Training routine help

[HCKP]

I'm at a point where it's time to change up my workout. In the 9th week of my cycle so I want to hit it hard over the next several weeks. My goals are to hit each muscle group twice/week M-F. Looking for some suggestions. Having trouble putting together a good M-F split.

Currently doing a modified A, B Day 5x5 routine to help strengthen my core.

 

[RickRock]

There isn't any kind of special magical training program that will do anything special over another honestly. As long as you are employing progressive overload, and balancing volume, frequency, intensity, and recovery adequately you are doing what you can for growth

 

[HCKP]

I know Rick, just looking for something different. What do you think of this?

Monday - Chest/Back
Tuesday - Legs/Shoulders
Wednesday - Arms Triceps & Biceps / Calves
Thursday - Chest/Back
Friday - Legs/Shoulders
Sat & Sun - rest

I'll throw abs at the end of the workout a few days/wk

 

[RedMorkai]

There isn't any kind of special magical training program that will do anything special over another honestly. As long as you are employing progressive overload, and balancing volume, frequency, intensity, and recovery adequately you are doing what you can for growth

I'd have to agree with this.

 

[RedMorkai]

I know Rick, just looking for something different. What do you think of this?

Monday - Chest/Back
Tuesday - Legs/Shoulders
Wednesday - Arms Triceps & Biceps / Calves
Thursday - Chest/Back
Friday - Legs/Shoulders
Sat & Sun - rest

I'll throw abs at the end of the workout a few days/wk

Monday and Thursday could potentially be pretty big days for you. But I think it's doable, you'll potentially have some overlap on those muscle groups seeing that some shoulder movements incorporate upper chest and certain leg movements, especially low bar squat and deadlift variations hit the back pretty good too. It may come down to how much and what compound movements you're using.

 

[RickRock]

I personally would never train two major bodyparts in the same day, BUT....with that said since you are doing everything twice a week, your volume would have to be fairly low so it could work. I'd personally say 7-9 sets over 2-3 exercises per bodypart is a good place to start. I wouldnt train to absolute failure or you'll burn yourself out quick with it training everytging twice a week. I'd stop at 1 to 2 reps before failure or when form starts to break down

 

[EZ_E]

I know Rick, just looking for something different. What do you think of this?

Monday - Chest/Back
Tuesday - Legs/Shoulders
Wednesday - Arms Triceps & Biceps / Calves
Thursday - Chest/Back
Friday - Legs/Shoulders
Sat & Sun - rest

I'll throw abs at the end of the workout a few days/wk

IMO this is not going to work (regardless of what your goals are)

#1 ; over training with not enough rest

#2; if anyone gets done training 1 major BP and and has enough left in the tank to train a 2nd major BP then he just wasted a whole lot of time.

 

[J Dawg80]

Chest and back in the same day would be a killer for me

 

[Bigtones74]

Personally, I would get out of the routine of following a "workout plan". It's good to follow a split, but in terms of exercises, sets and reps, switch it up every workout.

For me, I find it best to hit each body part on its own day. This is the routine I've been doing the last month and a half:

Monday: legs
Tuesday: chest / forearms
Wednesday: Active rest day (cardio, abs, calves)
Thursday: Back
Friday: Shoulders and traps
Saturday: bis and tris
Sunday: active rest day (cardio, calves and abs)

Changing up the exercises you do and the reps and sets you do on a weekly basis will do wonders for you imo. Ever sense I stopped following a set routine with set reps and shit, I have seen the best results. Go off feeling. Working out will be more fun this way.

 

[MasonicBodybuilder]

There is definitely no magic routine. I think the best way to figure out a plan is through trial and error. People will respond well to different things so go for it but don't be afraid to make adjustments.

 

[HCKP]

Thanks for all the input. The thing that is killing me is that I can't train on the weekends consistently due to my boys sports schedule.

I train solo, so I never reach failure on bench, squat, etc...

EZ, my concerns are the two points you raise. Though it's hard to hit each muscle group 2x per week within 5 days without some overlap. I want to find the best muscle groups to train together for my 5 days at the gym.

 

[SwolyGinger]

I can see the urge to want and hit everything twice a week but I think the most important thing is you'll be over training, like EZ said. Especially if you're putting the effort in you should be. If you're training in lower percentages and lower volume then sure, this could work. But what's the point unless you're simply trying to build up the muscular endurance? I'm guessing you want something more than that.

One thing that hasn't really been talked about is what are you trying to accomplish with the programming? You said you want to go hard, which is great. But go hard to accomplish what goal? I could go hard and do all the major compound movements twice a week. But my body would be wrecked in less than a month and I would make little to no progress because I would just pile the injuries up and probably be out of the gym for a while. There needs to be purpose to your split and the volume/intensity you're choosing.

