Have split routines fallen out of favor?

Kaizen · 06-01-2009, 08:43 PM

Hello Everyone,

I've recently begun my "come back" after many years away from the gym so I've been reading up on the latest training methodologies and have noticed a big push towards "full body" and "upper/lower" splits.

When I was training regularly, years ago, authors like Ian King and Charles Poliquin were recommended 4 and 3 way splits (respectively) - so I must admit it left an impression on me.

Has anyone been around long enough to have tried both methods? What's the verdict - are the currently popular methods better for physique transformations or should I stick with the old routines I used.

Thanks

gtbmed · 06-01-2009, 09:41 PM

I'm doing a full-body program right now (Starr variant) and I really like the way it's worked out. It allows me to get a lot of compound lifts in every week, recruit a lot of muscle fibers in every workout, and it really works the CNS for strength IMO.

But I still think there's a place for split routines. I've tried them out and liked them, but I think right now I'm starting to favor full-body workouts.

Yanick · 06-02-2009, 12:01 AM

Its pretty much impossible to control all variables and measure which routine actually produced more muscles etc as every routine will have its own challenges both in the gym and out. From work/school stress, to food intake to a myriad of other everyday variables that affect training, including experience (so someone saying that they used a split routine and gained 15 lbs then switched to upper/lower and gained only 5 lbs is not exactly an accurate gauge of effectiveness as the more we progress the harder it gets to make little gains).

The benefit of thinking of training in a functional way (joint actions, planes of movement and such) is its simply safer. For instance, having separate days for Chest, Back and Shoulders might make sense from a 'muscle point of view' but to your body all the actions occur at the shoulder joint. Thats three days of stress on an already instable and vulnerable joint. Then you have 1 day for Legs and maybe a day for Arms or something. That is a terribly imbalanced routine from a movement point of view.

Your body doesn't understand that when you benchpress you are trying to 'work your pecs.' It only understands that you need to push this heavy ass barbell up, and it recruits everything from the tiny RC muscles to the chest, shoulders, lats etc to achieve this task. Organizing your training in such a manner will lead, not only to strength/hypertrophy gains, but will keep your joints heavy and functional for a long time.

That is not even to mention that hypertrophy is not truly understood and pretty much any type of training will lead to this adaptation as long as 2 general rules of thumb are followed 1. progressive load and 2. eating over maintenance to give the body substrate to create the excess tissue.

danzik17 · 06-02-2009, 12:08 AM

+1 for Yanick

It's not like you're missing out on any one exercise by doing it by movement rather than muscle group, you're doing the same exercises in a different order to make it safer. Sounds like a good deal to me.

I wouldn't even bother with an arm day though. Throw in 1-2 sets of triceps on upper push day, and 1-2 sets of biceps on upper pull day and that should be plenty if you want to do that. The muscles should already be pre-exhausted from those heavy compounds you should be doing.

gtbmed · 06-02-2009, 08:38 AM

If the OP was talking about split routines by body-part, then yeah, that goes against most of what I've learned here and in other articles.

But a split routine could refer to an upper push/upper pull/lower push/lower pull program. That's also a split routine but it focuses on movements, not muscle groups.

Either way, do mostly compound lifts and you will be recruiting a lot of different muscle groups. I'm of the opinion that, even though you may not intend to work your entire body in a specific workout, if you do a lot of compound movements (pressing, squatting, deadlifting) in that workout, you will effectively work your entire body.

the7zen · 06-02-2009, 10:51 AM

Thanks for the very nice post Yanick. I was trying to explain this to my friend the other day, not sure i conveyed the message properly....i just sent this post to him

06-01-2009, 08:43 PM	#1
Kaizen Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: North America Posts: 1	Have split routines fallen out of favor? Hello Everyone, I've recently begun my "come back" after many years away from the gym so I've been reading up on the latest training methodologies and have noticed a big push towards "full body" and "upper/lower" splits. When I was training regularly, years ago, authors like Ian King and Charles Poliquin were recommended 4 and 3 way splits (respectively) - so I must admit it left an impression on me. Has anyone been around long enough to have tried both methods? What's the verdict - are the currently popular methods better for physique transformations or should I stick with the old routines I used. Thanks

06-01-2009, 09:41 PM	#2
gtbmed Greg Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Atlanta Posts: 370	I'm doing a full-body program right now (Starr variant) and I really like the way it's worked out. It allows me to get a lot of compound lifts in every week, recruit a lot of muscle fibers in every workout, and it really works the CNS for strength IMO. But I still think there's a place for split routines. I've tried them out and liked them, but I think right now I'm starting to favor full-body workouts. gtbmed's strength journal

06-02-2009, 12:01 AM	#3
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 4,231	Its pretty much impossible to control all variables and measure which routine actually produced more muscles etc as every routine will have its own challenges both in the gym and out. From work/school stress, to food intake to a myriad of other everyday variables that affect training, including experience (so someone saying that they used a split routine and gained 15 lbs then switched to upper/lower and gained only 5 lbs is not exactly an accurate gauge of effectiveness as the more we progress the harder it gets to make little gains). The benefit of thinking of training in a functional way (joint actions, planes of movement and such) is its simply safer. For instance, having separate days for Chest, Back and Shoulders might make sense from a 'muscle point of view' but to your body all the actions occur at the shoulder joint. Thats three days of stress on an already instable and vulnerable joint. Then you have 1 day for Legs and maybe a day for Arms or something. That is a terribly imbalanced routine from a movement point of view. Your body doesn't understand that when you benchpress you are trying to 'work your pecs.' It only understands that you need to push this heavy ass barbell up, and it recruits everything from the tiny RC muscles to the chest, shoulders, lats etc to achieve this task. Organizing your training in such a manner will lead, not only to strength/hypertrophy gains, but will keep your joints heavy and functional for a long time. That is not even to mention that hypertrophy is not truly understood and pretty much any type of training will lead to this adaptation as long as 2 general rules of thumb are followed 1. progressive load and 2. eating over maintenance to give the body substrate to create the excess tissue. "The greatest obstacle to knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge." -Barry Marshall, Nobel Laureate

06-02-2009, 12:08 AM	#4
danzik17 Gender: MALE Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 3,072	+1 for Yanick It's not like you're missing out on any one exercise by doing it by movement rather than muscle group, you're doing the same exercises in a different order to make it safer. Sounds like a good deal to me. I wouldn't even bother with an arm day though. Throw in 1-2 sets of triceps on upper push day, and 1-2 sets of biceps on upper pull day and that should be plenty if you want to do that. The muscles should already be pre-exhausted from those heavy compounds you should be doing. Ron Paul 2012 Journal: danzik17's Log - 4-6 Week Strength/Bulk Journal: Sub 10% by April <old>

06-02-2009, 08:38 AM	#5
gtbmed Greg Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Atlanta Posts: 370	If the OP was talking about split routines by body-part, then yeah, that goes against most of what I've learned here and in other articles. But a split routine could refer to an upper push/upper pull/lower push/lower pull program. That's also a split routine but it focuses on movements, not muscle groups. Either way, do mostly compound lifts and you will be recruiting a lot of different muscle groups. I'm of the opinion that, even though you may not intend to work your entire body in a specific workout, if you do a lot of compound movements (pressing, squatting, deadlifting) in that workout, you will effectively work your entire body. gtbmed's strength journal

06-02-2009, 10:51 AM	#6
the7zen Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: USA Posts: 58	Thanks for the very nice post Yanick. I was trying to explain this to my friend the other day, not sure i conveyed the message properly....i just sent this post to him

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