Tom's Weight Training Page

Beginner and Intermediate routines.

The reasons for doing split routines rather than full body workouts.

Beginners routines are meant, to teach neuro-physiological intensity, to teach good form for the compound exercises, and of course to grow -- gain muscle and lose fat. (I never use the word t*ne, as I don't know what is means.) When all of the is learned, you can progress to a routine that does all of these things better.

After lifting about 1 month to about 6 months is best to switch over to a split routine, where each body part is trained once (or perhaps twice) a week.

Intensity is learned, and mostly neuro-physiological. After intensity is learned, you can train with an intensity that does not allow full recovery in a day or two. Even though you are not training (say) chest only once a week, the total time spent training the chest does not in fact go down. What was previously (say) 10 o r 15 minutes 3 times a week becomes (say) an intense 30 or 40 minutes once a week. The increase in intensity is a real shocker to the system. Therefore growth results.

The body does not like to change, and will get used to almost anything. To create change you have to shock the body into changing. (Corollary: After you start a split routine, you should still change your routines at least once every three months or so. Switch around the exercises, change the split, go heavy (5 sets of 5 reps -- for a month or two) go GVT (super setting 10 sets of 10, only two exercises per body part), -- doing 4x10? try 4x8 with heavier weights. Pyramid the weights. (There are 100s of ways to doing for instance 5 sets, increase weight on each set, and decrease reps, end with a low weight, high rep sets.) Always change. Otherwise the body adapts and no change happens.)

Why once a week? How can I make progress by training (say ) chest just once a week? He is a obvious fact: your (say) pecs do not grow while you are exercising (pump notwithstanding, this is not permanent). Your pec grow in between the times that you are training them. The harder and more intense you train, the longer you need for recovery. Train hard enough and intense enough, and once a week will work just fine.

Some Example of Split Routines

Here is an example of a chest /triceps routine that I did for a while -- (4x6 means for sets of 6 repetitions each).

• 4x8 flat chest press
• 4x8 incline chest press
• 4x8 chest flys
• 4x10 dips (weighted, if you can, otherwise 4x to failure)
• 4x8 close grip chest press

Here is an example of a back/biceps routine that is very similar to one that I've used:

• 4x to failure medium to wide grip pullups (if you can do 4x10, add weight. Pullups are with the palms facing away. If you can't do pullups, do chinups -- palms towards you, or lat pulldowns to the front. Avoid lat pulldowns to behind the neck, as they can cause rotator cuff problems)
• 4x8 cable rows (Keep the back relative motionless, pull with your lats, not your lower back)
• 4x8 bent over barbell rows
• 4x8 deadlifts
• 3x8 standing biceps curls
• 3x8 dumbbell hammer curls (Hold the dumbbell like a hammer) OR 3x8 incline dumbbell curls -- alternate weeks.

Lets see, what left: shoulders and traps:

• 4x8 seated barbell or dumbbell press
• 4x8 shrugs.
• 4x8 lateral raises

Legs. A leg routine I did for a while is simplicity, and brutal.

• 1x10 squats low weight
• 2x8 squats heavier
• 2x6 squats heavier and heavier. The last set should be brutal.
• 1x15 squats back to light weight (Note on squats. Use good power lifting legal form, that is on the bottom of the movement, the top of the thighs should be below the knees -- in simple terms, somewhat exaggerating, ass to the floor.)
• 5x8 Stiff legged dead lift. Increasing weight on each set if possible.
• 4x13-15 calf raises

Some general principles for constructing split routines

• Work each group of muscles once (or at most twice) a week
• Each workout should be no more than 60 minutes.
• The basic groups are:
  • Chest
  • Triceps
  • Biceps
  • Back
  • Soulders
  • Legs (and calves)
  • Abs
• There are many different splits. See which one works for you. In addition to the one mentioned in the above examples:
  • Back/Biceps
  • Shoulders/Abs and misc.
  • Legs and calves
  • Chest/Triceps
  others are certainly possible:
  • Chest/Back
  • Legs/Calves
  • Arms/Shoulders/Abs
• If you do deadlifts on back day, and still legged deadlifts on leg day, then make sure that these days are far emough apart that the muscles in common in these exercises have time to rest.
• Chest exercises work the triceps indirectly. Back exercises work the biceps indirectly. If you do the split of chest/back one day, and arms another day, make sure that these days are far enough apart that recovory is possible.
• Never work legs more than one a week.
• Some people insist on doing (say) arms twice a week. If you do this, make one day rather light.

I am always glad to help. If you have any specific questions, do not hesitate to EMAIL me Here.

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