Throughout time, we've always WANTED to split the workouts up. Magazines push it. You hear about it, esp from the super gifted genetics freaks like Football players. And someguys in the gym might say they had success on it, too. But that's suspect. Generally if a guy has a POP in success, I would attribute it to the following...
1) He's a newbie have newbie luck and growing
2) He hasn't measured properly or doesn't measure at all
3) He's been lifting a longtime, but the past programs hindered any progress he would have made...here's the triggers.
The program is really the LEAST important part of it. The most important parts are:
-having the proper nutrients throughout the day
-recovering
-genetics
-executing the lifts properly
-lastly, the workout
In reality, you could lift heavy boulders and tree stumps in a greater progression and grow, IF, you ate and rested properly. Guys who do tons of physical labor get and remain big because of this fact. So it isn't the PERFECT layout of reps, sets, and so forth. Reps and sets are catered to GOALS and how you're best going to lift. If you trude out 4 sets at 12 reps at the same weight, you likely won't be lifting very long because due to boredom. That's like cardio. There's no progression in performance, strength, or stamina, which is THE POINT of practice..to subject yourself to ABOVE average intensity so that during the moment you need it, you have it. Athletes practice outside the gym MORE than they do inside the game so that they can survive the multi-hour beating their body takes. They OVER condition themselves for the hours of the game so that last at near 100% intensity throughout the whole game.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So why do a FULL body workout versus splitting it up?
1) We're focusing on the MAJOR groups and compound lifts, so our list of extraneous exercises is short. If you progress in squats and deads, you progress through 70% of your muscle - the stuff that will dramatically change the rest of you.
2) You can lift MORE frequently, jamming more workouts in per group. For instance, if you do squats once a week, you get 52 growth periods a year. DC/IA advocates about 72-90+, but doing a revolving split, usually every 4-5 days lift again. But if you do the fullbody workout, esp. for a newbie, you'll be doing it again in 5 days or less, probably 4, and get double, maybe triple the workouts in a year. You may not ADD 50lbs, but you WILL be entirely different.
3) Brevity. Lifting is wonderful, but stagnant muscle that has no purpose but that which it can do in the gym is left for the competitors, not the guys who work for a living, have kids, a family or play sports. You can be muscular and not fast, or be able to stretch, which completely sucks. Lifting can the look of your body, and can also change your future by ensuring good posture and that you don't encounter osteoporosis so soon, but it's limited in that you won't be flexible, nor necessarily "in shape". It's just a catalist for that possibility. It allows you to incorporate STRETCHING, more than just muscle stretching, but TOE TOUCHING, which helps HUGELY, and also to do cardio.
4) Muscles lift TOGETHER, not separately. Your bicep doesn't workout without the forearm, shoulders, back, side abs, traps, and another minor muscles playing into the equation. At higher weights, more muscle is incorporated, hence the appeal of COMPOUND lifts. To separate the body from its natural formation is to go against nature, and the inherent STRENGTH our body offers. By doing the body in a day, roughly 1 hour after a cardio warmup, you can look forward to going back again soon, after recovery. Personally, I do and have done split workouts, and it works for some, and not for others.
5) Schedule. If you lift 3x a week, on top of cardio, that's alot of dedication. I respect anyone who can do it flat out, but life DOES get in the way, or sickness, etc. In my case, my gym is about 20-30 min depending on traffic. I work a varying schedule, play flag football, have a gf, and do other things. Fitness IS important, and I try to do something each day, but as evidenced by other writings, to not be on SOME schedule for lifting will slow your gains down. If you do chest, then you're sick, or work late, then you'll be days off.
If you want to progress, and see progress, consider going to a full body workout. Then, you can do it as frequently as you're recovery and schedule allows. Given, at a LOWER bodyweight and strength, you can do this. If you begin doing 400lb+ squats, then you may have to split off into multiple days since the effort to do 400 and would compromise your recovery. However, doing less than your bodyweight on squats, and your bodyweight on deads as you're growing won't compromise much. Moreover, if you're experienced and focus on work sets after warmups, you can still keep growing. The point is to trigger the response and then wait while feeding it.
One following workout would be...
Squats
Lying Leg Curls (hamstrings)
Deadlifts
Dumbbell Incline Press
Dips
optional: shoulder press
optional: machine wide grip pulldowns
optional: calves
You make sure you're out in an hour. I do 2 work sets, and my warmups come from squats, and the cardio. After the workout, I stretch for 10 minutes. I write optional, IF you have the time or intensity. The rationale behind this is thus:
If I nail more than 70% of my body more than once a week, perhaps 3 times in 7 days, or 8, I'm going to grow more, and probably have more fun, since I"m focused on progress, not on the millions of exercises I could do. And I'd rather grow frequently and quickly on the 70%, than spread myself thin, miss workouts, and stagnate. Biceps and triceps will get killed via Deads, Dips, and Incline DB presses. Calves I left out because hamstrings matter more in a lot of ways. Shoulders can be added or not added as energy permits. You'll get indirect work from the progress in other areas, and it makes sense to focus on the 80/20 rule. In this case...20% of all exercises we COULD do, account for 80% or more of body progress. And 20% of our body, accounts for 80% of the size we desire to achieve. When it comes to pure strength, no 1 will ask what you can curl, or pushdown, or even push overhead. What they will ask is what you bench, squat, or deadlift. And future health will rely on those exercises, not on bicep or tricep workouts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Throughout your lifting career (if you choose to accept it), you'll do a variety of workouts for a variety of purposes. I posted this as a RECO, because the NEWB, and even the intermediate trainer, may not be up to snuff on his lifts, need more time, or be seeking more performance. Schedules may not dictate sufficient time. And, based on individual genetics, some guys may see more progress, and some may see less. Test it out.
