The problems with typical bodybuilding splits

[Nekrawulf]

SO heres what we can do.

You only have one goal, so we cannot balance, mix, and match moevements to different goals.

What we can move around are your rest days, and the exercises incorporated on these days.

I recommend a 3 day on, 1 day off approach. with a 4 mechanic base.

Your 4 mechanics are:

Push
Pull
Core
Hips

And here is how you run it. ps - pl-c-rest-h-ps-pl-rest And so on.

This changes the rest day variable and allows for a variance in that manner.

Incorporate 1 compound lift with every workout and 2-3 secondary exercises using your current Hypertrophy based scheme 8-12 reps.

I want 4 sets of the compound lift and 2 sets of the ancillary exercises.

You continue like this until you cycle completely through the mechanics twice. In other words your split comes full circle twice and you are looking at another "ps - pl-c-rest" Series.

NOW! you change the order of the mechanics mayyybeeeee "hips-pull-core push" and you also change the workout scheme. Maybe this time only do 2 sets of a compound life and 3 each of the accillaries.

Rinse, recycle, change and repeat.


Now remember.... some compound lifts encompass multiple mechanics, but only associate that compound lift with that particular mechanic that it focuses on.

Here are sample compound lifts per mechanic

Push - Dips, Bench
Pull - Pullups, Clean
Core - Deadlift, Overhead Squat
Hips - Snatch, Back Squat

There are many more, but these are just a couple to give you a general idea of what direction to go.

Change things up frequently, exercises, methods, underwear.

Whatever it takes to keep homestasis guessing what you will be doing next.

Most important thing, do not be afraid to deviate... i.e. say you feel you need to 3 ancillary isolation exercises... DO IT. Only you know what you can and cant handle.

[Bouncer]

maybe you explained it above but i am still a little confused here. how may sets would i be doing on each day? 3? like 3 pull movements on monday and then 3 push movements on Tuesday? i am not sure why i am having such a hard time with this.

[Nekrawulf]

I want 4 sets of the compound lift and 2 sets of the ancillary exercises.
All of that mechanic that you are focusing on for that day.
so on your pull day you can do, 4 sets of weighted pullups(or non weighted), 2or3 sets of Curls, 2or3 sets of lateral raises.... etc (just as long as they are pull centric) Be sure to hit a wide range of muscles, as you have a lot of exercises to choose from, and you may hit similar muscle groups on other mechanic days.

remember this is 3 on 1 off, not mwttfss. days of the week dont matter

[Bouncer]

nekra, can you lay it out so that i can just look at it and say, "ok today i do this, this, and this." i know i am being a pain in the ass here and i am usually not this dumb but i think laying it like that would make it easier for everyone.

for example:

Day 1: Exercise 1, exercise 2, exercise 3

Day 2: Exercise 1, exercise 2, exercise 3

Day 3: etc, etc..

[Nekrawulf]

Day 1: Pull - Pullups, Preacher Curls, Lateral raises
Day 2 : Push - Dips, SkullCrushers, Incline DB press
Day 3: Core - Overhead Squats, Crunches, Good Mornings
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Hips - Back Squat, Leg extension, Leg Curl, Calf Raises
Day 6: Pull - Hanging Power Clean, Bent DB Rows, Shrugs
Day 7: Push - Military Press, Pec Deck, Close Grip Bench
Day 8: Rest
Day 9: Core - Deadlift, Wood Choppers, Ab machine

Keep changing up the exercises, but always make sure to include 1 major compound lift.

Make sense now?

Remember, if this volume isnt high enough for you... change it up. But remember, it is better to have fewer exercises in 1 workout and more sets, than vice versa.

Say you want to ad cardio, you have several options, you can do it on a certain mechanic, you can do it on your rest days, or you can give it its own mechanic like

"Work"-- and on this day you do your cardio, and other.. less intrusive exercises... like calves or grip work... additional ab work...etc

[Bouncer]

very cool, i am going to start immediately and update this thread as i go. thanks for the ideas control and nekra. you guys are real assets to the board.

