The age-old adage “some is better than none” rings true for exercise benefits, including physical transformation. On Oct. 31, 2024, researcher and champion powerlifter Dr. Layne Norton examined a recent study regarding whether full-body training once per week can preserve muscle gains. (1)
In the 2024 study, young, untrained women performed leg presses twice weekly for 12 weeks. The workouts involved four sets of six repetitions at 80 to 85% of strength or one-rep max, with weights increasing each week. As expected, the leg muscles grew.
After the initial phase, volunteers were split into three groups for an additional 12 weeks:
- Weekly Training Group: Lifted once per week
- Bi-weekly Training Group: Lifted once every 14 days
- Detrained Group: Ceased training entirely
Participants who trained once per week preserved roughly all muscle gains from the initial phase.
[Related: Cardio Scientist Says You Should Prioritize Intensity Over Volume]
The bi-weekly group held onto 90-95% of gains, while those who stopped training lost all their muscle growth.
Dr. Norton emphasized initial gains came with little training; it’s not unusual that infrequent sessions saved most or all progress. “I’m surprised they didn’t continue making gains,” he added. However, another study found muscle was retained with one-ninth of the training volume and increased with one-third of effort. (2)
Advanced Lifters Maintain Training Once Per Week?
“What it takes to build muscle is a greater training dosage than what it takes to maintain it,” Dr. Norton asserts. But can advanced lifters near or at their genetic potential keep all their gains with one weekly full-body session? “I kind of doubt it,” he says, as evidence seems less apparent.
Though Dr. Norton is skeptical, intensity, recovery, genetics, and age may be key factors. Furthermore, the longer you carry muscle mass, the more likely the body may retain it via homeostasis. Experienced lifters also benefit from muscle memory, where muscle regrows faster and is easier to maintain.
Potential Limitations & Volume Cycling
A limitation of the 2024 study was that it involved only one exercise. For a once-weekly regime, full-body workouts are necessary, making progression more challenging.
Dr. Norton recommends volume cycling as an alternative or prioritizing muscle groups for a specific period while “maintenance dosing” for the others to maximize gains and recovery. Training the larger body parts with compound lifts and isolating smaller muscles also works for many people.
Otherwise, Dr. Norton advises cutting volume by at least half for muscle retention and training close to failure, though mileage varies. “Be careful [training once per week] because these people were training twice per week anyway,” he warns.
Intensity is King
While numerous factors constitute effective training, a 2021 study is clear: intensity is key for muscle retention. (3) Achieving this via progressive overload, optimizing technique, and advanced training methods is crucial for protecting your hard-earned gains.
So, whether you need a break from a training split, are burned out, or want to shift life focus, training once weekly may seem more feasible.
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References
- Mpampoulis, T., Stasinaki, A. N., Methenitis, S., Zaras, N., Bogdanis, G. C., & Terzis, G. (2024). Effect of Different Reduced Training Frequencies after 12 Weeks of Concurrent Resistance and Aerobic Training on Muscle Strength and Morphology. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 12(7), 198. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12070198
- Bickel, C. S., Cross, J. M., & Bamman, M. M. (2011). Exercise dosing to retain resistance training adaptations in young and older adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 43(7), 1177–1187. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318207c15d
Featured image via Shutterstock/Gerain0812
