Training Program
Macpui85
Posts: 36 Member
Hi!
I've been in a 2 day split (upper body, lower body, rest, upper body, lower body, rest, rest) for about a month now. I through some cardio into rest days every now and then.
I've noticed some results, but not the ones I've been looking for; mainly in thickness. While looking for another program I've noticed that most people focus on 2 muscle groups but only once per week (i.e. Back and shoulders on Monday, etc.). This doesn't seem right to me, I mean, you stimulate that muscle group once a week and let it rest for 6 days?
What do you recommend? What is your workout program?
I've been in a 2 day split (upper body, lower body, rest, upper body, lower body, rest, rest) for about a month now. I through some cardio into rest days every now and then.
I've noticed some results, but not the ones I've been looking for; mainly in thickness. While looking for another program I've noticed that most people focus on 2 muscle groups but only once per week (i.e. Back and shoulders on Monday, etc.). This doesn't seem right to me, I mean, you stimulate that muscle group once a week and let it rest for 6 days?
What do you recommend? What is your workout program?
0
Replies
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You need to be patient. "About a month" is not enough time to see much in the way of results.
I do an upper/lower split, 4 days a week. I've done full body 2 and 3 times a week as well. I have liked them all.3 -
You need to be patient. "About a month" is not enough time to see much in the way of results.
I do an upper/lower split, 4 days a week. I've done full body 2 and 3 times a week as well. I have liked them all.
Oh, I've been training more than a month; I adopted the split around that time. I know it takes patience, the thing is I have seen little to no progress.
I'm mostly interested in your program, 2 day split and full body 3 times a week seems to be your answer.0 -
If you don't mind reading a really long article on training, you should check out Greg Nuckol's Complete strength training guide.1
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How are you judging progress? Are you getting stronger by lifting heavier weights or doing more reps?0
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My training program typically goes like this:
Day 1: Upper Body Set 1 [the upper body exercises are so numerous that I have to split them up (24 of them).]
Day 2: Lower Body Set 1 [same reason as the upper body (18 of them)]
Day 3: Yoga [flexibility is just as important as strength]
Day 4: Upper Body Set 2
Day 5: Lower Body Set 2
Day 6: Core/Abs
Day 7: Resting Day
The exercises I do each day are in my exercise diary, which is open. Though I don't know if MFP lets you see others' exercise diaries like they do others' food diaries. If they do. Day 1 = Thursdays.2 -
Why are you doing 24 exercises on your upper body day?!?!
If you want that kind of split why don't you just run the program PHUL. It's two powder days for upper and lower and two hypertrophy days for upper and lower. Make sure you had a progressive overload.1 -
arditarose wrote: »Why are you doing 24 exercises on your upper body day?!?!
If you want that kind of split why don't you just run the program PHUL. It's two powder days for upper and lower and two hypertrophy days for upper and lower. Make sure you had a progressive overload.
It's 12 on Set 1, 12 on Set 2. Each of the exercises works the muscles a bit differently [some use anchored resistance bands, some use a medicine ball, some are free form, etc].1 -
Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?1 -
arditarose wrote: »Why are you doing 24 exercises on your upper body day?!?!
If you want that kind of split why don't you just run the program PHUL. It's two powder days for upper and lower and two hypertrophy days for upper and lower. Make sure you had a progressive overload.
It's 12 on Set 1, 12 on Set 2. Each of the exercises works the muscles a bit differently [some use anchored resistance bands, some use a medicine ball, some are free form, etc].
You mean 24 reps per exercise? You are confusing me.0 -
Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?
Unless you're only doing isolation exercises, you're working muscles multiple times a week.0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Why are you doing 24 exercises on your upper body day?!?!
If you want that kind of split why don't you just run the program PHUL. It's two powder days for upper and lower and two hypertrophy days for upper and lower. Make sure you had a progressive overload.
It's 12 on Set 1, 12 on Set 2. Each of the exercises works the muscles a bit differently [some use anchored resistance bands, some use a medicine ball, some are free form, etc].
You mean 24 reps per exercise? You are confusing me.
There are a total of 24 upper body exercises I do a week. I've found that if I try to do more than 12 exercises in a single day I start to suffer the effects of over-exercise [exhaustion, poor recovery, etc]. So I split them into two different sets, one on Day 1, one on Day 4.
As for reps, 3 sets, 20 reps per set [or until failure, whichever comes first]. If I do all 3 sets/20 reps, next week the weight goes up.1 -
Mycophilia wrote: »Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?
Unless you're only doing isolation exercises, you're working muscles multiple times a week.
I may only do one or two compound lifts per session, the rest are isolation.0 -
I like to hit a muscle group every 4 or 5 days. That feels like enough rest without over-training.0
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Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?
Full body routines are some of the best routines a person can follow, especially for lifters who aren't very lean, haven't reach strength potential and who are short on time. It minimize stress on the central nervous system since there is a rest day; it maximize stimulus of muscle fiber (increase MPS); and maximizing total body strength. And the fact that you do mostly isolation, it will no where near be as effective as a solid fully body routine.
OP, what are you actually trying to achieve?0 -
Hi!
