Maximum Tolerated Training

Maximum Tolerated Training Dose

This is the second of three articles cover the topic of training frequency. Previously in the last article the minimum has been explored, now the maximum must also be examined. The maximum tolerate dose will vary greatly between athletes, and is influenced by a large variety of factors. These factors include but are not limited to age, experience, strength, fitness, time available for training, time available for recovery, and steroid use (clean athletes cannot tolerate as much training as drugged lifters).

Extreme Examples of Maximum Training Doses

Typically when most people think of the most extreme training volumes they think of Eastern European weightlifting teams like Bulgaria or Russia. In these areas, historically, it’s not uncommon for elite weightlifters to train more than three times per day and six days a week. This level of training is extremely outside the maximum tolerate dose for 99.99% of all American weightlifters, including elite American Weightlifters. In other words, the maximum training dose for American lifters is significantly lower than the effective training dose for Eastern European countries.

What’s the difference, and why can elite Eastern European lifters tolerate such a higher training volume when compared to their American counterparts? There are number of reasons while the Eastern European countries can tolerate such a high training load, and it is ultimately and primarily found in the factors mentioned previously.

Eastern European countries place a great value on their weightlifting programs. These countries can have the means to recruit athletes at younger ages, (therefore, usually these athletes have more training experience for their age), they have significantly larger and more financially backed residential programs, and a high prevalence of doping scandals (so much so, many of these teams were band from the 2017 World Championships. Simply stated, these athletes are usually more experienced, have more time available to train, have more time available to recover, and typically are on steroids; therefore, have significantly higher maximum tolerated doses for training than American weightlifters have.

Americanized Maximum Training Dose

Considering the training circumstances of the American lifter as compared to the Eastern European lifter, it would be unreasonable to assume that one could copy one of these countries’ training programs, implement it with an American lifter, and expect results. However, generic concepts from successful weightlifting teams can and should be applied to a lifter in an American like environment.

To determine the maximum tolerate dose for the American all of the above factors must be considered. (Age, experience, strength, fitness, time available for training, time available for recovery, and steroid use.) Most American lifters will find that three to five days per week training is their maximal tolerated dose. Some elite level lifters will find that they can tolerate multiple training sessions per day, but only in ideal circumstances should this ever be considered.

Other factors that also influence the maximum tolerated training dose that have not been discussed are gender, and body weight. Generally speaking females tolerated higher volumes of training than males, and lighter athletes tolerated higher volumes than heavier athletes.