I'd like to touch base on using split routines
in your weightlifting workouts. I've talked previously
about how creating a good split routine is a lot more
complicated than just splitting up your body parts and
working them on different days.
As I mentioned in the past, most people run smack
into one or two (or both) problems that keep them
from building muscle or losing fat.
The first problem with going to a split routine is that most
weight lifters end up doing too much work for each body part.
Since they've split their weightlifting routine into multiple
workouts, they end up training just as long, but on fewer
body parts. So instead of 3 sets on the bench press in a full
body routine (or maybe a two way split), they end up training
chest by itself and performing 15 sets.
The second big problem with most split routines in these weightlifting
tips is the unintended
consequence of overlap. Very few splits eliminate overlap. Let
me give you a couple of examples of problem splits that I've seen
in magazines or books.
You can read more about this in this split routine weightlifting tips
article. It will pop up in a new window so you don't lose
your place here. In that article, I give you a couple of examples
of some bad split routines and why they are ineffective muscle builders.
Here, I'm going to give you a few examples of well thought out split
routines that are a lot more effective when it comes to minimizing
overlap in order to prevent overtraining of certain body parts.
Here's a bodybuilding split that I love to use:
Monday: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Back, Biceps, Abs
Thursday: Off
Friday: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Monday: Back, Biceps, Abs
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Chest Triceps, Shoulders
Thursday: Off
Friday: Back, Biceps, Abs
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Monday: Repeat at the top
Now, I'll give you a couple other variations. Steve Holman, Editor-in-Chief
of Ironman Magazine, has hit on a similar split, as follows.
Monday: Shoulders, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Thursday: Off
Friday: Shoulders, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Monday: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Shoulders, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Thursday: Off
Friday: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Monday: Repeat at the top
If you can workout on weekends, you might do even better moving
Wednesday's workout to Thursday, and Friday's to Saturday. It's
much easier to weight train two days in a row than three days in a
row. You're split would look like this:
Monday - Workout
Tuesday - Workout
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Workout
Friday - Off
Saturday - Workout
Sunday Off
As good as this split is, even exercise selection can make a
difference. For example, ou definitely don't want deadlifts on this
split because you would find yourself doing deadlifts and squats on
consecutive days, wich is not only brutal and draining, but they
hit some of the same muscle groups (the body's biggest) extremely
hard. If you wanted to add deadlifts, it would be best to do
them only once a week (on the friday workout when that is back
day).
As you can see, choosing an effective weight training split isn't
as easy as it looks on the surface, but it's vital to your muscle
building fat burning success.
Grab more great information and tips on training, nutrition, health, cardio and supplementation for burning fat and building muscle by signing up for
my free newsletter Fit N Healthy
Are you interested more in bodybuilding and building maximum muscle mass? Get your free copy of
Fast Mass
It's tough to build muscle, lose fat or get in shape when you're dealing with injuries. Right now, I'm dealing with a shoulder injury. Will it keep me from training? Yes and no. Obviously, I can't do most things but I can still train my legs so that's what I'll do. I held leg day yesterday and did a lot of squatting. As for the rest of my body, I'll experiment over time what I can and can't do. For those wondering, the injury wasn't caused by my weight training.
A number of years ago I had a rotator cuff injury as well, from tennis. The interesting thing was, I could still go out and play tennis for hours with no pain. Well, almost. The almost was that I could do everything pain free as if I had no injury at all, except serve. When trying to serve, as soon as I tossed up the ball (the injury was in my serving shoulder), and switched direction from down to up, I felt the most excruciating pain I've ever felt and it stopped my cold. I couldn't get through the serving motion at all. But, like I said, I could hit hard groundstrokes all day with no pain. In fact, I could still do decline bench presses without any pain, yet I could not do any sort of shoulder pressing movement.
Right now, I can't do upper body work so lower body work it is and I'll see what I can add over time. My training won't stop. If you have an injury see your doctor! and discuss options about what you can and can not do. There's no reason to let an injury completely derail you from your muscle building, fat burning goals, unless it's absolutely necessary.
