Why I Love High Frequency, Low Volume Training

In the past 13 months, I have taken on the responsibilities of being a father and a homeowner. While these are tremendous blessings, they extract their own toll on top of whatever training I can squeeze in. Add all of this on top of commuting four hours per day, time has gotten tight. How is a guy supposed to keep getting bigger & stronger with such little time? Let me share...

Over the past few years I have really enjoyed participating in Squatober and Deadcember. If you are unaware of what these programs entail. it requires squatting or deadlift to some degree 5x/week for a month. It's during these times I always achieve a significant improvement in my 1RM. I attribute these adaptations from two sources: mental & neurological.

There's something about performing the same lift everyday at a moderate to heavy load that boosts your confidence to keep pushing forward and challenging yourself. Nothing cures fear better than taking action. Performing those reps with a high weekly frequency helps clear any negative self-talk or self-doubt that may cross your mind before taking on today's workout.

I am a proponent of our nervous system having a very good memory. Have you experienced the feeling that once you have lifted "x" number of pounds, or performed a set number of reps, it's so much easier to do it again in the future? Your nervous system remembers how to recruit the necessary number of muscle fibers to produce the same effort again. It's a learned skill. Just like riding a bike...once you learn how, it's hard to forget.

Have you tried high frequency training? Do you believe it has any merit, and a place in someone's training program?

With gumption, Dan