Lifting: “dedicated body part days” vs. “distributed days”

timg760

First of all, let me apologize in advance if this is a frequently discussed topic… I tried the Search first and couldn’t find anything to answer this question, so here goes.

My current lifting program is a M-W-F lifting schedule, dumbells only, that I got from muscleandfitness.com. It looks generally like this (the ab stuff I added myself):

Mon – Chest/Triceps Day
3x Chest exercises (3x = 3 Different lifts targeted at the pecs… same for triceps, biceps, etc)
3x Tricep exercises
1x abs

Wed – Back/Biceps Day
3x Back exercises
3x bicep exercises
1x abs

Fri – Legs/Shoulders Day
5x legs exercises
4x shoulders
1x abs

I should also add that I am currently eating at a deficit of TDEE – 13% (ish).

Previously I was doing another program that I got from the same website. The previous program didn’t use the concept of “dedicated (body part) Days” so much, and distributed exercises more like this:

Mon/Wed/Fri (

1x chest (each day is a different exercise for each body part)
1x back
1x tricep
1x bicep
1-2x shoulders
1-2x legs
1x abs

I am looking for opinions or data on whether the “dedicated body part days” are better than “distributed days” in which each day exercises all “parts”. I find that I have trouble with doing all the reps I’d like to, for example, of the triceps, by the time I get to the last tricep exercise for Monday (even if I alternate chest/tricep/chest/tricep). Same goes for Biceps. Having a tough time making progress with the arms in general.

Thanks,

TG

explosivedonut

I personally like dedicated days.You are working out 3 times a week. In my opinion it is better to do it that way. You can give body parts time to rest and recover, and then up the weigh for the next week.

I also like to emphasize compound movements (bench press, squat, overhead press, deadlift) in addition to isolation moves.

ElliottTN

I hate to be "that" guy but this is one of those cases where one size does not fit all depending on where you are with your fitness goals.

My opinion (note opinion) is that if you are new or even just intermediate to lifting than it would be more efficient to use a full body several times a week so your body can really thrive from the frequency. I also don't think it would be an efficient use of your time to hit your triceps from 5 different angles on one day until you have a much more advanced and developed tricep.

On the other end of the spectrum where you are more developed it very well be worth it to hit your tricep from 5 different angles if your tricep has an awesome base and is an advanced state. Body part days would be an efficient use of time then because you really have a diminishing return the longer your workouts are past a certain point. That said, a bodybuilder or strength athlete would use specific body part days to hit his arms for an efficient workout.

Two things to note: most importantly this is only my opinion. Also, both workouts will give you progress but key is to find the most efficient workout for you in your current state.

tonynguyen75

A few questions...
Can you do any more than the three days? 5 leg exercises with 4 shoulder exercises is a lot of volume in one day, I'm assuming you're doing either 3 sets or 5 sets for each exercise, that's 27-45 sets? Quite a lot of volume, IMO.

Another thing to consider is how long have you been lifting? If you're still a novice, many recommend going on a legit beginners program... Strong Lifts/Starting Strength/IceCream Fitness 5x5 etc.

timg760

Thanks a lot guys. I'm not that advanced, probably considered a beginner since I've only been seriously lifting since the beginning of August 2013. Maybe I've been too ambitious and should dial it back a hair until i am more advanced and have more strength in the areas i have trouble with.

Incidentally, I do cardio on my rest days, Tue/Thur/Sat or Sunday.... a 5k run at race pace. I could lift on those days too but that might be taking advantage of my very flexible schedule and my very flexible family...!

tonynguyen75

That's fine, you can still lift on just 3 days a week, but if you do, I would suggest moving to a good full body program. Especially since you're still a beginner. Many of those programs will give you 2 days, say Workout A and Workout B. You just have to alternate.

So for you, since you do MWF. You'd do A B A on week 1, then B A B on week 2. Keeps it simple.

jacksonpt

It depends mostly on how long it takes you to recover between workouts and secondarily what your specific goals are.

If you recover quickly enough to do full body 2-3x a week, that's generally better. If you need extra time to workout, then splits are a good option.

