JT's Three Day Split

[jtroster]

After Jaguar posted his split I figured it was time for me to actually write down one instead of winging it at the gym. I invite comments from th emore experienced.

I work out Tuesday 7:00pm, Friday 7:00am and Sunday 9:00am. Tuesday I work out with a trainer and he picks the workout based on what I have been doing on the other days and what parts need work. Tuesday is my hardest workout of the week where I usually hit a new personal best in some exercise. So this split rotates around Fridays and Mondays.

All exercises are 3 sets with reps at (12/8/6) except where noted.

Legs/Shoulders Day

Box Squats OR ATG Squats
DB Side/Front Raise Combo
Seated Calf Raises
Cable Rear Delt Row
Leg Extension/Curl superset
Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press
Unweighted Swiss Ball Crunches (20/20/20)
Leg Raises (20/20/20)

Chest/Triceps Day

Side Laterals (to warm up shoulders)
Bench press
Skullcrushers
DB Fly's
Cable Pushdowns
Dips
Overhead DB Extension
Woodchopppers (12/12/12)
Dumbell Side Bend (12/12/12)

Back/Biceps Day

Deadlifts
Incline DB Curl, Shoulder Press Combo
DB Pullover
Standing EZbar Curl
Wide Grip Pulldowns
Hammer Curls
Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches (12/12/12)

CARDIO
- 5-10 minutes on the elliptical to warm up training days.
- One or twice daily dog walks. As my puppy grows I'll advance into jogs or runs.

Notes:
- In designing this split I alternate the exercises so that each part gets some rest before hitting it with another exercise.

- My shoulders are my weakest link so there is shoulder work on each day. I also need to warm up my shoulders before doing heavy presses.

- DB Side/Front Raise Combo consists of reps of side laterals followed immediately by the same number of reps of front raises.

- Incline DB Curl, Shoulder Press Combo consists of a doing a DB curl to the shoulder right into a shoulder press for reach rep.

- Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press is done on a plate-loaded Hammer Strength machine.

[jaguarr]

Heya JT,

Looks pretty good, though you may be overtraining your shoulders by having shoulder stuff going on in every workout. Might not give them enough time to heal up properly. What are your overall goals with this split?

Cheers!
jag

[jtroster]

Jag,

On Chest/Tricep days the side laterals use light weights just for warm-ups. I follow that with some stretching that my Massage Therapist gave me. Then I'm ready to bench without pain.

I also really like the Incline DB Curl, Shoulder Press Combo so I had to put it in on Bicep days. With the weights I use this exercise hits my biceps more than my shoulders as I can press more than I can curl. If I feel that my shoulders are being overtrained then I'll just do the incline curls.

My goals are to increase strength and to drop fat. Over the past six months I have been able to maintain my weight constant at 180 while slowly dropping fat. That comes from being an intermediate lifter. I measure fat loss by how my pants fit and what my wife says.

[jaguarr]

Ahhh. Cool. Give it a try for a few weeks and see how it goes and then see if you need to make any tweaks.

Good luck!
jag

[jtroster]

So far I have done a Back/Bi day and a Chest/Tri day. Here are some comments.

In general I have not done three exercises per part before. So the workouts were more intense than I have experienced before and I was stiff the next day.

The Back/Bi workout (last Friday morning) was well balanced between back and biceps. Alternating exercises between body parts helped the parts recover before hitting them again. I did fairly heavy DB pullovers and I felt that that was a real anchor exercise for the split. Pullovers hit so many muscles and I felt it the next day.

The Chest/Tri workout (yesterday morning) was less balanced. I felt after the workout that my chest was under worked and tris slightly overworked. After doing bench presses I had a little trouble doing the flys. I might switch them over to cable flys on the exercise ball. The two Abs exercises worked very well and I can really feel it today. I'll stick to this split for a while and then see if I want to change it to put more emphasis on chest.

