Little advice on a mass-building split....

[Cardinal234]

My main goal right now is to simply add mass. I'm trying to decide between a specialized split or a basic upper body/lower body split. They'd look something like this:

OPTION 1
Day 1: chest/triceps
Day 2: off
Day 3 shoulders/legs
Day 4: back/biceps
Day 5: off
Day 6: repeat

or

OPTION 2
Day 1: Upper body 1
-BB bench press
-DB incline press
-DB shoulder press
-chin ups
-bent over row
-barbell curls
-dips

Day 2: off

Day 3: Lower body: squats, deadlifts, leg presses, leg curls, calf raises

Day 4: off

Day 5: Upper body 2
-Incline BB bench press
-Flat DB press
-lateral raises
-lat pulldowns
-seated rows
-DB curls
-overhead extensions

Day 6: OFF

Day 7: Lower body: squats, deadlifts, legg presses, leg curls, calf raises


Do you think I'd get bigger quicker using the second version?

 

[Chi town]

Looks like on option 2 you're hitting everything 2x a week and that's what I get the best results from. Here's just a quick look at what I'm doing right now:
Mon: back, shoulders, traps (in that order)
Tue: chest, bi's, tri's (in that order)
Wed: legs
Thu: back, shoulders, traps
Fri: chest, bi's, tri's
Sat: legs every other week
Sun: off
No matter how your split is planned out, I always believe in hitting a muscle group 2x a week to get the best growth. If u don't have time to hit everything 2x a week, then try it w/ one body part at a time. For example, u could hit arms 2x a week for a month, then chest 2x a week for a month, and so on while hitting everything else once a week. This may work better for someone w/ a busy schedule.

 

[view]

option 2 for sure. looks pretty solid.

 

[Cardinal234]

I just want to make sure I wouldn't be overtraining. With option 2 I'd basically be pounding my upper body, then doing it again after 3 days rest. Is that enough? I know that overtraining will really hamper growth. (I'd be doing 3 sets of each exercise for upper body, and 4 for lower).

 

[mayhems]

i do the exact same thing that chi town said to do with of course a few modifications and it works great so id hafta go with option 1

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

Personally, I've always found that training each body part once a week on a 4 day/week split works best for me.

I have been getting good results on my current mass-gain schedule, which is:
MON - Shoulders, triceps
TUES - Legs
WED -Off
THURS - Chest, biceps
FRI - Back
SAT & SUN - Off

I'm usually sore several days after my workouts so this gives me maximum recovery time and allows me to lift heavy.

Having said that, I have only been lifting for about a year or so, so training each body part twice a week may be better for those who have been training for longer periods of time.

 

[Chi town]

Personally, I've always found that training each body part once a week on a 4 day/week split works best for me.

I have been getting good results on my current mass-gain schedule, which is:
MON - Shoulders, triceps
TUES - Legs
WED -Off
THURS - Chest, biceps
FRI - Back
SAT & SUN - Off

I'm usually sore several days after my workouts so this gives me maximum recovery time and allows me to lift heavy.

Having said that, I have only been lifting for about a year or so, so training each body part twice a week may be better for those who have been training for longer periods of time.

Man, I wish I could grow on a routine as simple as that!! Life would be so much easier!! Glad it works for ya though. Makes me envious!!

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

Man, I wish I could grow on a routine as simple as that!! Life would be so much easier!! Glad it works for ya though. Makes me envious!!

I suppose the longer you're in this game, the harder it gets.

Therefore, once I begin to plateau with my LBM gain, I'll have to increase my calories and also maybe increase my workload by training each muscle group twice a week. At the moment though, there is no way I could train each muscle group more than once a week. Today is Sunday and my chest and lats are still sore from their workouts on Thursday and Friday.

 

[RGS83]

Chi and Mayhems - Do you mind if I ask how your reps/sets look?

I'm trying to get a new routine going, and I'm liking the looks of how it's set up for you guys...

Maybe it's all in your rep/set scheme, but how do you get an effective workout of your tris lets say, after killing your chest and bi's first??

Option two doesn't look too shabby man, BUT personally I'd fear that it was too much. Not sure how the rep/sets fall for ya, but thats alot of workout to get done... But i'm a small man, so maybe i'm just weak

Thanks guys

 

[Chi town]

Chi and Mayhems - Do you mind if I ask how your reps/sets look?

I'm trying to get a new routine going, and I'm liking the looks of how it's set up for you guys...

Maybe it's all in your rep/set scheme, but how do you get an effective workout of your tris lets say, after killing your chest and bi's first??

Option two doesn't look too shabby man, BUT personally I'd fear that it was too much. Not sure how the rep/sets fall for ya, but thats alot of workout to get done... But i'm a small man, so maybe i'm just weak

Thanks guys

Well here it is in a nutshell. Because I'm hittin 'em all 2x a week I do 12-14 total sets on major muscle groups each time (chest, back,etc) and 10-12 on smaller muscles (bi's tri's etc). Rep range is 6-10 on compound movements and 10-12 on isometrics. And 15-20 reps per set on calves n traps.
As far as your Q? about hitting arms on chest day....I hit all chest first, then I alternate bi n tri exercises...not supersets tho. I do my sets of one bi exercise, then my sets of a tri exercise, and so on back n forth til my arms are done. This puts an awesome pump in my arms.
My workouts are pretty long, but that's because I have lots of free time in the winter and that's when I hit it hard. In the summer I use the same principals, but cut my total reps per body part way down to fit it into my schedule.
In about a month tho, I'm gonna try the 5x5 for a while for something different. Good luck.

