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Thoughts on traditional body part split?

Posted on 7/19/19 at 2:09 pm
Posted by sabes que
Member since Jan 2010
10156 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 2:09 pm
Aka a bro split. Where you break body parts up and hit everything once a week. Example Monday-chest, Tuesday legs, Wednesday back, etc, What are your thoughts on this routine? It is basically what all the best bodybuilders in the world follow. However many say hitting a body part only one time per week is not optimum for growth. Thoughts on the traditional split routine?
Posted by Rep520
Member since Mar 2018
10406 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 2:18 pm to
Most natural lifters need more frequency than 1x a week.
Posted by LSUgrad08112
Member since May 2016
2925 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 2:39 pm to
The best bodybuilders in the world are all extremely roided out and can grow/recover when they absolutely obliterate 1 body part each day per week. As the guy above me said, doesn’t work that well for natty people
Posted by Rep520
Member since Mar 2018
10406 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 2:53 pm to
If you want a better, more scientific review of training frequency studies relative to hypertrophy:

LINK

Another good one:

LINK
This post was edited on 7/19/19 at 2:56 pm
Posted by Bonkers119
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2015
10058 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 3:20 pm to
They don't work, and you'll just be spinning your wheels the longer you keep doing it. Find a good linear program and eat, sleep, lift. You'll get much better progress if you find a routine that you like.
Posted by thedentist45
Louisiana
Member since Jun 2008
557 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 4:01 pm to
I like my Push/Pull split and I just throw in some isolation each day to really make sure I hit the groups I want. Gives me the freedom to switch up different moves each day.
Posted by bayou85
Concordia
Member since Sep 2016
8589 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 4:08 pm to
Its a great way to split. It allows you to use muscle groups that work together. It also allows you to rest those groups more efficiently.

One problem is that you shouldn't superset Back and Bi stuff. You use your biceps during most back workouts so supersetting them just kills your biceps and could hinder your back work.

Same with Chest and Tri or front delts tho its not at bad with those. I like to superset tri and shoulders.

As far as body building goes, that look isnt attainable naturally even the classic look Arnold had. He used.

Hitting one part a week is what some people need. Muscles dont grow in the gym, they grow during rest and recovery.

Look into Athlean-X and Shredded Sports Science for more details on frequency and rest and whotnot.
Posted by bayou85
Concordia
Member since Sep 2016
8589 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 4:10 pm to
quote:

Most natural lifters need more frequency than 1x a week.


Depends on what your goals are. Recovery is just as important as training. You don't want to under-recover.
Posted by Rep520
Member since Mar 2018
10406 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 4:53 pm to
quote:

Depends on what your goals are. Recovery is just as important as training. You don't want to under-recover.


Eh, most legit stuff indicates a muscle is fully recovered after 3-4 days of rest and then atrophy begins.

People can disagree, but for 90% of people, overtraining isn't a tremendous issue. You have to be training at extremely high weight and intensity to do something that takes a week to recover from.

American programming is notoriously light on volume. Look at Sheiko.
Posted by Andychapman13
Member since Jun 2016
2728 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 4:56 pm to
I did it for years and lead to a great mma career, competitive bjj career, and I won the 1 bb competition I ever did in my weight class and the all around. I used to do 4 days/week with back and bis and chest and tris together, but found doing tris and bis together on a 5th day and chest alone and back alone was best.
Posted by TigerAlum93
Member since Sep 2010
3004 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 5:42 pm to
Depends on several things:

1. Your goals
2. Age
3. Natural or Enhanced (recovery)
4. Work/family schedule

As well as several other variables like diet, sleep, gym access, etc.

When I competed in Power-lifting (I am a lifetime drug free athlete), I did something like:

Monday: Heavy Bench Press and associated assistance.
Tuesday: Deadlift and associated assistance.
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: light Bench Press (speed, chains, bands, etc), maybe some biceps, calves, ab work.
Friday: Squats and associated leg assistance.
Saturday/Sunday: OFF

When I competed in Natural Bodybuilding, it might look like:

Day one: Chest/Back (got some front delt/rear delt with this group)
Day two: Legs/Calves
Day three: Arms/Abs (side lateral raises for shoulders)
Day four: OFF (or LISS cardio)

Then repeat that cycle.

