Size and Strength Part 3

This section will be over training splits. I probably get asked once a week what kind of workouts I am doing. Lets face it the majority of people who are going to the gym are doing bodypart splits. Example: Monday-Chest/Tuesday-Back/Wednesday-Legs/Thursday-Shoulders/Friday-Arms/Saturday and Sunday-Off. I would have to say the majority of people coming to the gym have a workout that looks alot like that. The problem with splits like that is your lifting 5 days a week and time away from the gym is just as valuable. Remember you don't grow in the gym, its what you do after your workouts that is the key. My goal is to inform you of other ways to split up your routine that way your body doesn't adapt and you goals don't come to a screaching hault.

*I won't be talking about aerobic work in this section.


Just a few tips along the way:




-Don't train more than 2 consecutive days without taking a day off.
-Try to keep the lifting portion of your workout to an hour or less.
-Take a week off every 3 months or so, or implement planned deloading phases.
-Do at least one freeweight movement for push movements, pull movements, and leg exercises. Do more if at all possible.
-In general, you should workout larger muscles first. As well, perform heavier compound movements first.
-Try to balance your pressing and pulling movements. Also, try to balance your quad-dominant and hamstring-dominant lower body exercises.



I am going to put the exercises in groups first off so you have a template then exercises to pick from:



Lower Push (Quad dominant)

1. Back Squat


2. Front Squat


3. Lunge


4. Bulgarian Squat (split squat)


5. Step Ups


6. Jump Squats


7. Jump Lunges


8. Pistols


9. Leg Press


10. Leg Extension (Isolation)

Lower Pull (Ham Dominant)

1. Stiff Legged Deadlift


2. Sumo Deadlift


3. Good Mornings


4. Glute Ham Raise


5. Pullthroughs

6. Back Extension

7. Conventional Deadlift

8. Leg Curls

Upper Push (Vertical)

1. Standing Barbell Overhead press


2. Push Press


3. Push Jerk


4. Seated Dumbell Press


5. Arnold Press


6. Incline Dumbell or Barbell (Ya I consider this vertical)


7. See Saw Overhead Press


8. Dips

Upper Pull (Vertical)

1. Pullups


2. Chinups


3. Pulldowns


4. Reverse Grip Pulldowns


5. 1-armed Pulldowns


6. Close Grip Pulldowns


7. Upright Rows


8. Cleans


9. Snatches

Upper Push (Horizontal)

1. Pushups


2. Barbell and Dumbell Flat Bench Press


3. Flat Flies


4. Cable Crossovers


5. Plyo Pushups


6. Decline Bench Press


7. Machine Flat Press


8. Smith Flat Press

9. Floor Press

Upper Pull (Horizontal)

1. DB Row


2. Bent Over Barbell Row


3. Bent Over Laterals


4. Cable Row Variant


5. Hammer Strength Row


6. Machine Row


7. Supine Row

8. Pullover

Now I can go into the bascis of a total body workout. Normally this is 3 days a week. Something like Mon/Weds/Fri, or Tues/Thurs/Sat. I am going to put together 2 workouts and they will be used every other. For example; Workout A-Mon, Workout B-Wedensday, Workout A-Friday, Workout B-Monday, Workout A-Wedensday, Workout B-Friday, etc...

Workout A

1. Lower Push


2. Upper Push Horizontal


3. Lower Push


4. Upper Push Vertical

Workout B

1. Lower Pull


2. Upper Pull Horizontal


3. Lower Pull


4. Upper Pull Vertical

*If you need to do an specific work (Calves, Forearms, Core), just throw them in at the end of any day.

Or another Total Body Workout could be as follows:

Workout A

1. Lower Push


2. Upper Push Horizontal


3. Lower Pull


4. Upper Pull Horizontal

Workout B

1. Lower Pull


2. Upper Pull Vertical


3. Lower Push


4. Upper Push Vertical

*Again throw in any specific work at the end if needed

Next will be a 4 day a week split:

For ease of understanding we will do it per day instead of workout A and B.

Monday

1. Squat


2. Lunge


3. Step Up


4. Leg Extension

Tuesday

1. Flat Bench


2. CG Row


3. Weighted Pushups


4. DB Row

Wedensday

OFF

Thursday

1. Stiff Legged Deadlift


2. Hyperextension


3. Glute Ham Raise


4. Leg Curls

Friday

1. Pullups


2. Standing Overhead Press


3. Reverse Grip Pulldowns


4. Incline Press (DB's)

Saturday and Sunday

OFF

*If you feel like you want to do direct arm work do it after an upper day. Possibly throw a few sets in. My theory is your arms will grow doing bench and pullups, so why do a set of curls?

Those are just some examples of what typical workouts would look like based on movements and not bodyparts. If your still doing bodyparts and not training movements you have missed a ton of information written over the past 10 years (Mike Boyle Strength coach for pro teams).

There is alot more to this like what reps, sets, tempos, and rest periods. This will all be covered in the next section.