Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you have three lifts planned for the day but split them hours apart, are you leaving strength and size on the table? The short answer from Jordan and Dr. Austin Baraki: it is fine. The longer answer is a useful window into how they think about programming.
Frequency is a tool to distribute training load, not an independent driver of adaptation. When you equate volume, the frequency signal mostly disappears: Schoenfeld’s 2016 meta-analysis showed a small hypertrophy edge for higher frequency, but the volume was not actually equated, and the 2019 update with 25 studies erased the difference. Strength data tell the same story. Where Jordan goes slightly beyond the evidence: he suspects splitting volume up lets you accumulate more total training load over months and years because you lift fresher, and that higher-skill lifts like the overhead press may benefit from frequent, low-fatigue exposure.
They extend the same logic to cardiorespiratory fitness, where the old 10-minute bout minimum has been dropped entirely, while still arguing that some longer sessions matter if maximizing fitness is the goal. The practical takeaway: distribute your training by preference and logistics, prioritize adherence, and do not worry that splitting a session hurts your results. Full AMA episode and references linked below.
Resources:
Subscribe to BBM Plus for the full unabridged Direct Line: barbellmedicine.supercast.com
Barbell Medicine coaching and templates: barbellmedicine.com
Signal book pre-order: barbellmedicine.com/shop/learning/signal
Schoenfeld B.J. et al. 2016. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med 46(11):1689-1697.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172
Schoenfeld B.J. et al. 2019. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize hypertrophy? J Sports Sci 37(11):1286-1295.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30558493
Becker T. et al. 2022. Resistance training frequency and strength outcomes: meta-analysis. [verify]
If you have three lifts planned for the day but split them hours apart, are you leaving strength and size on the table? The short answer from Jordan and Dr. Austin Baraki: it is fine. The longer answer is a useful window into how they think about programming.
Frequency is a tool to distribute training load, not an independent driver of adaptation. When you equate volume, the frequency signal mostly disappears: Schoenfeld’s 2016 meta-analysis showed a small hypertrophy edge for higher frequency, but the volume was not actually equated, and the 2019 update with 25 studies erased the difference. Strength data tell the same story. Where Jordan goes slightly beyond the evidence: he suspects splitting volume up lets you accumulate more total training load over months and years because you lift fresher, and that higher-skill lifts like the overhead press may benefit from frequent, low-fatigue exposure.
They extend the same logic to cardiorespiratory fitness, where the old 10-minute bout minimum has been dropped entirely, while still arguing that some longer sessions matter if maximizing fitness is the goal. The practical takeaway: distribute your training by preference and logistics, prioritize adherence, and do not worry that splitting a session hurts your results. Full AMA episode and references linked below.
Resources:
Subscribe to BBM Plus for the full unabridged Direct Line: barbellmedicine.supercast.com
Barbell Medicine coaching and templates: barbellmedicine.com
Signal book pre-order: barbellmedicine.com/shop/learning/signal
Schoenfeld B.J. et al. 2016. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med 46(11):1689-1697.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172
Schoenfeld B.J. et al. 2019. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize hypertrophy? J Sports Sci 37(11):1286-1295.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30558493
Becker T. et al. 2022. Resistance training frequency and strength outcomes: meta-analysis. [verify]
