The problems with typical bodybuilding splits

[Bouncer]

good to hear dna. keep at it.

[dna9488]

alright....this is the 2nd week i have tried Push/Pull/Legs spilt. My week looks like this:

Monday: Push
Tuesday: Pull
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Cardio (1hr)
Friday: Legs


I honestly can say, something about this workout is killing me. I hit 2 exercises for each muscle (except for legs), and i have been sore for a few days longer than my previous spilt.

Great thread Control, all i can say is its working for me, and the beauty of this spilt is i can change up different exercises for each muscle group and still have my muscle guessing

[Mr I]

I suppose we all have to find what works for us, I've had my arms pretty close to 20'' (19'' right now) before when I used more gear and ate more, but the training routine was pretty much the same, just more weight. I'm not someone that measures and weighs all the time though I don't think that really tells the full storey.

Its srange that you say you train legs every 5 days and cite powerlifters frequency etc but claim training bicepts on seperate day to back and tris's on seperate day to chest can cause over train, seems a little contadictory.

It may be that I use bi's a bit during back but I think its mainly brachias (spell) in the arm, although I do try and focus on the squeezing of the back. I just feel that after training back I can't handle the same weight on bicepts as I could hitting them fresh and they don't get stimulated as well. I've seen lots of guys over the years that used to trainl; chest and tri's and back and bi's together and they came to realise it was better to hit them fresh. I actually sometimes train bi's with tri's as one workout and find that works very well but usually chest and bi's and tri's after shoulders (I find they are warmed up but not bombed like after chest.

In terms of actual excercises, I actually class french press/skull crushers as a compound tricep movement and cable pressdowns as an isolation.

your suggestions do IMO suit beginers though in keeping things simple, good thread as usual

[Control]

Thought provoking as ever control but I don't agree;

1) trainin biceps after back is worthless, the brachia is torched and the bicep is half exhausted too so I can't stimulate growth since I can use heavy enough weight on curly
2) same goes for triceps after chest, worthless to even try for me
3) MY LEGS NEED A FULL WEEK TO RECOVER and if I'm trying to do cardio aswell then training them as often as you suggest would just result a torn muscle unless I train ligh always, not enough recovery and I don't agree that because a muscle is bigger it should be trained more frequently, whatever the muscle in needs 72 hrs IME

training a four day split; chest Bi's, Shoulders Tri'c, Legs, Back works well for me. Yes there is some duplicity on front delt in training shoulders after chest but its a different insertion point of the head. Also I agree that chest uses tri's but the focus and direction of my attention is chest on that day, trying to use the arms as hooks amd move the weight mostly with chest. Tri's are still relatively fresh after shoulders so I can hit them hard.

The splits have been around for a long time bro, for good reason, they work

1) I disagree and I have 20" arms. Sounds like you're using too much biceps during your back exercises.
2) The two best triceps exercises are bench press and dips. Do these on chest day then throw in a few sets of some tricep isolation exercise and they'll grow. You don't need lots of fancy tricep isolation exercises. Most people over-train the triceps and they don't grow. That little "horse-shoe" part dosn't look impressive on a 15" arm.
3) I train legs once every 5 days or so and they recover fine. Powerlifters squat 3 times a week. Lots of athletes (cyclists, speed skaters, etc) thrash their legs even more often and don't tear muscles.

[The_Grinder]

I just started the push/pull/legs and I can honestly say that I love it. I feel like I hit everything just as hard as before, but the fact that I can change and make up my workouts every week makes me look forward to going to the gym everyday. Plus, being natural and 21 years old, I feel this split lets me center my workouts around the compound lifts that are going to help me grow. i.e. Squat, deads, bench, shoulder press, weighted dips, etc. Only thing is, although I feel like I have the intensity I need, I do feel like i have a little bit left in the tank after a workout. But that just gets me looking forward to the next workout.

[Mr I]

Thought provoking as ever control but I don't agree;

1) trainin biceps after back is worthless, the brachia is torched and the bicep is half exhausted too so I can't stimulate growth since I can use heavy enough weight on curly
2) same goes for triceps after chest, worthless to even try for me
3) MY LEGS NEED A FULL WEEK TO RECOVER and if I'm trying to do cardio aswell then training them as often as you suggest would just result a torn muscle unless I train ligh always, not enough recovery and I don't agree that because a muscle is bigger it should be trained more frequently, whatever the muscle in needs 72 hrs IME

training a four day split; chest Bi's, Shoulders Tri'c, Legs, Back works well for me. Yes there is some duplicity on front delt in training shoulders after chest but its a different insertion point of the head. Also I agree that chest uses tri's but the focus and direction of my attention is chest on that day, trying to use the arms as hooks amd move the weight mostly with chest. Tri's are still relatively fresh after shoulders so I can hit them hard.

The splits have been around for a long time bro, for good reason, they work

[Bouncer]

Which muscles feel like they're being over-worked, back and chest?

body parts such as shoulders and chest feel like they are being trained to much. arms in general fell under trained.

[Control]

i don't know what kind of gibberish you just said. :)

i am saying that following your plan, some muscles are getting over trained while others don't feel like they are getting hit enough.

Which muscles feel like they're being over-worked, back and chest?

[Bouncer]

You're sore from a previous workout or you're sore from execises you did earlier in the same workout? Are you doing alot more total sets each workout?

i don't know what kind of gibberish you just said. :)

i am saying that following your plan, some muscles are getting over trained while others don't feel like they are getting hit enough.

[Control]

my issue with this plan is that i feel some muscles are sore and i am doing them over and over again while others aren't as sore and they get hit less. i feel my other routine was a more complete muscle stimulating workout. you would have to see how i train though to know what i am talking about. i dont do 4-5 sets for each muscle group. i do 2-3 very hard, heavy and controlled and i am done.

You're sore from a previous workout or you're sore from execises you did earlier in the same workout? Are you doing alot more total sets each workout?

[Bouncer]

my issue with this plan is that i feel some muscles are sore and i am doing them over and over again while others aren't as sore and they get hit less. i feel my other routine was a more complete muscle stimulating workout. you would have to see how i train though to know what i am talking about. i dont do 4-5 sets for each muscle group. i do 2-3 very hard, heavy and controlled and i am done.

[Nekrawulf]

Its not for everyone. Its just a different approach.

today I did 3 rounds of:

400m run
35 bodyweight squats
20 back extensions

[The_Grinder]

I've done a push and a pull workout and felt great about them. Tonight is legs but that workout wont change. But whether it feels good or not right now it will be a month before I can tell if it is working or not.

What I do like is the fact that I get to change up my workouts every week so it will always be original and never get boring.

[NewbieChris]

I gotta tell you guys, I really don't like this type of routine. I think the way my normal routine is, 2-3 sets per muscle group, heavy and intense works best for me. This current plan just feel so unorganized.

And hell, if you think about it, most of my workouts are push or pull anyway. Chest day is all push if you include flys. Biceps is all pull, triceps is all push, legs etc..

Thats the point though, they say we're 'over-training' the muscle because we use it in secondary motions so much when focusing on different body parts. I am kind of confused about this as well, because it seems as though I'm not really shedding down on the amount I actively workout the muscle if I try the new routine.

Am I making any sense to anyone?

[Bouncer]

I gotta tell you guys, I really don't like this type of routine. I think the way my normal routine is, 2-3 sets per muscle group, heavy and intense works best for me. This current plan just feel so unorganized.

And hell, if you think about it, most of my workouts are push or pull anyway. Chest day is all push if you include flys. Biceps is all pull, triceps is all push, legs etc..