When to lift weights

Options
Jessicaruby
Jessicaruby Posts: 881 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have heard it is good to lift four days in a row and then take three days off, i have heard it is good to do full body every other day, and i have heard it is good to break your lifting routine down to different muscles and rotate. Right now i am doing full body for about 65 min mon. wed. and fri. but am wondering if this is the best option. are there benifits to lifting certain days? or doing full body vs. different muscle groups? what do you do? ( i am bulking and looking to for optimum results)

Replies

  • JansterL
    JansterL Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    I'm not a trainer or a doctor but ultimately.....I think you need to find a routine or a schedule of your own that you can stick to. If you don't stick with it....it's not going to do anything for you. Making a routine become a HABIT (per say).

    If you do a lot of strength training - I think its IMPORTANT to have rest days. Your muscles need to heal up before you an push them again.

    There are soooo many variables that can change how YOU do your workouts versus someone else.

    I work out 3X a week. One day...upper body, shoulders, back, arms.... and 30 minutes of cardio. Rest day. Another day...lower body, legs and abs and 30 minutes of cardio. Rest day. On the 3rd day - usually no strength training at all, but a double dose of cardio. Different machines.....I like to change up depending on how I feel. My weekends are usually too busy to do any workouts (and I work weekends too sometimes).
  • llovegrove
    llovegrove Posts: 94 Member
    Options
    I was curious the same thing. I do full body Mond/Wed/Thurs! Struggling with gaining muscle in some spots though (Upper back Lats and Abs) I know the abs is eating style so I am working on that. I notice though I gain great muscle, then lose it, gain, then lose. I change up my routine a lot.
    Would like to know the best way to lift! Also, when I lift I go heavy two sets till failure.
  • BigDaddy822
    BigDaddy822 Posts: 99
    Options
    I really don't know to much about you or if you have the time. What works best from my experience and for my clients is lifting 3 days on and 1 day off. However at first they usually lift 1 day on and 1day off until they get used to it and my workouts are as follows: Mon Biceps, Back, and abs. Tues Legs and Shoulders. Wednesday Chest, Triceps, and Abs. Each is 3 sets 8 reps for the first 4 weeks then it goes up to 4 sets 12 reps for 4 weeks. It is a really good 8 week Program. If you are interested I can send you the info for the 8 week program.
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
    Options
    here is what am doing, lifting for strength, don't really care about hypertrophy

    Monday: Dead-lifts and assiting muscles
    Tuesday: Bench and assiting
    Wednesday: Rest
    Thursday: Squats and assiting
    Friday: Overhead Press
    Saturday: Dyno, Oly, and Vanity
    Sunday: Rest.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Options
    I do upper/lower split monday/tuesday
    wednesday rest
    upper/lower split thursday/friday
    rest all weekend
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    Options
    in the beginning you will get a lot of benefit from a full body circuit, 3 days a week, say M-W-F. you can do cardio on off days, Tu-Th-Sa

    as you start getting stronger, you can start focusing on one body area a day, like some others have posted, but that'll take time.
  • teagin2002
    teagin2002 Posts: 1,901 Member
    Options
    Bump for later :flowerforyou:
  • llovegrove
    llovegrove Posts: 94 Member
    Options
    could you send it to me please?
  • llovegrove
    llovegrove Posts: 94 Member
    Options
    That was for Bigdaddy
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Options
    I am currently of the belief that one should do full-body workouts using the major compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, press) - until progress is basically maxed out. And at that point (if ever), move on to more isolated work.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    Options
    I am currently of the belief that one should do full-body workouts using the major compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, press) - until progress is basically maxed out. And at that point (if ever), move on to more isolated work.

    yup
  • damonmath
    damonmath Posts: 359 Member
    Options
    I am currently of the belief that one should do full-body workouts using the major compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, press) - until progress is basically maxed out. And at that point (if ever), move on to more isolated work.

    I agree with the major lifts part. I try to split it up into pushes and pulls, upper and lower... 4 days in a row or 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off.

    mon - pushes chest and triceps
    Tues- pulls back and biceps
    wed - pushes squats, leg extensions, calves
    thur- pulls leg curl, ABS!!!

    Something like that... But I also do cardio first thing to get my heart rate up super high for a good 25-30 minutes. Then it stays high throughout my heavy weights workout.

    I can burn between 600-1250 per hour this way depending on my mood that day. The reason I split it up is to maximize my efforts for each muscle group.
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
    Options
    I am currently of the belief that one should do full-body workouts using the major compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, press) - until progress is basically maxed out. And at that point (if ever), move on to more isolated work.

    Well said that man!
  • gloria84
    gloria84 Posts: 52 Member
    Options
    bump
  • Jessicaruby
    Jessicaruby Posts: 881 Member
    Options
    right now i do full body including deadlifts, squats, bench press and leg presses. then i do isolation movements with dumbells and machines. i also do some assisted pullups to get my heart rate up (i am working towards being able to do them on my own :wink: ). i do this mon, wed, fri like i said and then do cardio 30-45 min tues, thur, sat. rest on sunday
  • Jessicaruby
    Jessicaruby Posts: 881 Member
    Options
    thank you all for the help and input! much appreciated! :wink:

Categories