Few questions for regular gym people

VT802VT

I was just wondering what the best weekly routine is. like for example, what i should do every day of the week.

monday : Foucus on such and such muscles
Tuesday :Bi's and tries and

Stuff like that while throwing in some cardio and others.

What are your weekly routines?

gmallan

It would be helpful if you listed your goals, experience and schedule so we've got something to go off

malibu927

The best routine is one you can stick to and fits your goals. If you're new to lifting, a full-body, progressive program such as Stronglifts 5x5 will be your best bet.

melissa6771

You will have to figure this out for yourself. Goals, time, etc.

Here is what I do.

Mon.& Fri.- upper body, cardio
Sun.& Tues.- lower body, cardio
If I have the time... Thursday, Saturday- just a short 30-40 min cardio session

I know a lot of people here are all high on the strong lifts program, I have read it and don't see what the big deal is. I follow three of Bill Phillip's programs, currently back to fit, which you can find on bodybuilding.com, tons of different programs there. you're going to have to try things out and see what you like. You could also hire a trainer to learn form and exercises.

VT802VT

gmallan wrote: »

It would be helpful if you listed your goals, experience and schedule so we've got something to go off

My goals are to hit each of my muscles each week. All i want to know is what i should split them up into each week. i work at a gym and have and have a few hours after closing that i can stay and work out. Latley ive been doing

Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Shoulders
Thursday -Biceps and Triceps
Friday - Legs


I was wondering what other muscles i should focus on top of these. different parts of my arms, backs and chest. Take my list above, and ad onto it with what i missing. Im just trying to split it all up between these 5 days.



Forearms, abs, different parts of my back, neck quad ext.

AnvilHead

VT802VT wrote: »

gmallan wrote: »

It would be helpful if you listed your goals, experience and schedule so we've got something to go off

My goals are to hit each of my muscles each week. All i want to know is what i should split them up into each week. i work at a gym and have and have a few hours after closing that i can stay and work out. Latley ive been doing

Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Shoulders
Thursday -Biceps and Triceps
Friday - Legs


I was wondering what other muscles i should focus on top of these. different parts of my arms, backs and chest. Take my list above, and ad onto it with what i missing. Im just trying to split it all up between these 5 days.



Forearms, abs, different parts of my back, neck quad ext.

A split like that is commonly referred to as a "bro split" (because you'll most often see it done in the gym by "bros" who don't know any better). Completely unnecessary and not optimal unless you're an advanced lifter/bodybuilder who's hitting the muscle groups so hard and heavy that they need a full week to recover from workouts. For most people, a full body routine three days a week or some kind of a two-way split (upper/lower, etc.) done four days a week would yield far better results (in those type of routines, every muscle group is getting worked either three times a week or twice a week, respectively).

It's also far better to be on a routine which was intelligently designed by a knowledgeable trainer rather than just throwing together a mish-mosh of exercises and hoping for results. There is a pretty extensive list of routines in this thread: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

AnvilHead

Also, the five-day split you listed ignores the fact that there's a lot of overlap in muscle groups. When you train chest, you're also training shoulders and triceps with most of the movements. When you train back, you're also training the shoulders and biceps. When you train shoulders, you're also training the chest, back and triceps (depending upon which movements you're doing). Then you go into a biceps/triceps day and you're training the same muscles you've been hammering all week long on your other days.

If you want a great mini-education on strength training, check out Eric Helms' Muscle and Strength Training Pyramids videos. The link goes to part 1, there are a total of 6 videos and they're worth every minute of your time to watch them. Eric is a coach/trainer, researcher, competitive bodybuilder/powerlifter and author who knows his stuff.

VT802VT

AnvilHead wrote: »

Also, the five-day split you listed ignores the fact that there's a lot of overlap in muscle groups. When you train chest, you're also training shoulders and triceps with most of the movements. When you train back, you're also training the shoulders and biceps. When you train shoulders, you're also training the chest, back and triceps (depending upon which movements you're doing). Then you go into a biceps/triceps day and you're training the same muscles you've been hammering all week long on your other days.

