Is this upper body/lower body split any good

[JJA427]

I've been doing full body routines for the past three months now but I want to try something new so I'm thinking about trying a upper/lower body split. My main goal is to gain mass, I'm 6'0 177 pounds right now.

How does this look?

Monday- Upper Body
Incline Bench Press 3x8
Flat Bench Press 3x5
Weighted Chin-ups 3x8
T-Bar Rows 3x8
Overhead Press 3x8
Weighted Dips (tricep version) 3x8
BB Curls 3x8

Tuesday- Lower Body
Squats 3x8
Deadlifts 3x5
Leg Press 3x10
Leg Curls 3x10
Calf Raises 3x10

Wednesday- rest

Thursday- Upper Body
Incline Bench Press 3x8
Flat Bench Press 3x5
Pull-ups 3 sets to failure
BB Rows 3x8
Overhead Press 3x8
Skullcrushers 3x8
Preacher Curl 3x8

Friday- Lower Body
Squats 3x8
SLDL's 3x8
Leg Press 3x10
Leg Curls 3x10
Calf Raises 3x10

Is the volume ok? When you lift twice a week can you lift just as heavy for both upper and lower days or do you have to cut back on your second day for each?

[xdavidn88]

The volume is ok. Just don't go to failure. Save 1 or 2 reps each set.
Yeah you can go hard all 4 days. I would recommend going heavy always. Tu wont be going too heavy. Remember you want mass, so don't go so heavy where you can only lift 4-6 reps.

[KyleAaron]

How does this look?

Monday- Upper Body
Incline Bench Press 3x8
Flat Bench Press 3x5
Weighted Chin-ups 3x8
T-Bar Rows 3x8
Overhead Press 3x8
Weighted Dips (tricep version) 3x8
BB Curls 3x8

Tuesday- Lower Body
Squats 3x8
Deadlifts 3x5
Leg Press 3x10
Leg Curls 3x10
Calf Raises 3x10

Wednesday- rest

Thursday- Upper Body
Incline Bench Press 3x8
Flat Bench Press 3x5
Pull-ups 3 sets to failure
BB Rows 3x8
Overhead Press 3x8
Skullcrushers 3x8
Preacher Curl 3x8

Friday- Lower Body
Squats 3x8
SLDL's 3x8
Leg Press 3x10
Leg Curls 3x10
Calf Raises 3x10

Needless duplication. Why flat bench when you're incline pressing? Why do rows when you're doing pullups? After lifting 170lbs of bodyweight in a chinup, what's 20lbs in a curl going to do to your biceps? Very little.

Let's take out the duplication and trim it down,
Monday - bench, t-bar rows
Tuesday - squats, deadlift
Thursday - bench, rows
Friday - squats, deadlift

or even better,

Monday - squat, bench, row
Tuesday - sprints, pushups, chinups
Thursday - squat, press, deadlift
Friday - sprints, pushups with feet elevated, inverted rows

I am not too fussed about the sets and reps. Just do at least one set and 3 reps, and not more than 6 sets and 12 reps. Aside from that, do more in every session - more weight, or more reps, or more sets. For example if today you squat 100lbs 3x8, tomorrow you must squat 105lbs 3x8, or 100lbs 3x9, or 100lbs 4x8, any of those would be more and would mean you are getting stronger.

For the bodyweight exercises, don't worry about sets and reps, just get the total up - if you did a total of 20 today, do a total of at least 21 next time, etc.

It's better to focus on a few exercises, because that way you can ensure you're doing more each time. For example if you flat bench 100lbs 3x8 today, and incline bench 100lbs 4x6 tomorrow, was that more? Who knows. But if you stick to the same exercises, you can progress the resistance, and stimulate your body to change.

So the gym work stimulates the body to change, whether it does or not depends on whether you eat. Doing a workout is getting the workmen to the construction site, but unless someone sends them timber and bricks, they won't have much to do.

[JJA427]

Thanks for the advice.

[LCGJR]

Here is a 4 day-split a friend of mine's been using with great gains:

Monday
Squats 3x5
SLDL's 3x5
Leg Extensions 3x12
Leg Curls 3x12
Leg Press 1x20

Tuesday
Bench Press 3x5
Barbell Rows 3x5
Inclined Bench Press 3x5
Barbell Curls 2x8
Crunches 2x25

Wednesday
Deadlift 3x5
Leg Extensions 3x12
Leg Curls 3x12
Power Clean 5x3

Thursday
Military Press 3x5
Pull-ups 3xF
Dips 3xF
Barbell Curls 21s // Skull Crushers 2x8
Crunches 2x25

Thoughts?

[Sharksinurmouth]

When I do upper/lower stuff I usually go:

Day 1: Squat
Day 2: Bench
Day 3: Deadlift
Day 4: Press

Then 2-3 assistance lifts to build the main lift. easy.

[JJA427]

When I do upper/lower stuff I usually go:

Day 1: Squat
Day 2: Bench
Day 3: Deadlift
Day 4: Press

Then 2-3 assistance lifts to build the main lift. easy.

How many sets? Doing only 3-4 exercises per session doesn't seem like much to be but I guess it's enough if you lift really heavy?

[agreutman]

I have been running the following 4 day split and having good success:

Day 1, upper:

Bench 4X6-8
BO BB Row 4X6-8
OH BB Press 3x10-12
Cable Rope Pushdown 3x10-12
Barbell Curl 3X10-12

Day 2 Lower:

Hack Squat 4X 6-8
Deadlift 4X 6-8
Leg Press 4x 6-8
Seated Calf Raise 3x10-12

Day 3

Inc Bench 4X 6-8
Assisted Pull Up (or normal/weighted since you can) 4X6-8
OH DB Press 3X10-12
Skullcrushers (or dips) 3X10-12
Hammer Curls 3X10-12
May finish delts with some light lateral raises

Day 4, lower

Reg. Squat 4X6-8
Stiff Legged DL 4X6-8
Leg Extension 3X10-12
Hammy Curl (lying) 3X10-12
Standing Calf raised 3X10-12

Take it, discard it or tweak it for what it is worth.

[Sharksinurmouth]

How many sets? Doing only 3-4 exercises per session doesn't seem like much to be but I guess it's enough if you lift really heavy?

3-4 sets on my main lift (periodized) and 3x10 on everything else. I guess I do lift heavy, but I'm in the gym to get strong, not masturbate a bunch of assistance lifts that don't help much in the scheme of things.