I've been in a 2 day split (upper body, lower body, rest, upper body, lower body, rest, rest) for about a month now. I through some cardio into rest days every now and then.
I've noticed some results, but not the ones I've been looking for; mainly in thickness. While looking for another program I've noticed that most people focus on 2 muscle groups but only once per week (i.e. Back and shoulders on Monday, etc.). This doesn't seem right to me, I mean, you stimulate that muscle group once a week and let it rest for 6 days?
What do you recommend? What is your workout program?
are yo utryign to gain weight/lose weight or what? your post doesn't make it clear? what are your goals?0 -
Up your weights. Tis the answer, I promise.1
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TavistockToad wrote: »Hi!
I've been in a 2 day split (upper body, lower body, rest, upper body, lower body, rest, rest) for about a month now. I through some cardio into rest days every now and then.
I've noticed some results, but not the ones I've been looking for; mainly in thickness. While looking for another program I've noticed that most people focus on 2 muscle groups but only once per week (i.e. Back and shoulders on Monday, etc.). This doesn't seem right to me, I mean, you stimulate that muscle group once a week and let it rest for 6 days?
What do you recommend? What is your workout program?
are yo utryign to gain weight/lose weight or what? your post doesn't make it clear? what are your goals?
Gain muscle mass and lose fat.0 -
So it sounds like you are doing a lot of isolation work. Even isolation work doesn't HAVE to be done at 12 reps. You can up weight and try 10 reps, you can lower it and go for 20, etc. And why not more heavy compound work? Are you squatting/deadlifting/OHP/Benching/Barbell rowing?
Also, you're not going to see much recomp results in a month. Give it 6. To a year.1 -
Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?
Full body routines are some of the best routines a person can follow, especially for lifters who aren't very lean, haven't reach strength potential and who are short on time. It minimize stress on the central nervous system since there is a rest day; it maximize stimulus of muscle fiber (increase MPS); and maximizing total body strength. And the fact that you do mostly isolation, it will no where near be as effective as a solid fully body routine.
OP, what are you actually trying to achieve?
I disagree with you.0 -
Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?
Full body routines are some of the best routines a person can follow, especially for lifters who aren't very lean, haven't reach strength potential and who are short on time. It minimize stress on the central nervous system since there is a rest day; it maximize stimulus of muscle fiber (increase MPS); and maximizing total body strength. And the fact that you do mostly isolation, it will no where near be as effective as a solid fully body routine.
OP, what are you actually trying to achieve?
I disagree with you.
Why?
0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Hi!
I've been in a 2 day split (upper body, lower body, rest, upper body, lower body, rest, rest) for about a month now. I through some cardio into rest days every now and then.
I've noticed some results, but not the ones I've been looking for; mainly in thickness. While looking for another program I've noticed that most people focus on 2 muscle groups but only once per week (i.e. Back and shoulders on Monday, etc.). This doesn't seem right to me, I mean, you stimulate that muscle group once a week and let it rest for 6 days?
What do you recommend? What is your workout program?
are yo utryign to gain weight/lose weight or what? your post doesn't make it clear? what are your goals?
Gain muscle mass and lose fat.
trying to do both of those at the same time is a slow process, so if that's your chosen route you need to be a lot more patient.0 -
Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?
Full body routines are some of the best routines a person can follow, especially for lifters who aren't very lean, haven't reach strength potential and who are short on time. It minimize stress on the central nervous system since there is a rest day; it maximize stimulus of muscle fiber (increase MPS); and maximizing total body strength. And the fact that you do mostly isolation, it will no where near be as effective as a solid fully body routine.
OP, what are you actually trying to achieve?
I disagree with you.
You disagree because...??0 -
There are so many different ways of splitting up your exercises, each with people who have had great success with that method that I can only conclude that (within the bounds of common sense) the way in which you split your routines has little to no effect on the effectiveness of those exercises.
So, for your original question:What do you recommend?
Follow an established program because it takes all the thinking and worrying out of the equation - You just show up and do the lifts the program says then go home. You lift what and when the program tells you to lift and you rest when the program tells you to rest.0 -
arditarose wrote: »Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?
Full body routines are some of the best routines a person can follow, especially for lifters who aren't very lean, haven't reach strength potential and who are short on time. It minimize stress on the central nervous system since there is a rest day; it maximize stimulus of muscle fiber (increase MPS); and maximizing total body strength. And the fact that you do mostly isolation, it will no where near be as effective as a solid fully body routine.
OP, what are you actually trying to achieve?
I disagree with you.
Why?