[Nekrawulf]

very cool, i am going to start immediately and update this thread as i go. thanks for the ideas control and nekra. you guys are real assets to the board.

Dont forget, if you need to make adjustments to volume, do it.

[NewbieChris]

Day 1: Pull - Pullups, Preacher Curls, Lateral raises
Day 2 : Push - Dips, SkullCrushers, Incline DB press
Day 3: Core - Overhead Squats, Crunches, Good Mornings
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Hips - Back Squat, Leg extension, Leg Curl, Calf Raises
Day 6: Pull - Hanging Power Clean, Bent DB Rows, Shrugs
Day 7: Push - Military Press, Pec Deck, Close Grip Bench
Day 8: Rest
Day 9: Core - Deadlift, Wood Choppers, Ab machine

I am semi confused. 3 on 1 off, I get, 4 mechanics, I get. However, the way your split is laid out, it seems like Hips and Core are almost interchangeable? In the sense that you are putting Push, Pull, Core or Hips. So every 3 days should have Push, Pull and either Hips or Core?

[Control]

Day 1: Pull - Pullups, Preacher Curls, Lateral raises
Day 2 : Push - Dips, SkullCrushers, Incline DB press
Day 3: Core - Overhead Squats, Crunches, Good Mornings
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Hips - Back Squat, Leg extension, Leg Curl, Calf Raises
Day 6: Pull - Hanging Power Clean, Bent DB Rows, Shrugs
Day 7: Push - Military Press, Pec Deck, Close Grip Bench
Day 8: Rest
Day 9: Core - Deadlift, Wood Choppers, Ab machine

Keep changing up the exercises, but always make sure to include 1 major compound lift.

Make sense now?

Remember, if this volume isnt high enough for you... change it up. But remember, it is better to have fewer exercises in 1 workout and more sets, than vice versa.

Say you want to ad cardio, you have several options, you can do it on a certain mechanic, you can do it on your rest days, or you can give it its own mechanic like

"Work"-- and on this day you do your cardio, and other.. less intrusive exercises... like calves or grip work... additional ab work...etc

So day 3 you're doing overhead squats and good mornings and calling that "core".

Then you get one rest day and on day 5 you do back squats and call it "hips"? You're still hitting the same muscles twice in 3 days. The way I train is set up specifically to avoid that.

[Bouncer]

So day 3 you're doing overhead squats and good mornings and calling that "core".

Then you get one rest day and on day 5 you do back squats and call it "hips"? You're still hitting the same muscles twice in 3 days. The way I train is set up specifically to avoid that.

control, if you were to lay out a plan like that for me how would you change it? lay it out like nekra did though, thats about the only way i can understand it. :P

[Control]

control, if you were to lay out a plan like that for me how would you change it? lay it out like nekra did though, thats about the only way i can understand it. :P

How many days a week can you lift and still fully recover? Basically I'd cycle it like this with days off as needed. (I usually lift 2 on 1 off, but you might be able to lift 3 on 1 off. Hell, a pro could do this 6 on 1 off. For new guys I train, hardgainer types, I start them off at 1 on 1 off).

Push: Bench, dumbell military press, cable crossover, skull-crushers
Pull: weighted pull-ups, cable-rows, upright rows, rear delts, preacher curl
Legs: squats, romanian deadlifts, weighted abs

Push: Weighted dips, incline dumbell, pec-deck, lateral raise
Pull: machine pull-downs, chest-supported rows, rack pulls, hammer curls
Legs: Squats, leg curls, weighted abs

You might want to substitute certain exercises, but that's the basic idea.


