Group: Beginners to Exercise

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 968, Messages: 18927

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Full body or split routine

P_56
P_56
Posts: 5
Joined: 2000/12/27
United States
2000/12/28, 08:23 PM
I used to do a split routine and have just started lifting again after taking off a couple years. Right now I'm doing full body Mon,Wed,Fri and taking off the weekends. I'm still very new at this and could use some feed back.
Adrian
Adrian
Posts: 411
Joined: 2000/12/26
Switzerland
2000/12/29, 10:20 AM
I don't recommend doing full body workouts 3 times a week. Each muscle group usually needs about a week for recovery, except for abs and calves. If you can work out on monday, then train the same muscles on wednesday without feeling sore, then you probably didn't work out hard enough on monday.

You'll find that you get better results doing a 3 day split. There are some people that train once a week, full body, or twice a week with a 2-day split (one day you train all the 'pushing' muscles, the other day the 'pulling' muscles). I have tried this, and it's really hard; very intense workouts. It's a good way to shock your muscles, but keeping it up is hard - you will dread workout out. I suggest you split your workouts into 3 days and do them mon-wed-fri. (you can do abs and calves all three days)
george
george
Posts: 789
Joined: 2000/12/01
Canada
2000/12/29, 10:33 AM
Hmm..

Performing the full body split 3 days a week may be beneficial if you are coming back from a layoff. ONLY if you perform 1 or 2 sets pers exercise with mid to high range reps . This will allow your muscle to adapt and adjust to the training phase again. Just get them back in tune for the serious workouts. This should only be followed for 2-3 weeks.. then as Adrian mentioned.. select the 3 or 4 days a week split.

Train Hard, Stay Strong!
George
P_56
P_56
Posts: 5
Joined: 2000/12/27
United States
2000/12/29, 04:53 PM
Adrian you say I may be working hard enough but I lift 3 sets and by the thrid set I'm at failure. When I leave the gym I'm wipped but I'm very rarely sore the next day and ready to go the day after. Any ideas?
P_56
P_56
Posts: 5
Joined: 2000/12/27
United States
2000/12/29, 04:54 PM
Buy the way I usualy do two to three exercises per muscle group.
Adrian
Adrian
Posts: 411
Joined: 2000/12/26
Switzerland
2000/12/29, 06:18 PM
Do you find that you always do the same exercises for each muscle group? When you introduce a new exercise, you should feel sore the next day. If you're doing the same thing day after day, try adding variety to your workouts. Focus on proper form - a full stretch at the bottm, and a hard squeeze at the top.

Also, you're training your whole body, for 2-3 movements per body part. That seems like it's either taking a really long time to do, or you're not getting enough rest between sets. Remember, if you don't get enough rest, or if your workouts carry too long, you will reach failure too early, which makes your workout less effective (and could explain why you don't feel any soreness afterwards).
allgino4life
allgino4life
Posts: 31
Joined: 2000/12/21
United States
2000/12/30, 04:10 PM
split
tt_rocker
tt_rocker
Posts: 389
Joined: 2001/01/25
Saudi Arabia
2001/01/07, 07:25 AM
to be really honest from my own experience..and from what I've learned from other trainers through out the years a split program is what you should go for at all times....your muscles need time to recover and training them each 3 times a week might need help much. Even Ronnie Coleman and Dorain Yates mentioned that at some point during the old days.

rOcKeR