The Norwegian Frequency Project is a significant study that involved the Norwegian Powerlifting team[1]. The primary objective was to investigate the ideal training frequency for each muscle group. The study’s findings revealed that dividing the training program into six full-body workouts instead of three resulted in improved strength development and muscle growth[1:1]. These results were quite controversial at the time since the bodybuilding community mostly followed bro splits, training each muscle group only once a week[1:2].

Recently, a new study replicated the Norwegian Frequency Project by enrolling 28 male college students in a Powerlifting program, dividing them into either three or six workouts[1:3]. To ensure fairness, the strength training programs were adjusted for training volume, intensity, and time. The group with six workouts performed the same exercises with the same weights and reps but with two sets per exercise per session instead of four[1:4]. Interestingly, the results of this study aligned with those of the Norwegian Frequency Project, providing further support for the previous findings[1:5].

While the main focus of the Norwegian Frequency Project was to examine strength gains[2], it is essential to note that the type of training that maximizes strength gains might differ from the type of training that maximizes muscle size gains[2:1].

All in all, the Norwegian Frequency Project has ignited significant interest and discussions within the fitness community, particularly among powerlifters and strength trainers, shedding light on the potential benefits of higher training frequencies for strength development and muscle growth.

Citations:

[1] https://mennohenselmans.com/training-frequency-3x-vs-6x/

[2] https://mennohenselmans.com/norwegian-frequency-project-stats/

[3] https://muscleevo.net/norwegian-frequency-project/

[4] https://www.strongerbyscience.com/high-frequency-training-for-a-bigger-total-research-on-highly-trained-norwegian-powerlifters/

[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/comments/6ht3dw/alexander_kirketeig_the_norwegian_frequency/

[6] https://youtube.com/watch?v=A3DGbLfVAgE

  1. Menno Henselmans - Training Frequency: 3x vs. 6x ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Muscleevo - Norwegian Frequency Project ↩︎ ↩︎