Power lifters for example might train their compound movement once a week and train 3 times a week (even as far as 1 squat/deadlift session every other week, alternating). That's because closer to a meet their intensity and percentages are so high that their body simply can't take any more punishment than that. The best way to look at the workout split that I have found is consider each week you have a full pitcher of water. Each workout takes a portion of it. If you're blowing your load on 5 monster workouts every day, with no rest in between them until after the 5th workout and your intensity was even moderate, that pitcher will likely run dry by day 3 or 4.

Long story short...what's the goal for your training in these last few weeks and what kind of results do you really want to see?

 

[DylanGemelli]

even when you hit multiple muscle groups in the same day, which is something i have often done, you still alternate the groups you lift together every 6-8 weeks to shock your body.... there is no magical combination... lets say you do chest and triceps currently, then in 6-8 weeks, change it to chest and biceps, or back etc... just keep alternating how you go about it

 

[EZ_E]

There's no need to hit each muscle group 2x per week.

Train one bodypart per day.

Take Wednesday off if you can only train during the week. Or find a gym close to you that's open earlier and get in on Saturdays B4 sports

If you take weekends off then you're going to spill over to the next week.

Monday: legs
Tuesday: shoulders

Wednesday: off

Thursday: Chest
Friday: Arms

Monday: Back
Tuesday: legs

Repeat

Also if you're not training to failure then you shouldn't be using juice.

 

[RickRock]

Thanks for all the input. The thing that is killing me is that I can't train on the weekends consistently due to my boys sports schedule.

I train solo, so I never reach failure on bench, squat, etc...

EZ, my concerns are the two points you raise. Though it's hard to hit each muscle group 2x per week within 5 days without some overlap. I want to find the best muscle groups to train together for my 5 days at the gym.

Bro I don't train weekends either....ever. I also train alone. I akso take wednesdays off so i train 4 days a week....everything getting trained once. If you are doing volume work you dont want to hit failure. If you do you'll be burnt out by the time you are done with your first exercise.

I think you are overcomplicating tgings thinking you need to do more to initiate growth. That's not the case. Remember that you grow and recover while resting those muscle and feeding them....not while training them. Break them down and give them what they need for growth. That's the key

 

[Specimen]

Chest/back
legs
shoulders/arms
rest
repeat

rotate the intensity on chest/back so one week go heavy chest and light on back and shoulders.. next week go light chest heavy back.. sometimes id just drop chest altogether for the week and go volume back and later in the week focus on shoulders.. recovery should never be an issue if you listen to your body and vary intensity (assuming adequate sleep and nutrition)

 

[HCKP]

There's no need to hit each muscle group 2x per week.

Train one bodypart per day.

Take Wednesday off if you can only train during the week. Or find a gym close to you that's open earlier and get in on Saturdays B4 sports

If you take weekends off then you're going to spill over to the next week.

Monday: legs
Tuesday: shoulders

Wednesday: off

Thursday: Chest
Friday: Arms

Monday: Back
Tuesday: legs

Repeat

Also if you're not training to failure then you shouldn't be using juice.

I train to failure just not when lifting shit over my head or on my shoulders.

 

[HCKP]

Bro I don't train weekends either....ever. I also train alone. I akso take wednesdays off so i train 4 days a week....everything getting trained once. If you are doing volume work you dont want to hit failure. If you do you'll be burnt out by the time you are done with your first exercise.

I think you are overcomplicating tgings thinking you need to do more to initiate growth. That's not the case. Remember that you grow and recover while resting those muscle and feeding them....not while training them. Break them down and give them what they need for growth. That's the key

I have read articles and seen videos (by DG) stating 2x per week is optimal for muscle growth. Currently, my training emphasis is on my legs & core (weaker areas for me). Doing progressive loading. Muscle groups are hit 3x per 2 weeks with squats every m,w,f.

 

[RedMorkai]

I train to failure just not when lifting shit over my head or on my shoulders.

People will have different opinions on needing to go to failure. I go through phases of where I don't go to failure and ones where I do, but it depends on my overall volume and intensity. When I do my volume sessions I do push the envelope on the failure the week before my deload week though. It's hard to say what has worked best for me muscle gain wise, I think it's a combination of going between volume and strength etc. but it's hard to gauge; but in the short term, the high volume non-failure weeks reap the most body weight. I honestly think the strength training and failure training between the volume primes my body though.

 

[Saet]

I personally like to train muscles that prefer to work together imo. For instance:

Monday: Back/biceps
Tuesday: Chest/Triceps
Wednesday: Shoulders/Traps
Thursday: Legs/abs
Friday: rest
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: Rest

I may switch it up during the week for rest days but this is what I like to typically do. I've made the mistake over training by working out muscle groups 2 times a week in the past. I'd play around with your routine to see what works for you, but I wouldn't train a muscle group twice a week.