A-Unit
1) He's a newbie have newbie luck and growing
2) He hasn't measured properly or doesn't measure at all
3) He's been lifting a longtime, but the past programs hindered any progress he would have made...here's the triggers.
-he finally began eating more protein/calories.
-he began working out less/more to recover and grow better.
The program is really the LEAST important part of it. The most important parts are:
-having the proper nutrients throughout the day
-recovering
-genetics
-executing the lifts properly
-lastly, the workout
In reality, you could lift heavy boulders and tree stumps in a greater progression and grow, IF, you ate and rested properly. Guys who do tons of physical labor get and remain big because of this fact. So it isn't the PERFECT layout of reps, sets, and so forth. Reps and sets are catered to GOALS and how you're best going to lift. If you trude out 4 sets at 12 reps at the same weight, you likely won't be lifting very long because due to boredom. That's like cardio. There's no progression in performance, strength, or stamina, which is THE POINT of practice..to subject yourself to ABOVE average intensity so that during the moment you need it, you have it. Athletes practice outside the gym MORE than they do inside the game so that they can survive the multi-hour beating their body takes. They OVER condition themselves for the hours of the game so that last at near 100% intensity throughout the whole game.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So why do a FULL body workout versus splitting it up?
1) We're focusing on the MAJOR groups and compound lifts, so our list of extraneous exercises is short. If you progress in squats and deads, you progress through 70% of your muscle - the stuff that will dramatically change the rest of you.
2) You can lift MORE frequently, jamming more workouts in per group. For instance, if you do squats once a week, you get 52 growth periods a year. DC/IA advocates about 72-90+, but doing a revolving split, usually every 4-5 days lift again. But if you do the fullbody workout, esp. for a newbie, you'll be doing it again in 5 days or less, probably 4, and get double, maybe triple the workouts in a year. You may not ADD 50lbs, but you WILL be entirely different.
3) Brevity. Lifting is wonderful, but stagnant muscle that has no purpose but that which it can do in the gym is left for the competitors, not the guys who work for a living, have kids, a family or play sports. You can be muscular and not fast, or be able to stretch, which completely sucks. Lifting can the look of your body, and can also change your future by ensuring good posture and that you don't encounter osteoporosis so soon, but it's limited in that you won't be flexible, nor necessarily "in shape". It's just a catalist for that possibility. It allows you to incorporate STRETCHING, more than just muscle stretching, but TOE TOUCHING, which helps HUGELY, and also to do cardio.
4) Muscles lift TOGETHER, not separately. Your bicep doesn't workout without the forearm, shoulders, back, side abs, traps, and another minor muscles playing into the equation. At higher weights, more muscle is incorporated, hence the appeal of COMPOUND lifts. To separate the body from its natural formation is to go against nature, and the inherent STRENGTH our body offers. By doing the body in a day, roughly 1 hour after a cardio warmup, you can look forward to going back again soon, after recovery. Personally, I do and have done split workouts, and it works for some, and not for others.
5) Schedule. If you lift 3x a week, on top of cardio, that's alot of dedication. I respect anyone who can do it flat out, but life DOES get in the way, or sickness, etc. In my case, my gym is about 20-30 min depending on traffic. I work a varying schedule, play flag football, have a gf, and do other things. Fitness IS important, and I try to do something each day, but as evidenced by other writings, to not be on SOME schedule for lifting will slow your gains down. If you do chest, then you're sick, or work late, then you'll be days off.
If you want to progress, and see progress, consider going to a full body workout. Then, you can do it as frequently as you're recovery and schedule allows. Given, at a LOWER bodyweight and strength, you can do this. If you begin doing 400lb+ squats, then you may have to split off into multiple days since the effort to do 400 and would compromise your recovery. However, doing less than your bodyweight on squats, and your bodyweight on deads as you're growing won't compromise much. Moreover, if you're experienced and focus on work sets after warmups, you can still keep growing. The point is to trigger the response and then wait while feeding it.
One following workout would be...
Squats
Lying Leg Curls (hamstrings)
Deadlifts
Dumbbell Incline Press
Dips
optional: shoulder press
optional: machine wide grip pulldowns
optional: calves
You make sure you're out in an hour. I do 2 work sets, and my warmups come from squats, and the cardio. After the workout, I stretch for 10 minutes. I write optional, IF you have the time or intensity. The rationale behind this is thus:
If I nail more than 70% of my body more than once a week, perhaps 3 times in 7 days, or 8, I'm going to grow more, and probably have more fun, since I"m focused on progress, not on the millions of exercises I could do. And I'd rather grow frequently and quickly on the 70%, than spread myself thin, miss workouts, and stagnate. Biceps and triceps will get killed via Deads, Dips, and Incline DB presses. Calves I left out because hamstrings matter more in a lot of ways. Shoulders can be added or not added as energy permits. You'll get indirect work from the progress in other areas, and it makes sense to focus on the 80/20 rule. In this case...20% of all exercises we COULD do, account for 80% or more of body progress. And 20% of our body, accounts for 80% of the size we desire to achieve. When it comes to pure strength, no 1 will ask what you can curl, or pushdown, or even push overhead. What they will ask is what you bench, squat, or deadlift. And future health will rely on those exercises, not on bicep or tricep workouts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Throughout your lifting career (if you choose to accept it), you'll do a variety of workouts for a variety of purposes. I posted this as a RECO, because the NEWB, and even the intermediate trainer, may not be up to snuff on his lifts, need more time, or be seeking more performance. Schedules may not dictate sufficient time. And, based on individual genetics, some guys may see more progress, and some may see less. Test it out.
A-Unit
