1. [Home](https://www.workoutsmart.com/) 2. [Ask Dan](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan) 3. [Weight Training](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training) Weight Training # I have read in magazines that you should only work out your large muscle groups… The question I have read in magazines that you should only work out your large muscle groups once a week. I am young(18) and if I work them once a week, I don't see any results. I used to work out almost every day and I got big, but I got to a point were I couldn't get bigger. Was I over-working before? I took a break, should I go back to working out every day? Dan's answer Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS Everyone can have small differences in how their body reacts to training. I have been training for 20 years and I have trained thousands of people professionally in the past 12 years. What I have found to be the best training program is one that works each muscle group twice per week. However, one of the training days should be a little more easier and one of the training days should be hard. Take your legs for example. I would recommend training them twice per week. One of those days would be heavier squats, step ups, lunges, etc. The other training day would be a much easier squat workout or just the step up and lunges. This will provide the best balance in your training program. You can also train every day as long as you are training on a split program. A split program simply means that you are splitting up the muscle groups so that you don't train the same muscle group 2 days in a row. I even have variations on a weekly basis. Some workout weeks are very hard and some are very easy\! This is called periodization. This type of weekly variation will keep you away from being overtrained or having plateu's in your progress. Dan designed the periodization models the Wave Engine runs. See how the Wave Engine turns his programming rules into your workouts. [How the Wave Engine works](https://www.workoutsmart.com/wave-engine) ## More in Weight Training - [All of a sudden my reps have been reduced to 12-15. In the past, they have all been 20 or so. Is this correct? I am doing the "get lean" program, and have had good results so far. I am in week 5. Why the sudden reduction in reps, when the weight amount has stayed the same??](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/all-of-a-sudden-my/1777) - [I am in only the third week of a program (5-day chest/leg mass bodybuilding) and the results are remarkable. My question concerns cardio exercises, and when I should be doing them so I'm not overtraining or exhausting myself. I'm used to doing a variety of cardio routines, a typical one would be 45 minutes on an elliptical trainer with most of it spent at level 3 or 4. Is it better to incorporate this training on the same days as I lift, and should it be before or after the iWorkoutSmart.com routine? Or should I be doing that sort of intense cardio workout on different days, or perhaps mornings and lifting in the evening? So far I've been doing lighter cardio workouts, level 2 or so for 20 minutes, before or after the bodybuilding routine.](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-am-in-only-the/1908) - [Is working out one muscle group a day enough to gain weight and strength. and howmuch rest would i need For example Day 1 Legs Day 2 Arms Day 3 Chest Day 4 Shoulders Day 5 Back](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/is-working-out-one-muscle/1712) - [I will be starting the 4-Day Get Lean Program and had a quick question. I know the weights for the sets are calculated from our strength tests, but are we supposed to basically reach failure by the end of each set. For example, if it says 15@25lbs. should I barely be able to do 25, and if it seems easy, do I increase the weight or the number of reps?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-will-be-starting-the/265) - [I'm doing the strength training mass express.But I would like to know, do I have to do the strength tests before or after the 5th week workout?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/im-doing-the-strength-training/1611) ## Train on the programs Dan writes. [Start 14 days free](https://www.workoutsmart.com/signup)