The problems with typical bodybuilding splits

I think I may try this type of workout. I am a college student with access to an awsome facility at school. I go monday through wed skip thur and go fri. So I think my split would look like this
push
pull
legs
off
push
off
off
pull
legs
push
off
pull
off
off
legs
push
pull
off
legs
off
off
does this sound about right? I have a solid 2 hours to spend in the gym between classes. I will do cardio on the off days. jogging or statioary bike. This really sounds intresting to me.

[Mr I]

I just can't get that stimulous for the smaller muscle groups from compound movements alone. E.G when I close grip bench press I don't climb off thinking wow my tri's are burning or that really worked deep, whereas I do from pushdowns or skull crush

[3v1lj03]

That's because you're used to doing lots of sets for biceps and triceps. Thinks about it though, if you're pre-exausting your biceps and triceps by doing stuff like pull-ups and bench-press, why would you need to do all those sissy-ass isolation exercises? I know they're fun and easy, but do you really think that you need to do tricep press-downs, skull-crushers, dumbell kick-backs, overhead dumbell extensions and french presses to get your triceps to grow? No, you don't. You can get HUGE triceps doing nothing but heavy-ass weighted dips. Then, maybe throw in a set or two of one of those other exercises as a "finisher".

What I see most people in the gym doing is set after set of isolation exercises with relatively little intensity. You can save yourself a lot of time and gain a whole lot of muscle by focusing, I mean REALLY focusing, on the heavy compound lifts and lifting with INTENSITY. Lift like your life is on the line. Like if you don't get one more rep in someone is gonna chop your head off with a fuckin axe.

Control our philosophies parallel each other and I agree with what you say here. In fact I LOVE your statement about INTENSITY. I have made quantum leaps in my physical development following these philosophies. I can't count the number of times I have said to my wife I wish I had learned these things when I was 19. But, neither my calves or my biceps have responded to this type of training. I move some very heavy weights I can curl as much as a lot of guys bench and I don't do isolation exercises but to get size to go along with the strength of those two body parts I have had to resort to adding more reps and low weight for calves and biceps. Every other muscle group has responded with incredible growth. I know you are genetically gifted for arms I have seen you post on this thread you have 20" arms all I am saying is our philosophy works but not all the time on every thing. Genetic predisposition does play a part . It is not an excuse but, it does play a part
And you really need to make the Intensity statement your signature!

"INTENSITY. Lift like your life is on the line. Like if you don't get one more rep in someone is gonna chop your head off with a fuckin axe."

[dna9488]

That's because you're used to doing lots of sets for biceps and triceps. Thinks about it though, if you're pre-exausting your biceps and triceps by doing stuff like pull-ups and bench-press, why would you need to do all those sissy-ass isolation exercises? I know they're fun and easy, but do you really think that you need to do tricep press-downs, skull-crushers, dumbell kick-backs, overhead dumbell extensions and french presses to get your triceps to grow? No, you don't. You can get HUGE triceps doing nothing but heavy-ass weighted dips. Then, maybe throw in a set or two of one of those other exercises as a "finisher".

What I see most people in the gym doing is set after set of isolation exercises with relatively little intensity. You can save yourself a lot of time and gain a whole lot of muscle by focusing, I mean REALLY focusing, on the heavy compound lifts and lifting with INTENSITY. Lift like your life is on the line. Like if you don't get one more rep in someone is gonna chop your head off with a fuckin axe.

Well said...I do only do two exercises per muscle group and i have been seeing gains every 2-3 weeks

[Control]

I really don't think my arms are getting the work they need as my body adapts to this workout.

That's because you're used to doing lots of sets for biceps and triceps. Thinks about it though, if you're pre-exausting your biceps and triceps by doing stuff like pull-ups and bench-press, why would you need to do all those sissy-ass isolation exercises? I know they're fun and easy, but do you really think that you need to do tricep press-downs, skull-crushers, dumbell kick-backs, overhead dumbell extensions and french presses to get your triceps to grow? No, you don't. You can get HUGE triceps doing nothing but heavy-ass weighted dips. Then, maybe throw in a set or two of one of those other exercises as a "finisher".

