This routine is currently working for me but at some point I'm sure I'll like to switch it up and I'd like to know if changing it around could make me progess more quickly. Also what the benefit of full body vs split routine, I know I could never work entire routine for each muscle group into one day, I'm already there for an hour to hour and a half as is.
Day 1
Biceps/ Back/Forarms
Day 2
Lower body/Core or day off
Day 3
Triceps/Shoulders/Chest/Forearms
Day 4
Lower body/Core or day off (depending whether I took day 2 off.
I'd like to work another day in so day 3 isn't so damn long. Only problem is before I worked that day off into the sched, shoulders were lagging behind because they werent getting enough rest since they were being worked in with triceps and back and bicep and such. Now they have a day off regardless. I'm afraid adding another day will not give me enough time to rest them unless I put another day of rest in. But then I'd be looking at working out no more than 3-4 times a week and I want to go more than that.
Think this is alright? Seems to be working pretty weel and each day is very intense.
routine and full-body vs split routine.
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
90mins is too long...testosterone shuts off at 45mins replaced by cortisol which uses muscle for energy for the next 45mins so you'll be spinning your wheels really
Benefits of Full Body
* uses more muscle mass per session using more cals thus burning more fat as well as stimulating more muscle
* 3 - 4 x 60mins / week is very efficient (this word may come up a lot here)
* can train every muscle at each session training them 3 - 4/week instead of 1...the more you can do something the better you'll get at it (more lifting equals more muscle)
* the more sessions/week you do the more varies sets and reps you'll need to do such as day 1 - 4 x 6, day 2 - 2 x 20, day 3 - 3 x 10, day 4 - 3 x 15 etc...or cycle heavy, light, moderate days etc
* provides more recovery days which is when you grow
Disadavantages of Body Part Splits
* not enough rest days because of 4 - 6 training days a week increasing the risk of overtraining (the big no-no)
* these days usually use light to moderate loaded exeercises which won't build muscle anyeay as rhey aren't heavy enough...getting stronger on the heavy basics (chins for arms, benches for tri's etc) which will enable you then to lift a heavier wt with the aforementioned exercises
* without the correct knowledge, a lot of new trainers can't seem to set up a program for this in regards to what muscles to train on what days, volume etc
* resting 7 days in between biceps sessions is just too long for such a small muscle and even 7 days for legs can be a little too long for some
reasoning for why people don't use full body splits is because they think that they still need to do 3 exercises for each muscle and they think that it will take too long. You still can though if you do something like this:
Day 1
Squats
Seated Row
Flat Bench
Military Press
Core
Day 2
SL Squats
Pull Ups
Incline Press
Side Delt
Abs
Day 3
Deadlifts
Dips
Cleans (or something)
Core
Still training 3 exercises per muscle so the same training volume, increased intensity used as the 3rd exercise won't be anywhere near heavier than what you'd use here, more rest days and more muscle.
Now for you, if shoulders are your priority then do them 1st in 1st sessions of the week after a rest day...pair them with 1 - 2 other strong points which will should aimes at just being maintianed at this point...can always do a lower day, upper day and then a full body day or priority day (shoulders by themselves), then lower day, upper day and a full body day for 4/week...if still wanting more than look up Chad Waterbury's Perfect 10 program at t-nation which will have you training some way almost everyday
Benefits of Full Body
* uses more muscle mass per session using more cals thus burning more fat as well as stimulating more muscle
* 3 - 4 x 60mins / week is very efficient (this word may come up a lot here)
* can train every muscle at each session training them 3 - 4/week instead of 1...the more you can do something the better you'll get at it (more lifting equals more muscle)
* the more sessions/week you do the more varies sets and reps you'll need to do such as day 1 - 4 x 6, day 2 - 2 x 20, day 3 - 3 x 10, day 4 - 3 x 15 etc...or cycle heavy, light, moderate days etc
* provides more recovery days which is when you grow
Disadavantages of Body Part Splits
* not enough rest days because of 4 - 6 training days a week increasing the risk of overtraining (the big no-no)
* these days usually use light to moderate loaded exeercises which won't build muscle anyeay as rhey aren't heavy enough...getting stronger on the heavy basics (chins for arms, benches for tri's etc) which will enable you then to lift a heavier wt with the aforementioned exercises
* without the correct knowledge, a lot of new trainers can't seem to set up a program for this in regards to what muscles to train on what days, volume etc
* resting 7 days in between biceps sessions is just too long for such a small muscle and even 7 days for legs can be a little too long for some
reasoning for why people don't use full body splits is because they think that they still need to do 3 exercises for each muscle and they think that it will take too long. You still can though if you do something like this:
Day 1
Squats
Seated Row
Flat Bench
Military Press
Core
Day 2
SL Squats
Pull Ups
Incline Press
Side Delt
Abs
Day 3
Deadlifts
Dips
Cleans (or something)
Core
Still training 3 exercises per muscle so the same training volume, increased intensity used as the 3rd exercise won't be anywhere near heavier than what you'd use here, more rest days and more muscle.
Now for you, if shoulders are your priority then do them 1st in 1st sessions of the week after a rest day...pair them with 1 - 2 other strong points which will should aimes at just being maintianed at this point...can always do a lower day, upper day and then a full body day or priority day (shoulders by themselves), then lower day, upper day and a full body day for 4/week...if still wanting more than look up Chad Waterbury's Perfect 10 program at t-nation which will have you training some way almost everyday
You say theres no need to do say 3 or 4 different sets for a specific muscle but how will I work it as hard with just one. I knw you say I could be working more intensely by doing one thing properly. But if the mos t I can possibly lift on say a preacher(since its starting workout) is a 50 pound dumbell 2-3 sets of 6-8... how do I make it more intense? Also I'm working each muslce group every 4 days not 7.
