[evm9]

Maybe that works for you, but you'll never be strong/look strong weight training weekly. If you're "overtraining" from one weight training session per week, there's something very wrong. The average human only takes 48-72 hours to fully recover for most muscle groups in the body.

It's also been proven that HIIT is much more beneficial for your system than LISS.

It might "seem" more beneficial to you, but likely is not more beneficial than the alternatives. However, something is definitely better than nothing, and do what works for you and makes you happy.

[wallace_f]

>It's also been proven that HIIT is much more beneficial for your system than LISS.

Source? What is your definition of 'better?' The context is in longevity, and my link offers some evidence against your statement, so I think you should provide some source for your claim that HIIT is consistent with living longer than LISS because that's not what I've seen published in the last 10 years.

[alvah]

Long time lurker, finally registered to answer this. What's your definition of "strong"? I've been weight training once a week since March, following Doug McGuff's "Body By Science" method, and I have doubled my weights in 4 of the "big 5" in the last 3 months. While I'm led to believe McGuff's methods will never make anyone look absolutely massive, I disagree with your premise that you have to train more than once a week to be strong or look strong. Incidentally, McGuff mentions in his book that the optimal gap between workouts is 8 days.

[nosequel]

No offense meant for something working for you. If it works for you, keep doing it.

I've competed now in three separate strength sports (powerlifting, strongman, olympic lifting). There isn't a single person on any competitive circuit that only lifts weights once every 8 days. You might be getting strong for you. You started in March, so you are on the ultra-beginner slope that means you can basically do any training in existence and make gains. That will steadily slow.

Regarding a definition of "strong", there are many, but the one most people in the strength industry agree on is:

  * 2.5x bodyweight dead lift  
  * 2x bodyweight full squat  
  * 1.5x bodyweight bench  
  * 1x bodyweight standing strict overhead press

So a 180lb person who is "strong" will have a 450lb DL, 360lb squat, 270 lb bench, and 180lb OHP.

No offense to the one person you read, but hundreds of years of strength athletes are on the side of lifting weights multiple times per week.

[wallace_f]

You are correct. In fact, you can get really strong training once a week. Fact is, this guy's training methods are basically kind of appoaching an optimization for bulking (building the most muscle mass possible) combined with laziness (only training once a week).

The big criticisms of this kind of training would be:

1.) athleticism (he recommends machines, but free weights and calisthenics--replacing lat pulls with pull ups, muscle ups, etc is much better for athleticism)

2.) strength (he recommends machines, no momentum in movements, long recovery periods... this is basically how bodybuilders train to build the most muscle, but power lifters and athletes will optimize for maximum power, which includes momentum in their movements, and more endurance in their muscles)

3.) cardio/weight loss (you will burn more calories and build better cardio with higher volume, repitions)

4.) Injury (machines, low reps, high weights, all increase risk of injury)