What I see most people in the gym doing is set after set of isolation exercises with relatively little intensity. You can save yourself a lot of time and gain a whole lot of muscle by focusing, I mean REALLY focusing, on the heavy compound lifts and lifting with INTENSITY. Lift like your life is on the line. Like if you don't get one more rep in someone is gonna chop your head off with a fuckin axe.

[Control]

cutting has nothing to do with training. has only to do with diet and cardio.

That's not entirely true. Someone who trains 5 hours a week is going to burn more calories through theit training than somebody who trains 3 hours per week. That's probably the major benefit of a typical legs/arms/chest/shoulders/back routine.

[The_Grinder]

Well i the way I used to train was still a lot less push/pull-ish than this. Hell it used to be Chest-Back-Shoulders-Legs-Triceps-Biceps, so I think a 4 day split will still help me get the benefits control was talking about and give my big muscle groups a bit more rest. Not to mention I really don't think my arms are getting the work they need as my body adapts to this workout. We'll see though. I'll try it for a few weeks and see how it goes.

[Bouncer]

I think I am going to add an arms day just to mix things up. So a 2 day on 1 off split might look like this..

-Chest/Shoulders
-Back/Rear Delts
-Off
-Legs
-Arms
-Off
-Repeat

Basically the same as the push/pull/legs but im pulling tris and bis out of push and pull and putting them together. I think my body is getting really used to the workout so I'd like to see if this helps. Plus it seems like I'm not getting enough of a break between my deadlift days and between my squat days, so maybe this will also help the big muscle groups recover a bit.

by adding an arm day you effectively go back to regular style training.

[The_Grinder]

I think I am going to add an arms day just to mix things up. So a 2 day on 1 off split might look like this..

-Chest/Shoulders
-Back/Rear Delts
-Off
-Legs
-Arms
-Off
-Repeat

Basically the same as the push/pull/legs but im pulling tris and bis out of push and pull and putting them together. I think my body is getting really used to the workout so I'd like to see if this helps. Plus it seems like I'm not getting enough of a break between my deadlift days and between my squat days, so maybe this will also help the big muscle groups recover a bit.

[Bouncer]

Hey Control, say I wanted to cut up a little bit. Should I switch to another split other than push/pull/legs to encourage hypertrophy or could I stick with it and still get good results?

cutting has nothing to do with training. has only to do with diet and cardio.

[The_Grinder]

Hey Control, say I wanted to cut up a little bit. Should I switch to another split other than push/pull/legs to encourage hypertrophy or could I stick with it and still get good results?

[Control]

not sure what you are saying here. are you basically saying that everything you have said in this thread may be wrong in that you haven't gotten any stronger?

maybe i misread.

I'm saying that I can train biceps just as heavy after training back as I can training them "fresh". Same with triceps, I couldn't do anymore weight or any more reps training them after biceps than I can when I train them after hitting chest. I guess this is just a matter of adaptation since I've been doing push/pull/legs for a long time.

After I get done with this little mini-cutting cycle I'm on I might experiment with a full-body routine. I've been wanting to do one for awhile just to change things up. Something like

Day 1:
dips
rows
pec-deck
squats

Off

Off

Day 2:
military press
pull-ups
raises
deadlifts

Repeat

Something like that...

[dna9488]

Grinder and dna how is it going with the push pull?

the major difference i have seen is in the leg press and sqauts

slight gains in my triceps and back


a few things i noticed, when i do a set of back i can't do shit for biceps. I will curl my regular weight, but when i hit the 4th rep my arms are done.
since i am doing back than biceps my forearms are now getting worked out hard. I supersetted my traps a few times and that felt good.

Since this week is finals week, i made a new plan regement for the rest of the summer:

Monday: Push
Tuesday: 1hr Cardio
Wednedsy: Pull
Thrusday: 1hr Cardio
Friday: Legs
Sat/Sun: OFF

i am still debating to work or not during the summer, i could use the money, but than again i can concentrate heavily on bodybuilding
so i am still debating that out

[Mr I]

Grinder and dna how is it going with the push pull?

[Bouncer]

Training major muscle groups wont make him stronger in bi isolation exercises. It will make him stronger in more functional movement.

Point in case, I can clean much more now than I could 30 lbs heavier, but I cant even come close to my preacher curl max.

ahh, i see. thanks