Full -> Split Routine, Need Advice

[MikeS]

Hello,

I've been working out for a few months now and up to this point I've been doing a full body routine each time I work out (3-4 times a week).
I'd like to split the routine up so I can put some more intensity into each area, but I want to do it right (I don't want to lose any of the mass I've managed to gain by overtraining or undertraining).

At the moment this is what I've come up with:

Day One - Back/Shoulders
Day Two - Off
Day Three - Chest/Arms (Tris/Bis)
Day Four - Legs/Abs/Back
Day Five - Off
Day Six - Chest - Arms - Shoulders
Day Seven - Off

I want the routine to hit each body part twice a week, except for my legs and abs which are already ahead of the rest of my body in terms of mass (I seem to have an easier time gaining mass on my lower half than my upper).

As for the actual exercises this is what I have come up with:

---------------------------------------------------

Back:
Deadlift 2 x 6-8 reps
Dumbell Bent-over Row 3 x 8-10 reps
Shrugs - 3 x 8-10 reps
Lat Bar Pulldown - 3 x 8-10 reps
Seated Row - 3 x 8-10 reps

Shoulders:
Shoulder Press - 3 x 8-10 reps
Upright Row - 3 x 8-10 reps
Lateral Raise - 3 x 8-10 reps
Dumbell Row - 3 x 8-10 reps

Arms (Triceps):
Triceps Extension - 3 x 8-10 reps
Kickbacks - 3 x 8-10 reps
Skullcrushers - 3 x 8-10 reps

Arms (Biceps):
Curls - 3 x 8-10 reps
Preacher Curls - 3 x 8-10 reps
Hammer Curls/Reverse Curls - 3 x 8-10 reps

Chest:
Bench Press - 3 x 8-10 reps
Incline Bench Press - 3 x 8-10 reps
Flys - 3 x 8-10 reps

Abs:
Crunches - 2 x (to faliure)
Hip Raise - 2 x (to failure)
Twisting Situp - 2 x (to failure)

Legs
Squats - 2 x 6-8 reps
Leg Extention - 3 x 8-10 reps
Lying Leg Curl - 3 x 8-10 reps
Calf Raises - 3 x 8-10 reps
Reverse Calf Raise - 3 x 8-10 reps

---------------------------------------------------

I'd appreciate it if anyone could offer any comments or suggestions. Thank you,
-M-

[RichUK]

Is this going to be your new 'main' routine, or something you do just now and again? And I'm taking it you're still looking to add muscle mass?

Personally I never train any muscle twice a week - I used to but due to months of overtraining lets just say I learnt my lesson.

It looks to me like you've got too many sets there for shoulders/biceps - 18 sets on biceps and 24 sets on delts every week is not gonna get you anywhere in my opinion.

Lift heavy - try lowering your reps to the 4-6 or 6-8 range so you can lift more.

Less is more, etc.

[sac1973]

unless your diet is exceptional, i wouldn't target each body part twice a wk. i'm not saying not to do it at all. if it works for you then great. just make sure the diet is up to par.

[Helene]

I think your exercices are good but I would change your split a little because with your back you train your biceps alot and with your chest your triceps so you want to train them on the same day. I tried not long ago something similar to you but I couldn't do it. When I was finished with my back and when it was time to do my biceps, I felt they weren't recovered. Try this:

day1: Chest-shoulders-triceps (these all work together)
day2: Back-Biceps-abs
day3: Off
day4: Legs-lower back
day5: Off
day6 STARTOVER!

I work my lower back with my legs, so I do deadlift on leg day, you can keep it how you had it but I like it this way. So you train each muscle group every 6 days..It works great for me.

[MikeS]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I guess the part I'm confused about is the frequency. In my reading I've found numerous places that say you should go no more than 120 hours (5 days) between training the same body part. If I train a body part only once a week I'm going to exceed 5 days.

I'm confused. :confused:
Can anyone explain?

Thank you.
-M-

[RichUK]

There's loads of guidelines about, unfortunately many of those are written by and voiced at those who take steroids. For the natural builder, you really should get into the habit of training one body part per week. Loads of people do it and have success with it.

Again, there are those who advocate routines such as you posted initially, basically because they have had good results with similar routines. Rule of thumb though, stick with just once a week, train properly, eat and sleep and watch those gains appear

[ebon00]

Since you're coming off a full-body routine I think it's best to go two a 2-way split. You can probably handle it since you've been doing 3-4 weekly workouts. Cutting back to once-a-week would reduce your frequency too much at once.

Don't worry about your legs becoming too big, not many people have that problem. If you feel you have one or two bodyparts that are lagging, put them with legs on their own day and reduce your volume/intensity for legs that day. For instance, if your back and delts are weaker than the rest do them with legs.

Monday: Back, delts, legs
Tuesday: Chest, arms
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Back, delts, legs
Friday: Chest, arms
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest (or start over with back...)

This way you can hit everything roughly as often as you would like to (once every 4 days). I would reduce the volume you're doing (maybe cut a set off each exercise or just drop an exercise here and there) in the beginning and then, if you feel that you can handle it, try the program you outlined above.

The main thing about starting a new routine is to give it time to work. Don't give up after 2 weeks, give it a good 2-3 months. If nothing positive happens, then you change.

[MikeS]

Thanks for the input, I thought about it, and I figured, based on the advice here, it might be better to do workouts less frequently with higher intensity.
So how about this routine?

Day 1 - Chest/Tris/Bis
Close-Grip Bench Press
Bench Press
Dumbell Flys
Dumbell Triceps Extention
Dumbell Curls
Hammer Curls
Wrist Curls

Day 2 - Legs/Abs/Lower Back
Deadlift
Leg Extention
Leg Curl
Calf Raises
Twisting Crunches
Crunches

Day 3 - Upper Back/Delts
Pull-ups/Chins
Bent-over Dumbbell Row
Barbell Upright Row
Shoulder Press
Shrugs

Day 4 - Off

Day 5 - Off


Then repeat.

Good/bad?
Keep in mind I'm still pretty much a "newbie" (only 4 months total so far)
Thanks,
-M-

[Helene]

It looks good but like I said before I would put bi's with upper back and delts with chest and tri's. And maybe add 1 back exercice, it's a big muscle compared to the delts and the delts have more exercices..

[MikeS]

Originally posted by Helene
It looks good but like I said before I would put bi's with upper back and delts with chest and tri's. And maybe add 1 back exercice, it's a big muscle compared to the delts and the delts have more exercices..

Will do!
Any suggestions as to which back exercise I should add?

Thank you
-M-

[carcajou]

I would consider adding a lat pulldown because your muscles will 'fail' to be able to pull up your whole body weight on a 'pull up/chin up' before they have been exhausted. So, I'd do lat pulldown after all chin ups.

[Helene]

I agree with carcajou and you can have a look at this site to pick your own exercices: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/Bac...#anchor1913634