Hey all, I have a question about splitting workout routines. Currently I go to the gym 4-5 days a week and have the following "days"
Back and Bicep
Shoulders
Lower Body
Chest/Triceps
If I go a 5th day I redo the workout day I did first that week (the order is usually different each week depending on rest days). I've gotten good results from this but am sometimes worried about not giving certain muscles enough time to rest. I'm about to revamp my routines and was wondering if theres a more efficient split out there.
Thanks for your time!
Why, why, why? Why do people still train like this? Not, that I didn't do the exact same thing when I started out.
If you're going to the gym 4 or 5 days and want to lift weights on most of those days then why not do a upper/lower split. You'd train your upper body on two days, and lower on two days. So, it might look like this:
Mon and Thur. Lower Body
Tues and Friday Upper Body
Then you can use compound movements instead of isolation exercises. Because, really....how are you going to have a shoulders day? And why devote only one session to the largest and arguably most important muscles (your lower body).
I just re-read my previous post and thought that it might have came across a little harsh. That wasn't my intent. Even after my experience of doing exactly the same thing, I look back and wonder how I got this notion. When I came back to weight training 8-9 months ago I started by trying to do the same things that I did when I was 20, i.e. a split routine. After a month or so I wondered what in the frilly heck I was doing. So, I started writing out my "routine" and realized that it just didn't make sense. This is what prompted me to start looking for real information on exercise and the body. It's what brought me to The Fitcast and JP Fitness.
I'm still shocked by how much poor information has worked its way into fitness culture. Even when I first started listening/reading fitness info this time around I had to wade through a pile of crap to get to the real knowledgeable population/publications/books/ etc.
So, my question.....Why? was a legitimate question. Not a sarcastic comment. I didn't want it to come across that way.
Hey thanks for all your replys, I'll try to answer each question as best that I can.
Why have I been using the split? I guess because it's what I was taught to do. I've been lifting for about two years and finally got serious about it this past september. But when I first started off I knew nothing about working out so I got a personal trainer for a small amount of time and thats what he told me to do. Once I stopped the sessions and moved on, I just always tried to shape my workout routines like that and would try to do research on split routines because its what I thought would give the best results, and I have been getting results, but they have kinda stalled and for a while I've been questioning the efficency of how I set things up, like the statement about having a shoulder day (originally I had a chest/shoulder/triceps day but it would leave me at the gym for hours so I tried to scale it back) I made a day devoted to shoulders because I felt as if that part of my body wasnt getting enough of a workout.
What are my goals? At the moment I don't have any numerical goals, every week Im simply trying to push myself a little bit more and to keep improving, to keep getting strength gains. I've also been lifting heavy in an attempt to put more size on. (so I guess my goals are size and strength)
do i feel undercovered/underworked? I do in a way, although I'd say I'm more concerned that I might be undercovered/underworked because of the way I have things set up, like, are my "insert muscle here" not getting as good of a workout as they could because they are paired up with this other muscle group (example: are my triceps suffering because I do them at the end of my chest routine and can't lift as much due to fatigue?).
I'm also concerned that if I did something like you mentioned Chad, like combining upper body into a single day, that I wont be able to workout everything to their full extent. Although that could simply be due to a lack of knowledge.
In anycase, thank you all for responding and I look forward to hearing back from you!
I don't think a split routine is all that bad. You need to make sure that you have progression built in so you will know you are progressing. You don't want to look back and see that you haven't.
I would suggest a book that has a program, periodization, and progression all built in. Nate Green's Built For Show would be a good one, I think. I've read it. It's good.
I'm also concerned that if I did something like you mentioned Chad, like combining upper body into a single day, that I wont be able to workout everything to their full extent.
I think Rolands advice is great. It a good idea to get a program that is already proven to be effective. I don't know much about Nate Green's book or program, but I know that he knows what he's talking about. Take a look at the Workout Routines sticky and that will give you tons of proven programs.
Bucky86, I'm not sure what to tell you about the idea of not working the muscles "enough" on a fullday or upper lower split. Strength, and to some degree hypertrophy, are systemic in nature. What I mean is that you can't just work your biceps in order to get bigger and stronger biceps. You get stronger throughout your entire body as long as sufficient stimulus and energy are provided. There are other factors as well, such as loading and its effect on fiber types, frequency, etc.
Try a few weeks of a three day full body routine or upper/lower split and see how doing heavy sets of compound lifts effects you. A heavy lower body day might only be a couple of exercises but I guarantee you it will wipe you out. But, It will wipe you out in a different way....not the "burn" that you're used to feeling from 12 consecutive chest exercises to failure. And doing compound movements that utilize many muscles at one time is a great way to make sure that nothing is being missed.
Hey thank you both for the advice. I just ordered best of show and will give that program a shot once I read it over. In the mean time I’m going to do what you advised Chad, it makes a lot of sense and could very well be what I need to start seeing the results I want.
One last question though, if I'm doing an upper/lower split and I’m doing compound exercises and lifting heavy, is there any specific number of exercises I should be doing? Or should I just find the amount that gets me to failure?fficeffice" />
Of course, once the book comes you'll want to follow its guidelines. In the mean time you might need to get used to the idea of not always going to failure.
When I was in the Army, which was my introduction to fitness, everything was done to failure. But, the army cared mostly about your endurance and your ability to push past pain. When I started lifting while in the service I did exactly what you're doing. Body part splits, pyramid sets and reps, and training everything to failure. I was 20-22 years old and I never got stronger....not much anyway. I could work for days. But, I was no bigger and no stronger.
Now, I'm 34 years old. I'm in a near constant calorie deficit. I don't have the energy or testosterone that I had when I was 20 years old. And despite this I've gained lots of strength and some size. Its because I've stopped going to failure all the time....sometimes....but not often. And I've done big lifts with lower volume in a particular workout, but training more frequently.
I'm not a trainer so I can't really throw out a routine for you to follow. But, you can check out the training logs section and you can see what a lot of folks are doing that is being successful. If your goal is to get bigger and strong you could learn a huge amount just by reading the logs inthe Oly/Strongman/PL Training Logs.
Hey thank you both for the advice. I just ordered best of show and will give that program a shot once I read it over. In the mean time I’m going to do what you advised Chad, it makes a lot of sense and could very well be what I need to start seeing the results I want.
One last question though, if I'm doing an upper/lower split and I’m doing compound exercises and lifting heavy, is there any specific number of exercises I should be doing? Or should I just find the amount that gets me to failure?fficeffice" />
Oh man! I said Built For Show! Best of Show is for those dog shows!
If the book is coming soon, just keep doing what you're doing, and plan to take a few days off before starting Nate's program. It's an upper/lower split, four days a week, and you'll be doing legs twice a week. Intensely. Make sure you're ready by giving yourself enough time to recovery before getting into the swing of things.
Split Decision
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