Experienced lifters advice

MACnificence
MACnificence Posts: 419 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys and girls

Can anyone recommend a 4 day split ?
I preferably would like to hit legs 2x a week

I have been doing a 3 day split ( All Pros ) and although I've seen some progress Im not only sick of doing the same movements every session , also I feel the movements at the end of my workout I'm normally too beat to make any progress in them i.e overhead press which I have made no progress in
I also prefer working in the lower rep range I just find it more enjoyable but since I'm a newbie still I will take advice on what rep range I should be working in

Main goals , well I'm reversing my calories at the moment so until I hit maintaince Im just focusing on strength , and from there would love to make some gains but I understand real gains can't really be made without being in a surplus

Thanks in advance :)

Replies

  • steve1686
    steve1686 Posts: 346 Member
    why not do upper/lower split
    Upper body
    Legs
    Upper body
    Legs
  • MACnificence
    MACnificence Posts: 419 Member
    Yep that would work
    But I haven't a clue how would you devise a good solid routine with good push/ pull movements still new to this
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    In that case, go with StrongLifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. They're both 3x a week, full body. But the workouts alternate, so (other than squats) it's not the same lifts every time.
  • cpusmc
    cpusmc Posts: 122
    My current routine with a day added for cardio/core.

    Legs - Quad focused - back/front squats etc.
    Chest/Back
    Legs - Hamstring focused - Deadlifts, heavy lunges, heavy good mornings
    Shoulders/Arms
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    or take the upper body/ lower body moves from those programs and do the four day split mentioned before.

    just try to balance between chest and back and same for quads and hamstrings.

    try to change specific exercises once a month or every other month. feel free to mix up the order as well. personally i like to do the things that i have more trouble with earlier in the work out.
  • PtheronJr
    PtheronJr Posts: 108 Member
    My split is typically Chest, Back, Shoulders, then Legs, with an Arms day stuck in there wherever I please every other week (do isolation exercises for bi's on Back, and for tri's on Chest, anyway).
    I don't understand why you'd want to do legs twice though, your legs are a lot like your back, a lot of large powerful muscles that can take a lot of weight and punishment but require additional recovery to compensate.

    Also, the biggest reason you haven't made progress in your overhead press is because there is practically no human being that doesn't stall the soonest on that lift, start microloading, use 2.5lb plates (if you have access to them, hopefully) and progress by increments of five, or less if needs be.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    not saying thats a bad idea but i'd personally want to hit chest and back twice a week
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    will you do those four days and then take the other 3 days in a week as rest? or do you just keep cycling through the four days and rest on the fifth?
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    You can get all kinds of free routines from bodybuilding. com.
  • cpusmc
    cpusmc Posts: 122
    Depends on your goals.

    I hit legs twice a week as I am over 40 and the legs release the greatest amount of growth hormone so being in a bulk phase at the moment, I need all the GH i can get to add size before I begin a cut phase.

    http://stronglifts.com/5-reasons-why-train-legs-squats/
  • MACnificence
    MACnificence Posts: 419 Member
    I've steered away from stronglifts because my gym currently doesn't have squat racks and I hear it can be hard to progress in stronglifts without a squat rack

    With work the days I can lift will prob be MTW and F taking Thursday as a rest day and Saturday and Sunday as my gym doesn't open around working hours on them days

    I was only thinking hitting legs twice a week because I want to focus in on glutes as that's where is like to see most progress

    Again Im open to your guys suggestions

    Also is working in the 6-8 rep range ok for my goals ?
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    i hope they at least have a decent leg sled or smith machine then.

    IMO its tough to really work the legs without heavy squats, but thats just because my leg training is horribly uncreative.

    could try pistol squats but they require a lot of strength and balance. goblet squats might be your best way to go heavy with out a squat rack

    you're basically limited to what you can clean or clean and press if you have no rack, unless there is some other way of getting the barbell on your shoulders that i don't know of.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    i'm currently planning a $2000 home gym to escape from planet fitness lol.

    You could build a good one for a lot less

    but if you by a rack from Rogue then every thing will ship free, and i wanted to take advantage of that when i have the means.
  • MACnificence
    MACnificence Posts: 419 Member
    They do have what some would consider a squat rack but its basically just a rack , like if you fail you gunna land on your *kitten* with the bar on your back because there's no bars to catch the barbell but I do have something I can rack the bar on alright

    I'm actually alright with the weight I'm lifting now because I can manage it but I would be nervous without a spot to go alot heavier

    They have said they will get proper squat racks so just waiting for them to actually do it
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    oh thats cool, might as well wait then or bug somebody for a spot. never seen a rack like that in a commercail gym, but its better then no rack lol
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    I really wouldn't recommend a complete split for a person who is new to lifting. A 3x total body is likely to give you the most strength gains at this juncture.

    However, if you are really sure you want to do a split routine, look into Wendler's 5/3/1 with Dave Tate's periodization bible for accessories.

    Before you can do Wendler's, though, you need a strength base from which to build. Do you know your 1 rep max for overhead press, squat, bench, and deadlift?
  • jlclabo
    jlclabo Posts: 588 Member
    why not do upper/lower split
    Upper body
    Legs
    Upper body
    Legs

    ^^this... its basically the split i am doing. its Jonnie Canditos linear strength/hypertrophy program. you can download it for free at canditotraininghq.com he has 3 versions of this program depending on what your goals are.

    mine is:
    lower heavy
    upper heavy
    lower hypertrophy
    upper hypertrophy
  • Silk861
    Silk861 Posts: 1 Member
    what i do is pick 6-7 different workouts full body start out lite work your way up 3-4 days a week see do that work the key is doing the workouts in 45mins 5-5 reps
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    why not do upper/lower split
    Upper body
    Legs
    Upper body
    Legs

    ^ This
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    the 3 days full body isn't bad advice, thats how most start really. then you'll be doing your legs 3 times a week (not that i think the HGH thing will make any difference) and probably burning more calories, but that really depends on how many sets you do i suppose (but you'd be doing an extra session of legs).

    forgot your not interested in burning calories.

    i've been lifting for more then 20 years (on and off) and i can only guess at my squat one rep max lol
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
    I second the stronglifts recommendation. A great program for beginners.

    If you're working out 4 days/week (stronglifts is 3), add a body weight day in, and work on your weak points.
  • MACnificence
    MACnificence Posts: 419 Member
    Do you still think I can make reasonable progress in stronglifts without a proper rack, I mean I'm still only benching 22.5kg and I ask for a spot with that

    I can't see myself being able to add 2.5kg every session from what my progress has looked like so far and that's the smallest weight increments at the gym ?

    My progress has definitely been slow
  • IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire
    IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire Posts: 218 Member
    I found this article very helpful in making my weight lifting plan. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw101.htm
  • fishfish3
    fishfish3 Posts: 26 Member
    .
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
    Do you still think I can make reasonable progress in stronglifts without a proper rack, I mean I'm still only benching 22.5kg and I ask for a spot with that

    I can't see myself being able to add 2.5kg every session from what my progress has looked like so far and that's the smallest weight increments at the gym ?

    My progress has definitely been slow

    I'd buy 2 of the smaller Olympic weights (2.5 lbs for me, I'm not sure what the kgs ones are) and bring them to the gym.

    If really you can't get access to a squat or power rack, you may want to pick a different program. Progress will be slower, but you can't risk getting stuck under a barbell while squatting.

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