We have translated several important knowledge from scientific language into human language that will help you grow muscles as efficiently as possible.

We believe that almost everyone who reads fitness texts understands that exercise can increase both strength and muscle size. However, there is a clear difference between strength training and training aimed specifically at increasing muscle size.

How muscles grow

Weight training itself does not cause muscle growth. But the load received during training causes fatigue and stimulates physiological mechanisms, which, mainly during rest, cause the muscles to increase. Growth occurs as a result of an increase in the thickness of muscle fibers and the volume of fluid in muscle cells.

The ability to gain muscle mass depends on gender, age, weight training experience, genetics, quantity and quality of sleep, nutrition and fluid intake, and even stress levels can affect the ability to gain mass. For example, work overload or insufficient sleep can significantly reduce muscle growth, despite proper training and food.

Mechanical and metabolic stress

There is no doubt that if you regularly and correctly lift iron, this leads to an increase in muscle volume and strength, however, scientists still have not decided what exactly causes muscle growth.

Workouts cause two specific type stress: mechanical (micro tears in the muscles - read more: “”) and metabolic (triggering chemical repair processes due to energy expended by the muscles), and they both can provide the necessary stimulus for muscle growth.

The challenge for research is that both mechanical and metabolic stress act in tandem, and isolating the effects of each separately on muscle growth is not easy.

“Slow” and “fast” muscle fibers

To design an exercise program to maximize muscle growth, you need to understand physiology.

There are two main types of muscle fibers: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Fast-twitch fibers are larger in diameter than slow-twitch fibers and, accordingly, occupy a more prominent place in your muscles.

“Slow” fibers are also classified as aerobic, due to their high oxidative abilities, which enable them to contract for a long time. They are best suited for long-term activities that require minimal effort (such as long-distance running).

Fast-twitch muscle fibers have a high excitation threshold and high speed conduction signals and are better suited for fast efforts (which is why runners short distances look like athletes compared to stayers). In other words, these are the fibers you need to successfully jerk a heavy barbell.

Repeated effort method. If you want to grow, do sets to failure

It's not enough to just lift weights at high reps unless it causes muscle failure. The body stores and uses energy very efficiently, so repeating exercises with a constant load can limit the amount of mechanical (roughly speaking, they will tear badly) and metabolic stress (little growth hormones will be released) on the muscles and minimize the results of the workout.

Simply put, to maximize muscle growth, it is advisable to do exercises until muscle failure (I can’t do it anymore!)

3 types of training

Scientists Zatsiorsky and Kremer in 2006 identified three fundamental types of training: the maximum effort method, the dynamic effort method and the repeated effort method. The first two methods are good for their purposes, but are not the most effective for muscle growth.

1. Maximum effort method

This method uses significant weights to increase the activity of “fast” muscle fibers (which we wrote about in more detail above). Roughly speaking, the maximum effort method is associated with lifting the maximum possible weight (and therefore a small number of repetitions per set).

The main stimulus from the maximum effort method is mechanical (aimed at creating micro-tears in the muscles), myofibrillar hypertrophy with a significant increase in strength and a moderate increase in muscle mass.

The maximum effort method is effective for developing strength, but not the most effective remedy increasing muscle mass.

2. Dynamic force method

When training using the dynamic effort method, no Weight Limit, with the main emphasis being on moving the weight as fast as possible to stimulate motor units.

This method is most effective for increasing the rate of force development and contractile power required in many sports or dynamic activities. However, it does not provide enough mechanical or metabolic stress to the muscles needed to stimulate growth.

3. Repeated Effort Method

The repeated effort method does not involve maximum loads, but the need to do exercises until muscle failure occurs (when it is no longer possible to perform any further repetitions in the set).

The last few repetitions, which have to be done through the burning sensation, can involve all the fibers in the contraction. target muscle and cause significant overload. When using the repeated effort method, slow motor units are activated at the beginning of the approach, and as they tire, the “fast” muscles will also be activated.

