Organizing Lifting Schedule

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SpringFever19
SpringFever19 Posts: 180 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was wondering how other people choose to organize their weight lifting. Do you pick a certain muscle group(s) each day of the week, or vary the exercises every other day for a few weeks and then switch it up? Or something different? I'm looking for ideas to structure my lifting and wanted some input. Thanks in advance!

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  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    I follow a program, and make tweaks based on recovery and available time.
  • SpringFever19
    SpringFever19 Posts: 180 Member
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    Could you be a bit more specific?
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
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    depends on what exactly your goals are
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
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    At the moment I am doing 5x5 all over body three times a week but I used to alternate between lower and upper three times a week
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    depends on what exactly your goals are


    This, exactly.
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 941 Member
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    Upper body Monday and Thursday
    Lower body Tuesday and Friday
    Wednesday off for recovery
    Weekends for play and cardio.
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
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    Specifics will vary on depending on your goals.
    I lift MWF. My schedule's a modification of Wendler's 2 day a week plan.
    Monday is deadlift and bench. Accessory work is volume work and variations on both.
    Friday is squats and overhead presses. Accessory work is volume work and variations on the squats.
    I've set aside Wednesday for kettlebells and sandbags, as well as cleans and snatches. The reasoning behind this is that I get bored easily and I need to keep some variation in my routine.
    This is what is working for me. Your schedule will need to depend on your own goals and preferences.
  • Anayalata
    Anayalata Posts: 391 Member
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    Going for bodybuilding? (Strengthening and increasing muscle size)
    Focus on one body part each workout while minimizing cardio. (Monday Chest, Tuesday Legs, etc.)

    Going for strength/weight loss?
    Compound exercises coupled with cardio. (5x5 workout + Insanity/P90X/Treadmill etc.)

    Can double up exercise each day as well, assuming you can eat enough.
  • Susay2942
    Susay2942 Posts: 211 Member
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    This is my old schedule:

    Monday - upper body; bicepts, tricepts, delts and pecs w/abs
    Tuesday - run three miles
    Wednesday - lower body; hamstrings, quadracepts, calves & glutes w/abs
    Thursday - run three miles
    Friday - upper body again w/abs
    Saturday - run three to six miles
    Sunday - rest and eat whatever i wanted

    If you need more lower body you can switch the days..
  • acpaton92
    acpaton92 Posts: 10 Member
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    I'm definitely aiming for muscle building, so I focus more on my strength days than my cardio days, but I do 6 days a week, and they tend to be pretty fluid with my schedule but stay as follows:
    1) Arms and chest
    2) Legs and glutes
    3) Back and shoulders
    4) Zumba day
    5) Yoga day
    6) Overall strength training (lighter weights, more reps for all body parts)

    Usually sticking zumba and yoga inbetween the strength days to allow for some rest.
  • farsteve
    farsteve Posts: 157 Member
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    I do three full body workouts per week, Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Each workout encorporates a lower body drill (squat, deadlift), a chest drill, a back drill and a shoulder drill. Current belief by most reputable exercise experts is that doing full body routines about 3 times per week optimizes your workout time/schedule and recovery schedule and is probably more efficient than split routines. "Polishing" work, like curls, triceps and/or calves can be added after you compete the full body exercise. Reference: New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler, Huge in a Hurry by Chad Waterbury, Mens Fitness Forum and JP Fitness forum.
  • SpringFever19
    SpringFever19 Posts: 180 Member
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    Thanks everyone- this is great. My goals are strengthening and weight loss, and I just wanted some ideas that are better than my current- about 30min of varied cardio then "what do I want to lift today?" I've done p90x in the past and was planning to model my lifting similar to the program's breakdown, but I wanted to know what worked for everyone else.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    Thanks everyone- this is great. My goals are strengthening and weight loss, and I just wanted some ideas that are better than my current- about 30min of varied cardio then "what do I want to lift today?"


    In that case, I wouldn't do a P90X style routine. You'd be better off eating at a deficit (for weight loss) and doing a program such as Starting Strength or Stronglifts. New Rule of Lifting for Women wouldn't be bad for you, but SS or SL would, IMO, be better for your particular goals.
  • blobby10
    blobby10 Posts: 357 Member
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    The trrainer at my gym (British female bodybuilding champ) has given me a routine for a beginner where you 'hammer' (her word not mine!) a particular muscle group just once a week. I do pec dec, shoulder press chest press and tricep dips on one day, lat pull down, seated row and bicep curl another. Legs are just the leg press with legs normal, close and wide. I usually combine the leg day with one of the arms!

    I also do weights within my circuit training and kettle bell classes so am hoping for a super toned bod for the summer!

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