Balance and continuity are key when building a body. In order to achieve symmetry, all major muscle groups must be thoroughly worked, at least one time a week. Creating a split routine is an efficient way to achieve this.
A split routine can be defined as a weight lifting program where different muscle groups are trained on different days. There isn’t a concrete correct way to do them. They are only limited by imagination and time factors. Here are a few ways a split routing can be performed.
Total Body
This is a great way for beginners or those with a time crunch to get their weight training in. Every major body part is utilized at every workout. Because muscles need a day of rest in between workouts, a total body routing should be performed no more than three to four times a week.
To create a plan, choose one to two exercise fore each muscle group, for a total of 8-10 exercises. These can be done in a circuit fashion, or in supersets. Here is an example:
- Spiderman pushups
- Dips
- Chin-ups
- Supermans
- Bicycle Crunches
- Reverse Lunges
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Squat and Press
Upper/Lower Body Split
With this kind of routing, each body part gets thoroughly worked twice a week. Two lists should be made; one consisting of exercises that predominately work the upper body muscles and one that focuses on the lower boey. Rotate these workout, performing each twice in a week. For example, Mondays and Thursdays can be upper body, and Tuesdays and Fridays can be lower body. Here is a sample split:
Upper Body
- Bicep Curls
- Dumbbell Shrugs
- Triceps Kickbacks
- Bench Press
- Lat Pull Downs
- Crunches
- Arnold Press
Lower Body
- Reverse Crunches
- Jump Squats
- Bulgarian Split Squats
- Lunches with Barbell
- Calf Raises
- Stiff Legged Deadlift
- Weighted Hip Lifts
Push/Pull Splits
A push/pull routine is one that divides exercise that require a pulling motion from those that require pushing. Rotate these workouts throughout the week. These are fun and can help create muscle confusion, an excellent tactic in building muscle. Check out the following sample workout:
Push
- Front Squats
- Dumbbell Bench Press
- Dips
- Overhead Presses
- Leg Press
Pull
- Wide Stance Deadlifts
- Preacher Curls
- Pull-ups
- Double Crunches
- Rear Delt Flyes
3, 4, or 5 Day Split
This kind of split gives the athlete the most freedom over the scheduling. Simple split the muscles into 3, 4, or 5 groups, depending upon how many workouts in a week is desired. Then, perform 2-4 exercises from each of the muscle groups. Each muscle will only be worked one time a week, bit it will be worked very thoroughly. This is the kind of routine most advanced lifters use, but anyone can utilize these concepts. Here is an example of how this kind of split can be organized:
3 Day
- Day One: Chest, Arms, Abs
- Day Two: Back, Shoulders, Abs
- Day Three: Legs
4 Day
- Day One: Chest, Abs
- Day Two: Back, Biceps
- Day Three: Calves, Shoulders
- Day Four: Quads, Hamstrings
5 Day
- Day One: Legs
- Day Two: Shoulders
- Day Three: Back, Abs
- Day Four: Shoulders, Arms
- Day Five: Chest, Abs
Freedom and variety can be easily achieved. Spicing up body building routines prevents boredom and helps ensure a lifestyle of strength.