If you want a great mini-education on strength training, check out Eric Helms' Muscle and Strength Training Pyramids videos. The link goes to part 1, there are a total of 6 videos and they're worth every minute of your time to watch them. Eric is a coach/trainer, researcher, competitive bodybuilder/powerlifter and author who knows his stuff.

I know there is a lot of overlapping going on, but I'm at the point where i can go hard, and not be sore the next day. I have a solid 4 hours a day at the gym i work at to work out, so i take advantage of those hours. I would do less, but during those 4 hours, working out makes it go by a whole lot quicker. I picked up this routine from a trainer who has been body building for the past few years. The guy is giant, pretty well known around here and i figured he knows his stuff. Its not so much random "mish-mosh", I see that i made it seem like i am a newby, but i guess i should probably mention that I'm not really focusing on results anymore..Just looking for different muscles to focus on spread out during the week to keep me busy. That spread i posted is a simplified version to keep things simple.

MudRunChica

AnvilHead wrote: »

VT802VT wrote: »

gmallan wrote: »

It would be helpful if you listed your goals, experience and schedule so we've got something to go off

My goals are to hit each of my muscles each week. All i want to know is what i should split them up into each week. i work at a gym and have and have a few hours after closing that i can stay and work out. Latley ive been doing

Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Shoulders
Thursday -Biceps and Triceps
Friday - Legs


I was wondering what other muscles i should focus on top of these. different parts of my arms, backs and chest. Take my list above, and ad onto it with what i missing. Im just trying to split it all up between these 5 days.



Forearms, abs, different parts of my back, neck quad ext.

A split like that is commonly referred to as a "bro split" (because you'll most often see it done in the gym by "bros" who don't know any better). Completely unnecessary and not optimal unless you're an advanced lifter/bodybuilder who's hitting the muscle groups so hard and heavy that they need a full week to recover from workouts. For most people, a full body routine three days a week or some kind of a two-way split (upper/lower, etc.) done four days a week would yield far better results (in those type of routines, every muscle group is getting worked either three times a week or twice a week, respectively).

It's also far better to be on a routine which was intelligently designed by a knowledgeable trainer rather than just throwing together a mish-mosh of exercises and hoping for results. There is a pretty extensive list of routines in this thread: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

Plus, everyone knows that Monday is international bench day.

JoshD8705

Wendler 5,3,1 plus 2 accessories, or 5x5 Stronglifts. Those are both easy to get started with assuming you have a smartphone to keep track of the weight percentages for you with their apps.

cwolfman13

You should formulate some fitness goals and let those dictate your training protocol. As lifting goes, you'd be best to follow a full body program as a beginner...these are typically done 2-3x per week on non consecutive days.

I'm a cycling enthusiast so I spend a lot of time on my bike...I generally lift 2x per week during the season and spend most of my time on the bike. I usually run a 3x week heavy program in the winter when I spend less time on the bike. My programming by and large is in support of my cycling and to make me a better all around rider and to cross train and help balance my fitness.

As a beginner lifting I wouldn't do a split...IMO, splits are beneficial for more advanced lifters who need the volume because they're actually trying to pack on mass.

iplayoutside19

I think after an hour on each of those muscle groups you will be reaching the point of diminishing returns.

I do a 4 day split. M, TH, Arms, chest, shoulders, opposing upper back. T, F, Legs, core, lower back. Cardio on W and Weekends.

Damien_K

If you are a beginner then start with a full body workout on non-consecutive days and focus primarily on compound exercises (bench press, squats, deadlifts etc). Your recovery time will be better than us intermediates who needs to start splitting out the different muscle groups.

Make sure to progress each week by either increasing the weight or adding another rep. The lower the reps the more focus will be placed on strength training and vice versa for hypertrophy that will increase size. It is best to strike a balance between the two to be able to keep on progressing.

Don't split unless it is really necessary.

Return2Fit

As some have mentioned, the best routines are those that reflect your goals and make up exercise you can perform regularly.
Here is my own routine which is all about maintaining weight and slowly losing body fat. You must decide what types of exercises will get you results.
GOOD LUCK