Training Two Days a Week to Gain Muscle

If you want to gain muscle effectively, you must plan your training very well and consider all the factors that influence the outcome, including food and rest.
Training Two Days a Week to Gain Muscle

Last update: 17 July, 2018

Different types of training and exercises vary according to the person performing them. It is important to not only take into account your physical potential and your goals when you create your training plan, but also other factors, such as your schedule and availability. For those of you who do not have many free hours to exercise, you should know that it is possible to train just two days a week to gain muscle. 

We would all love to have entire evenings free just to focus on our body and well-being. In fact, this should be one of the top priorities in our lives.

However, that is not always possible. Our cruel reality often forces us to set our interests aside. But all hope is not lost. You will be happy to learn that you can workout for just two days a week to gain muscle. We will tell you how to achieve this.

Is it enough to train for just two days a week to gain muscle?

Training Plan

No matter how willing they are, many people fail to make time to exercise three or four days a week. There may be many reasons for this: work, children, or other obligations.

So, since they think that exercising just two days a week will not be enough, they decide to stay at home instead. This is a mistake! No one can say that you cannot train for just two days a week to gain muscle.

The reality is that the type and quality of training you do is much more important than the number of times you go to the gym. Therefore, you should focus more on the quality of your training sessions and how much you work each muscle group than on the number of days you go.

Therefore, it is enough to properly plan your training days in order to get the most out of each of them. Next, we will propose a training plan for you. All that is needed is just two days a week to gain muscle.

Twice-a-week training routine to gain muscle

Day 1

  • Flat bench press: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions.
  • Incline bench press with dumbbells: 3 sets of 6 repetitions, with a heavy weight.
  • Pulley Tricep Extension: 4 sets of 8 repetitions.
  • Squats with bar: 4 sets of 10 repetitions.
  • Military press with dumbbells: 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions.
  • Crunches: oblique crunch, 3 sets of 30 repetitions; plank, 4 sets of 20 seconds each.
  • Superman: 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

Day 2

  • Chest pulley: 3 sets of 8 repetitions.
  • One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 6 or 8 repetitions.
  • Bar curls: 4 sets of 6 or 8 repetitions, depending on the weight.
  • Knee flexion on a stretcher: 4 sets of 8 repetitions.
  • Heel elevation on machine: 4 sets of 15 repetitions.
  • Crunches: straight with a weight, do 4 sets of 10 repetitions; side crunches with weight, 3 sets of 15 seconds for each side.

Between each of the sets, it is recommended that you take between one to three minutes of rest. This will depend on the difficulty of the exercise. This also applies between exercises.

As we have mentioned in other articles, doing less repetitions with more weight will contribute to your goal of gaining muscle mass. In fact, you should never do more than 10 or 12. It also does not help to do additional sets. Three or four should be enough to work the muscle and promote its growth.

Additional Considerations

Dehydration water health

With this routine, it is important to emphasize the need to progressively increase the weights you are using. This way, you will prevent your muscles from becoming accustomed to the same weight and the training from becoming ineffective.

Additionally, of course, it is necessary to complement this training with proper diet and rest. Regarding the diet, it is advisable that you reduce your fat intake and incorporate proteins into your meals, as they are responsible for muscle regeneration. When this process occurs the muscle fibers tear through hypertrophy.

On the other hand, rest is also a critical factor. During sleep is when the production of the growth hormone occurs, whose job it is to regenerate muscle. Often, the need for rest is underestimated, but in reality, it is a critical part of training.

Finally, we should add that it is always advisable to perform these exercises alongside and with the help of a professional. This will allow you to correct your positions and modify where necessary and according to your needs, so that your training is more effective.

Taking into account all of these considerations, working out just twice a week to gain muscle has become a much more viable task. Now, just focus on a clear goal and do your best to achieve it.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.