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[BeowulfKTF]

I am trying to bulk up. Here is my split:

Monday - Chest/Back
Tuesday - Quads/Calves
Wednesday - Moderate Cardio
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Arms/Calves
Saturday - Moderate Cardio
Sunday - Rest

This is the first time that I've ever consciously tried to bulk up, although I've been lifting for about 6 years. All bodyparts receive 12 sets to failure (calves only get 9). I am pretty mesomorphic. I am 5'8, and weigh about 194, currently. My concern here is that I'm not giving myself enough rest time. Any opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

[midian]

where are the hamms??

+ doing 12 sets to failure in a chest/back routine seems like overdoing it

[Wanker527]

cut the #of sets way down or stop training to failure on every set. that's a LOT of sets to failure, especially on (like midian said) a chest/back split with arms and shoulders on separate days. there's much layover in your routine (i.e. a trained muscle hasn't had enough time to recover before it is hit indirectly during another workout for a different bodypart). being of mesomorphic body-type, you may see decent results from this routine for a while, but you could be seeing much better.

check out Brit Beef's sticky in this section. i'm sure you'll find one that'll suit you. then post it and let everybody here give their input on it.

best of luck to you man.

[BRIT_BEEF]

Originally posted by BeowulfKTF
I am trying to bulk up. Here is my split:

Monday - Chest/Back
Tuesday - Quads/Calves
Wednesday - Moderate Cardio
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Arms/Calves
Saturday - Moderate Cardio
Sunday - Rest

This is the first time that I've ever consciously tried to bulk up, although I've been lifting for about 6 years. All bodyparts receive 12 sets to failure (calves only get 9). I am pretty mesomorphic. I am 5'8, and weigh about 194, currently. My concern here is that I'm not giving myself enough rest time. Any opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

If you are deadlifting and squatting (which you should be in a bulking routine) I would recommend not doing back the day before legs. You have the three biggest muscle groups all bunched up on the first two days, seperating chest and back could improve your routine I feel.
I would start each two day block with one of the biggest muscle groups (legs and back) and the second day would accomodate the rest evenly shared out.

That would give you something like...

Mon - quads/hamstring
Tues - chest/triceps
Wed -
Thurs - back/biceps
Fri - shoulders/calves
Sat -
Sun -

That is a 4 day split I use quite often and have had great results with it. I personally don't feel there is any place for an 'arms' day in a bulking routine, that is why I have paired chest/triceps and back/biceps.
As you have been lifting for 6 years you obviously know what sort of workload is good for you, but I would consider dropping the number of sets for triceps and biceps. Six would get the job done, maybe nine if you want to keep the volume pretty high. In my split they get worked indirectly with the first bodypart which should cut down the number of sets needed anyway.

[scott_donald]

2 out of five better ones look here....

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hreadid=143006

[BeowulfKTF]

Thanks for the input guys....you all make great points. Especially what Brit Beef was saying about splitting up the big muscle groups so that they can recover better. I am going to look at my routine and try to revamp according to what you guys have said. I like the split that Brit Beef suggested, although I want to train calves twice a week because they are my biggest weak point.

One other question....if going to failure on every set is too much, how often should I do it?

Thanks again

[BRIT_BEEF]

Originally posted by BeowulfKTF
Thanks for the input guys....you all make great points. Especially what Brit Beef was saying about splitting up the big muscle groups so that they can recover better. I am going to look at my routine and try to revamp according to what you guys have said. I like the split that Brit Beef suggested, although I want to train calves twice a week because they are my biggest weak point.

One other question....if going to failure on every set is too much, how often should I do it?

Thanks again

If you want to do calves twice a week, that is no problem. You can easily fit them in on monday or tuesday too.

As regards going to failure, if you look through alot of the answers in this forum there is a pretty even divide between people who train to failure and those who don't recommend it.
I like to pyramid my weights up each set and train to failure on the last one or two sets of each exercise. This means that around half my sets are to failure, maybe more than that some days.
Realistically, as you have been training for quite a while you will have a better idea of what works for you. If you are finding your gains stalling with your current technique of all sets to failure maybe try something like I am doing. If your gains are consistent stick with what you are doing now.