How many times a week can I lift?
How many times you CAN train is not the same as how many times you SHOULD train. At Stand Fast I offer 2 coached group sessions per week as a basis for new lifters and as the bulk of advanced lifters training. My full programming option will require you to train between 4-6 times a week depending on strength, experience and circumstances. If you are new to weightlifting you will learn at a rate directly linked to how often you practice BUT limited by how much information you can assimilate at a time. Thus, more is not always better!
In other words, a new lifter gets good by shorter, focused and frequent practices. Ideally in the realms of 3-5 times per week. This might sound like a lot for a noob but don't forget they aren't going to be lifting heavy for some time and the goal is technical mastery not just strength. As well as our club sessions we encourage practice with a broomstick at home or work. Repetition is key!
An experienced lifter may have some idea of their optimal training frequency. Usually in a similar ball park of 3-5 sessions per week but longer in duration and heavier in nature. You are limited only by how good your recovery process is. Some people respond very well to 3 long sessions per week and others 5 shorter ones. It can be very individual so we must look at training success and past performance as a guide. On a personal note, I tend to do well on 3 to 4 sessions per week depending on which phase I'm in and how much volume there is in each programme. For reference, I’m a 34 year old male with a young child. In the past I’ve done well on 9 sessions per week but those days are behind me!
Some guidance:
3 sessions per week if;
you are just starting out and not sure how you'll feel
you are not getting 7-8 hours sleep a night regularly
your nutrition is poor and you find energy levels are all over the place
older lifters (45+) tend to do better on less volume as a general rule
your fitness levels mean recovery takes a while
4 sessions per week if;
you have stagnated in progress doing 3 per week for some time
you sleep well most nights
you eat well and stay hydrated
you are used to training in moderate volumes and manage well
you're on a programme that fluctuates training session volumes
5 sessions per week if;
you've trained at 4 sessions per week with no problems
you sleep and eat well daily
you know your body well and can spot any issues early
you get a massage every now and then or spend time on recovery activities
you're on a personalised programme that plans all training volumes carefully
More than 5 heavy sessions per week?
If you're young, unemployed and energetic!
In all seriousness, I’ve seen a few people do well on 2 sessions per day but they tend to live and breath it. Lots of recovery, good nutrition and often a home gym set up to ease the logistics.
If you build up over time, theoretically you can train like a pro - multiple times per day even. Just don't forget that pro's take their training and recovery incredibly seriously!
Of course, you can train as much as you like but that doesn't always guarantee success. Top level athletes will train twice daily, many days of the week. The difference is they usually don't then go to work, stay up late, drink alcohol and eat a lot of junk food. Be realistic and do enough training to get good, as good as you can get, without getting overwhelmed or hurt in the process.