The method of repeated effort and performing an exercise to failure is most effective for muscle growth, says science. It is important to work until failure. If the load is insufficient or the approach is not performed to failure, stimulation of the “fast” motor units (as you read above, they are the ones that mainly give volume to the muscles) does not occur or the necessary metabolic conditions are not created to promote muscle growth.

Sleep and recovery are just as important as training and nutrition itself.

Rest is the most underrated element of training. No matter how long you endured the pain of those last reps or how diligently you ate up the protein and calories in your diet, it's not as important as the time it takes for nutrients and hormones to promote muscle protein synthesis after exercise.

Exercise and food are an important part of the equation muscle growth, but not all. Adequate recovery is very important - it is necessary to give the muscles enough time to replenish glycogen reserves and undergo the processes of reconstruction and creation of new muscle tissue.

The recovery required for muscle growth is 48–72 hours between training sessions for a particular muscle group. This scientific argument, by the way, speaks in favor of split training - when each muscle group receives the main load, for example, once a week.

Inducing mechanical and metabolic stress during your gym training will only make sense while the hormones and substances necessary for muscle growth are released during REM sleep. This means that a full night’s sleep is important for muscle growth after training. Inadequate sleep and recovery will ruin your efforts in the gym and at the dinner table. Moreover, lack of sleep can increase adrenaline and cortisol levels, which can also reduce the ability to form new muscle tissue.

Lack of sleep, poor appetite, long-term illnesses, and loss of growth as a result of exercise are all symptoms of overexertion that can significantly impact a person's ability to achieve their fitness goals.

“Underrecovery” is another reason to think about overexertion. “To promote muscle growth, rest time is necessary ( active recreation), providing the opportunity to fully recover,” says Schoenfeld (2013).

Training program for gaining muscle mass

Number of repetitions

Science suggests that for maximum muscle growth, select the weight so that you do 8-12 repetitions until muscle failure - it’s good that almost every trainer in the gym seems to know this simple fact. True, now, unlike you, not everyone knows why exactly.

Amount of rest between sets

Short to moderate rests between sets (30 seconds to 2 minutes) can cause significant metabolic stress.

Number of approaches in each exercise

According to scientists, performing 3-4 approaches provides the most effective mechanical tension for all muscles involved.

Travel speed

Scientists recommend performing movements with maximum effort faster - 1-2 seconds (for example, lifting a barbell), and the eccentric phase of the exercise (for example, lowering a barbell) for a longer period (2-6 seconds). Slower execution of the eccentric phase is necessary to ensure sufficient mechanical tension - it is this “easier” phase of movement that is most important for muscle growth. “From a hypertrophy perspective, eccentric contraction has a greater impact on muscle development. In particular, eccentric exercise has been associated with greater increases in protein synthesis” (Schoenfeld, 2010).

Free weights or machines

Scientist Schoenfeld argues that each type of weight plays a role in optimal muscle growth: “Free weights that involve large number muscles help increase muscle density, while the stabilization provided by the machines allows individual muscles to be more stressed.”

Preparing for serious training

When training for muscle growth with a large metabolic and mechanical effect, it can cause serious muscle damage and is recommended for people with at least one year of training experience.

It is necessary to start with a dynamic warm-up, loading the core muscles (abs, stabilizer muscles and others) to prepare muscle tissue to the stress of high volume training.

Exercise order

It is preferable to start training with complex movements with free weights to engage the maximum number of muscles (for example, squats with a barbell, deadlifts are best done at the beginning of training), and during the course of the session gradually move on to machines that affect individual muscles.

Extreme exercise

The last exercise in each workout must be performed in a weight-loss machine: after all repetitions of the approach to failure, the weight is reduced and the maximum possible number of repetitions must be done with it until failure.

Weight loss approaches can cause significant mechanical and metabolic stress and cause significant discomfort and should be performed at the end of the session.

