Muscle Building Workouts: Using Split Routines Effectively

Do you need some variety in your muscle building workouts? Maybe you want a new challenge or a better fit to your schedule. It may be time to try split routines. Most people work their whole bodies two or three times a week when weight training, but there are variations that you may want to try. Workouts that work different body parts on different days are called split routines. Splits work well for many home trainees. After all, you don’t have to think that you should get everything in because you spent so much time driving to the gym.

The easiest split muscle building routine is doing an upper body workout one day and lower body workout the next. This does the best job of making sure you don’t work the same muscles two days in a row, although there is some upper body work in squats and deadlifts. You can work two days in a row, then take a day or two off, then repeat, so you generally do four workouts a week.

A push-pull routine may be the most often recommended. One day do pushing muscles: pecs (chest), front and side deltoids (shoulders), and triceps. The next do pulling muscles: the various back muscles, rear deltoids, and biceps. Do legs with the pulling muscles. Do abs on your pushing day.

Another option is a 3 day split muscle building routine which workout the chest, back, and legs. There are many other split routine variations. Some people like to devote a day to arms. Just remember that biceps contribute to pulling exercises and triceps to pushing, so if you do arms the day after one of those, you may not be getting sufficient recovery for that body part. The same caution would apply to doing chest and biceps together.

What are the advantages of doing split routines?

First, realize that you can go ahead and do full body muscle building workouts three days a week productively for an indefinite period. Splits, if you choose to do them, allow you to work harder on that day’s muscle groups, while spending a little less time working out. You may want to do them just for variety. Also, splits may fit into your schedule better. Because you spend less time working out with dedicated muscle group sessions, you are using your time more efficiently whilst still getting a great total body workout.

You may want to structure your splits to give extra rest to a sore joint or muscle. If you have a sore shoulder, which is involved in almost all upper body movements, you can do upper body, lower body, then a day or two off. Take the same approach with a sore knee. Of course, if the injury is new or severe, don’t work that body part at all.

So don’t you need to work each muscle group three times a week? Not necessarily. Three workouts a week are usually best for beginners who want to build muscle fast, two workouts a week should be the very least, where you could focus on upper body one day and lower body the second day. Most beginners don’t work really hard, and need to learn the exercises and lay down the neural pathways. When you’re advanced, you progress more slowly, and probably need the extra rest, so twice a week is enough. Even once a week for certain body parts may work well, at least on occasion. And take your schedule into account. Make sure you get those workouts in, however you decide to set them up.

by David on March 10, 2009 · 0 comments

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