I'm finally gonna start training again next week. My decayin body is in for a shock. But I've got a question about routines. Previously, I've always used the following three-day split:

Day 1: Legs/abs
Day 2: Chest/Tri/Shoulders
Day 3: Back/Bi

I used to throw in 2 cardio sessions and 2-3 Muay Thai sessions too, but this isn't too relevant.

Now, I've heard the thinking behind doing your back/bi and chest/tri on the same days is because when doing certain excercises focusing on one muscle group, the other is also worked out (eg: bench press works out chest AND tri's or lat-pull works out back AND bi's). The nagging feeling with this though is that your not getting the most out of a muscle group when focusing on it. For example, if I do a total of 12 sets of chest exercises, I can't do a full 12 sets of tricep exercises because the tri's are fatigued from the chest exercises. So instead of isolating the muscle and hitting it hard with a full 12 sets, I indirectly hit it with say 8 and directly hit it with 8.

I've thought of using this split (read it from somewhere):
Day 1: Chest/bi
Day 2: Legs/abs
Day 3: Back/tri/shoulders

The thinking behind this is that I can isolate and hit a muscle hard on its given day. And although, for example, on Day 1 I'm inadvertantly hitting the triceps it won't affect my dedicated tricep day as there is a rest period in between. This way I can complete more sets directed at a specific muscle group, as well as a few indirect sets in there as well.

So my question is, which is better and makes more sense? Or doesn't it matter?

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Hehe, well, I think your first routine is fine. It's true that you work other muscles too and that you gotta consider this side effect, but this is nothing negative, not at all, it's positive, you just gotta learn how to use it. For example never work on your arms before you work on a 'bigger' muscle group - don't do triceps before you go to bench press, cause then the triceps will slow your bench pressin down and bench pressin is all about your pec in first place. So what to do? Well, just switch those exerices, work on your pec with benchpress etc and then go and hit the triceps, that's perfectly fine. Your arms will be tired but shit, that is the point of all that, you just have to add two more triceps exerices and you can really burn it out.... of course you might not be able to do as many sets, push as much weight, etc cause your arms are tired already, but see that is no problem at all. It's not about how much weight you push, it's about the work your muscles have to do. It's tired and you can only do a couple of sets with less weight? Cool. Just make sure you go to the limit....


your routine is perfectly fine, I'd just switch day 1 and 2
Day 1: Chest/Shoulders/Tri
Day 2: Legs/abs
Day 3: Back/Bi
.... why? Your arms have to work one day 1 and on day 3. Like this you'll at least give them one day off....

Peace.

P.S: One more sidenote. This is a very intense routine. If you want to do that, you'll have to take care of your kcals and protein or you're body won't be able to handle this. Keep in mind there is overtraining and a split like that might not work for some people cause they might need more rest. So I might suggest another routine...

Day 1: Chest/Shoulders/Tri
Day 2: Rest/cardio
Day 2: Legs/abs
Day 3: Back/Bi
Day 4: Rest

Remember to take one day off, completly. Cardio is nice and important, but you gotta give your body a day without any training too.

P.S.S: After all, it's your body. You gotta know your body. You gotta know if your body&mind (!) can handle a "3 day weightlifting/one day off" routine, if you know you can, you can go with the first routine, if not, pick the second one....cause this is still a very intense routine, it's not like your chillin - but it should provide enough rest.

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I believe that everything that you do bad comes back to you. So everything that I do that's bad, I'm going to suffer from it.

I'd stick with your old routine if I was you as you really should deadlift on back days and squat on leg days. Since many of the same muscles are involved in both these lifts it's a good idea to give the muscles enough time to recuperate between back day and leg day.

I agree. That's why I suggested a lil more rest. But if he's boyd recovers quickly, he could handle the other routine.

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I believe that everything that you do bad comes back to you. So everything that I do that's bad, I'm going to suffer from it.

Mon - chest Bies
Tues Quads
Wed Back Tries
Thurs Legs
Fri Shoulders

This is 1 sample

Arnold used 2 hit his lackin muscles a few times a week. Maybe even try focusing on compounds or throw sum super sets into ur work out.
Also throw abs in 3 times a week, every1 has their own philosphys on abes sum say work em out like ur other muscles and sum say do em everyday. TRy both and see wut works




BigMach is very educated in fitness , he will surly add some good info.

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Thanks for the info guys, very useful. I was wondering more on the benefits of one over the other. The general consensus seems to be that the first routine is better than the other. One thing I forgot to mention is that the Day 1, Day 2, etc arent necessarily consequitive days. I usually took a day off to do cardio/other sports.

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yea man

www.sportlived.com
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Day 1: Chest/Shoulders/Tri
Day 2: Rest/cardio
Day 2: Legs/abs
Day 3: Back/Bi
Day 4: Rest

ya know if ya did this, this is like 4 days just say started on monday, so that goes to thursday, do ya wait till monday and start again, or do ya start the day after with day 1's excercises, would the 3 day gap make a big difference

__________________
"The one's that try to drag you down, are usually the mother fuckin' one's who can't get up there"

"Do what you want, not what others expect you to do"

"The best form of exercise... is sexercise"

"Through every dark night theres a brighter day after that, so no matter how hard it get, stick ya chest out, keep ya head up, and handle it" - 2Pac

They ask us why we mutilate each other like we do
They wonder why we hold such little worth for human life
Facing all this drama
To ask us why we turn from bad to worse is to ignore from which we came
You see, you wouldn't ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had
damaged petals
On the contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity
We would all love its will to reach the sun
Well, we are the roses
This is the concrete
And these are my damaged petals
Don't ask me why
Thank God, nigga
Ask me how


ItsmeyaC - been viewing this shit since '99, and I aint lyin'

Oh ok, well - like I said, than u can go with the routine, just make sure you get enough rest, people gotta understand that your muscles don't grow while you're in the gym, the grow while you're sittin on your couch watchin TV and during the wet dream you have afterwards.

__________________
I believe that everything that you do bad comes back to you. So everything that I do that's bad, I'm going to suffer from it.

yes itsmeyaC i think training for 4 days have the weekend off then start again would be fine, gives your body a rest

__________________
"The one's that try to drag you down, are usually the mother fuckin' one's who can't get up there"

"Do what you want, not what others expect you to do"

"The best form of exercise... is sexercise"

"Through every dark night theres a brighter day after that, so no matter how hard it get, stick ya chest out, keep ya head up, and handle it" - 2Pac

They ask us why we mutilate each other like we do
They wonder why we hold such little worth for human life
Facing all this drama
To ask us why we turn from bad to worse is to ignore from which we came
You see, you wouldn't ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had
damaged petals
On the contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity
We would all love its will to reach the sun
Well, we are the roses
This is the concrete
And these are my damaged petals
Don't ask me why
Thank God, nigga
Ask me how


ItsmeyaC - been viewing this shit since '99, and I aint lyin'

.Even if chest workout works tris a little bit,you shouldn't just leave them with a half assed workout that day.When you workout 3 muscle groups instead of 2,recovery is less effective since it is now partitioned for 3 muscle groups.When day 3 hits,your tris haven't fully recovered and that means you risk muscle damage.Shoulders need the bicep muscles for support,and if the biceps aren't fully recovered then you're in for a surprise.It is always recommended to work related muscle groups the same day.

Your first routine isn't good either. This is the best mix

Day 1: Chest/Tri
Day 2: Legs/Abs
Day 3: Shoulders/Biceps
Day4: Back/cardio if you want

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