It is important to dose the load that is necessary for you, because “overload” can be no less harmful to muscle growth than “underload.” For example, in the program recommended by scientists for muscle growth (see below), cardio load is limited. According to Schoenfeld, "too much energy expenditure can reduce muscle growth."

The exercise program presented below is based on the latest scientific research related to increasing muscle mass.

Attention: RM – repeated maximum

Day 4. Rest or low-intensity cardio exercise

Greetings, my dear sports and fitness lovers! Today we will analyze or fullbody training. Speaking without foreign borrowings and other pathos, this is simply training the whole body in one session. This approach is quite common in fitness, and it has some advantages over classical studies. In this article I will try to expand your knowledge on this topic as much as possible. Let's go!

The full body program is best, maximizing all areas of the body in one training session. For experienced athletes, this scheme is only suitable for losing weight, since they need to devote a lot of time to each muscle group.

In addition, this type of training implies that each muscle will be worked 2-3 times a week. This is not suitable for professionals, because their muscles will not have time to recover due to high loads. If you reduce the intensity, then in this case they will be of practically no use.

Therefore, the main target audience for this type of training will be beginners, but it will also... To effectively load the muscles, they need to do a much smaller amount of work. This system should be followed for at least the first six months of classes, gradually moving to a classic, three-day split.

The benefits and harms of fullbody training

Fullbody style training allows you to develop your entire body evenly. With their help, you can build up a basic “reserve” of muscle mass, which you will develop and strengthen later.

They are suitable not only as intensive programs for training in the gym, but also for those who want to exercise effectively at home. That is, you don’t have to plunge headlong into the world of sports - such a system will give you a chance to keep your body healthy and strong.

Training different muscle groups on the same day is perceived by the body as serious stress. When you train your chest, legs, and back in one session, it actively stimulates your metabolism. As a result, such workouts are very good for losing weight.

The harm from this integrated approach This can only happen if you seriously violate the technique of performing some exercise, or if you train too often, not allowing the body to recover.

Contraindications

There are no specific contraindications that apply exclusively to fullbody training. Of course, if for one reason or another you are prohibited from playing sports or putting a lot of stress on your body, then a general program for the whole body is prohibited for you.

Technique and types of exercises

Exercises in such training can be very different. Starting from the classic bench press to jumping rope. They are selected based on what goals you are pursuing.

Men in the gym should pay the most attention to basic exercises - bench press, squat and deadlift. They are key point in all strength training, and it is on them that the gain of muscle mass primarily depends.

If you came to the gym to lose weight, then cardio loads should be the basis of your fullbody workouts. It is best to insert them at the beginning and end of the session - this way, the fat burning potential will increase significantly.

Girls rarely train in order to gain serious weight. muscle mass. Therefore, for representatives of the fair sex, it is recommended to focus on isolated exercises, with a moderate addition of cardio to the program.

For such training, exercises from both classical fitness and crossfit programs, or plyometrics, are suitable. They can be performed either with the use of weights, for example, with dumbbells, with a kettlebell, or with a barbell, or without it.

Example workout

Let's consider the classic options for fullbody training, first at home, and then for working in the gym.

At home

Here is the most standard set of the best exercises that can be performed even at home:

• On the chest - classic push-ups.

• Triceps – reverse push-ups on a chair.
• For biceps – to pump up your biceps, you should get dumbbells, since you won’t be able to pump them up with your own weight.
• For the press – classic and reverse crunches, leg raises in a lying position. .

• For legs and buttocks - classic squats, walking up the stairs.
• For the shoulders – lifts and swings with dumbbells.
• For the back - deadlift with dumbbells, .

The weekly complex will look like this:

• Push-ups – 4×20.
• Reverse crunches on a chair – 4×15.
• Arm curls with dumbbells – 4x20.
• Air squats 4x20.
• Military bench press with dumbbells – 4×15.
• Deadlift with dumbbells – 4x20.

