Comment on my splits please!

gavney1

Hey,

Have been tracking myself in the fitness logs for a couple of weeks.

Nowadays, am doing mostly weightlifting, with 1 or 2 days of cardio per week

I've read on lots of websites the basic principles about "Push" one day and "Pull" another. But still think sometimes that I'm not getting the most out of it, and maybe am being too cautious

Typically, right now, I would do something like this

Monday - Chest/Triceps/ Shoulders

Tuesday - 5-a-side soccer OR running if soccer cancelled

Wednesday - Back/ Biceps

Thursday - Rest Day

Friday - Chest/ Triceps/ Shoulders

Saturday - Rest Day - or a bit of cardio if in the mood

Sunday - Back/Biceps

Now, I know I should really be getting some leg work in there, and I'll try an incorporate it in the future - but I imagine I can throw that in on Back/Biceps day as it's lower body?

My main question - What do ppl think about doing two days of weightlifting in a row ie Chest/Triceps/ Shoulders on Day 1 and Back/Biceps on Day 2.

I know that I will weeks where it's not possible to follow the above routine, so I'll need to do weights 2 days in a row.

Is it worth doing? Or am I just better off cutting my losses, and just wait for a more convenient day.

Also, is Chest/Triceps/ Shoulder a good combination - or should I be doing shoulders on a separate day??

Thanks

amazingemmet

Your split is terrible and until you put some serious lower body work it will remain that way

InKonspikuou2

Your Monday and Wednesday are okay depending on what exercises you are doing. Bench press, overhead press and close grip bench press or tricep dips are some of the best exercises for those muscle groups on Monday. I work out my chest and shoulders in the same session without problem. And chest/shoulders/tris are a good split as they are all push exercises. For wednesday deadlifts, some of the olympic lifts, rows, curls are good. I'm not saying do all of them in one session. One per muscle group is fine or add more if it works for you.

But you really need a leg day. Change your Friday and cut out your sunday. Unless you really wanted to avoid doing shoulders on same day as chest you could do them on a separate day. But a 3 day split should be enough. As for the Friday you should be working your lower body. Squats, straight leg deadlifts, good mornings, lunges are good for hitting the quads and hamstrings as well as a heap of other secondary muscles. Abs would be a good day to combine with the legs.

There isn't much need to be doing the same exercises more than once a week unless you are on some sort of hypertrophy or strength building program that uses squats and deadlifts twice a week. But if your just aimlessly going up and thinking that doing curls again is going to make you bigger you'll probably fail to achieve that. I'm not sure what you are looking to achieve but you should also look at your diet. It's the key to whether you are looking to tone up or bulk up.

You can have a look at my journal to get an idea of a push/pull/legs split since you mentioned it.

Chet Zar

Every evening when I walk into my local gym and go to the weights area, it is full of guys pumping the guns and the chest, shoulder pressing, curling and benching - and almost without exception every single one of them has skinny arms and don't look like they lift weights or keep fit whatsoever. You sound like one of those guys and I bet if you posted a pic you'd prove me right.

Before you get offended - no offence meant! It's just that if you want to get bigger, you've got to think big. Big moves produce big results. There is actually no need to do split training at all. If you are doing 4 weights sessions a week, I would make 3 of those days days when you hit the big movements - the 4th can be a recovery/taking it easier day. Example:

Day 1: lunges or squats with bench press and rows

Day 2: deadlifts paired with shoulder pressing/shoulder moves

Day 3: Ab work with some bodyweight moves - there is LOADS of scope here. You can and should also add some prehab moves to help keep your joints/muscles etc healthy and help avoid injury - scap press ups, rotator cuff work and so on.

Day 4: squats with rows and curls, dips, bench press

See how something like this targets your WHOLE body, building muscle and stimulating muscle growth throughout?

Transform

Chet Zar wrote: »

Every evening when I walk into my local gym and go to the weights area, it is full of guys pumping the guns and the chest, shoulder pressing, curling and benching - and almost without exception every single one of them has skinny arms and don't look like they lift weights or keep fit whatsoever. You sound like one of those guys and I bet if you posted a pic you'd prove me right.

Before you get offended - no offence meant! It's just that if you want to get bigger, you've got to think big. Big moves produce big results. There is actually no need to do split training at all. If you are doing 4 weights sessions a week, I would make 3 of those days days when you hit the big movements - the 4th can be a recovery/taking it easier day. Example:

Day 1: lunges or squats with bench press and rows

Day 2: deadlifts paired with shoulder pressing/shoulder moves

Day 3: Ab work with some bodyweight moves - there is LOADS of scope here. You can and should also add some prehab moves to help keep your joints/muscles etc healthy and help avoid injury - scap press ups, rotator cuff work and so on.

Day 4: squats with rows and curls, dips, bench press

See how something like this targets your WHOLE body, building muscle and stimulating muscle growth throughout?

totally agree with all of that post - so stop being a big girls blouse and go do squats and deadlifts

Lothaar v2

Is anyone else a little disappointed that there wasn't a video of someone doing the splits, with a request for feedback on technique/form?

gavney1

Transform wrote: »

totally agree with all of that post - so stop being a big girls blouse and go do squats and deadlifts

K, thanks guys, appreciate the info.