[jaguarr]

Sounds like it's going great, man! Keep it up!

jag

[jtroster]

Yesterday I learned something valuable - my Chiropracter knows alot about shoulder problems and how to fix them. I told her about the shoulder clicking that was affecting my bench press. She did some tests and discovered that my left supraspinatus was quite weak compared to my right. She showed me some exercises to strenghten that muscle. I also looked at http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ShouldWt.html

So yesterday night was my regular session with my trainer. I showed him my split and told him what my Chiro found. So we did a modified Leg/Shoulder workout. We followed my plan but added some light exercises to hit the supraspinatus. I did light lateral raises with the arms rotated so that the thumbs were down (Chiro's idea) and rear raises lying on the incline bench. I did the rear raises with the arms slightly forward. That seemd to isolate the rear delts better. I skipped the leg raise/curl and Abd as we ran out of time. I'll do my crunches at home tonight.

[jtroster]

This morning I did a Leg/Shoulder split. I went lighter on the squats as I did them heavier Tuesday with my trainer.

Squats - 155/155/225
DB Side/Front Raise Combo - 8/10/12
Seated Calf Raises - 90/90/90
Cable Rear Delt Row - 6/7/8 plates
Leg Extension/Curl superset - 8/8/9, 6/6/7 plates
Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press - 25/20/35 (each side)
Unweighted Swiss Ball Crunches (20/20/20)
Leg Raises (20/20/20)

Now I get to feel nice and righteous all day at work ;-)

[Overload]

Chest/Triceps Day

Side Laterals (to warm up shoulders)
Bench press
Skullcrushers
DB Fly's
Cable Pushdowns
Dips
Overhead DB Extension
Woodchopppers (12/12/12)
Dumbell Side Bend (12/12/12)

You seem to have too many tricep exercises (4) and less chest exercises (2). Don't know what woodchoppers are, but I would balance things out more as the smaller muscles don't need that much work.

Good luck.

[jtroster]

Overload,

I agree with you. Of the three days the Chest/Tri is least successful. The dips are done forward leaning to hit the chest more but I found my tris were more involved. I'm going to replace them with a Hammer Strength decline press. I isolates the chest better.

I also am not happy with Chest/Tricep and Back/Bicep splits. I think it would be better for me to do a Chest/Bicep and Back/Tricep split. That way the isolation exercises are done when those muscles are rested. I'll keep to this split for one more week and then switch them up and post my modified 3 day split.

[body2big]

I have never used dips as a chest excersize. I keep my body as straight as possible and do it as a tricep workout. So I still do them in my routine.

Shawn

[jaguarr]

Heya JT,
You might try a tri's/chest day along these lines:

Chest/Triceps Day

Side Laterals (to warm up shoulders)
Bench press
Incline DB Press
Close Grip Bench
DB Fly's
Dips
Skullcrushers
Kickbacks

Also, if you're not feeling like your chest is really getting a good workout, try upping your weight and lowering your reps. Keeping your exercises grouped like this will also help you really work things to, or close to, failure which will result in an overall better workout for you. Give it a try for a couple weeks and see how it goes.

As far as dips go, I tend to do them at an angle that hits both my chest and my tri's sometimes, and other times I'll focus it on just my chest or just my tri's. Keeps things interesting that way and ensures I'm getting all of the surrounding stabilizer muscles.

Keep up the hard work!
jag

[jtroster]

Jag,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try your changes and see how it feels next Chest day. I'll regroup Back/Bicep as well.

[jaguarr]

Originally Posted by jtroster

Jag,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try your changes and see how it feels next Chest day. I'll regroup Back/Bicep as well.