In the gym

In the gym, the choice of exercises is much wider. There are various exercise machines and numerous types of weights: dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, weights, etc. Therefore, the list of exercises for each set of muscles is much wider here.

• On the chest – barbell or dumbbell bench press, crossover, butterfly, incline press, dumbbell flyes, etc.
• Triceps – French press, thrust on upper block, dumbbell raises, reverse push-ups, overhead dumbbell extensions, etc.
• For biceps – barbell curls, alternate or simultaneous dumbbell lifts, Scott bench rows, hammer curls, biceps rows with supination, etc.

• For the press, the set is almost the same, with the addition of various exercise machines and the use of inclined benches.
• For legs and buttocks - squats with a barbell, leg press, leg extensions and bends, standing on straight legs, etc.
• For the shoulders - military press, barbell rows, dumbbell swings, dumbbell presses, etc.
• For the back - deadlifts, bent-over barbell rows, bent-over barbell rows, overhead and lower pulley rows, etc.

The list is given in such a way that the “base” comes first - the heaviest, and at the same time the most necessary exercises. After them there are already more isolated exercises, allowing you to “work” the muscle, and not for gaining weight.

Let's look at several classic options for fullbody workouts in the gym.

• Barbell squats 3-5 sets 8-10 reps.
• Dumbbell bench press 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps.
• Pull-ups 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.
• Dips 3-4 sets 10-12 reps.
• Classic crunches 4 sets of 20-25 reps.

• Deadlift 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Butterfly exercise 4 sets 15 reps.
• Leg press in the machine 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Bent-over dumbbell rows 4 sets 15 reps.
• French press 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
• Barbell curls for biceps 4 sets of 10-12 reps.
• Hanging leg raises 3 sets – maximum quantity repetitions.

As a rule, you need to perform the complex for the whole body three to four times a week. Structure the lesson so that the emphasis is on different groups muscles were different. In other words, on the first day of training, focus on your pecs. To do this, add the bench press and some other chest exercise to the program, and dilute it with one exercise for other parts of the body, but without adding other basic ones.

IN next workout emphasis on the legs - squatting with a barbell, but without adding deadlifts and bench presses. And so on. That is, you do not need to complete the entire base in one workout.

In home training, of course, you can’t get too creative with the exercises, but the goals here are different. It is preferable to exercise at home if you just want to keep your body in good shape. To do this, you can perform the same complexes, but subject to increasing loads.

Sets and reps

Most often, fullbody training is measured in “circles.” That is, you take a certain list of exercises and perform them one after another, without rest. After you have completed one such circle, you can allow yourself a short rest of 2-4 minutes. Then the circle repeats.

In one workout you need to perform from 4 to 10 such circles, depending on your level of training, your goals and the selected exercises.

Warm-up and stretching

Of course, do not forget that you need to thoroughly stretch your entire body before training. Since each of your muscle groups will take part in the work in one session, you need to ensure that all muscles and joints are well warmed up.

The same applies to stretching after training. It will help eliminate lactic acid and toxins from your muscles faster. This helps reduce pain, and reduces the time it takes for the body to recover.

Nutrition and sports supplements

Complexes physical exercise for individual muscles are rarely too tiring. However, to get more benefits from this type of training, I recommend that you use some sports supplements.

For example, using BCAA amino acids and protein will never be superfluous. They will allow the body to recover faster and promote the best set muscle mass.

There is no point in talking about nutrition separately for fullbody training. The basic aspects here are the same as with any other type of training. That is, and an emphasis on carbohydrates, and then proteins for gaining muscle mass.

How often to exercise

Ideally, do this type of training 3-4 times a week so that your body has time to recover. Weekly sessions should be alternated, using other exercises and changing days for pumping different parts bodies.

Common mistakes

Most common mistake In this type of training, it is either too frequent or too “easy” classes. In the first case, you will simply overload your body, and it will not have time to recover. In this case, further studies will only be to your detriment.

