Thread: Best 3 day training to gain muscles

Myself I run:

Monday: Chest/Bi's
Wed: Legs/Shoulders
Fri: Back/Tri's

Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun off

I've been doing this for quite awhile, and it works for me. Some work Back/bi's, chest/tri's - but I find that's too much. Working the back works the biceps a bit already, so I find I can't lift as much as a result, or do as many reps. Same thing happens if I do chest/tri's, so I swapped them around.

I train 5 days per week, 2 muscles groups per day. If I could I would train 7 days, because some muscle groups are being neglected.

But hey that is just me. Look, it is just me here, just me there.

Sara, I think you could actually do very well on a three day split which is total body workouts three times a week. Most people, here at least, neglect this type of split, but it is actually quite effective if you adjust volume and intensity accrodingly.

p-funk, thats for peeps new to training tho, if you want maximum results in those 3 days you cant do full body

Blue corsairs program would be good tho

I use the same split as Blucorsair...

P-Funk's program isn't just for beginners... anyone could use it... you just have to plan your workouts around fewer recovery days... so less sets per body part per workout...

But as said a bazillion times before... what works for one person at one paticular time in their life, doesn't mean it will work for everyone or even that same person at a different stage in life...

Originally posted by HoldDaMayo
But as said a bazillion times before... what works for one person at one paticular time in their life, doesn't mean it will work for everyone or even that same person at a different stage in life...

This quote should be in an email when everybody register for the first time here.

My split looks like the following:

Monday: Chest/Biceps
Wednesday: Back/Triceps
Friday: Legs/Shoulders

I like to use a lot of compound lifts like benchpress, bentover rows, deadlifts, squats, military press, etc. Also, I do abs on all three of those days and cardio on 2-3 of my 4 non-lifting days.

Originally posted by P-funk
Sara, I think you could actually do very well on a three day split which is total body workouts three times a week. Most people, here at least, neglect this type of split, but it is actually quite effective if you adjust volume and intensity accrodingly.

that's because they are boring!

I have tried full body work-outs, they are long, hard, boring, unmotivating....I do not see how anyone can keep doing them.

Originally posted by Prince
that's because they are boring!

I have tried full body work-outs, they are long, hard, boring, unmotivating....I do not see how anyone can keep doing them.

When I first started lifting this is what I did. I found it very enjoyable, but at this point in my training I find my gains to be better using a more traditional split. Also, I like how I can feel the soreness in one or two particular muslces the following day.

A full body workout is ridiculous. I do them once in a great while, but when you look at it, it's obviously too much!

Chest - 10 sets
Bi's - 10 sets
Tri's - 10 sets
Back - 10 sets
Legs - 10 sets
Calves - 10 sets
Abs - 10 sets
Shoulders / Traps - 10 sets


That's already 80 total sets and alot of people often do 10+ sets for different muscle group.

Thanx for all the input guys!!!!
I am looking for a 3 day workout that is approx 60 minutes
And I want to gain muscles with that workout

Lately I've been doing
Tues- back/chest
Thurs- Triceps/biceps
Sun- Shoulders

I will add legs into my sunday's workout

I might change the routine to

chest/biceps
back/triceps
shoulder/legs

Originally posted by plouffe
A full body workout is ridiculous. I do them once in a great while, but when you look at it, it's obviously too much!

Chest - 10 sets
Bi's - 10 sets
Tri's - 10 sets
Back - 10 sets
Legs - 10 sets
Calves - 10 sets
Abs - 10 sets
Shoulders / Traps - 10 sets


That's already 80 total sets and alot of people often do 10+ sets for different muscle group.

You don't need to do that many sets if you are doing a full body workout 3 times a week. You could get away with more like 3-5 sets per body part. In fact, you would probably overtrain yourself if you did that routine 3 times in a week.

I refuse to make anymore comments about training splits on this board because people are to close minded.

i was just saying that you would overtrain...if you used the same intensity
but if you dont have enough intensity ( because you have to train more often and do less weight and less volume) then you will not grow either

I do an upper body/lower body split because i can't get used to the idea of only working a muscle group every seven days but if i did use a split it would probably be this:

mon: chest/tri
wed: legs
fri: back/bi

After a while you could reverse the tri and bi but i like to them the same day i do the major groups that goes along with it.

titans that is a good split
Exactly what i would use, if i were on a 3 day split

Originally posted by myCATpowerlifts
i was just saying that you would overtrain...if you used the same intensity
but if you dont have enough intensity ( because you have to train more often and do less weight and less volume) then you will not grow either

yeah, sounds like you have a really great grasp of how this split works

Ok you tell me what you would do were you on a 3-day full body split

Give me an example of reps and sets and weight
Then ill decide on it

I refuse to discuss training splits any longer here.....sorry. Everyone has shot down all of my ideas on splits so I am not going to waste my time writing up programs. However, all of my clients train this way, with excellent results. I much prefer to train with some sort of push/pull/legs split than a bodybuilder split (you can look is my journal were I programed out 3 full weeks of trainin gif you are really interested.). And I have some freinds that are powerlifters that train fuill body workouts and are bigger and stronger than anyone else I have ever seen so I know it works you just have to figure out how to make it work for you.

i agree taht it could do wonders for some people, dude i was not dissing you, im sorry if i came off sound like a punk

I was just saying that for most people you cant get the best results on full-body programs because of the lowered intensity and volume per body part, thats all

ill look at that program you mentioned in your journal tho

Dude, I am not mad at all. I am not trying to flame you or start a fight. I just hate going through shit were I have to type and post all this stuff to back myself up and people still don't want to believe me or jsut give things a try. There are many ways to train and in my honest opinion the classic bodybuilder split may be the least effective (just my opinion here) becasue it only allows for a muslce to get hit once every 7 days without the option of verying intensities sooner and working a different way. that's all.

i agree. Training a body-part once a week would only work if you
have totally maxed your potential and your on all kinds of "juice" to the point that if you didnt do it with so much intensity once a week, you'd never get results

huh?? steroids have nothing to do with the situation actually. it is just an understanding of programing and how to maximize your potential and be effeicent in the gym.

ok, but how do i access your journal? lol sorry for newb question but i forgot how

oh, just click on it

I gained about 30 pounds in under 6 months when I first stated lifting doing 3 sets of all of the following exercises three days per week:

Barbell Benchpress
Military Press
Barbell Bicep Curl

Lying Leg Lifts
Ab Roller
Bicycle Crunches

Quad Extensions
Hamstring Curls
Cleans

Granted, I could have put together something better with the knowledge I have now (Deadlifts definitely would have been on there), but it did the job. Also, even though there was no direct tricep training, my triceps definitely got bigger. The benchpress and military press put enough stress on them for that. Also, cleans helped my back strength out somewhat.

Originally posted by CowPimp
You don't need to do that many sets if you are doing a full body workout 3 times a week. You could get away with more like 3-5 sets per body part. In fact, you would probably overtrain yourself if you did that routine 3 times in a week.

I know. That's why I would have to use a 4 day split. Because I need about 10 sets per muscle group.