Why? I know what works best for me. My results speak for themselves.0 -
OP, since it sounds like you are not liking the results of this program, I will suggest trying another program. Here are a few of the many options:
* 5/3/1 (get the book but this is a calculator) - https://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator
* A Workout Routine (beginner) - http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/
* All Pro's - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843
* Fierce 5 (note that there are several variations from beginner to advanced, 3-5 day, plus a dumbbell program) - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=162916931&p=1266578971&viewfull=1#post1266578971
* Frankoman’s Dumbbell Only Split - https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/frankoman-dumbbell-only-split.html
* Full body dumbbell routine (note: women and men can use the same rep range, if you want to go low do it, if you want to go high do it. I promise that neither will make you gain or lose a Y chromosome.) - https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html
* Greyskull - http://strengthvillain.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89
* Juggernaut 2.0 - http://www.jtsstrength.com/store/the-juggernaut-method-2-0/
* Lyle McDonald's barbell and machine routines - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-4.html/
* NROLFW - http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/nrol-for-women
* Starting Strength (book) - http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1P1RP215KTX5JG6G80Q6
* Practical Programming (book) - http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programming-Strength-Training-Rippetoe/dp/0982522754?ie=UTF8&qid=&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=
* Strong Curves - http://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/Strong-Curves-Workout-Templates.pdf
* Stronglifts - http://stronglifts.com/1 -
I like the upper/lower plan you are on, that or a 3x full body are my suggested splits.
However 12 exercises each time seems a bit much. Pare that down to a vertical & horizontal movement for both push & pull. Legs keep them to the basic variants of squat, lunge, hinge. 12 different of those is also not necessary0 -
arditarose wrote: »Personally, I respond better to training one muscle group per day, except for arms. So my training would look like this.
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Bi's and Tri's
Friday: Shoulders
Repeat
I believe in quality over quantity. You can train a body part twice a week, but is the quality there?
Full body routines are some of the best routines a person can follow, especially for lifters who aren't very lean, haven't reach strength potential and who are short on time. It minimize stress on the central nervous system since there is a rest day; it maximize stimulus of muscle fiber (increase MPS); and maximizing total body strength. And the fact that you do mostly isolation, it will no where near be as effective as a solid fully body routine.
OP, what are you actually trying to achieve?
I disagree with you.
Why?
Why? I know what works best for me. My results speak for themselves.
Not suggesting it doesn't work, but rather a determination of efficacy. I used to do a program similar to yours. I plateau'd within 9 months. I broke that plateau with a more effective 3 day full body routine and 4 day split. But for people new or only a few years of lifting, a 3 day will provide the most gains, followed by splits (upper/lower, push/pull). Five day routines are usually only for the elite who can't make any more gains with the aforementioned programs.
OP, if you don' t like your current program, you can chose one of the above. But even after than, a month generally isn't a good timeframe to validate if it's effective. If you like a split, I would look at PHAT or PHUL. Great programs.1 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Why are you doing 24 exercises on your upper body day?!?!
If you want that kind of split why don't you just run the program PHUL. It's two powder days for upper and lower and two hypertrophy days for upper and lower. Make sure you had a progressive overload.
It's 12 on Set 1, 12 on Set 2. Each of the exercises works the muscles a bit differently [some use anchored resistance bands, some use a medicine ball, some are free form, etc].
You mean 24 reps per exercise? You are confusing me.
There are a total of 24 upper body exercises I do a week. I've found that if I try to do more than 12 exercises in a single day I start to suffer the effects of over-exercise [exhaustion, poor recovery, etc]. So I split them into two different sets, one on Day 1, one on Day 4.
As for reps, 3 sets, 20 reps per set [or until failure, whichever comes first]. If I do all 3 sets/20 reps, next week the weight goes up.
OP, since it sounds like you are not liking the results of this program, I will suggest trying another program. Here are a few of the many options:
-snip-
Not sure why you're quoting mine instead of the OP's routine [unless it's another good example. If so then oops]. So far I'm liking the results, as strength and balance has been steadily increasing. Even after just a week, my strength at least doubled.
The only side effect is that my water weight fluctuates wildly due to my muscles often being in a repair state [like today I gained 3 pounds even on a deficit], but I use TrendWeight to show actual weight changes so that negates that issue.0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Why are you doing 24 exercises on your upper body day?!?!
If you want that kind of split why don't you just run the program PHUL. It's two powder days for upper and lower and two hypertrophy days for upper and lower. Make sure you had a progressive overload.
It's 12 on Set 1, 12 on Set 2. Each of the exercises works the muscles a bit differently [some use anchored resistance bands, some use a medicine ball, some are free form, etc].
You mean 24 reps per exercise? You are confusing me.
There are a total of 24 upper body exercises I do a week. I've found that if I try to do more than 12 exercises in a single day I start to suffer the effects of over-exercise [exhaustion, poor recovery, etc]. So I split them into two different sets, one on Day 1, one on Day 4.
As for reps, 3 sets, 20 reps per set [or until failure, whichever comes first]. If I do all 3 sets/20 reps, next week the weight goes up.
OP, since it sounds like you are not liking the results of this program, I will suggest trying another program. Here are a few of the many options:
-snip-
Not sure why you're quoting mine instead of the OP's routine [unless it's another good example. If so then oops]. So far I'm liking the results, as strength and balance has been steadily increasing. Even after just a week, my strength at least doubled.
The only side effect is that my water weight fluctuates wildly due to my muscles often being in a repair state [like today I gained 3 pounds even on a deficit], but I use TrendWeight to show actual weight changes so that negates that issue.
Oops, sorry about that!0
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