In the second case, some beginners like to indulge themselves. An extra few minutes of rest, or a break during the circle - remember, you are not working for someone, but first of all for yourself. Namely, there should be the strictest demand from yourself.

Conclusion

To summarize, I would like to draw several conclusions. Fullbody workouts are really good for helping you gain muscle or lose weight. But only if you are either just starting to exercise or have not exercised for the last several years. For more detailed information, photos and videos of fullbody training can be found on the Internet or YouTube.

In other cases, it follows, for each muscle group separately.

Subscribe to my blog updates and you will learn even more useful and interesting information. See you again!

Article last updated: 12/31/2014

Our body consists of many muscle groups. IN training process they are divided into main and auxiliary. The main ones are the chest, back, shoulders, legs, arms and abs. Each of them contains a large number of auxiliary muscles, which are included in the work along with the large muscles.

Professional bodybuilders can afford to devote one day to training one main group in order to work it out and achieve maximum proportionality in order to show themselves in all their glory in competitions. As you understand, pros train almost every day. For beginners or gym enthusiasts, daily workout will not bring any benefit, since the body of an ordinary person will not have time to recover after training, which can lead to negative results. In addition, people who engage in bodybuilding at an amateur level have many everyday worries, such as work, study, etc. Because of this, a person is simply not able to fully devote himself to training. While the pros live from bodybuilding, this is their main income and because of this, athletes go to gym like going to work.

So that you understand professional bodybuilders resort to the use of pharmacological support in order to recover faster, improve anabolic processes in the body, etc. Therefore, they go to the gym every day, without harm to themselves.

In order to achieve maximum effect from training, you need to break down the training of the main muscle groups into individual days. However, here the question arises - which muscles should be trained together and how to combine them? Today, the three-day split is the most common among beginners and experienced athletes. That is, you divide the training into three days, say Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This is an ideal option to build muscle mass as quickly as possible and completely restore the muscle. A little later, when you are more experienced, you can break the training into four days, dedicating one day, for example, to training your arms or shoulders. For more information on how to properly create a training program, see here.

There are several options, based on which you can understand which muscles to train together. Here is one of the most common examples today:

Example No. 1

This is a fairly widely used option, in which everything is quite simple and logical. Look, we take the main muscle groups and break them down into three days: day 1 – chest; day 2 – back; day 3 – legs. After that, we add smaller muscles that are directly involved in training the main muscle, with the exception of the leg and shoulder combination. For example, take the same chest workout, which is based on repelling exercises. That is, take the same bench press or dumbbell press and so on. All of them involve pushing (squeezing) weight away from the chest, and as we know, the triceps are responsible for this function in the arm muscles. So he takes direct part in chest training.

The same goes for the back and biceps. If in chest training, we push (squeeze) the weight away from ourselves, then in back training, we pull the weight towards ourselves, and, as you know, not only the back muscles are responsible for this movement, but also the biceps, which helps to pull the weight and increase the amplitude movements.

As for the third day of training, the shoulders are not involved in training the legs, however, this is the only day that can be allocated for high-quality pumping of the deltoids. As you know, the deltoids consist of the front, middle and rear beams; if you want to pump up your shoulders, you need to train them together, in one day.

Thus, by combining training in this way, we tire out the secondary muscles quite well in advance, and then work them out efficiently.

Example No. 2

The second option is less common, however, also has its fans. Many people believe that training the main muscle and the secondary one, which is directly involved in the movement, such as the chest and triceps, back and biceps, is at least stupid, since having first tired the secondary muscle (biceps or triceps), we will no longer be able to pump them properly . In principle, for some people this is quite relevant. Remember that everyone's body is different, and everyone may react differently to one or another type of training, so you can experiment and try both complexes to determine for yourself which one is right for you. In addition, the program still needs to be changed at least once every 1-2 months.