Cool! Give it a couple weeks and see how it goes. I tweaked what I posted above and added some close grip benches in there, too, just to give you some extra pain. You might try this for a back/bi's day:

Deadlifts
BB Rows
Shrugs
Wide Grip Pulldowns
Incline DB Curls
Spider Curls or upright EZ Bar Curls
Hammer Curls (If you make it to these after doing Spider Curls you're probably not doing enough weight)
Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches (12/12/12)

That grouping should help you get a better workout on each muscle group. Up the weight, lower the reps, too, if you don't feel like you're really getting the muscle worked the way you like. If you don't want to gain too much mass, I'd keep it at around 8-10 reps per set, three sets per exercise. Give yourself no more than two minutes between each set to rest, too, and that will help. I give myself just about as much time between sets as it took me to completel the last set. We should have you whimpering in pain (the good kind) in no time! Hahaha!

Give it a couple weeks and let us know how it works for you,
jag

[GameDayDog]

Originally Posted by jaguarr

If you don't want to gain too much mass, I'd keep it at around 8-10 reps per set, three sets per exercise.

Hahahaha... Don't want to gain too much mass!!!! Hahahahaha...

Man.. we have a joke thread.. hahahahaha.. too much mass!!! Whew... I can't breathe!!!

Peace..~G

[body2big]

Originally Posted by GameDayDog

Hahahaha... Don't want to gain too much mass!!!! Hahahahaha...

Man.. we have a joke thread.. hahahahaha.. too much mass!!! Whew... I can't breathe!!!

Peace..~G

Well you skinny guys don't count LOL.. Us endomorphs have too much and are more than willing to give up some size(fat). I will keep my lean mass.

Shawn

[jtroster]

Tonight is Back/Bicep so I'll use Jag's suggestion. I'll report back tomorrow morning.

[jaguarr]

Originally Posted by GameDayDog

Hahahaha... Don't want to gain too much mass!!!! Hahahahaha...

Man.. we have a joke thread.. hahahahaha.. too much mass!!! Whew... I can't breathe!!!

Peace..~G

How's that squat program of yours coming along there, Dawg?

jag

[jtroster]

Yesterday was Back/Bicep day and my regular weekly session with my trainer. He looked at my plan and we ended up doing a variation on it.

Started on Back:

Deadlifts - Started off the rack as my form from the floor still needs work. I did sets of 135, 155 and 185 pounds.

Wide Grip Assisted pullups - I use the Gravitron for pullups as I can't yet pull up my body weight (180). I did sets with 100, 80 and 60 pounds assist. 60 was a personal best.

Back extensions - 3 sets unweighted.

Cable Pullovers - A great alternative to DB pullovers. I did sets of 50, 60 and 65 pounds.

Next came biceps:

21s - A set of 35 pounds. (21s are a set of BB curls done 7 reps to midway, 7 reps from midway to the top and then 7 reps of full curls.)

Incline DB Curls - Sets of 20, 25 and then 30 pounds. 30 was a struggle but it is a personal best. After that I did not have anything left for hammer curls.

Abs:
3 sets of crunches done on the floor with a Swiss Ball held between the knees - interesting variation.

It was a good workout that was well balanced between back and biceps. Friday morning is leg/shoulder day. Then my wife and I are off to St. Johns Newfoundland. She is attending a conference there starting Tuesday and we have never been there before. I found a gym in St. Johns (Nubodys) so we will not miss our regular Sunday morning workout.

[jaguarr]

Hey, good job on the back and bi's day, JT. I had a feeling you just needed to make a few tweaks to get some intensity in there and make you feel like you really got a strong workout. As for not having anything left for hammer curls, I would just like to take this opportunity to say "I told you so!" Keep up the hard work, man!

jag

[jtroster]

This morning was legs and shoulders. I kept mostly to the plan:

Warm up on the eliptical.

Squats - sets of 135, 205 and 225. My right knee was talking to me this morning so I could not go as low as I usually do. I supersetted the squats with calfs.

Seated Calf Raises - 3 sets of 12 at 90 pounds.

Shoulder raises - I did my own version of 21s for shoulders - 7 reps of side laterals, 2 reps of front raises and 7 reps of rear raises lying of the incline bench. I did 3 sets of those using 8, 10 and 12 pounds.