Am gonna do the following routine next week (and do the necessary adjustments for the rest of THIS week). Should have included the actual exercises I've been doing on first post, sorry. Btw, I DO do deadlifts - I count that as a back exercise - as that's what I do it for mainly - but I know it's actually a leg exercise.

Monday - Bench Press/ Overhead Press/ Closegrip bench press (no changes from usual there)

Tuesday - 5-a-side or running

Wednesday - Standing barbell curl/ Deadlift/ Bent over Row (The Row being the new addition)

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Lunges/ Straight Leg DL/ Squats/ Crunches

Saturday - Rest

Sunday - Cardio (either swimming or running), OR just a yoga/ general stretching session.

Again, thanks guys

gavney1

Chet Zar wrote: »

Every evening when I walk into my local gym and go to the weights area, it is full of guys pumping the guns and the chest, shoulder pressing, curling and benching - and almost without exception every single one of them has skinny arms and don't look like they lift weights or keep fit whatsoever. You sound like one of those guys and I bet if you posted a pic you'd prove me right.

Well, I know the guys ur talking about. I wouldn't say I necessarily belong in the group. I've alot to learn and I'm not big (not quite skinny either though) but I do have a good level of fitness. And my strength has improved over the last few months - so it's not like I've been going nowhere. But yeah ur right, I do have an attitude of trying to work upper body too much (not necessarily arms though) and neglecting lower body - which I know needs to change

gavney1

InKonspikuou2 wrote: »

Your Monday and Wednesday are okay depending on what exercises you are doing. Bench press, overhead press and close grip bench press or tricep dips are some of the best exercises for those muscle groups on Monday. I work out my chest and shoulders in the same session without problem. And chest/shoulders/tris are a good split as they are all push exercises. For wednesday deadlifts, some of the olympic lifts, rows, curls are good. I'm not saying do all of them in one session. One per muscle group is fine or add more if it works for you.

But you really need a leg day. Change your Friday and cut out your sunday. Unless you really wanted to avoid doing shoulders on same day as chest you could do them on a separate day. But a 3 day split should be enough. As for the Friday you should be working your lower body. Squats, straight leg deadlifts, good mornings, lunges are good for hitting the quads and hamstrings as well as a heap of other secondary muscles. Abs would be a good day to combine with the legs.

There isn't much need to be doing the same exercises more than once a week unless you are on some sort of hypertrophy or strength building program that uses squats and deadlifts twice a week. But if your just aimlessly going up and thinking that doing curls again is going to make you bigger you'll probably fail to achieve that. I'm not sure what you are looking to achieve but you should also look at your diet. It's the key to whether you are looking to tone up or bulk up.

You can have a look at my journal to get an idea of a push/pull/legs split since you mentioned it.

Thanks man, I appreciate ur post in particular. Ur right, I do have an attitude of focusing on upper body - and that will change asap.

As to whether I want to tone up or bulk up? I want to do both! But bulking up is more of a priority

Re: my diet - it's pretty good I think, you can have a look at my fitness log. I eat 5/6 times a day, and it's generally pretty good

Sangre

General rule of thumb: your biggest muscles should receive the most attention.

They definitely aren't on your arms!

gavney1

Chet Zar wrote: »

Day 1: lunges or squats with bench press and rows

Is the bench press and rows combination not a combination of "Push" and "Pull"? - I thought it was a golden rule to avoid this (unless ur a professional bodybuilder)?

But I take it from your post that you aren't a believer in split routines at all anyway?

Chet Zar

gavney1 wrote: »

Well, I know the guys ur talking about. I wouldn't say I necessarily belong in the group. I've alot to learn and I'm not big (not quite skinny either though) but I do have a good level of fitness. And my strength has improved over the last few months - so it's not like I've been going nowhere. But yeah ur right, I do have an attitude of trying to work upper body too much (not necessarily arms though) and neglecting lower body - which I know needs to change

Good stuff - and I'm not saying you're not fit or anything, just making a point on split routines with no/minimal leg work

Chet Zar

gavney1 wrote: »

Is the bench press and rows combination not a combination of "Push" and "Pull"? - I thought it was a golden rule to avoid this (unless ur a professional bodybuilder)?

But I take it from your post that you aren't a believer in split routines at all anyway?

'Push' and 'pull' - yep that's an example of one of those routines, nope why would you avoid it? It's actually good practice as it helps to prevent imbalances and promotes stability and joint health - it means opposing muscles get a chance to work together and one set of muscles isn't used more than others.

gavney1

lads thanks for your advice

I've only started squatting in the last 2 months, since I got a friend of mine who knows what he's doing to show me how to do them properly

I'm following a strict Starting strength program, monday wednesday friday.
And I've made more progress in the last two months than i have in the previous 18 months!

Am really enjoying my programme now, and am taking rest week every 5 weeks

Program now looks like this (alternating press and bench)

Monday
Squat (100%)
Press
Chinups


Wed
Squat (80%)
Bench
Dips
Dead lift

Friday
Squat (100%)
Press
Rows
Chinups