Training Frequency For Weightlifting

People often say the best training frequency for weightlifting is 6x a week. This is blatantly wrong.

For most people, who aren't national/international level lifters, training 4x a week for weightlifting is optimal. This comes both from anecdotal experience as well as the experience of the lads at Sika Strength, who have coached literal thousands of weightlifters. 

The main proponent of 5-6x/week training is Clarence Kennedy. In my opinion, Clarence Kennedy is disconnected from how the average weightlifters responds to training. Clarence is a genetic phenom who is on steroids, and who also does not have the best programming knowledge (I've seen his programs, both powerlifting and weightlifting). Although high frequency training is certainly beneficial for weightlifting, people often do not consider how high injury risk is in weightlifting. It is not uncommon for even hobbyist lifters to have constant knee, shoulder and back pain. Plus, 4x a week of the lifts and their variations is plenty frequency.

The reality is that only truly advanced lifters (ie. national level of above) should be considering training more than 4x per week of weightlifting. Plus, if you are this advanced, you will likely already be working with a coach who can help you train up to 7 or more days a week since they can manage your fatigue better.

Here is my go-to weightlifting split for anyone who is not yet a national or above level lifter (including myself):

Day 1: Weightlifting

Day 2: Weightlifting (+ back squats)

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Weightlifting (+ back squats)

Day 5: Bodybuilding(Optional) - mostly/all upper body, relatively light

Day 6: Weightlifting (+ front squats)

Day 7: Rest

Squats are followed by rest days or by bodybuilding days since squatting sessions are typically quite intense for weightlifters. The bodybuilding day is an optional day you can do if you care about upper body hypertrophy. It probably won't benefit your weightlifting at all, but it can help you not look like a marathon runner. However, this bodybuilding day should be kept RELATIVELY LIGHT ie. don't max out bench press, overhead presses and barbell rows, you still have a weightlifting session the next day! I typically recommend most people do some shoulder, back, tricep and bicep, and core work on the bodybuilding day.

I would not train 6x or more per week as a sub-national level weightlifter.

~ Prem