2 or 3 or 4 day split? Any one better?

[Mrs.Fitness]

Ok. Just curious to see what you guys do as far as days on and off.

Currently I am following this split:

Day 1- Biceps/back
Day 2- Legs
Day 3- Chest/triceps/shoulders
Day 4- Biceps/back
Day 5- Off
Day 6- Legs
Day 7- Off

I keep rotating this way and some weeks I do Legs twice, sometimes I do chest and triceps twice depending on how the week falls. Is this a good split of would two consecutive days off be better?

[MsFit]

My rotation looks like this:

Monday - Chest, Shoulders, and Abs
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Quads, Hams, and Calves
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Back, Arms, and Abs
Saturday - Cardio

Dat's all sha......
MsFit

[Mrs.Fitness]

So you only take Saturday off? Also, is it possible to burn bodyfat with only 3 cardio sessions a week? I am currently at 18% bodyfat and I am wanting it to be lower only because I carry BF really bad. Even at 18% I am still really soft and you can't hardly see any of my hard earned muscle!

Currently I do about 5 days cardio....but then again I am not really seeing any real gains in my muscle....uugghh...it never ends *smile*

I am in that zone where I want to cardio myself to death because my bodyfat is not moving anywhere...just relocating.

[dianna]

My new 3 day split looks pretty much the same as MsFit's:

Monday - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Abs
Tuesday - Cardio (trying to keep it to 40 minutes max)
Wednesday - Quads, Hams, and Calves
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Back, Arms, and Abs
Sunday - Cardio (long distance ruin with my sweetie, about 12k)

It seems that you may have the same problem I did, too much cardio is preventing muscle gain. MsFit has been showing me the way though :)

[the wind]

being new to all of this i didn't realize there was such a thing as too much cardio!

so far my days look like this, help!

monday - 30 minutes cardio- chest/bi's & tri's
tues - 30 min cardio - hams, quads, calves
wed - 40 min carido - abs- 21's (sometimes chest depending)
thurs - 30 min carido - kicks, curls, lunges, hacks
fri - 30 min carido - sholders, chest, bi's & tri's
sat - 30 min carido - abs and then free day depending on what i feel i need to work.
sun - off

i've been doing this for a month now, i don't feel overtrained but from reading forums on this site i am beginning to wonder if i'm setting myself up to bonk. but i really want to compete in june and am afraid if i slow down i won't be ready! any suggestions?

[Mrs.Fitness]

I agree with the way that you are feeling! I am scared that if I stop the 5 days a week cardio that I am going to gain my bodyfat back. I do not want to do that.

[RedHedd]

I'm currently hitting shoulders and biceps twice a week since those are my weakest bodyparts right now. I'm going to try that for 4-6 weeks and see how that works.

My split is as follows:

Monday: AM- run 3-5 miles; PM- shoulders (middle/rear), biceps
Tuesday: AM- Chest, Triceps; PM- Cardio 45 min (EFX or bike)
Wednesday: AM- run 3-5 miles; PM- Quads, Hamstrings
Thursday:PM- Traps, Back, biceps
Friday: AM run 3-5 miles; PM- shoulders (front/middle), calves
Saturday: cardio if I feel like it, or makeup day for if I missed a workout earlier in the week
Sunday: Rest and be a slug

I throw abs in once or twice a week where I feel like it

[LIL-ONE]

Mrs.Fitness-
your split looks good but i'm wondering why you work your biceps more then your triceps..triceps make up most of your arm. also do you do biceps before back if so why?
also...do you do your cardio before or after wieght lifting? this may have a major effect on ressults. every person needs to do different workouts routine(concerning how much cardio) depending on your metabolism and how hard your workout.
whats your diet?(also a major factor)

the wind- have your forgotten your back?!!??!!?

[the wind]

good call! no, i have not forgotten my back but in my carb depleted state it was difficult to remember a whole weeks worth of information. :) in fact some mornings at 5am ( i have to get up at 4:30) i can't even remember why i'm even there!