MUSCLE TRAININGANTAGONISTS

Many people believe that antagonist training is the most effective for building muscle mass, and this is true. Such training involves working out two antagonist muscles in one day. These are the muscles that are located parallel to each other, that is, back - chest, biceps - triceps, hamstrings - quadriceps. You can read more about training antagonist muscles here.

An example of such a training plan

Having trained according to this plan, I can say that this is a pretty good solution if you need to change the program, try something new. This complex is suitable for fairly experienced athletes, as it requires a lot of energy and strength to recover, but for a beginner it is better to train according to the first or second example.

Personally, I recommend training according to the plan presented below. He absorbed a little from the training of the antagonists and from the first standard plan. It can be used by experienced athletes with at least 1 year of experience.

Gym workout plan

FULL BODY WORKOUT

In this embodiment, you can combine all the muscles at the same time, only in a certain sequence. If you are a beginner athlete, you can use a workout that includes working all major muscle groups in one session. As you remember, at the beginning of the article we said, for beginner athletes the best option is to break the workout into splits, that is, train each major muscle group separately. As for a full-body workout, this is a fairly energy-intensive plan, but if you approach the process wisely, you can balance your activities.

Whole body training is needed in order to prepare a novice athlete, namely his muscles, for a further increase in loads, that is, to improve his overall physical fitness. The workout itself does not consist of twenty exercises, as you might think, it includes basic exercises, thanks to which we can pump up and use the main, secondary and various auxiliary muscle groups in the process. Training does not take much time if you train intensively, without half an hour of rest and hack work. You can find out more about full body training here

Today in bodybuilding the prevailing opinion is that during training you can load no more than 2 muscle groups, moreover, one large group, one small. For example: today you train your chest and along with it you train either triceps or biceps. Moreover, in combination, large + small group, the large group is always trained first, and the small group is left for the second half of the training, since it is believed that if the small group is trained first, its fatigue will negatively affect the training of the large muscle group. Moreover, it is not customary to combine two large groups.

Which muscle groups work best together? Where is the truth?

But the truth, as they say, is somewhere nearby. The fact is that the greatest amount of anabolic hormones (testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1) are released during work with moderate weights and with many sets that consist of 8-12 repetitions. Moreover, a more significant synthesis of these hormones occurs during training of large muscle groups. And when training large + small muscle groups, the effect will extend to the latter. This has been confirmed by numerous studies. For example, two groups of previously untrained men performed exercises: the first worked with biceps, the second - after training their legs with the same biceps. So, in the second group, a much greater release of anabolic hormones was detected.

A common principle among bodybuilders is the “pull-press” training principle, in which the triceps are trained on the same day after the back muscles, and the biceps after the pectoral muscles.

In any case, you need to train large muscle groups first, and there are two reasons:

• Large muscle groups require large amounts of energy
• As was said, when training a large muscle group, the synthesis of hormones is more significant and it will have a positive effect on the small group.

We break down the main muscle groups by day:

- breast;

- legs;

On the first day perform basic exercises for pectoral muscles, while triceps are involved in their training. Therefore, after loading the chest, we “finish off” the triceps. In this order, the small group will receive excellent workload and time for recovery, since on other days neither the chest nor the triceps will participate and will undergo full recovery, which is very important when gaining muscle mass.

Second day– legs and together with them we train the shoulders.

Third day– training the back muscles and, as an additional group, we take the biceps. It, as a flexor, helps in training the back and back when doing biceps training.

Another distribution scheme:

Workout 1.

First we pump our legs, additionally loading the pillars of the back and lower back. Afterwards, if you have any strength left, pump up your biceps.

Workout 2.

Training the pectoral muscles, triceps, anterior deltoids, and abs. When training your chest, your triceps will also be involved. After pumping the front deltas, all that remains is to finish off the triceps.

Workout 3.

The back swings completely, which cannot be trained without using the biceps.

Workout 4.

Shoulders. You also need to remember about the abs and trapezius.

Split example

The training begins with pumping up the abs.

