Split Routines & Weight Training

There are many advantages to split weight training routines. Full-body training can work great for some, but split routines  works for all and let you get more muscle gain with less time in the gym. Typically a person that uses a full-body routine would have to spend two hours in the gym training. With a split routine, you should spend 30-45 minutes in the gym. An advantage to a shorter time spent in the gym is higher intensity, more focus and concentration and more energy. Besides, it is way more likely to over train while using a full-body routine than a split. That is the whole purpose of using a 3 day or 4 day training split. It ensures you will not over-train and that you allow for your body to rest and recover.  There are many different kinds of split routines but the most popular are the push/pull split and the upper/lower split.  I currently use a 3 day Split routine. With the push/pull idea, you “split” your weekly routine into exercises that deal with pushing and pulling. With the upper/lower idea, you “split your weekly routine into exercises that deal with the upper body and lower body. Now you know what splits are all about, your probably wondering how to get started and what to do to create a split routine.

 

When creating a routine always do your weakest body parts first and then your strongest body parts later in the week. Bigger body parts should always be trained before the smaller body parts. The smaller muscles are used as support and stabilization during your compound lifts and movements, so it is important that they are not tired when needed. Bigger body parts include chest, back, and legs. The key to splits and any kind of workouts is keeping intensity levels high. The main part of training is to tear muscles down and then allow them to grow back bigger and stronger. If you are training to achieve maximum strength and power be sure to keep the reps low around 2-5 reps.  To effectively build muscle and strength we suggest 6-12 reps for upper body exercises and 15-25 reps for lower body exercises. Rest and Sleep is also a key to training. The anabolic growth hormone reaches peak levels while you are in deep sleep, so it is very important to get as much sleep as possible. Many professional body builders sleep at least eight to ten hours a night!

Here is the Split Workout Routine we currently use:

3 Day Split Workout

Mon – Chest, Triceps, Shoulders

Tues – Day Off!

Wed – Legs

Thurs – Day Off!

Fri – Biceps, Lats & Back

Weekend – Days Off!