Which makes more sense

[joeman]

A little info first, my chest is crap, I have been hitting it once every seven days on a typical one bodypart per week split with an arms day. I feel that after 3 days since my chest workout, it shrinks or feels like its atrophying. Other body parts I feel the same about, only chest is the worst for progress.

Either:

M - Push
T - legs/light pull
W - rest
TH - Push
F - pull/light legs
Sat & Sun- Rest

or

M - Chest/Tri
T - Back/Bi
W - Shoulders/Traps
TH - Legs
F - OFF
Sat- Chest/Tri
Sun -Back/Bi

 

[Built]

Hitting chest once a week makes no sense for an unassisted athlete.

Are you gaining weight?

 

[joeman]

Im natty, working out for a year. 5"11 196lbs, 10-12%BF.

Stats:

Flat BB Bench 195x6
BB Curl: 110x5
Squats: Just Started Again used to do around 300lbs
Deadlifts: Just Started and want to get good at em

The only physical activity I do is weightlifting. I want to be huge and strong, my idols are Arnold and Franco Columbu. My current routine of hitting one body part every seven days isnt cutting it, escpecially for my chest. I realize this and thats why Im asking about those two routines because they have chest 3-5 days apart rather than 7. I keep plateauing for months on this routine and need to get stronger asap.

 

[joeman]

or even:

Day1: Back, biceps
Day2: Chest, Shoulders, triceps
Day3: Legs
Day4: OFF
Day5: Back, biceps
Day6: Chest, Shoulders, triceps
Day7: Legs

 

[Built]

Are you gaining weight?
What average calories are you running?

 

[gtbmed]

Why do you need to get stronger ASAP? Slow progress accumulated over time leads to big gains. Normally people who want to get strong quickly burn out and don't make any noticeable long-term progress.

Getting stronger can have to do with programming. Read the thread about selecting rep ranges for your program and the one about designing a training routine. Those will do wonders for your strength progress.

As for gaining size, you have to eat. As long as you are gaining weight and gaining strength, your chest will likely get bigger. I haven't seen many guys who are huge but have small chests.

 

[rockhardly]

Hitting chest once a week makes no sense for an unassisted athlete.

I am not making the connection. Can you explain your comment?

 

[Built]

I am not making the connection. Can you explain your comment?

Sure thing. Relative to those on gear, unassisted athletes have a more limited capacity for training, CNS fatigue and recovery. In other words, instead of once a week "Chest day", train chest twice a week. Better to hit a muscle with lower per-workout training volume but higher training frequency. You'll be able to do more volume overall, and you'll be able to keep building off of your most recent recovery. At least, that's how it makes sense in my head. Lots of guys get plenty huge training bodypart splits. This just strikes me as a better option, in general.

 

[gtbmed]

I think frequency is an important factor in maximizing exercise technique too. Plus, I always felt like that extra day of rest you get from doing a push/pull or fullbody split is good for the CNS. I don't like the idea of splitting things up and doing 5 weight training days per week.

I train 5-6 times per week but I only lift 4 times per week and 2 of those sessions are limited.

 

[Built]

The only way I could see training five days a week would be if the sessions were mostly full-body, and very short.

Unless you train in your living room, this is probably not all that convenient for most lifters.

 

[gtbmed]

Yeah, 5 days of weights to me is just too much. Plus, I hate the feeling of one body part or group of bodyparts being worked and the others being fresh.

Plus, like I said, splitting by bodypart means you're working at a low frequency. I hate that because it seems like the more time you take off, the poorer your form. It's especially true for compound movements.