Thread: Looking for a 3 Day Workout plan

3 days will involve alot of work and long work outs as you would need to add your leg day ontop of another work out to cut it down to three, also not forgetting that ab's are done ontop of work out days which i do twice a week once on shoulders and traps aday and once on leg day. atm i use a 4 day work out can you manage four days or does it have to be 3?

Neo

Well the course I take at school is a 3-Day a week course, but I can always go on into the gym other days when available if neccesary.

thats what i do on friday my leg day i dont have collage but i still go up to the gym and use it other wise you would be working to hard and doing to much to make sure you cover every thing in 3 days a good four day work out given to me buy another person on the forum is

Mon- Chest, bicepts
tues- shoulders, traps
wed- off
thurs- back, tricepts
fri- off
sat- legs
sun-off

chest- 8 sets
bicepts- 6 sets
shoulders- 8 sets
traps- 4 sets
back- 10 sets
ticepts- 7 sets
legs- 10 sets

use as many compound exercises as possible. Stick with a rep range of 7-12

but i moved my leg day to friday as its inconvient because i used to do a 12 hour shift on saturdays and i added abs on tuesday and fri at the end of work out5 sets of 15 and i use weighted resistanse

Neo

sqtneo how is cutting a workout down to three days goin to be a lot of work and long work outs.

Stratosphere a good 3 day routine would be push, pull, legs.

Push: chest, triceps, shoulder
Pull: back, biceps
Legs: is well legs

I am currently on a push, pull, leg and im in the gym about 45min each day

as far as weights to lift that will be different for every person. Try to stay in the 8-10 rep range to start. if you can do more than 10 reps increase the weight, if you cannot do 8 reps take off a little weight.

Originally Posted by tryintogetbig

sqtneo how is cutting a workout down to three days goin to be a lot of work and long work outs.

Stratosphere a good 3 day routine would be push, pull, legs.

Push: chest, triceps, shoulder
Pull: back, biceps
Legs: is well legs

I am currently on a push, pull, leg and im in the gym about 45min each day

What about the abs? Also, to bulk up a little is it a good idea to take some protein supplements?

Personally, i do abs at home in the morning, which only takes 10mins.

i do abs twice a week weighted resistance and suppliments are different for each person i use san v12 turbo and whey but have recently run out of whey and cash lol how ever these wont have great affect unless you eat alot and have a decent diet

Neo

also on the three day work out youll need to add traps in

traps can be worked in with shoulders. Upright rows

For ab workouts, what are the best execrcises to do?

I'm currently on a 3 day split and was on a different 3 day split if you want to take a look at them, here's my journal: My Journal
KarlW help me out with the routines.
This is a good site to check out different lifts/exercises: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

yeah thats a very good place also for form and a huge list of excersises use this one as well

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/exercise1.htm

Here's the beginner routine I recommend; it's a full body routine that should be done with at least one day of rest in between each session:

Deadlifts 2 x 8-12
Olympic Squats 2 x 8-12

Bent Rows 2 x 8-12
Chinups 2 x 8-12

Bench Press 2 x 8-12
Military Press 2 x 8-12

Decline Situps 2 x 12-15
Hyperextensions 2 x 12-15

Standing Calf Raises 2 x 12-15

Feel free to alter this rep range later, but it's a good number to start with to ensure you are using proper form.

Day 1: Back and Biceps
Day 2: Chest and Triceps
Day 3: Legs and Shoulders

I do: 1) Chest and back 2) Shoulders and biceps 3) Legs and Triceps

Oh my god

Ok so I bought me some ON brand Whey Protein powder, and apparently you are supposed to comsue 1 gram per pound that you weigh per day. Well damn, theres 28 grams per scoop, and it says 1 scoop per drink, that would be like 6 drinks per day at 145 lbs!! Thats way rediculous to me...is there something I'm missing here?

Originally Posted by Stratosphere

Ok so I bought me some ON brand Whey Protein powder, and apparently you are supposed to comsue 1 gram per pound that you weigh per day. Well damn, theres 28 grams per scoop, and it says 1 scoop per drink, that would be like 6 drinks per day at 145 lbs!! Thats way rediculous to me...is there something I'm missing here?