Front Lateral Raise- 3 light sets of 8 pounds to strengthen the Superspinatus. My Chiro recommended these.

Leg Raise/Curl - 3 sets of Leg Raises with 100, 115 and 120 pounds supersetted with Lying Leg Curl with 85, 100 and 115 pounds. Then my legs were really toast.

Shoulder Presses - 3 sets of 25, 35 and 40 pounds a side using the Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press. Now my shoulders were dead.

Abs - One set of 20 Swiss Ball Crunches, one set of 20 leg raises and 3 sets of weighted crunches on the Cybex Abs Machine with 100 pounds.

I'm off to Newfoundland this afternoon. I'll do a Chest/Tricep workout at Nubodys in St. Johns Sunday Morning and report on the workout and on the gym when I get to a computer Wednesday.

[jtroster]

Sunday May 15 was Chest/Tri day that I did at Nubodys in St. Johns Newfoundland. Even though is was not my usual gym I managed to cover my split with some variations.

- Warm up on elliptical

- Shoulder warm up of light lateral raises and some stretches

- Bench Press, 4 sets of 135, 145, 155, 160. My left shoulder is getting stronger and I was feeling less stress on it on the heavier weights.

- Incline DB press, 3 sets of 35, 44, 50.

- Pec Deck, 3 sets. I did this instead of flys as I wanted to try the pec deck that was at the gym.

- Assisted Dips, 3 sets of assists of 90, 80 and 70 pounds.

- Skullcrushers. 3 sets of 50, 60 , 60. I wanted to do the 3rd set at 65 but they only had fixed barbells in increments of 10 pounds. My regular gym has them in 5 pound increments.

- Hammer Strength ticep machine. 3 sets of 40, 50, 50. Nice machine. It was a lot better than the Cybex Tricep machine in my gym

- Weighted crunch - 3 sets 10 100 pounds on the crunch machine. (I can't remember who made it.)

- Side bends - 2 sets of 60 pounds.


Comments on the Gym:

Nobodys is a chain of gyms operating in major cities in Eastern Canada. The one in St. Johns just opened and I was very impressed. It had over 70 cardio machines of various kinds, all top of the line. There was a large free weight area and plenty of exercise machines for every body part - some I have never seen before (the machine, not the body part;-) . They also had a smaller separate area for women ony. My wife reported it had plenty of cardio machines, free weights and a circuit of Life Fitness machines. The receptionist told me the separate womans area was because some women feel uncomforable working out with men. One odd thing I found that in the weight area all the plates were the rubber coated ones. Even though there were several people working out you could not hear that satisfying clang of iron, only a soft thwuck.

So if you find yourself in any of the Eastern Provinces check out Nubodys. They will usually will give out 3-day trial passes.

[jaguarr]

Looks like you're making good progress, JT! Keep it up, man!

jag

[jtroster]

Another day another workout.

I decided that my split would actually be 3+1 - three days of following the planned split and on my one a week workout wth my trainer it would be his choice. That way the trainer night would not aloways be the same workout. So tonight was trainer's choice and we did a Leg/Shoulder/Abs workout.

- Lunges, three sets of 12 reps using 15, 20 and 25 pound DBs in each hand. I suck at lunges so we spent the time getting the form right. They still hurt in the wrong places.

- Leg Raises (Cybex), 3 sets of 9, 10 and then 11 plates on the Cybex machine. 11 platea is a personal best. (I think 8 plates make 100 pounds.)

- Lying Leg curls (Cybex), 3 sets of 6, 7 and 8 plates. These were supersetted with the Leg raises.

- Aducter/Abducter (Cybex), 2 sets of each using 8 plates. These were supersetted with the Leg raises and curls.

And on to shoulders...

- Side Laterals, 4 sets of 8, 10, 12 and 15 pounds DBs. So far with my wonky shoulder 15 is my max. However, it is feeling much less stressful so I might go for the 20s next workout.

