or form since 1989 or so.

Anyhow, keep things simple and set reasonable goals so that you have the most amount of flexibility when your schedule is unreliable.

Taylor, is that you?!

Yes, I am hopping on my zeppelin to come visit you.

[broseph]

I've trained this way for years:

I make/find a program and stick to it with regards to movements, intensities, and volumes. However, I throw the idea of a 7 day week out the window and follow through the prescription as time and energy allow. I might even split a programmed session across 2 days.

I usually workout 4-6 times per week, so I pick a routine that fits that schedule. I mostly autoregulate volume vs intensity, and per-session volume trends inversely to frequency.


I can't tell if that is what you are describing, or if you are going in with no programming at all and just following intuition? If the latter... as others have said- might be ok for hypertrophy, probably not for strength.