Your total intake of protein should be at least 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. The Whey Protein should be a supplement to your intake of protein from real foods(chicken, turkey, lean red meat, fish, tuna, eggs, etc.), not the sole source. Take one, at most two, scoops a day and get the rest from real food.

Originally Posted by Stratosphere

I am about to start a 3 day a week weight training course at my local University, and I am searching for a program that fits me. I am 20 years old, 5'9" and weigh about 145 lbs. My goal with my body is to gain some body mass, but most importantly I want to be cut. I need to know what weights I should be lifting, how to organize my weekly routines, and what supplements may be beneficial. Any help would be great, thanks.

By the way, have you been lifting before or are you new to this?

Originally Posted by Egoatdoor

Your total intake of protein should be at least 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. The Whey Protein should be a supplement to your intake of protein from real foods(chicken, turkey, lean red meat, fish, tuna, eggs, etc.), not the sole source. Take one, at most two, scoops a day and get the rest from real food.

Heh I figured ud incoprporate all protien sconsumption to the equation. And yes I have lifted before, but not in a very organized and efficient fashion.

Originally Posted by Stratosphere

Heh I figured ud incoprporate all protien sconsumption to the equation. And yes I have lifted before, but not in a very organized and efficient fashion.

OK. You need to go back to the beginning and start over with the basics. You need to get the basic form of the exercises down pat ( the class may teach you this???) and learn to adapt to a routine of working out regularly.

If I were your personal trainer and you were my client, this is what I do:

- Three days a week. Whole body workouts with at least one day of rest between workouts
- One exercise per bodypart. Chest: Bench Press Shoulders: Military Press Back: Bent BB Rows Biceps: DB Curls Triceps: DB Overhead Extension Quads: Squats Hamstrings: Leg Curls
- Three sets per par. 12 reps. Do NOT train to failure.
- Cardio one or at the most two days a week, either on off days from weights or AFTER the weight session, never before.

This would be for a minimum of 4 weeks, possibly up to 8 depending on how quickly you adapt to the program. During this time, I would also encourage you to read books and magazines on training and bodybuilding so you can become more knowledgable on your own and do not have to depend on a trainer telling you what to do for the rest of your life.

Nutrition would focus on getting at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight a day and 2-3 grams per pound of carbohydrates with a focus on real food, not supplements. The only supplements would be vitamins ( multi, E and C) and whey protein powder. Anything else would come later once you have the basics down pat.

Getting "cut" or developing a trained bodybuilder's physique will take time and dedication. It is not going to happen in a couple of months. If it could, everyone would look buff.

^^Thanks a lot man that helps me out quite a bit. So yeah I am new to the whole workout program thing, before I would just screw around and basically waste my time. But now I am dedicated and willing to learn as much as I can. I think Ive got my exercise routine basically figured out, and I have Whey Protein and Multivitamin supplements, but what I still need to work on is my diet adjustment.

Also, as for cardio, I am taking a basketball course right after my weight training course. The thing is I fear that I will be too sore to really be able to even shoot the basketball LOL! I wanted to take the basketball course a little later in the day, but it was too difficult to do it that way with my other "real" courses and my job. I guess we will see how it goes...

Badunkabump

OK well I am going to go with this routine:1) Chest and back 2) Shoulders and Biceps 3) Legs and Triceps

But I need some help and guidance on what specific excercises i should do for each muscle group that I work out.

Originally Posted by Stratosphere

OK well I am going to go with this routine:1) Chest and back 2) Shoulders and Biceps 3) Legs and Triceps

But I need some help and guidance on what specific excercises i should do for each muscle group that I work out.

Please forgive me, but I'm gonna throw a small monkey wrench into your machine here.

#1: Your routine puts back and chest in the same workout. For my money that's too much muscle to try to work effectively in one workout.

