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3 DAY SPLIT OR A BODYPART A DAY?
- Thread starter ELOH
- Start date
GenetiKing
New member
Go with a one bodypart a day if you can.
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Backstage, '75 Olympia:
Serge Nubret, "I look like I can take you."
Arnold, "Keep looking."
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Backstage, '75 Olympia:
Serge Nubret, "I look like I can take you."
Arnold, "Keep looking."
Have been doing one bodypart a day for a while now, but felt like i might be overtraining - now i've switched to doing 2 sets of the major compound movements for each bpart every other day (40 mins fatburn on the days off if i need my gym fix).
I'm progressively loading weight per session, and lowering the amount of reps per set in 2 week cycles.
Been doing it for two weeks, bit early to notice any changes yet really - but the overall body pump after trainin feels good. Gonna keep chucking the food down my neck and see how it goes for 6 weeks.
One of the lads down the gym gave me the programme but i'm sure i've seen it on the net called a Hypertrophy specific training programme.
What do you reckon?
I'm progressively loading weight per session, and lowering the amount of reps per set in 2 week cycles.
Been doing it for two weeks, bit early to notice any changes yet really - but the overall body pump after trainin feels good. Gonna keep chucking the food down my neck and see how it goes for 6 weeks.
One of the lads down the gym gave me the programme but i'm sure i've seen it on the net called a Hypertrophy specific training programme.
What do you reckon?
Worry less about bodyparts and your split while focusing more on increasing your weight in the compound lifts. Isolation in general is not condusive to adding muscle to the body and the most effective exercises stress the body as an entire system. Overtraining is also far more systemic rather than being based on an individual muscle.
The Hypertrophy Specific Training mentioned above (HST) is based on what I've been saying. It's a good program and as far as what most BBers do it's leagues ahead of much of the 3 day split BS around. It's had good success accross a broad range of BBers. There is a link in the main sticky in this forum as well as the main site www.hypertrophy-specific.com. There are plenty of successful programs that have you squat 3x per week which most BBers would think would be bad - yet the coaches using such programs routinely get 30-40lbs on a new lifter within the first 6 months of training and just about every elite lifter I know of routinely squats and pulls multiple times per week. Here is the layout Mark Ripptoe and Glenn Pendlay use for new athletes: http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4658227&postcount=235
The Hypertrophy Specific Training mentioned above (HST) is based on what I've been saying. It's a good program and as far as what most BBers do it's leagues ahead of much of the 3 day split BS around. It's had good success accross a broad range of BBers. There is a link in the main sticky in this forum as well as the main site www.hypertrophy-specific.com. There are plenty of successful programs that have you squat 3x per week which most BBers would think would be bad - yet the coaches using such programs routinely get 30-40lbs on a new lifter within the first 6 months of training and just about every elite lifter I know of routinely squats and pulls multiple times per week. Here is the layout Mark Ripptoe and Glenn Pendlay use for new athletes: http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4658227&postcount=235
Last edited:
artrius
New member
Madcow2 said:
OK a BIG thing to point out here the word "NEW". EVERYONE, when they first start, just about doing any type of program, is going to see good results within that time frame. Especially when you have a strength coach or personal trainer, who is going to push you to your limit and knows something of what he/she is doing.
If you are lifting as heavy as possible (and changing your routine frequently), for example, in the 5-7 rep range, you will not be able to do squats 3x per week for very long. Not only will your muscles be worn out, but your joints will be going through hell. Believe me, I know. I have to use knee wraps when I squat... Squatting 525 is hell on your body, I can't imagine doing that 3x per week!!
You may have good results with this at first, but IMHO you should never, on a consistent basis, go above 2x per week on a bodypart or muscle group. You are asking for trouble.