Wed: back
as well as Sat.

and when i have poor form on my straight leg dead lifts!

[Mrs.Fitness]

I do not work one part more then the other on a regular basis. I run my schedule by "days" rather then MOnday, Tues, Wends, and so on. So, once a week I double work a specific muscle group. This week it was Biceps and Back. Next Week it will be Chest/ Triceps, and the following will be Legs.

If I do cardio on a day that I lift I always do it after so I do not run my energy stores down and I can lift more weight!

I do biceps and back together as supersets. I get a better burn this way and it seems to work great for me. One thing I have noticed though is that my biceos REALLY respond to weight training but my triceps don't for some reason. I am not sure why?

Also, I posted my diet in the nutrition section under "Critique my diet"! Thanks!

[dianna]

It looks like most people do back and biceps on the same day, I am trying to put together a back/bicep routine for Friday, what are your typical back/bicep routines??

[MDC]

I don't know why "most" people do back and bicep the same day. Many of the back exercises also hit biceps, so the biceps might be too tired to effectively work them.

I do this split which has no crossover between the muscle groups:

Mon:
chest/back
Wed:
legs/triceps
Fri:
shoulders/biceps

edit: I have tried a back/bi routine a few years ago, and my biceps didn't improve much until I separated them.

[Mrs.Fitness]

See I am the complete opposite. I tried the exact split that you are doing now and never made the muscle gains that I have achieved by doing Biceps/Back and Chest/Triceps. I guess I fatigue my muscles and then give them a good rest period. I have really seen a difference.

I used to drink half a protein shake before working out and I had stomach cramps and burped the stinking think up through my entire workout. I don't have a lot of time to let anything digest before hitting the gym. I get out of bed at 8:20 and by 8:40 I am into my workout. When I used to go to the gym to workout in the mornings I used to have a protein shake or a bar and was not loosing bodyfat like I am when I do it on an empty stomach.

[LIL-ONE]

"I do biceps and back together as supersets. I get a better burn this way and it seems to work great for me. One thing I have noticed though is that my biceos REALLY respond to weight training but my triceps don't for some reason. I am not sure why?"
-HEY I ALWAYS SAY IF IT WORKS FOR YOU THE KEEP IT UP...BUT SUPERSETTING BICEPS AND BACK TOGETHER...I'M NOT TOO CRAZY ABOUT THAT..YOUR BICEPS GIVE OUT BEFORE YOUR BACK AND YOUR BACK DOESNT GET AS GOOD OF A WORKOUT! TRY BACK THEN BICEPS...IF YOU LIKE THE "BURN" OF A SUPERSET..SUPERSET 2 BACK EXERCISES OR 2 BICEP EXERCISES...
- WHAT EXERCISES ARE YOU DOING FOR YOUR TRICEPS? WHEN I FIRST STARTED I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM THEN REALIZED THAT I WAS TRYING TO PUT UP TOO MUCH WEIGHT AND NOT PRACTICING THE CORRECT FORM..TRY LESS WEIGHT BETTER FORM...CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESSES, SKULLCRUSHERS,AND LYING EXTENSIONS ALWAYS GIVE ME THE BEST TRICEP WORKOUT

[Mrs.Fitness]

In the beginning I think that was my problem...too much weight with the wrong form. I have dropped my weight back to about 10-15 pounds when doing triceps and I am getting a MUCH better response. I do dips, extensions, close grip bench presses....what is a "Skullcrusher"?

I will try back before biceps on those days. I work my muscles VERY hard and I have noticed that when I work my biceps and then my back that my biceps fatigue out on me. I will try to superset 2 biceps and then 2 backs and see how that goes. I really need to focus more on my back as it is.

[MDC]

Originally posted by Mrs.Fitness
In the beginning I think that was my problem...too much weight with the wrong form. I have dropped my weight back to about 10-15 pounds when doing triceps and I am getting a MUCH better response. I do dips, extensions, close grip bench presses....what is a "Skullcrusher"?