#2: Legs are arguably the most difficult body part to work COMPLETELY. A good leg day is a stone cold biatch. If you do it right, you'll barely be able to walk out of the gym. For that reason, I work legs the first day of the week, after I've had a full weekend to recover from the previous week's workouts.

So, with those thoughts in mind, I'd suggest more of a power routine which stresses the three major muscle groups.

Monday: Legs - Squats, squats and more squats

Wednesday: Chest - Bench presses (Either straight bar or dumbells)

Thursday: Back - Deadlifts and bent over barbell rows

These very simple exercise, if done to muscular failure will work your entire body very effectively and add that muscle you're looking for. If you feel you really HAVE to work your arms, do triceps on chest day and biceps on back day. They're already warmed and worked pretty effectively from the basic exercies I've listed. Just do two or three sets of isolation exercies at the end of your workout. As far as getting lean is concerned, that's not going to happen in the gym, that will happen at the dinner table. Your body fat % is determined by your diet, not your exercise routine.

Originally Posted by ALBOB

Please forgive me, but I'm gonna throw a small monkey wrench into your machine here.

#1: Your routine puts back and chest in the same workout. For my money that's too much muscle to try to work effectively in one workout.

#2: Legs are arguably the most difficult body part to work COMPLETELY. A good leg day is a stone cold biatch. If you do it right, you'll barely be able to walk out of the gym. For that reason, I work legs the first day of the week, after I've had a full weekend to recover from the previous week's workouts.

So, with those thoughts in mind, I'd suggest more of a power routine which stresses the three major muscle groups.

Monday: Legs - Squats, squats and more squats

Wednesday: Chest - Bench presses (Either straight bar or dumbells)

Thursday: Back - Deadlifts and bent over barbell rows

These very simple exercise, if done to muscular failure will work your entire body very effectively and add that muscle you're looking for. If you feel you really HAVE to work your arms, do triceps on chest day and biceps on back day. They're already warmed and worked pretty effectively from the basic exercies I've listed. Just do two or three sets of isolation exercies at the end of your workout. As far as getting lean is concerned, that's not going to happen in the gym, that will happen at the dinner table. Your body fat % is determined by your diet, not your exercise routine.

If Stratosphere is taking my advice and going back to the beginning, then he should NOT be training to failure and should NOT be training so intensely that he cannot walk out of the gym afterwards, though he may feel some DOMS( delayed onset of muscle soreness) the next day or two because his body is not used to working out or needs to get adapted again to training.

And since the workouts at least initially are not being done at high intensity, then the chest and back can be worked together, especially since it is the first training day of the week when he should have the most energy. I do agree that later on, working these parts on the same day could be problematical.

Lastly, the workout right now should be focused on basic compound exercises. Isolation movements should be extremely limited ( to possibly side laterals for shoulders), if not prohibited all together.

S, I am do not have time tonight to lay out a routine for the 3 day split you listed, but I will post one within the next couple of days.

I need to edit my earlier post a little. I meant for it to be a Monday-Wednesday-FRIDAY split. Not Monday-Wednesday-Thursday. Sorry.

Eagoatdoor: I completely agree, going back to the beginning is a very good approach. Start with light weights until you are completely used to using good form. Where I disagree with you SLIGHTLY is in exercise selection. When I think about a routine for beginners I go to the absolute basics of all basic exercises. That's why I suggested squats, bench press, deads and rows. More world class physiques have been built using those exercise than any other. Now, having said that, I don't want anybody to think I'm saying your suggested routine is less than effective. It's just that you and I have SLIGHTLY different philosophies on what constitutes a basic routine. The bottom line is to get in the gym and do SOMETHING. Something is better than nothing.

Hi ALbob, I thought our disagreement had more to do with the intensity level ( going to failure, training so hard it would hurt).

On the exercises, normally if the trainer was doing a 2 or 3 day a week whole body workout, then just a simple set of compound exercises would part of my suggested routine. But Stratsophere had posted that he was going to do a 3 day split routine, so that it to that split that I planned to design the routine, which because it was split, would include more than just squats, deadlifts, rows and benches.