Thread: for once, I care about someone else's opinions

I was on a 5 day split for a while and now I'm back to the chest/tri and back/biceps and I like it a lot again. When I quit it a while back I had gotten tired of it and felt like I couldn't train either very well and actually tried to train triceps a couple days after chest. Either way I think it is just important to switch it up and keep your muscles guessing.

Granted some of it might have been psychological but I believe grouping them back together again makes my workouts more intense and I really enjoy it. Just mix it up and find something that works but don't use it for too long. Switch every month or whenever you feel the need.

Hope this helps a little bit man, good luck!

I would suggest just giving your tri's and bi's their own day, the last day of your split..like this monday:legs, tues:chest, wed:back, Thurs:shoulders, Friday: Rest, Sat: bi's/tri's, sun:rest. The reason is b/c your basically getting in some tri work on your chest days and some bi work on your back days, and a bit tri on shoulders. Giving them a days rest from being taxed as a synergist muscle then blasting them hard on their own day makes sure you arent overtraining them or over taxing your cns. By the time you down 16-24 sets on your chest your tri's are going to be pretty taxed same with bi's and back. Either way to make a long story short, dont train synergist muscles individually after you train your main focus muscles during that day, or your going to run into overtraining issues, unless your doing some extreme low set routine. Just my .02.

Yea I really liked splitting up my workout over 5 days but I had been doing it for a long time and I didn't have the energy as I am on 2 a days in cardio right now trying to cut some weight. I do usually only do sets of 5-6 on my 3 day split about as heavy as I can go.

Originally Posted by hill450

Yea I really liked splitting up my workout over 5 days but I had been doing it for a long time and I didn't have the energy as I am on 2 a days in cardio right now trying to cut some weight. I do usually only do sets of 5-6 on my 3 day split about as heavy as I can go.

Word man, its all about your goals, I just assumed his was mass. Make sure your calories are on point doing cardio 2 times a day and lifting

I would work them together unless you have a rest day in between too.
it ok to do them on own days just not back to back as said above
true advice!!!

Originally Posted by IanM4208

So most of my lifting career I have worked out my triceps with my chest and same for back and biceps. I have been on and off with only arm days and additional arm days. Ive been recently thinking about working out chest and biceps on one day and back with triceps the next. Im looking for some conversation on whether or not this idea is even worth it. If so, which do you prefer? Anything goes, broscience or actual scientific proof to back it up.
Thanx n reps

Honestly it doesn't matter, as long as you are not doing the same thing for extended periods of time. My only suggestion if you are going to do arm days only 4 weeks on 2 weeks off.

Originally Posted by ManoMan1117

Honestly it doesn't matter, as long as you are not doing the same thing for extended periods of time. My only suggestion if you are going to do arm days only 4 weeks on 2 weeks off.

Actually it does matter..if your looking to utilize your time for optimal results, if you dont care if your time in the gym is most effectively used for growth, or you dont care that your working towards overtraining or injury, then go ahead and continue as you were.

Originally Posted by control101

Actually it does matter..if your looking to utilize your time for optimal results, if you dont care if your time in the gym is most effectively used for growth, or you dont care that your working towards overtraining or injury, then go ahead and continue as you were.

What are you saying? That biceps should be trained with back and triceps with chest? It can be just as effective to do biceps with chest and tris with back, it's basically just like doing arms twice a week. This is a good way to switch up training so you aren't doing the same thing every week too. Some people prefer to do it opposite because your biceps will be able to do more weight after chest compared to back day. This is fine to do, I just would try to keep my chest and back days 3 days apart at least.

I like training arms with antagonists (ie back and tris, chest and bis) or with legs (for example, heavy quad work, light hams, bicep day; heavy ham work, light quads, tricep day; 3x8 squats, 3x8 RDLs, bis and tris). I figure if I train back heavy, my tris aren't going to take anything away and it's not like they're heavily taxed that day. The antagonist gets to rest when the agonist is working (actually, inhibition forces this), and even gets some passive recovery from increased blood flow to the area.

If you're training bis and tris together, you get this effect as well - toss in a few heavy sets of squats and deads and you'll get the full benefit of post-workout androgen release working to help your arms grow - provided of course that you're eating.

If you're cutting, you can probably pretty much ditch arm work all-together.

Originally Posted by control101

Actually it does matter..if your looking to utilize your time for optimal results, if you dont care if your time in the gym is most effectively used for growth, or you dont care that your working towards overtraining or injury, then go ahead and continue as you were.

No it doesnt matter your talking about bi's and tri's they dont belong in the same sentence with optimal training... Were not having a convo about squats and deads... Everyone has an opinion with bi's and tri's and i don't think it really matters as long as you are doing training in different phases. Chest n tri's vs chest and bi's... its not a make or break point in your training, and it doesn't have to turn into a scientific debate.. just don't always do chest and tri's, switch it up every few weeks.... There is no "best way" to go about it, IMO whatever it was you have been doing, choose the other option for a period of time, change up set,reps, tempo, rest periods, and intensity, and keep busting your ass and working hard. There is not best program, there are ways to train for power, strength, muscle endurance, etc.. when you start debating things like bi's, tri's, calves, and forearms there is no magic combo.

The only cool tip i have ever heard about bicep training was from a Poliquin article which referenced a study by Dr Ernie Hacket, an old school power lifter.
Train your traps. Why does trap size have anything to do with arm size and strength? According to Dr. Ernie Hackett, DC, former World Powerlifting Champion, the stability of the
cervicothoracic junction is critical for optimizing the neural and vascular supply to the upper arms. In his
opinion, if the arm's muscle mass is not balanced with the trapezius and deltoid development, the sheer
weight of the arms will block its neural drive because the proper alignment of the upper extremities will be
faulty. Adding some direct trap work on upper back training day should do the trick. Best choices for
exercises would include one arm shrug with dumbbell or low pulley, which permits greater range of motion
than raising both scapulae at the same time.

Originally Posted by control101

Word man, its all about your goals, I just assumed his was mass. Make sure your calories are on point doing cardio 2 times a day and lifting

Yea no kidding, I didn't realized how hard it is to get enough calories when you're eating so clean until I really got down to counting them a while back. I believe I am doing ok though thanks. Its definitely not easy to try to eat so good all the time. Hell, I enjoy egg yokes a lot now and don't take them for granted lol