 

[RGS83]

Humm... ok, sounds good... like we're on the same page
You still got me beat by total sets however
But time is a big issue aswell, working odd shifts, and University :s

No to hijack or anything... it would help me, and might be useful empirically, if you would give a quick critique of a sample workout (off top of my head):

Chest:
DB press- 4 sets, (6-8 rep)
Incline DB press- 4 sets, (6-8)
Flies- 3 sets- (10-14)
**maybe i should lower inital sets, and add flat some BB press too??

Bicep:
Stand BB curl- 4 sets, (6-8)
Stand BB Hammer Curl (I use my Tri bar)- 4, (8-10)
...then DB curl, or DB preacher/ concentration curl

Tricep:
CG BP- 4 sets (6-8)
Skull Crushers (tri bar)- 4 sets, (6-8, or 8-10)
DB Tri Extensions - 3 sets, (12-14)



Man I duno how you did it! I'm looking at a workout from before, I did ALMOST the same number of sets, but did only 2 muscle groups, and it took between 1h10 - 1h30... to add a whole other muscle group would be huge.

-In your guys opinions, how many exercises should you do per muscle group... is 3 enough, should I aim for much more a variety? (obviously switch it up every once and a while)... You said in summer you change it up...
-how many sets/reps do you guys feel is needed for an effective workout... (not over train, not waste of time, and not just going through the motions anymore either)


(I don't know what karma is or does, but people seem to like it, so I'll give it... you've been very helpful - Thanks)

 

[Chi town]

Chest:
DB press- 4 sets, (6-8 rep)
Incline DB press- 4 sets, (6-8)
Flies- 3 sets- (10-14)
**maybe i should lower inital sets, and add flat some BB press too??

Bicep:
Stand BB curl- 4 sets, (6-8)
Stand BB Hammer Curl (I use my Tri bar)- 4, (8-10)
...then DB curl, or DB preacher/ concentration curl

Tricep:
CG BP- 4 sets (6-8)
Skull Crushers (tri bar)- 4 sets, (6-8, or 8-10)
DB Tri Extensions - 3 sets, (12-14)



Man I duno how you did it! I'm looking at a workout from before, I did ALMOST the same number of sets, but did only 2 muscle groups, and it took between 1h10 - 1h30... to add a whole other muscle group would be huge.

-In your guys opinions, how many exercises should you do per muscle group... is 3 enough, should I aim for much more a variety? (obviously switch it up every once and a while)... You said in summer you change it up...
-how many sets/reps do you guys feel is needed for an effective workout... (not over train, not waste of time, and not just going through the motions anymore either)

3 exercises each is OK if hittin em 2x a week. Just don't do the same thing 2x a week. For example, the 2nd time u hit chest try this:
Incline widegrip BB 4x6-8
Cross-overs 4x8-10
Incline flyes 3x10-12
For tris I'd throw in something at the end w/ a reverse or vertical grip...one hand reverse pulldowns or one hand rope pulldowns (doing the one hand method really isolates the tris)
In the summer I'll cut my workouts down to 8-10 total sets on majors and 6-8 total sets on minors with some drop sets on both (still 2x a week) The best investment I made was on a stopwatch to hang around my neck. By monitoring your rest periods, you'll get done much quicker...less jaw-jackin...LOL

 

[RGS83]

HA! i REALLY should get one of those..!

humm... i hear ya, change it up the 2nd time around..
My only problem, is that I workout at home - so I'm limited in some aspects.
(pulldowns and such)
In the near future I MAY have a home gym (machine/cables) as well, that I could do for the 2nd round of the group, but as it stands just bench, bars and free weights.

during the summer months, how many exercises do you do? - seeing that you hit it twice a month aswell?

...this is going to sound dumb, but what's a drop set? ..to faileur?

 

[Chi town]

during the summer months, how many exercises do you do? - seeing that you hit it twice a month aswell?

...this is going to sound dumb, but what's a drop set? ..to faileur?

Same # of exercises in the summer, just fewer sets. A drop set is also called a strip set. For example: on last set of DB curls do your reps to failure, then go to a weight that's about 40% less and crank those bitches out!! Another method is called "down the rack"...awesome finisher: Db curls w/ 50lb, then 35 lb, then 20 lb, then 10 lb. By the time u finish w/ the 10's you'll wanna cry!!
If u work out at home u should build a chin up bar and dip rack...both attached to a strong all in your basement or garage.

 

[RGS83]

Chi, what are you stats??

I mean MAYBE it's because I haven't worked out in over a month, but i just tried to hammer out my chest and tri day... chest went well... tri's were BRUTAL!
I duno how you work them hard after killin your chest! :s

I'm such a weak, wimpy man now!.... maybe the 5x5 i was doing was working

 

[Chi town]

Chi, what are you stats??

I mean MAYBE it's because I haven't worked out in over a month, but i just tried to hammer out my chest and tri day... chest went well... tri's were BRUTAL!
I duno how you work them hard after killin your chest! :s

I'm such a weak, wimpy man now!.... maybe the 5x5 i was doing was working

I'm 5'9" 225 lbs...about 15% bf (obviously not cutting right now...LOL)
Maybe try doing chest, then bis, then tris if u wanna hit it 2x a week. Putting bis in the middle gives your tris a rest. If you're just gettin back into it tho, u should maybe just hit everything once a week til u get some strength back.
Just be patient...your srength and weight will all come back.