Goals will also play a role in the conversation, but for the average MFPer won't be a big enough deal to outweigh the benefits of hitting each body part multiple times per week.



On a side note... adherence and effort should be considered. If you're more apt to stick with and kick *kitten* with a split routine, then go that route. A less efficient routine that you crush will be more beneficial than a "perfect" routine that you half-*kitten*.

.

4legsRbetterthan2

Bump

TiberiusClaudis

Like the other gym rats said, it depends. But...I personally love full body workouts, I was very skeptical at first. You can always try one way for 6 or 8 weeks and then try the other. I change my routine every 6 weeks, if nothing else, to make it less boring.

Main thing, get in the gym and away from the frige.

You are on the right path. Good Luck!

timg760

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Great food for thought!

BTW my short term goals are to drop that pesky last 15 lbs and/or get my waist size below 36" (34" would be great), and to get strong.

Long term... get a little more mass.

Thanks again!

TG

Capt_Apollo

I hate to be "that" guy but this is one of those cases where one size does not fit all depending on where you are with your fitness goals.

My opinion (note opinion) is that if you are new or even just intermediate to lifting than it would be more efficient to use a full body several times a week so your body can really thrive from the frequency. I also don't think it would be an efficient use of your time to hit your triceps from 5 different angles on one day until you have a much more advanced and developed tricep.

On the other end of the spectrum where you are more developed it very well be worth it to hit your tricep from 5 different angles if your tricep has an awesome base and is an advanced state. Body part days would be an efficient use of time then because you really have a diminishing return the longer your workouts are past a certain point. That said, a bodybuilder or strength athlete would use specific body part days to hit his arms for an efficient workout.

Two things to note: most importantly this is only my opinion. Also, both workouts will give you progress but key is to find the most efficient workout for you in your current state.

pretty much this.

you know what happens when beginners have dedicated body parts days?? they tend to skip their least favorite days.

Capt_Apollo

this article really helped me out in the beginning, figuring out how to put a full body circuit together.

cwolfman13

I hate to be "that" guy but this is one of those cases where one size does not fit all depending on where you are with your fitness goals.

My opinion (note opinion) is that if you are new or even just intermediate to lifting than it would be more efficient to use a full body several times a week so your body can really thrive from the frequency. I also don't think it would be an efficient use of your time to hit your triceps from 5 different angles on one day until you have a much more advanced and developed tricep.

On the other end of the spectrum where you are more developed it very well be worth it to hit your tricep from 5 different angles if your tricep has an awesome base and is an advanced state. Body part days would be an efficient use of time then because you really have a diminishing return the longer your workouts are past a certain point. That said, a bodybuilder or strength athlete would use specific body part days to hit his arms for an efficient workout.

Two things to note: most importantly this is only my opinion. Also, both workouts will give you progress but key is to find the most efficient workout for you in your current state.

pretty much this.

you know what happens when beginners have dedicated body parts days?? they tend to skip their least favorite days.

werd....

jollyjoe321

I hate to be "that" guy but this is one of those cases where one size does not fit all depending on where you are with your fitness goals.

My opinion (note opinion) is that if you are new or even just intermediate to lifting than it would be more efficient to use a full body several times a week so your body can really thrive from the frequency. I also don't think it would be an efficient use of your time to hit your triceps from 5 different angles on one day until you have a much more advanced and developed tricep.

On the other end of the spectrum where you are more developed it very well be worth it to hit your tricep from 5 different angles if your tricep has an awesome base and is an advanced state. Body part days would be an efficient use of time then because you really have a diminishing return the longer your workouts are past a certain point. That said, a bodybuilder or strength athlete would use specific body part days to hit his arms for an efficient workout.

Two things to note: most importantly this is only my opinion. Also, both workouts will give you progress but key is to find the most efficient workout for you in your current state.

pretty much this.

you know what happens when beginners have dedicated body parts days?? they tend to skip their least favorite days.

Sad but true x)

explosivedonut

I hate to be "that" guy but this is one of those cases where one size does not fit all depending on where you are with your fitness goals.