Illuminati
New member
ELOH said:
are you trying for strength, or size? that is what will determine how you should work out
artrius said:
That's false. Lifters at the highest levels using volumes and weights that would crush even some of the most experienced still can squat 3x per week as can any novice. It's a matter of properly managing your volume and intenisty (% of 1RM). You cannot squat as heavy as possible to failure for large volume 3x per week - this is universally correct. However, proper programs don't call for this and manage the load to accomodate the lifter. As an example squatting 2 sets of 5 at 30% three times a week won't stress even a novice. 12 sets of 5 at 90% twice a week will bury just about anyone who is human if run for a number of weeks. There are other more important factors than frequency in program design as frequency is mainly just a way of distributing volume.
Here is a program that is in use by lifters at every level all the way to some of the best in the world. It's actually what one moves into after the initial novice program (i.e. 1-2 years of training usually). It has you squatting 3x per week also. http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4764723&postcount=381
Here is the Smolov Squat program. The volume and tonnage here are insane yet even elite lifters have run this program with great success. http://www.ontariostrongman.ca/Resources/training/smolovsquatcycle.htm
Frequency simply is not a black and white issue, it is the overall program design.
artrius
New member
Madcow2 said:
I'm sorry, but I just don't agree. Maybe it works for some, but I've seen GREAT results from what I'm doing. I've only been lifting for 7 years, and I really didn't start squatting until about 1.5 years ago, but I'm STILL increasing at a GREAT rate.
3x a week may be good for endurance training, but I doubt it works any good for anything other than that. You NEVER read any top BBers with routines like that. 2x a week is the most you'll see.
artrius said:
It's not necessary that you agree. Everyone is free to their own opinions on what they feel is best and if you are making the progress you like, by all means continue until it doesn't work for you anymore.
That said, the best in the world at making people bigger, stronger, faster, and more explosive design programs as I've layed out. We are talking Div1, Pro, and Olympic level coaches for power, strength, and speed all around the world - this is fact, not opinion. Granted for skill specific sports 3x weekly squatting or 4x in the case of the Smolov is generally offseason but many Olympic Lifters perform 3 dedicated squat sessions per week in addition to many sessions of full body pulling, a good portion of which involves recovery from the full squat position. Olympic Lifting is about as far from an endurance activity as one can get and well past the BBing spectrum.
As for looking to top BBers for training protocol, that's just a massive mistake. As a rule, these guys know nothing more about training than many of the random people on this board. If asked to explain "dual factor theory" most of them wouldn't have a clue and this is training 101 (keep in mind, I'm not asking them to agree with dual factor theory - even though it is absolutely dominant and for the most part universally accepted at elite levels - I'm only asking if they know what it is). Ask them to name a good training book or any serious researcher in the field - you'll get a blank stare. They have good genetics, a solid grasp of diet, can perform some basic exercises, and have a lot of discipline in getting themselves into contest condition but for the most part their results from training are totally driven by drugs and increased dosages. If you take enough drugs even a shitty training stimulus can still elicit gains providing you eat enough (think farmers juicing cattle - they gain a lot of muscle without touching a weight). The overwhelming majority of the programs they use are no better than what one finds in a basic commercial gym. Better to look at what works for natural athletes or athletes who are drug tested and can't rely exclusively on drugs for gains. Take the programs that are effective there and then use them in a heavy steroid environment - provides better gains at the same dosage or equal gains at less dosage.
There's a lot of information I've linked in the thread below. Read the 'Dual Factor Theory' links. Read the 'Why Haven't Most BBers Heard...." links if you want a longer more detailed version of the above. Read the link to Glenn Pendlay's interview and whatever else might interest you including the Good Sources of Knowledge and Books link. It's good information and you'll learn a lot about how real training is done outside of voodoo BBing bullshit. It will at least expand your knowledge and you might put on muscle a lot faster too so there's really nothing to lose. Everyone on this board who has run the 5x5 program and squatted 3x per week has been very happy thusfar. Several have gained around 20lbs in 9 weeks all natural and had their lifts go through the roof. All defying conventional BBing and accepting the way the rest of the world trains. Like I said, you have nothing to lose in looking and seeing how people who are world renowned for getting results train their athletes. http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=375215
