Fitness by Stanlaw Blog #6: How Should I Split Up My Workouts? By: Mike Stanlaw, NASM-CPT, CES, ISSA-CFT

www.stanlawfitness.com

 

 

Whenever I begin training a new client, one of the very first questions I am asked usually pertains to

program design. What does that mean? Program design is simply an exercise plan that splits up resistance

training, cardiovascular training, and rest days throughout your week. While resistance and cardiovascular training

sometimes fall under the same category, when I say resistance training I am generally referring to weight-lifting,

whether it be with dumbbells, barbells, machines, cables, or even your own bodyweight. When I mention

cardiovascular training, you should be thinking about aerobic exercises such as walking, biking, swimming, and

running in the opposite direction of the fast food restaurant. Although cardio is important, I will be covering

resistance training today. So how does this help you? If you have a great plan to follow, you will get great results,

and if you want a great plan, keep reading!

One of the most important things to understand when splitting up a resistance training routine is that

there is not only one correct way to do so. There are those plans that the majority of fitness professionals agree

and disagree with, but different plans work for different people. What I am going to cover are the resistance

training plans that have been most successful for myself and for thousands of clients I have trained over the

years. I am going to break down four of my favorite training splits for resistance training. Keep in mind that while

variables such as number of sets, repetitions, weights used, and rest periods taken will inevitably change based

on goals and physical abilities, these programs can be used for both men and women of different age groups!

Remember, there is no “male training program” or “female training program”. Anatomy is anatomy (for the most

part).

Program #1: Total Body!

The first resistance training program I am going to cover is one that I give to beginners, those who have difficulty

staying consistent with resistance training, or those who have a basic knowledge of exercise and tend to be pressed for

time. The program trains the entire body three times per week. If right now you are scratching your head thinking “I thought

he said we shouldn’t train the whole body numerous times per week,” you can pat yourself on the back for great thinking and

you can stop scratching your head. Training the entire body three times per week is completely ok if every muscle group is

trained at low volume. What this means is one exercise per muscle group, at three to four sets per exercise. This way, you

can train every muscle group yet still be recovered to follow a similar workout a few days later! My best advice I can give

with this type of program is to make sure your intensity level is high on each exercise, because you will be finished training

each muscle group before you know it, so you want to make sure you gave it your all! One of my favorite parts of putting

clients through a workout like this is that they leave the gym knowing their entire body has been worked, leaving them with

a sense of a “finished” feeling. So how can you train this way? Look no further to see our first example of a great resistance

training program to follow.

Sample Resistance Training Program #1: Total Body! Day Resistance Training Monday Total Body Resistance Training Tuesday OFF Wednesday Total Body Resistance Training Thursday OFF Friday Total Body Resistance Training Saturday OFF Sunday OFF

Sample Resistance Training Program #1 –Sample Workout (Monday) Muscle Group Exercise Sets Rest Period Quadriceps Walking Lunges 3-4 :45 Hamstrings Stiff Legged Barbell Deadlifts 3-4 :45 Calves Seated Calf Raises 3-4 :45 Back Deadlifts 3-4 :45 Chest Incline Barbell Press 3-4 :45 Traps Standing Dumbbell Shrugs 3-4 :45 Shoulders Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press 3-4 :45 Triceps Rope Pushdowns 3-4 :45 Biceps Concentration Curls 3-4 :45 Forearms Seated Dumbbell Wrist Curls 3-4 :45 Core Bicycle Crunches 3-4 :45

Sample Resistance Training Program #1 –Sample Workout (Wednesday) Muscle Group Exercise Sets Rest Period Quadriceps Squats 3-4 :45 Hamstrings Lying Leg Curls 3-4 :45 Calves Standing Calf Raises 3-4 :45 Back Pull-ups 3-4 :45 Chest Pushups 3-4 :45 Traps Standing Barbell Shrugs 3-4 :45 Shoulders Seated Lateral Raises 3-4 :45 Triceps Overhead DB Extensions 3-4 :45 Biceps Straight Bar Curls 3-4 :45 Forearms Seated Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls 3-4 :45 Core Crunches 3-4 :45