My opinion (note opinion) is that if you are new or even just intermediate to lifting than it would be more efficient to use a full body several times a week so your body can really thrive from the frequency. I also don't think it would be an efficient use of your time to hit your triceps from 5 different angles on one day until you have a much more advanced and developed tricep.

On the other end of the spectrum where you are more developed it very well be worth it to hit your tricep from 5 different angles if your tricep has an awesome base and is an advanced state. Body part days would be an efficient use of time then because you really have a diminishing return the longer your workouts are past a certain point. That said, a bodybuilder or strength athlete would use specific body part days to hit his arms for an efficient workout.

Two things to note: most importantly this is only my opinion. Also, both workouts will give you progress but key is to find the most efficient workout for you in your current state.

pretty much this.

you know what happens when beginners have dedicated body parts days?? they tend to skip their least favorite days.

but... but... I love all my days equally...

Capt_Apollo

I hate to be "that" guy but this is one of those cases where one size does not fit all depending on where you are with your fitness goals.

My opinion (note opinion) is that if you are new or even just intermediate to lifting than it would be more efficient to use a full body several times a week so your body can really thrive from the frequency. I also don't think it would be an efficient use of your time to hit your triceps from 5 different angles on one day until you have a much more advanced and developed tricep.

On the other end of the spectrum where you are more developed it very well be worth it to hit your tricep from 5 different angles if your tricep has an awesome base and is an advanced state. Body part days would be an efficient use of time then because you really have a diminishing return the longer your workouts are past a certain point. That said, a bodybuilder or strength athlete would use specific body part days to hit his arms for an efficient workout.

Two things to note: most importantly this is only my opinion. Also, both workouts will give you progress but key is to find the most efficient workout for you in your current state.

pretty much this.

you know what happens when beginners have dedicated body parts days?? they tend to skip their least favorite days.

but... but... I love all my days equally...

didn't mean to imply everyone.

but a lot of people tend to either go light or not at all on their least favorite days. which are usually leg days.

explosivedonut

pretty much this.

you know what happens when beginners have dedicated body parts days?? they tend to skip their least favorite days.

but... but... I love all my days equally...

didn't mean to imply everyone.

but a lot of people tend to either go light or not at all on their least favorite days. which are usually leg days.

If I have to hate one type of people, it's people who skip leg days. Barbell squats are some of the manliest exercises you can do, next to deadlifts. Why wouldn't you want to be a badass who holds double your body weight on your back and then moves it through space and time?

mustgetmuscles1

The body part split has had great results for a lot of people so its hard to knock it BUT.... : )

I just dont think it is optimal for most lifters. Like everyone has said above, your split should really depend on experience, goals and recovery time.

The new lifter will generally benefit the most from the 3 day full body program. The volume and the weight are usually low on these but still allow for rapid improvements and recovery is easier.

As you get more advance recovery can start to slow down and if your goal is more aesthetic or you need to strengthen lagging parts you may add more accessory or isolation lifts in. This increases the amount of volume and time you are lifting. It would be a good idea to switch to something like and upper/lower split or a push/pull/legs split.

The four or five day body part split is really limiting your potential IMO. Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for around 36 hours after lifting. If you are only working a muscle group once per week you are spending 4-5 days not actually building anything. Some people like to just destroy a muscle group with a lot of reps and sets but I dont think it necessary or optimal for natural or casual lifters.

ETA: You are lifting in a deficit and a there is some overlap in muscles being used for different days so it will probably work just fine if you like the program you are on.

explosivedonut

The body part split has had great results for a lot of people so its hard to knock it BUT.... : )

I just dont think it is optimal for most lifters. Like everyone has said above, your split should really depend on experience, goals and recovery time.

The new lifter will generally benefit the most from the 3 day full body program. The volume and the weight are usually low on these but still allow for rapid improvements and recovery is easier.

As you get more advance recovery can start to slow down and if your goal is more aesthetic or you need to strengthen lagging parts you may add more accessory or isolation lifts in. This increases the amount of volume and time you are lifting. It would be a good idea to switch to something like and upper/lower split or a push/pull/legs split.