When I competed in Strongman competitions, it might look like:

Monday: Pressing motions (Log press, dumbell press, etc), lat work.
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Squat/Deadlift work. Core.
Thursday: Off
Friday: Off (Active rest like cardio/ walk on incline treadmill, abs,foam roll)
Saturday: Events day (Yoke Walk, Atlas Stones, Farmer's Carries, etc).
Sunday: Lord's day/no lifting.

Hope this helps.
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
18372 posts
Posted on 7/19/19 at 6:10 pm to
Ehhhhh. I lean towards upper and lower every session. I just don’t iift everyday.
Posted by sabes que
Member since Jan 2010
10156 posts
Posted on 7/20/19 at 5:04 pm to
I understand that those dudes are on everything in the solar system. One thing that doesn’t make sense to me though is don’t steroids and all the other stuff they take make them recover even faster? I heard someone saying that it has to do with the size of the muscles, so those guys need more recovery time because their muscles are so large.
Posted by lsu777
Lake Charles
Member since Jan 2004
30935 posts
Posted on 7/20/19 at 9:27 pm to
Most pros are not looking to pack on a ton of muscle any more, atleast the ones you are talking about. Most BBers know Jack shite about proper programming.

#2 yes steroids allow a faster recovery, allowing insane volume and still recover the extreme cns fatigue.

If you want to do that style training look into John Meadows training and teachings. Also max ot is a good program.

I personally feel a good lp program should be the base followed by a weekly progression or rpt style then to dup for those looking to gain more muscle or DC/fortitude/Meadows style training.
Posted by sabes que
Member since Jan 2010
10156 posts
Posted on 7/21/19 at 12:51 am to
I disagree with you here. I think the pros are absolutely doing everything they can to gain muscle. Also I think it is incorrect to say they don’t know anything about training, for one those guys are completely obsessed with gaining the maximum amount of muscle at all cost. Also there are millions of dollars potentially at stake at the highest levels.(not competition earnings but sponsorships etc). I’m not saying their style of training is best for the average natty, but it’s not correct to say they don’t know shite and aren’t trying to gain muscle.
Posted by OleWarSkuleAlum
Huntsville, AL
Member since Dec 2013
10293 posts
Posted on 7/21/19 at 6:49 am to
quote:

I disagree with you here. I think the pros are absolutely doing everything they can to gain muscle.


The top pros are not trying to gain wholesale muscle. They are nitpicking specific body parts for symmetry reasons, striations, etc
Posted by lsu777
Lake Charles
Member since Jan 2004
30935 posts
Posted on 7/21/19 at 7:37 am to
Ok, go interact with them and come back and let me know if you still think that. They are not into programming, like John Meadows said

[URL=https://imgur.com/8ezFXH9] [/URL]
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
18372 posts
Posted on 7/21/19 at 9:00 am to
quote:

I disagree with you here. I think the pros are absolutely doing everything they can to gain muscle. Also I think it is incorrect to say they don’t know anything about training, for one those guys are completely obsessed with gaining the maximum amount of muscle at all cost. Also there are millions of dollars potentially at stake at the highest levels.(not competition earnings but sponsorships etc). I’m not saying their style of training is best for the average natty, but it’s not correct to say they don’t know shite and aren’t trying to gain muscle.
m

Body builders do not make the best teachers. At all. I’m not saying they’re clueless, but they are not experts in nutrition and programming. Almost all of them offer nutriton plans and workout programs to make money. The fitness industry is full of guys who promote crap for money. Ronnie Coleman is considered one of the greatest body builders ever. He can’t even walk now.
Posted by NOLALGD
Member since May 2014
2224 posts
Posted on 7/21/19 at 9:22 am to
Its a workout that will help with certain physique goals, if that is what someone wants and if it works for them they should stick with it. Better than not lifting at all for sure.

It took me 20 years find out what my body needed, went from body part split to upper/lower to push/pull, to currently long-term 5-3-1 templates. I like where I'm at now, simple compound lifts, few sets of accessory work and a lot of bodyweight mobility stuff.

I love, love, love not having to program specific bicep, quad, tricep, upper back, abs, traps, etc. workouts. Combined with the big lifts, I can do 3 sets of TRX full bodyweight bicep curls twice a month as accessory work and my arms are still fine. Again, this works for me, other people might respond better to splits.
Posted by Rep520
Member since Mar 2018
10406 posts
Posted on 7/28/19 at 12:26 pm to
LINK

Here's a good video on the topic I forgot I watched once upon a time. Israetel is great.
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