Thread: Professional Opinion

Originally Posted by bcat

So I want to change up my routine. For the past year I have been doing variations of a three day workout: Day 1-Chest/Shoulder/Tri; Day 2-Back/Bi; Day 3-legs.

I want to move to a four day routine. What I wanted to know was would it be better to do something like: Day 1-Chest/shoulders; Day 2-Back/Trap/Abs; Day 3-Bi/Tri/Abs; Day 4-leg/Abs or would it be better to do what I was doing before but on Day 4 do some type of circuit? Also, I do a 25 minute cardio after each workout.

My goal is to gain muscle and start adding an ab routine. Thanks for your help guys.

You can not gain optimally training three large muscle groups in one session.

Let's try this:

Monday: Chest
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Back
Thursday: Shoulders
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Biceps & Triceps
Sunday: Legs

Or

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Back/Biceps
Thursday: Chest
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Shoulders
Sunday: Triceps & Biceps

Upper/Lower/Upper/Lower is a good 4 day split if you get the volume and loading parameters right.

Originally Posted by Supreme Sports

You can not gain optimally training three large muscle groups in one session.
Let's try this:

Monday: Chest
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Back
Thursday: Shoulders
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Biceps & Triceps
Sunday: Legs

Or

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Back/Biceps
Thursday: Chest
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Shoulders
Sunday: Triceps & Biceps

Sorry, I'm going to call it as I see it, and that is 100% not true. The best results I have gained were from training upper/lower days bar none.

Training upper/lower and total body is a fantastic way to train. You can train the muscle groups more frequently and you don't have to pound out a ton of volume in each session. It also gives you more chance for variety which is another plus.

Training body parts is not sounds from a physio stand point. Muscles don't work in isolation, they work in movements, so really, working them as if they did is a poor way to go about training.

Originally Posted by fufu

Sorry, I'm going to call it as I see it, and that is 100% not true. The best results I have gained were from training upper/lower days bar none.

Training upper/lower and total body is a fantastic way to train. You can train the muscle groups more frequently and you don't have to pound out a ton of volume in each session. It also gives you more chance for variety which is another plus.

Training body parts is not sounds from a physio stand point. Muscles don't work in isolation, they work in movements, so really, working them as if they did is a poor way to go about training.

For an ADVANCED bodybuilder, large muscles REQUIRE at least 20-30 sets, and smaller muscles 12-20 sets.

This is not POSSIBLE to accomplish if you are training 3 muscles in one day.

I'm gonna go ahead and say the original poster is not an advanced bodybuilder.

Originally Posted by fufu

I'm gonna go ahead and say the original poster is not an advanced bodybuilder.

Even an intermediate would gain much better from MORE VOLUME, which means wwe can only train ONE or TWO muscles maximum per day.

But hey, to each their own.

But you see, you are more likely to train more volume overall if you train the muscles several times a week, instead of training body parts on their own day once a week, which isn't really occuring anyway because muscles work in movements(for example, you are indeed working your shoulders and arms when training back or chest).

Originally Posted by fufu

But you see, you are more likely to train more volume overall if you train the muscles several times a week, instead of training body parts on their own day once a week, which isn't really occuring anyway because muscles work in movements(for example, you are indeed working your shoulders and arms when training back or chest).

It unfortunately doesn't physiologically work that way, but I SURE WISH IT DID!

Overload per session is more important than overload per week or MONTH.

Thanks for all the input guys. True, I am only an intermediate. I have done a lot of research on my own, but as can be seen in this thread, I have found lots of different opinions. As I develop my new routine I wanted to have the first part (of a 12 week training period) with a similar set up that I originally had (Chest/tri/shoulder; Back/bi; legs; day four maybe chest and amrs) but for the second part I wanted to mix it up to try to get some good gains in size.

I know you guys have a lot more experience and that is why I am asking for your opinion. Thanks again and Ill keep checking up to see what yall say.

Originally Posted by Supreme Sports

It unfortunately doesn't physiologically work that way, but I SURE WISH IT DID!

Overload per session is more important than overload per week or MONTH.

What do you mean by "it"?

Originally Posted by Supreme Sports

For an ADVANCED bodybuilder, large muscles REQUIRE at least 20-30 sets, and smaller muscles 12-20 sets.

Really? Are those all work sets or including warm up sets?

Originally Posted by fufu

What do you mean by "it"?

Anabolism(Muscle-Growth).

Originally Posted by JerseyDevil

Really? Are those all work sets or including warm up sets?

WORKING SETS my friend.

Guys who have gained optimally training more than one large muscle group in a training session.

Pictures of ME(Ross) from LAST YEAR. I am 15lbs heavier and LEANER NOW.

strength athletes aside, if you look at how athletes in other sports train, it is more often then not strength work and high amounts of metabolic work in some sort of upper/lower or total body training program

Those guys are POWERLIFTERS, NOT BODYBUILDERS!

They do NOT have SUPERIOR MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT.

Originally Posted by Supreme Sports

Pictures of ME(Ross) from LAST YEAR. I am 15lbs heavier and LEANER NOW.

Who the fuck cares about you?

We are jsut proving the point that what you are saying is not 100% accurate.

Originally Posted by Supreme Sports

Those guys are POWERLIFTERS, NOT BODYBUILDERS!

They do NOT have SUPERIOR MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT.

Um....Dave Tate looks better than you do.

Pudz does too

Originally Posted by P-funk

Who the fuck cares about you?

We are jsut proving the point that what you are saying is not 100% accurate.

I AM 100% ACCURATE, FOR OPTIMAL MUSCLE GROWTH!

Originally Posted by Supreme Sports

I AM 100% ACCURATE, FOR OPTIMAL MUSCLE GROWTH!

Look at how old school BB'ers trained....total body workouts.

Split routines came about when D-bol came around.

Go read flex magazine and put some posing oil on.

Originally Posted by Supreme Sports

Drugs work!