Sample Resistance Training Program #1 –Sample Workout (Friday) Muscle Group Exercise Sets Rest Period Quadriceps Leg Extensions 3-4 :45 Hamstrings Seated Curls 3-4 :45 Calves Donkey Calf Raises 3-4 :45 Back One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3-4 :45 Chest Dips 3-4 :45 Traps Seated Dumbbell Shrugs 3-4 :45 Shoulders Standing Barbell Presses 3-4 :45 Triceps Triceps Pulldowns 3-4 :45 Biceps Hammer Curls 3-4 :45 Forearms Seated Barbell Wrist Rolls 3-4 :45 Core Leg Raises 3-4 :45

Program #2: Four-Day Split!

The next resistance training program I am going to cover is more of an advanced training split, and one

that I have used with myself and with clients in the past with great success. It follows dividing the muscle groups

into a four-day training split, and is ideal for muscle hypertrophy (growth). I’m a big fan of this because not only is

it inspired by my favorite bodybuilder Dorian Yates, but because it gives you time in each workout to emphasize

each muscle group by training it with 4 or 5 exercises. This is almost an exact copy of the program I am currently

personally following. It is designed to prevent overtraining, and when performed consistently, it will help you

achieve an amazing physique.

Sample Resistance Training Program #2: Four-Day Split! Day Resistance Training Monday Chest,Biceps,Core Tuesday Legs,Core Wednesday OFF Thursday Back,Forearms,Core Friday Traps,Shoulders,Triceps,Core Saturday OFF Sunday OFF

Sample Resistance Training Program #2--Sample Workouts Chest, Biceps, Core Legs, Core Back, Forearms, Core Traps, Shoulders,Triceps,

Core Chest -Incline DB Press -Flat Bench Press -Flat DB Flys -Dips -Push-ups Biceps -Concentration Curls -Straight Bar Curls -Hammer Curls -Overhead Cable Curls Core -Crunches -Hanging Leg Raises -Standing Side Bends

Quads -Barbell Squats -Walking Lunges -Leg Extensions Hams -Stiff Legged Deadlifts -Kneeling Kick-ups -Seated Curls Calves -Standing Raises -Seated Raises Core -Planks -Leg Raise Holds -Side Planks

Back -Wide Grip Pull-ups -Dumbbell Pullovers -Bent Barbell Rows -Upper Back Rows -Deadlifts Forearms -Dumbbell Wrist Rolls -Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Rolls Core -Crunches -Hanging Leg Raises -Standing Side Bends

Traps -Standing Dumbbell Shrugs Shoulders -Seated DB Presses -Dumbbell Lateral Raises -Dumbbell Front Raises -Rear Dumbbell Flys -Barbell Upright Rows Triceps -Rope Pushdowns -Skull Crushers -Seated DB Extensions -Triceps Pull-downs Core -Planks -Leg Raise Holds -Side Planks

Sets Per Exercise: 3-4. Rest Period: :45-:60 between sets.

Program #3: Three-Day Split! This next plan may look familiar. If most of you are reading this thinking, “Hey, Mike has me following

this plan right now!” it’s because I’ve found it to be tried and true. It is ideal for those who are looking to lose

weight and add more definition because it allows much time for cardiovascular exercise on your off-days. While

cardio can of course be performed even on training days, it gives you four clear days to focus on your aerobic

activity, without having to think about lifting things up and putting them down (sorry, couldn’t resist). Another

aspect I enjoy about this type of training is that each day really focuses in on a particular area of the body, allowing

for a better mind-muscle connection and strong focus.

Sample Resistance Training Program #3: Three-Day Split! Day Resistance Training Monday Back, Chest, Core Tuesday OFF Wednesday Arms, Core Thursday OFF Friday Legs, Core Saturday OFF Sunday OFF

Sample Resistance Training Program #3--Sample Workout Back, Chest, Core Arms, Core Legs, Core Back -Wide Grip Pullups -Dumbbell Pullovers -Bent Barbell Rows -Upper Back Rows -Deadlifts Chest -Incline Bench Press -Pushups -Incline Dumbbell Flys -Dips Core -Crunches -Leg Raises -Standing Side Bends