I will try back before biceps on those days. I work my muscles VERY hard and I have noticed that when I work my biceps and then my back that my biceps fatigue out on me. I will try to superset 2 biceps and then 2 backs and see how that goes. I really need to focus more on my back as it is.

Here's a good explanation of skullcrushers.

http://www.theministryoffitness.com/mof/library/anims/skullc.htm

[LIL-ONE]

when you do back and biceps...make sure you do the 2 back exercises before your bicep exercises...you back will get a full workout...and you biceps wont give out while doing back because they are already tired...

[HUZBETTA]

Originally posted by LIL-ONE
when you do back and biceps...make sure you do the 2 back exercises before your bicep exercises...you back will get a full workout...and you biceps wont give out while doing back because they are already tired...

YEAH IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO ALWAYS TO BACK EXERCISES FIRST SO THAT YOUR BICEPS DONT GIVE OUT FIRST .....ALSO MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT WHEN YOU WORK OUT BACK BEFORE BICEPS THAT YOU DONT GET A GOOD WORKOUT, BUT YOU ARE ACTUALLY PRE-EXHAUSTING YOUR BICEPS SO YOU DONT HAVE TO USE AS MUCH WEIGHT FOR THEM TO GET A GOOD WORKOUT..

[TrishB]

I would definetely take more time off before working the same muscle group. Every 4-6 days would be better for recovery time.
I am doing the same group per session as you and it is working out fine.

Cut back on the cardio. I used to do 6x/week for an hour each time. It was not until I cut back to 3x week, 20mins each, that my bodyfat started to drop. Give yourself a month of cutting back and see how you are doing.
I do HIIT ...20 mins only...and can still feel the heart pounding an hour later. Works great!

[Mrs.Fitness]

I have rewritten my schedule for October and I am only doing 3-4 days cardio a week at about 20-30 minutes a time.

Thanks for the info on Skullcrushers! I will incorporate this in my next tri workout!!!

I am now working each muscle group once a week. I do cardio between weight days. My split looks like this:

Sunday- Cardio/abs (Optional day)
Monday -OFF
Tuesday Chest, Shoulders/Triceps
Wendsday- Cardio /abs
thursday - Legs
friday - Cardio /abs
Saturday - Back/biceps

Sometimes I will throw one more cardio session in on Sunday...depending. I have been latley. If I have trained hard for the week I take it off! :)

Looking better?

[TrishB]

Looks like a super workout schedule....bet you get great results!!

[Sugar]

I've tried many different types of splits and I have been getting great results from this three-day split I put together (Losing body fat and maintaining my larger muscles).

Day One:
1.Lats 2.Glutes 3.Bis 4.Abs 5.Cardio 30 or+ min. intense/circuit
Day Two:
1.Hams 2.Delts 3.Calves 4.Abs 5.Cardio 30 or+ min. intense/circuit
Day Three:
1.Pecs 2.Quads 3.Tris 4.Abs 5.Cardio 30+ min. intense/circuit

Depending on what's going on in my life each week, these fall on different days of the week and sometimes I have a day off in between each and sometimes I'll do three days straight before I take a day off and start over - it's always different.

[Iron-T]

I am trying to lean out a little, I used to train even on weekends, but I got rid of my car so I can't get to the gym :( So currently I revised my routine as follows :

MON - Chest, triceps, abs 15-20 min cardio
TUE - 30 min cardio, abs
WED - Back, biceps, 15-20 min cardio
THU - 30 min cardio, abs
FRI - Legs, Shoulders, 15-20 min cardio
SAT - OFF
SUN - OFF

[Viola]

I have definately been doing to much cardio. 5 or 6 days a week for 60 to 80 minutes.

I'm going to work hard at cutting it to 60 minutes every other day. But the rest of everything goes like this.

Mon: Chest and Arms
Tues: Legs
Wed: Back
Thur. Abs
Fri : Chest and Arms
Sat: Sometimes Legs
Sun: Abs

I have just been doing some basic moves. I'm still trying to learn what works best for me.