When you start training on regular basis you will eventually want to know how to schedule your workout on weekly basis for better outcome. When you search, you will come across a concept called split routine. Split routine is changing the routines that you will be training throughout the week. Based on your goals, ways you may want to organize your week might be different.
History of Split Routines
Initially, there only was full body routine every session and was done every other day. Through scientific studies and experience of the lifters, full body workouts twice per week has great benefit for both building muscles and strength. However, trainees wanted to use more exercises so they found a way to split the routine. Primary reason was full body routine per day started take long hours at the gym mostly due to improvement in equipment, such as weight machines and cable machines, allowing the trainees to do various form of exercises and cannot finish the session in one day to do total body workout per session.
Around 1960s trainees started applying split routine. Push/Pull splits became popular split routine around this time. Push day refers to chest, shoulders, and triceps exercises and pull day refers to back, biceps and legs. So, it was two workout days separated into push day and pull day. Another 2-day split routine example would be splitting into larger muscle group and smaller muscle group. For this split routine, trainee would do chest, back, legs on one day and shoulders, arms, and abs on second day.
Another popular split routine that came out around that time was 3-day splits, which means splitting the body into three segments and work on them on 3 different days. Example of 3-day split could be leg day, chest day, and back day. This split routine is one of the most popular routines since it is easier to plan.
In 1990s, 4-day and 5-day splits have become popular by splitting body parts even further or by type of lifts you want to accomplish in those days. Example of the 4-day splits with type of lift can be squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press.
3 Tips to Plan Your Workout
There are 3 things to consider when choosing the split routine. First is your objective. You need to know if you are working out to lose weight, gain muscles, or get stronger. Based on your goal, how you may want your split can be different. If you are new to working out, total body routines for 2 days per week may be a good place to start. As you start training, you'll start figuring out what works best for your goal and your schedule.
Recovery is the second consideration. When the body is not recovered from workout then the body may not adapt to the stress you have provided during the session and may result in fatigue, injury, lowering metabolism and lowering the immune system. Therefore, if you are working out 4-6 times per week and not seeing results you are looking for, you may want to cut back to 2 to 3 days per week and work on improving your recovery before adding more lifting days. Training too frequently may eventually lead to overwork which can lead to poor outcome. On your recovery day you may go for a easy walk and stretch. Easy walk means leisure walk for about 10-30 minutes.
Choosing primary exercise is the third consideration. Primary exercise may change throughout your training journey based on your goals. Make sure you are working on what you are wanting to improve first. For example, if you do push/pull splits, typically arm exercises (biceps or triceps) may come towards the end of the workout. If your goal is to increase your arms size or strength, then you may want to work on your arms first so you can do heavier lift early in the session. If the goal is to improve your bench press or squat, work on them first while the body is fresh.
Please keep in mind that these three are equally important. It is not in the order of importance.
Stick to Your Schedule
Initially, you may find it somewhat challenging to follow the schedule you have created. May be excited for the first few sessions then may start feeling the challenge to stick. Do whatever it takes to follow your schedule, at least for 2-3 month.
It does take time for the muscles to change and adapt to your workout and schedule, so you will need to give the body a time. To do so, you will need to stick to your schedule, which it also means that you will need to plan carefully and make sure all 3 points are being addressed into your scheduling, purpose, recovery, and primary exercise.
Plan well so you can enjoy the results.
Kota Shimada
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