Strength training question?

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mammakisses
mammakisses Posts: 604 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I decided to concentrate on different body parts every day since I wasn't feeling the burn the next day when doing the whole body. I'm wondering should I do the lower half, upper half and then the abs on another day or should I seperate the body parts even more?
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Replies

  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    How advanced a body builder are you?

    IF your reaction to my question is "WTF?" then you should consider sticking to whole body compound programs.
  • MagicalLeopleurodon
    MagicalLeopleurodon Posts: 623 Member
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    I do legs and glutes
    Chest and back
    Biceps, triceps, shoulders
    Abs three days a week
  • ElleMac_Figure
    ElleMac_Figure Posts: 3
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    Are you training for strength, to build muscle or overall fitness?

    If you believe you can sustain a training programme over 3-4 days a week and you are aiming to build muscle then yes I would recommend you split the body parts, into push/pull on separate days or something similar. I train that way. I train back/biceps (pull), chest/shoulders/triceps (push), glutes/hams, quads/calves. I am a figure competitor. When I was a beginner I started with the same on upper body, then legs.

    It depends so much on your personal goals and what you want your body shape to look like :)
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    There is no problem with working one muscle group a day. That is how my workout goes and every other day I do legs and abs. For example this week looks like this:

    Mon: Bi's/legs
    Tues: chest/abs
    Wed: back/legs
    Thurs: shoulders/abs
    Fri: tri's/Legs
    Mon: bi's/abs

    I also do 30 min. cardio before my workouts and ab and leg days are different. With regards to "feeling the burn" you're probably not lifting heavy enough. Do you go up in weight when you lift? Are you doing the movements in a slow and controlled manner, focusing on the muscle you're working and pausing at the top? I have been very conscious about doing this and let me tell you I KNOW I have muscles at the end of my workout -- I did tri's on Saturday and my arms were shaking when I was done -- and they are fairly sore the next day. I also increase the weight with every set that I do.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you're pretty new to lifting...if that is the case, you do not have the requisite knowledge to invent your own program. For best results, do an actual tried and true program that has been developed by professionals; your progress much quicker and results will be much better.
  • Fitfully_me
    Fitfully_me Posts: 647 Member
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    So I decided to concentrate on different body parts every day since I wasn't feeling the burn the next day when doing the whole body. I'm wondering should I do the lower half, upper half and then the abs on another day or should I seperate the body parts even more?

    "Feeling the burn the next day" What is the specific importance of this to you? Do you feel challenged with your current routine? Are you getting results the way you are training? How long have you been following your current routine?

    I don't know that you've given us enough information to really "help" you. What types of workouts are you doing? Working with weights, body weight, machines, etc. What are your goals?
  • mammakisses
    mammakisses Posts: 604 Member
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    My goal is to tone up while losing weight.

    I wouldn't say I'm a beginer to weight training since I've done it on and off for years. Mostly with workout videos. Now I'm trying to lift heavy with small reps for 3 sets.

    I use body weight, free weights and a barbell.

    I just want to feel tight and slightly sore so that I know I'm doing something right.

    Thanks for all the tips. I'm now thinking I would like to seperate it this way: legs and glutes
    Chest and back
    Biceps, triceps, shoulders
    Abs

    Any other tips would be welcomed.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    What's your tested max for deadlift, squat, bench and OHP?

    Or C&J, Snatch?
  • Yeller_Sensation
    Yeller_Sensation Posts: 373 Member
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    My routine:

    Mon: Back and Biceps (60 mins)
    Tue: Legs (30 mins)
    Wed: Chest and Shoulders (60 mins)
    Thu: Legs (30 mins)
    Fri: Triceps (with a few planks thrown in) (60 mins)
    Sat: Legs (30 mins)
    Sun: Rest
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    Stick with full body programs. You may not feel it now, but give it a few weeks and you will.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    What's your tested max for deadlift, squat, bench and OHP?

    Or C&J, Snatch?

    What does that have to do with the OP wanting to change up what she does?
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    Stick with full body programs. You may not feel it now, but give it a few weeks and you will.
    Yup.

    NROLFW or Stronglifts.
  • iamkass
    iamkass Posts: 122 Member
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    There is no problem with working one muscle group a day. That is how my workout goes and every other day I do legs and abs. For example this week looks like this:

    Mon: Bi's/legs
    Tues: chest/abs
    Wed: back/legs
    Thurs: shoulders/abs
    Fri: tri's/Legs
    Mon: bi's/abs

    I also do 30 min. cardio before my workouts and ab and leg days are different. With regards to "feeling the burn" you're probably not lifting heavy enough. Do you go up in weight when you lift? Are you doing the movements in a slow and controlled manner, focusing on the muscle you're working and pausing at the top? I have been very conscious about doing this and let me tell you I KNOW I have muscles at the end of my workout -- I did tri's on Saturday and my arms were shaking when I was done -- and they are fairly sore the next day. I also increase the weight with every set that I do.