Traps -Standing Dumbbell Shrugs Shoulders -Seated DB Presses -Dumbbell Lateral Raises -Dumbbell Front Raises -Rear Dumbbell Flys -Barbell Upright Rows Triceps -Rope Pushdowns -Seated DB Extensions -Triceps Pull-downs Biceps -Concentration Curls -Straight Bar Curls -Hammer Rope Curls Forearms -Dumbbell Wrist Rolls -Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Rolls Core -Sit-ups -Hanging Leg Raises -Heel Touches

Quads -Barbell Squats -Walking Lunges -Leg Extensions Hams -Stiff Legged Deadlifts -Kneeling Kick-ups -Seated Curls Calves -Standing Raises -Seated Raises Core -Planks -Leg Raise Holds -Side Planks

Sets Per Exercise: 3-4. Rest Period: :45-:60 between sets.

Program #4: Upper/Lower Split!

Finally, the upper body/lower body split seems to work very well for clients. This is a workout I usually

give to clients that I train twice per week, if I know they are going to follow an additional two workouts by

themselves. It allows enough time to do cardio, and trains the fast twitch (strength) and slow twitch (endurance)

muscle fibers evenly. The workout split would look like this:

Sample Resistance Training Program #4: Upper/Lower Split! Day Resistance Training Monday Upper Body Weight Training Tuesday Lower Body Weight Training Wednesday OFF Thursday Upper Body Bodyweight Training Friday Lower Body Bodyweight Training Saturday OFF Sunday OFF

Sample Resistance Training Program #4--Sample Workouts Upper Body Weight Training

Lower Body Weight Training

Upper Body Bodyweight Training

Lower Body Bodyweight Training

Back -Lat Pulldowns -1-Arm DB Rows Chest -Incline Bench Press -Flat Bench Press Traps -Barbell Shrugs Delts -Seated DB Presses -Seated DB Laterals Triceps -Seated Overhead DB Extensions -Skull Crushers Biceps/Forearms -Standing Hammer Curls Core -Crunches -Leg Raises -Standing Side Bends

Quads -Barbell Squats -Dumbbell Lunges -Leg Extensions Hams -Stiff Legged Barbell Deadlifts -Lying Curls -Seated Curls Calves -Standing DB Raises -Seated Raises Core -Planks -Leg Raise Holds -Side Planks

Back -Wide-Grip Pull-ups -Close-Grip Chin-Ups Chest -Push-ups -Dips Triceps -Bench Dips Core -Crunches -Leg Raises -Heel Touches

Quads -Free Squats -Walking Lunges Hams -Kneeling Kick-ups -Floor Bridges Calves -Unilateral Raises Core -Planks -Leg Raise Holds -Side Planks

Sets Per Exercise: 3-4. Rest Period: :45-:60 between sets.

Although there are countless program design possibilities, I have great confidence that one of these four

plans will work for you. Let’s recap: If you are just starting in the gym, are pressed for time, or have issues staying

consistent with your weight training routine, Resistance Training Program #1 will work best for you. If your goal

is to add lean muscle mass and have the time to “pump some iron” four times per week, Resistance Training

Program #2 is your best option. For those who want to leave enough time to make sure they get their cardio in,

and/or those who can only perform resistance training three times per week, then go with Resistance Training

Program #3. Finally, Resistance Training Program #4 evenly divides up the upper and lower body, works the

fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, and leaves enough time to do your cardio!

One of the best pieces of advice I can give you about program design is to always have faith in the

program you are following. If you don’t have complete faith in it, it is not going to work! Also, remember how

many repetitions to include in each set. I will eventually cover this topic more thoroughly, but remember the

general guidelines of repetition ranges in a set: the 15-20 repetition range is for muscular endurance, the 10-12

repetition range is for muscular hypertrophy, the 6-8 repetition range is for muscular hypertrophy and strength,

and the 3-5 repetition range is for pure muscular strength.

I’ve always stressed the importance of having a blueprint to follow for getting results in the gym. Passion

is important, but remember that passion without intelligent planning is useless. By reading this article I know you

have the desire. You all have the potential to have great workouts. Now you have four different plans that you

can put to use. The only question is: Will you make it happen, or find an excuse not to?