How Often Should You Train a Muscle to Maximize Growth?

A research based comparison between bro-splits, full-body workouts, and other training frequencies

Within the bodybuilding world, there exists a few different schools of thought when it comes to determining the number of times per week you train a muscle group (often called training frequency).

There’s the classic bro-split, which typically dictates you train a muscle group only once per week.

In recent years, full-body workouts have become fairly popular. These typically have you train a muscle group two to three times a week.

So, if the aim is to maximize and accelerate muscle growth, how many times should you be training a muscle group each week?

Let us assess the evidence.

As a note, meta-analyses are studies that combine the results of numerous individual studies looking at the same topic.

In this analysis, they combined the results of 13 studies comparing different training frequencies for increasing measures of muscle growth.

Additionally, in each of these studies, although different groups performed used different training frequencies, they performed the same exercises, repetitions, sets, and rest interval lengths. Of course, this avoids the confounding effects of these variables.

What the meta-analysis found was that there with no effect of training frequency on muscle growth. That is, no particular training frequency was superior for building muscle.

In the 13 studies included in this analysis, the number of times subjects trained a muscle ranged from once per week up to 6 times per week.

Therefore, it appears with all else equal (exercises, reps, number of sets, and rest interval lengths) lower frequencies (training a muscle once or twice per week) are equally effective to higher frequencies (training a muscle group three or more times per week) for building muscle.

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