Training frequency is a key factor that organizes volume and intensity. It describes how often a muscle or muscle group is trained per week. By distributing training stress optimally across the week, you can improve the balance between load and recovery so that no single session becomes overly exhausting.
Why distribution matters
If you try to perform all your volume in one day, exercise quality declines as you get physically and mentally tired (fatigue). The training stimulus drops over the course of the workout, which can reduce the efficiency of strength development and muscle growth.
At the other extreme, if you have six sets per week and do only one set per day, you have little chance to create sufficient stimulus, spot mistakes, and correct them. If your only set goes poorly, there’s no second or third set to fix it. Even if it’s perfect, you lose the chance to repeat and internalize it until at least the next day.
Recommendations on frequency
MyFitCoach distributes your training volume optimally across the days you choose and the time you have per session—whether you prefer fewer three-hour sessions or more frequent 45-minute sessions.
Typical range: 3–6 sessions/week for hypertrophy and strength goals; 2/week can work great for time-constrained people or beginners. This determines how often each muscle group/movement is trained.
Progress & adjustment
As your training level rises, you generally need more volume to keep progressing (progressive overload). That often requires more training days or longer sessions—MFC accounts for this in planning.
Number of training days
For maximum muscle growth (hypertrophy), several established principles from exercise science can guide your choice of days and frequency.
2–6 days/week cover most hypertrophy programs.
Beginners: 2–3 days are often enough for solid progress.
Advanced lifters: often benefit from 5–6 days.
For most people who don’t want to live in the gym, 3 days are perfectly sufficient.
Benefits of a higher frequency
Increased protein synthesis: After a session, muscle protein synthesis is elevated for about 24–48 hours. Training a muscle more often triggers MPS more frequently.
Better distribution of volume: A higher frequency spreads volume more evenly, improving recovery and reducing fatigue within any single session.
Improved motor skills: More frequent practice also sharpens motor skills and technique—especially for complex lifts.
These principles can help you structure your plan to maximize hypertrophy while minimizing injury risk and optimizing recovery.
How many days should you choose?
Rule of thumb: As many as you can consistently manage week after week.
If you select 6 but actually train only 4–5, the split likely isn’t optimal.
Want to try a specific split? Go for it—as long as progressive overload is happening and recovery is fine, you can stick with it.
New to training? Start with 2–3 sessions/week and monitor recovery. You can always increase your weekly training days in the profile later.
Per muscle: 2–3×/week is a solid rule of thumb. Other frequencies can work just as well—test over several weeks (6–8-week cycle) and see what you enjoy and what drives progress.
Note: With steroid use, relationships are more complex. That’s one reason the idea of training each muscle group only once per week became widespread—though it’s suboptimal for natural lifters.
Questions about individualized planning? We’re happy to help: support@myfitcoach.de
References:
References:
Schoenfeld, B.J., et al. (2016). Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med, 46(11): 1689–97.
Schoenfeld, B.J., et al. (2015). Influence of Resistance Training Frequency on Muscular Adaptations in Well-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res, 29(7): 1821–9.
Grgic, J., et al. (2018). Effect of resistance training frequency on gains in muscular strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med, 48(5): 1207–20.
Ralston, G.W., et al. (2018). Weekly Training Frequency Effects on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine-Open, 4(1): 36.
Nuckols, Greg. (2018). "Training Frequency for Muscle Growth: What the Data Say." Accessed June 21, 2024. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/training-frequency/
Nuckols, Greg. (2018). "Training Frequency for Strength Development: What the Data Say." Accessed June 21, 2024. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/training-frequency/
Mac Dougall, J Ducan, et al. (1995). The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise. Canadian journal of applied physiology, 20(4): 480-486.