is it healthy for me to do an hour and a half upper body workout in the a.m. and then do the same in the p.m?

Question

i am 16 years old and have been lifting wieghts for about 6 months steadily. i am trying to get ready for football and as the season gets closer i am trying to get stronger faster. i want to lift upper body twice a day, once in the morning and then once when i go to the school weight room around 4 o'clock. then the next day i wanted to do the same thing only except with my lower body. i was plannin on doin this 6 times a week alternatin days of lower and upper body. i read things that say you need to give your mucles enough time to recover and i was wondering if about 8 hours is enough time. i was also planning on buying whey protein to help bulk up.

would it be ok if i did upper body in the morning and then do lower body in the late afternoon, and do the same thing the next day, and day after day?

Answer 1

when you're weight training you should allow your muscles one day to recover...i think you'll even get better results if you wait that extra day. i usually do upper body one day, then lower the following day...etc, etc.

Answer 2

Two immediate concerns! Age and experience. This is coming from a certified BFS trainer. Do not over work the body unless you have the metabolism, genetics and knowledge. So be careful please. I believe that a new lifter such as yourself should work out a max of 4 days a week including the weekend until you have developed a a stronger base. A good plan will be Mon.Tues, Thurs,Fri. The day in between could be used as a speed or cardio day. Speed training should be explosive and short (stairs, 60-20 yd sprints, running both up and down hill, jumping 1 and 2 legs) The key is what you do during those 4 days. lifting for football as well as most sports requires working the muscles from the ground up. Squats and cleans are as critical as your football pads for the game. Any lift that requires many large muscles and is performed on two feet should be the focus for speed and explosion. When using these large muscles, rest is needed. Do not perform these "core lifts" on back to back days. Don't forget about the mid body (back and abs) these are also an essential. Try an upper-body day followed by a lower body day to a break day and repeat. 8 hours is enough time to recover as long as you are eating well, drinking plenty of water and getting good sleep. Just break the workout up --example: bench, incline, triceps extensions in the morning and do biceps back and shoulders using bum-bells in the afternoon/ evening. I terms of supplements I recommend a higher concentration of carbs along with your protein because if you plan to work out twice a day you will really need the fuel from the carbs. Muscle is made from strands of protein so amino's and other protein supplements are alright, but carbs take the cake on this one. Since I'm on the diet kick, lets do away with soft drinks and fast food and candy because they tend to dehydrate the body quicker and slow down recovery. Remember your nervous system and heart will be the first to react to the training, then the muscle mass will begin to appear. Don't over do it, be patient and increase the weight instead of the workouts and focus on the core lifts--bench, incline, squat and cleans. Good luck on the season!

Answer 3

I am not a doctor or trainer, but I know that to build muscle, the areas that are "worked out" must have a day to re-build----and that is where you start to get bulk. So, it is better to do upper body one day, legs the next. Also, be sure to include some cardiovascular work--you are never too young to think about your heart.

Whatever you do, don't let anyone ever talk you into steroids. They are extremely harmful, no matter what other athletes may tell you. Talk to a doctor--I'm sure you'll have to see one for the physical before you can play--about any other questions.

Don't forget: You need a whole day for "recovery" and muscle building. Good luck, sweetheart. (My grandson--19 yrs. old--has played football for years. He's a little guy, short and wiry, but he's got the heart of a lion on the field.) You go, boy!!!

Answer 4

You need time to let your muscles relax and rest. If you do a good upper body workout in the morning and then do a good lower body workout in the afternoon/evening, that's enough for one day or so. If you overwork your muscles by working out every single day with weights, you could cause yourself injury or pull/tear a muscle (and that's not good).

You could always do a good workout one day and then maybe try something cario-related the next day (swimming, biking, etc.) and alternate like that.

Answer 5

If you do your upper body in the morning, do your lower body in the evening. The next day you should not do weights at all, as your muscle fibers are torn and need time to recover, this is the time that they really grow.
If you need to lose weight you can do cardio on the days you don't lift weights. You will need 1 or 2 days a week to do absolutely nothing and let your body rest. You won't need to be taking any extra protein as we get enough protein in our foods, we get too much actually.
Go to your search engine and look up "protein how much" and see what you need, you'll see that you probably are getting enough as it is.

Answer 6

well im in 9th grade, and my health teacher said 24 hours is enough time for muscles to build back up, but it would be better if u waited 48 hours. so he said do upper body one day, lower body the next. i dont remember how long ur supposed to exercise for. probably just an hour or two. so thats what id do--1-2 hrs exercise alternatin evry day.

Answer 7

it is not just letting you muscles rest it is giving them time to heal. after each session you damage the muscles, and the rest period is when your body repairs the muscles recently damaged. alternating days is good for each muscle group. if you want to bulk up just use heavier weights and less reps. ask the coach

Answer 8

i play professional football and you want to give your body more time to rest. you want to increase your protein intake to at least one and a half times your body weight

Answer 9

You'll be really f****n sore in the morning.

Answer 10

yes its ok , but i think u must sleep very well at nights because u get tired