Athletes constantly seek ways to optimize their training regimens to achieve peak performance. One increasingly popular approach is training twice daily, a strategy believed to accelerate progress and enhance overall fitness via increased training volume and enhanced skill development. However, this approach requires careful planning and consideration to avoid overtraining and injury.
A randomized controlled trial published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness concluded that twice-daily resistance training boosts lower-body strength gains but doesn’t significantly affect upper-body strength, muscle endurance, or hypertrophy compared to once-daily training. (1)
Hybrid athlete Fergus Crawley explained on his YouTube channel how to incorporate double training days effectively into a fitness routine. Crawley outlines six key considerations to better ensure your double training days are safe, productive, and sustainable. Check out the video below:
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1. Asking Yourself Why and How Often
You should understand your individual training goals, volume, and intensity requirements rather than following the latest fitness trends at face value. Consider the practical implications of double training on your schedule and lifestyle.
Splitting a high-volume resistance training session into two daily sessions may accelerate recovery compared to performing a single session. (2)
2. Structure Your Day
Crawley recommends time blocking to structure your day effectively. This can help identify open slots in your schedule for when you can fit in a second training session.
“Once you develop the habit of structuring and scheduling your day, you will have power over your time, training, and to-do list, freeing you from distractions,” said Crawley. “Most importantly, it will allow you to be realistic about what you can achieve within a day.”
3. Hydration & Nutrition
Proper hydration and nutrition are essential for any training program, but they are especially important when tackling double training days. Crawley recommends planning your meals and snacks throughout the day and replenishing them after the first training session to ensure enough energy for the second.
4. Preparation
Crawley suggests laying out your clothes and equipment the night before to save time and avoid friction on the day of your double training session.
5. Prioritize Lifting Over Running
Crawley recommends prioritizing lifting first if you are lifting and running on the same day. Fatigue from running can negatively affect weight training performance.
A meta-analysis comparing strength training alone to strength plus endurance training on the same day found that endurance training may hinder strength and power gains to a greater extent than vice versa. (3)
“Most don’t need to worry about the interference effect because it’s only applicable when you’re pushing the top end,” added Crawley.
6. Make Your Training Accessible
Crawley urges being realistic about what you can achieve based on your schedule and commitments. Don’t try to fit in training sessions that will be too difficult to manage.
“Just because you want to train twice a day doesn’t mean that’s possible or logical,” Crawley said. Be practical about what is realistic with your schedule and then attack your training sessions with intensity and stay consistent.
References
- Corrêa, D. A., Brigatto, F. A., Braz, T. V., DE Carmargo, J. B., Aoki, M. S., Marchetti, P. H., & Lopes, C. R. (2022). Twice-daily sessions result in a greater muscle strength and a similar muscle hypertrophy compared to once-daily session in resistance-trained men. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 62(3), 324–336. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12118-8
- Bartolomei, S., Malagoli Lanzoni, I., & Di Michele, R. (2023). Two vs. One Resistance Exercise Sessions in One Day: Acute Effects on Recovery and Performance. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 94(1), 92–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2021.1939848
- Wilson, J. M., Marin, P. J., Rhea, M. R., Wilson, S. M., Loenneke, J. P., & Anderson, J. C. (2012). Concurrent training: a meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 26(8), 2293–2307. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31823a3e2d
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