Also with the sched your suggested it doesn't seem like muscles will get any rest, are you saying say 1 2 3 assuming I'm taking a day off in between? Otherwise seems like shoulders are getting worked directly or indirectly every day(I want to avoid this based on prior shoulder problems).
Thanks for the help.
Also with the sched your suggested it doesn't seem like muscles will get any rest, are you saying say 1 2 3 assuming I'm taking a day off in between? Otherwise seems like shoulders are getting worked directly or indirectly every day(I want to avoid this based on prior shoulder problems).
Thanks for the help.
you should be able to put more energy into 3 total sets per muscle than say 9 - 12 because you don't have any other exercises to "hold back for"...don't forget warm up sets either where you should bve doing probably 2 for large muscles and 1 if that for smaller muscles...make it more intense by adding wt but staying in the rep range...so if your rep range is 8 - 12 for 3 sets, choose a wt that allows no more thasn 12 on the 1st set and no less than 8 on the 3rd set...ideally you should get 1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8 the 1st time...continue untill all 3 sets are at 12 reps than increase 2.5pds and repeat...each session should have at least 1 days rest in between so mon, we, fri.. / mon, thu, sat etc...take an extra day off where needed too...programs don't have to be over 7 days either and i think that 8 - 9 day splits are probably best for most becuase of work and social activities...if worried about shoulders than try having 1 direct tshoulder raining day, 1 day off and 1 rehab / prehab day...on the day off use exercises that don't use the shoulders much such as straight arm pulldowns / deads for back, flyes and x overs for chest with pushdowns for tri's...legs and arnms shouldn't be affected obviously...let meknow what you think
Hmmm. But I still don't know that I'll be able to add that much intensity. I don't really see weights jumping up by cutting most other things out. Add much more than what I'm doing now and technique goes to hell(including the first exercises where I'm fresh). Also if I'm working lower body too and take a day off between each exerices I'm working upper body every 4 days just like I am now so its the same amount.
About the suggestions for shoulders i find some of those, specifically crossover do inadvertently work shoulders. Before I added the day off and was doing 2 upper body days one after the other I was plateaued at 50-60 for crossovers. Since adding the day off the weights jumped to 90.
Hope you don't think I'm crapping over your suggestions. I'm just trying to see all the benefits of it because I kind of would like ot switch to a full body routine. I just want to weight all the pros and cons.
About the suggestions for shoulders i find some of those, specifically crossover do inadvertently work shoulders. Before I added the day off and was doing 2 upper body days one after the other I was plateaued at 50-60 for crossovers. Since adding the day off the weights jumped to 90.
Hope you don't think I'm crapping over your suggestions. I'm just trying to see all the benefits of it because I kind of would like ot switch to a full body routine. I just want to weight all the pros and cons.
Alright I just racked head trying to come up with a balanced full body routine... Hows this?? Described the ones I don't know the proper name for. Thanks for your input.
Upper Body
Day 1
Preacher/Side Curl super set
Kickbacks
Seated Row
Shrugs
Arm Raises with barbell
Cable Cross Pull Ups
Inclined Bench
Reverse Pec-dec
Wrist Curls
Reverse Wrist Curls
Day 2
Calf Raises
Hamstring Curls
Quad Lifts
Adduction
Abduction
Squats
Knee lifts
Lower Back Lifts
Leg lifts
Curls
Day 3
Reverse Curls
21’s/Countup curl set
Horizontal Cable Cross (Hold opposite cables and pull straight to accross to proper side for back of the delts)
Tricep Lifts (dumbell behind back with elbows straight up)
Cable Pushdowns
Cable Pull-ins
Decline Bench
Close-Grip Pulldowns
V Bar Pulldowns
Day 4
Off
Day 5
Cable Curls
Wide-Grip Pulldowns
Lat Curls (Sideways on the stomach curl machine)
Cable Cross -Kill
Flies
Upright Row
Shoulder Press
Tricep Pushdowns
Reverse-Grip Pushdowns
Upper Body
Day 1
Preacher/Side Curl super set
Kickbacks
Seated Row
Shrugs
Arm Raises with barbell
Cable Cross Pull Ups
Inclined Bench
Reverse Pec-dec
Wrist Curls
Reverse Wrist Curls
Day 2
Calf Raises
Hamstring Curls
Quad Lifts
Adduction
Abduction
Squats
Knee lifts
Lower Back Lifts
Leg lifts
Curls
Day 3
Reverse Curls
21’s/Countup curl set
Horizontal Cable Cross (Hold opposite cables and pull straight to accross to proper side for back of the delts)
Tricep Lifts (dumbell behind back with elbows straight up)
Cable Pushdowns
Cable Pull-ins
Decline Bench
Close-Grip Pulldowns
V Bar Pulldowns
Day 4
Off
Day 5
Cable Curls
Wide-Grip Pulldowns
Lat Curls (Sideways on the stomach curl machine)
Cable Cross -Kill
Flies
Upright Row
Shoulder Press
Tricep Pushdowns
Reverse-Grip Pushdowns