Is working out twice a day too much?
When I was in between jobs, I trained twice a day for 4 weeks and saw fantastic results.
It wasn’t sustainable though.
My body was constantly craving food and rest. As I had the luxury of having naps at home during this interim period my second workout of the day could be done with the required gusto.
Could I do this with a full time job? Unlikely. Napping at my desk probably pushed the limits of my company’s progressive policies.
I would say that working out twice a day works if you:
Ensure adequate recovery. That one extra workout will stress a compromised central nervous system so make sure you recover or else injury waits around the corner.
Have enough to eat. Your body will be ravenous for calories so make sure to feed it!
Plan the workouts strategically. I split the day with lower in the morning and upper in the afternoon. Doubling up on a muscle group is inefficient as there won’t be enough time for it to recover.
If you can do this, then I envy you! Having time to workout twice a day, eat and recover is a dream job - like Chris Hemsworth training for Thor.
For mere mortals like the rest of us, with a full-time job and family commitments, I would say twice a day isn’t practical. Forcing the issue could lead to overtraining and diminished results.
The best barometer is your body - are you fatigued, lethargic and not sleeping properly? You’re probably overtraining.
Prioritise recovery and you’ll find workouts to be more enjoyable and efficient. Muscle gains come shortly after.