The four or five day body part split is really limiting your potential IMO. Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for around 36 hours after lifting. If you are only working a muscle group once per week you are spending 4-5 days not actually building anything. Some people like to just destroy a muscle group with a lot of reps and sets but I dont think it necessary or optimal for natural or casual lifters.

I am by no means an expert. Nor do I claim to be. That being said, though I do focus on a single muscle group at a time, I always include 1 or more compound lifts into my routine. I'm not sitting there doing 30 sets of bicep curls. In fact, my arm day contains both a close grip bench press, and chin ups. My back day include pull ups, and deadlifts. Leg day has squats. chest has bench press, incline bench, and decline bench. shoulders has sitting dumbbell shoulder press and standing military presses.

My routine is a mix of compound movements and isolation ones. Very rarely does a body part get a full 36 hours of rest

mustgetmuscles1

The body part split has had great results for a lot of people so its hard to knock it BUT.... : )

I just dont think it is optimal for most lifters. Like everyone has said above, your split should really depend on experience, goals and recovery time.

The new lifter will generally benefit the most from the 3 day full body program. The volume and the weight are usually low on these but still allow for rapid improvements and recovery is easier.

As you get more advance recovery can start to slow down and if your goal is more aesthetic or you need to strengthen lagging parts you may add more accessory or isolation lifts in. This increases the amount of volume and time you are lifting. It would be a good idea to switch to something like and upper/lower split or a push/pull/legs split.

The four or five day body part split is really limiting your potential IMO. Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for around 36 hours after lifting. If you are only working a muscle group once per week you are spending 4-5 days not actually building anything. Some people like to just destroy a muscle group with a lot of reps and sets but I dont think it necessary or optimal for natural or casual lifters.

I am by no means an expert. Nor do I claim to be. That being said, though I do focus on a single muscle group at a time, I always include 1 or more compound lifts into my routine. I'm not sitting there doing 30 sets of bicep curls. In fact, my arm day contains both a close grip bench press, and chin ups. My back day include pull ups, and deadlifts. Leg day has squats. chest has bench press, incline bench, and decline bench. shoulders has sitting dumbbell shoulder press and standing military presses.

My routine is a mix of compound movements and isolation ones. Very rarely does a body part get a full 36 hours of rest

True I edited my post, probably as you were typing this, to add that.

Capt_Apollo

The body part split has had great results for a lot of people so its hard to knock it BUT.... : )

I just dont think it is optimal for most lifters. Like everyone has said above, your split should really depend on experience, goals and recovery time.

The new lifter will generally benefit the most from the 3 day full body program. The volume and the weight are usually low on these but still allow for rapid improvements and recovery is easier.

As you get more advance recovery can start to slow down and if your goal is more aesthetic or you need to strengthen lagging parts you may add more accessory or isolation lifts in. This increases the amount of volume and time you are lifting. It would be a good idea to switch to something like and upper/lower split or a push/pull/legs split.

The four or five day body part split is really limiting your potential IMO. Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for around 36 hours after lifting. If you are only working a muscle group once per week you are spending 4-5 days not actually building anything. Some people like to just destroy a muscle group with a lot of reps and sets but I dont think it necessary or optimal for natural or casual lifters.

I am by no means an expert. Nor do I claim to be. That being said, though I do focus on a single muscle group at a time, I always include 1 or more compound lifts into my routine. I'm not sitting there doing 30 sets of bicep curls. In fact, my arm day contains both a close grip bench press, and chin ups. My back day include pull ups, and deadlifts. Leg day has squats. chest has bench press, incline bench, and decline bench. shoulders has sitting dumbbell shoulder press and standing military presses.

My routine is a mix of compound movements and isolation ones. Very rarely does a body part get a full 36 hours of rest

you are a bit more advanced then OP. we're talking about a guy like the OP, who is doing isolated movements exclusively.

i also lift and do 5/3/1, which has a day for squats, a day for dead lifts, a day for overhead press, and a day for bench press. each day starts of with a compound barbell lift. then, you do assistance/accessory/isolation lifts to target areas where improvement is desired.