- Seated Military Presses (Smith machine) - 3 sets of 60 pounds supersetted with..

- Palms down Bent Over Rows, 2 sets of 65, 85 and 85 pounds. 85 is a PB.

- Lying Side raises for Abs (can't find the proper name for them, but they kill.)

- Crunches on the floor

Next workout is Friday for Back/Bis.

[jtroster]

Today was Back/Bi and I hit three new Personal Bests

- Deadlifts, sets of 135, 185 and 205 (PB #1)

- Assisted pullups, sets of 80, 70 and 60 assist.

- DB Pullovers, sets of 55, 60 and 65 (PB #2)

- Iso-Lateral Low Row, sets of 45, 55, and 70 (PB#3) each side

- 21s, 2 sets of 35. This exercise really pumps up the biceps.

- Incline DB curl, 3 sets of 20, 25, 25.

- Hammer Curl, 2 sets of 20. I was too blasted to do one more rep!

- Abs, 1 set of 20 Crunches on the ball and 1 set of 20 leg raises.

My workout was at 4:30 and now at 11:00 I'm still pumped.

Happy Victoria Day long weekend all you Canadians. Fireworks on Monday!

[GameDayDog]

Congratz on the PB's ... Yes, we're watching...

Peace..~G

[jaguarr]

You're making good progress, JT. Keep up the hard work, man!

Cheers,
jag

[jtroster]

Legs and Shoulders this morning with 2 1/2 new Personal Bests.

Squats - Sets of 135, 225, 255 and then I made 2 reps of 265. I counted the 265 as only 1/2 of a PB because I only really count a PB when I make at least 6 reps.

Shoulder 21s (7 reps side laterals, 7 reps front raises and 7 reps of rear raises lying on the incline bench - all done without rest). I made one set of 10 pounds, one at 12 pounds and then (PB!) one set 15 pounds. These really pump up the shoulders.

Seated Calf Raises- Sets of 90, 120 and 120. 120 is a new PB.

Cybex Leg Extension/Curl Superset. I did not have much left after the squats but I did manage 3 sets using 10 plates (100 pounds) on the extension and 8 plates on the Curl. I could hardly walk to the next exercise.

Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press - 3 sets with 70 (35 each side), 80 and then 90 pounds - another PB!

I was pretty tired by then so we left and I'll do my 3 sets of crunches at home.

My wife and I then went out and traded in our old treadmill for a new Precor Ellipitical. It gets delivered in a few days. Now I can do more cardio on non-lifting days. That should help me burn off more fat.

[jtroster]

Last night was trainer's choice and so we went with a variation on my usual Chest/Triceps day.

Warm ups. Some time on the elliptical, a set of side laterals and a set of skullcrushers warmed me up.

Incline BB Press - 95/6, 95/6, 105/8, 105/8. It took a few sets for my left shoulder to warm up enough to enable me to go heavier. Also I played around with my form and found that pressing my shoulder blades into the bench and arching my back slightly gave me more leverage to do the lift without my left shoulder clicking. BTW, 105 was a new PB.

Flat DB Press - 40/8, 50/8, 55/3. My form was clean and I after the first two sets I was ready to try a new PB. However, I faltered on the 4th rep. Oh well, I'll try again next Chest day.

Cable Flys on the Ball - 20/8, 30/8, 30/8. A great chest finisher.

DB Skullcrushers - 25/8, 25/8, 25/8.

Cable Pushdowns (rope instead of V-bar) - 60/8, 70/8, 80/8. These are harder than using the metal V-bar where my PB is 120 pounds.

Abs - 3 sets of 20 lying crunches.

In all a good workout. Today our new Precor elliptical arrives at home. I'm adding 2-3 cardio sesions a week on non-lifting days now. Maybe that will help get the netx 10 pounds of fat off.

[Hibiscus09]

I love my elliptical trainer, jroster! I hope you enjoy yours. It's a great workout.