For compound sets I do one warm-up with really light weight, 2 "in-between" sets which are still wrm-ups but they're gradually heavier, then one set with the heaviest weight I can do for 6-10 reps. The last set is the only one that gets taken to failure. Squats and leg-presses are an exception, I do up to 10 sets of those, usually in the 10-15 rep range but sometimes I'll do a set of 20 or 25 just to torture myself . I still only do one set with my heaviest weight though and that's usually 10 reps.

For the isolation lifts it's just a warm-up set and then one working set with a weight I can do 8-12 times (the work-set to failure). When I say failure I don't mean life-or-death, veins-spurting-blood type failure. The only time I really push it that hard is to get past a weight I've been stuck on or really blast a lagging body part. Then I might do a really intense drop set or rest-pause set, maybe forced negatives if I've got a partner.

Is that all just confusing as shit? It's alot easier to explain in person...

[Nekrawulf]

So day 3 you're doing overhead squats and good mornings and calling that "core".

Then you get one rest day and on day 5 you do back squats and call it "hips"? You're still hitting the same muscles twice in 3 days. The way I train is set up specifically to avoid that.

And thats why you platuea, and then cant figure out why your not getting as much out of your training. OH squats and back squats are 2 very mechanically different exercises. So you hit 2 SIMILAR groups in 3 days? It forces your body to adapt.

[Nekrawulf]

I am semi confused. 3 on 1 off, I get, 4 mechanics, I get. However, the way your split is laid out, it seems like Hips and Core are almost interchangeable? In the sense that you are putting Push, Pull, Core or Hips. So every 3 days should have Push, Pull and either Hips or Core?

Hips are mostly driving movements with a focus on hip extention.

Core is mostly midline stabilization.

they are not interchangable, 2 very different mechanics, with similar muscle groups.

[Nekrawulf]

How many days a week can you lift and still fully recover? Basically I'd cycle it like this with days off as needed. (I usually lift 2 on 1 off, but you might be able to lift 3 on 1 off. Hell, a pro could do this 6 on 1 off. For new guys I train, hardgainer types, I start them off at 1 on 1 off).

Push: Bench, dumbell military press, cable crossover, skull-crushers
Pull: weighted pull-ups, cable-rows, upright rows, rear delts, preacher curl
Legs: squats, romanian deadlifts, weighted abs

Push: Weighted dips, incline dumbell, pec-deck, lateral raise
Pull: machine pull-downs, chest-supported rows, rack pulls, hammer curls
Legs: Squats, leg curls, weighted abs

You might want to substitute certain exercises, but that's the basic idea.


For compound sets I do one warm-up with really light weight, 2 "in-between" sets which are still wrm-ups but they're gradually heavier, then one set with the heaviest weight I can do for 6-10 reps. The last set is the only one that gets taken to failure. Squats and leg-presses are an exception, I do up to 10 sets of those, usually in the 10-15 rep range but sometimes I'll do a set of 20 or 25 just to torture myself . I still only do one set with my heaviest weight though and that's usually 10 reps.

For the isolation lifts it's just a warm-up set and then one working set with a weight I can do 8-12 times (the work-set to failure). When I say failure I don't mean life-or-death, veins-spurting-blood type failure. The only time I really push it that hard is to get past a weight I've been stuck on or really blast a lagging body part. Then I might do a really intense drop set or rest-pause set, maybe forced negatives if I've got a partner.

Is that all just confusing as shit? It's alot easier to explain in person...

if you do push/pull/legs then I highly reccommend a 2 on 1 off. You have to interchange that rest day to help prevent adaptation.

[NewbieChris]

Hips are mostly driving movements with a focus on hip extention.

Core is mostly midline stabilization.

they are not interchangable, 2 very different mechanics, with similar muscle groups.

I got that. My confusion come from how you actually set up this kind of split. They example you gave had too few days for me to understand the set up. Is it that you have 3 days on that have to have push and pull and then either hips or core. Or could it be hips, core, pull, off...push, pull, core...off? In that case, core and hip movements which seem to stem from entire body workout, or legs be too much to put together in the 3 day period?