    My week is very similar except I do arms (bi's and tri's) on one day and legs are only one day. I do alternate abs like you. I also do 30 minutes of cardio before hand. I was just wondering, do you focus on one part of the leg (hams, quads, calves) or do you do a full set all the time?
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Everyone is different but a basic split routine would be:

    Chest, shoulders, tri's
    Back and bi's
    Legs and core

    that's a three day a week weight lifting routine. pretty standard for beginners.

    edit to add: after reading some responses I think I should explain the routine I just gave you. The reason you want to do back and bi's on the same day and chest and tri's on the same day is because they are complentary muscles. For example, when doing a pull up, in which the primary movers are your back muscles, your secondary movers are your biceps. Therefore, this helps exhaust those smaller muscle group (bi's in my example). It is just an easier way than dedicating an entire day to bi's and tri's. This way you are giving them a workout during the back portion of your workout (as a secondary muscle) and also during the part of your workout that you dedicate to biceps (biceps curls, etc...). Hope that made sense.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    There is no problem with working one muscle group a day. That is how my workout goes and every other day I do legs and abs. For example this week looks like this:

    Mon: Bi's/legs
    Tues: chest/abs
    Wed: back/legs
    Thurs: shoulders/abs
    Fri: tri's/Legs
    Mon: bi's/abs

    I also do 30 min. cardio before my workouts and ab and leg days are different. With regards to "feeling the burn" you're probably not lifting heavy enough. Do you go up in weight when you lift? Are you doing the movements in a slow and controlled manner, focusing on the muscle you're working and pausing at the top? I have been very conscious about doing this and let me tell you I KNOW I have muscles at the end of my workout -- I did tri's on Saturday and my arms were shaking when I was done -- and they are fairly sore the next day. I also increase the weight with every set that I do.

    My week is very similar except I do arms (bi's and tri's) on one day and legs are only one day. I do alternate abs like you. I also do 30 minutes of cardio before hand. I was just wondering, do you focus on one part of the leg (hams, quads, calves) or do you do a full set all the time?

    Depends on what I feel like doing. Lately I have thrown in a lot of squats - curtsey, pistol, regular. Lunges, step ups, dead lifts, good mornings. I'll do the "yes no" machine or use the cable to target the same areas and same with the donkey kick. I will do leg extensions, curl, press, and calves are done a couple times a week.

    So to answer your question I try and hit a different part each time but I don't concentrate on just one part of the leg per time.

    I love splitting it up like this. It gives me time to really focus on the muscles that I'm working and I'm not at the gym forever. My lifting takes an hour, maybe 75 minutes if I rest longer.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    What's your tested max for deadlift, squat, bench and OHP?

    Or C&J, Snatch?

    What does that have to do with the OP wanting to change up what she does?
    It has to do with her level of experience.

    Knowing that allows us to give her better advice.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    What's your tested max for deadlift, squat, bench and OHP?

    Or C&J, Snatch?

    What does that have to do with the OP wanting to change up what she does?
    It has to do with her level of experience.

    Knowing that allows us to give her better advice.

    Ooooh. So if someone has a really low amount of weight for the above then they'd be considered a "newbie"?

    Yeah, don't agree.

    I don't even know what my "tested max" is for any of those and I am far from new. Not to mention I don't do the C&J or snatches.
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
    Options
    What's your tested max for deadlift, squat, bench and OHP?

    Or C&J, Snatch?

    What does that have to do with the OP wanting to change up what she does?
    It has to do with her level of experience.

    Knowing that allows us to give her better advice.

    still irrelevant. and instead of trying to sound experienced by throwing out lifts, you could've just asked her how experienced she was.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Options
    What's your tested max for deadlift, squat, bench and OHP?

    Or C&J, Snatch?

    What does that have to do with the OP wanting to change up what she does?
    It has to do with her level of experience.

    Knowing that allows us to give her better advice.

    Ooooh. So if someone has a really low amount of weight for the above then they'd be considered a "newbie"?

    Yeah, don't agree.

    I don't even know what my "tested max" is for any of those and I am far from new. Not to mention I don't do the C&J or snatches.
    Mhmm.

    If she produced numbers for any of them, I'd consider her above newbie to be honest, since it would mean she understood what I meant.

    You're very catty.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
    Options
    What's your tested max for deadlift, squat, bench and OHP?

    Or C&J, Snatch?

    What does that have to do with the OP wanting to change up what she does?
    It has to do with her level of experience.

    Knowing that allows us to give her better advice.

    Ooooh. So if someone has a really low amount of weight for the above then they'd be considered a "newbie"?

    Yeah, don't agree.

    I don't even know what my "tested max" is for any of those and I am far from new. Not to mention I don't do the C&J or snatches.
    Mhmm.

    If she produced numbers for any of them, I'd consider her above newbie to be honest, since it would mean she understood what I meant.

    You're very catty.

    I'm not being catty I just fail to see how this is going to allow you to help the OP.

    So basically (according to you) I'm a "newbie" since I really don't spend any time thinking about what my tested max is and because (again according to you) I "didn't understand the question".

    I just saw no relevance.

    Apparently I'm not the only one:
    still irrelevant. and instead of trying to sound experienced by throwing out lifts, you could've just asked her how experienced she was.

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