Monday: upper muscles abs, chest + shoulders + triceps shoulder;

Wednesday– oblique muscles of the abdomen, back + biceps brachii + forearm;

Friday– lower abs, thighs + buttocks + calf muscles.

Conclusion

There is simply no single correct system. Much depends on the specific person, his characteristics and the time during which recovery occurs.

There are two reasons for a competent combination of muscle groups, 3-4 days to implement such training, and there is only one condition - visiting the training room at least 2-3 times a week, which will guarantee effective and competent training of all muscle groups.

The training program depends on the level of the student, his goals, and the characteristics of the muscle structure.

We build a program based on experience

Beginners should focus on improving overall physical indicators. Strength, endurance, joint mobility and flexibility are more important for their growth than focusing on “lagging deltoids.” The old school of bodybuilding assumes that a physically weak athlete with insufficiently developed motor skills will not be able to build muscle with natural training.

The stages of training a beginner can be represented as:

• Technique development;
• Gaining muscle mass;
• Burning excess fat.

In a fancy fitness center, the trainer will convince the client that he is doing exactly what he came for. He will tell the girl that she will lose weight by doing box squats and deadlifts with light weights, skinny guy– what he will gain from paused push-ups and pull-ups. But the truth is that until the primary motor skill is acquired, the whole body will have to be developed in every training session.

When can you consider yourself “experienced”? The answer to this question varies from person to person. For the purposes of building a split, it is worth switching to training individual muscle groups in different days when technology basic exercises formed, the person will begin to move without thinking. There is also a subjective criterion - 3 months pass from the start of classes.

In practice coaching activities The reference point is precisely the 3-4 month cycle. If the client attends classes without skipping, by this time his muscles, ligaments and central nervous system are ready to undergo a classic split.

Training frequency and planning

Many people can only visit the gym twice a week. In this case, it is first recommended to do 2 workouts for the whole body, with a different set of exercises:

The first is knee-dominant (squat, leg press, lunges) leg exercises, upper body presses, and core training.

Second - pelvic - dominant exercises for feet(rows and bent-overs with a barbell), rows for the back (in a bent-over position, and if possible, a classic deadlift), and biceps exercises.

After 2-3 months, and reaching the limit in weights, you can switch to a split based on the “top-bottom” principle. What you don't need to do is give up working your leg muscles. Some people stop lifting their legs so they can spend more time on their chest and back, but this is wrong. The legs are a powerful support in the press, and the most important lever for lifting the weight. Their insufficient development can cause injury both at home and in the gym. There is also a theory that it is difficult to create an anabolic background in the body if you do not do basic exercises.

When visiting the gym for three days, they usually alternate workouts 1 and 2 in the fullbody version, without reference to the week. As time passes, they switch to one of the classic splits:

• Chest-triceps, back-biceps, legs-deltoids, abs in every workout;
• Chest-biceps, back-triceps, legs-deltoids, abs.

In bodybuilding, it is customary to consider those muscle groups that do not grow well as weaknesses. And in power types sports – deficiencies in the motor pattern (habits) and structural features of the body that do not allow for adequate technique.

Example: an athlete long legs, hips, narrow pelvis, and long arms. Her goal is to tone up her butt while maintaining a low body fat percentage. From the point of view strength work, it will be more difficult for her to set up the squatting technique so that the full amplitude of the work is achieved. From a bodybuilding point of view, her buttocks can either lag behind or respond normally, because there are many other exercises besides the squat.

When creating a split for a beginner, it is assumed that he has weak motor skills, and not “lagging muscles.” Therefore, in some cases, there may be 3 squats per week, with 1 deadlift, and pumping the back every day.

Advanced athletes should work on lagging muscle groups first. Do “specialization”, that is, put in training plan pumping some groups 2 times a week makes sense with an adequate daily routine, good recovery, and developed motor skills.

Ideally, training should occur at the peak of supercompensation. It occurs 36-72 hours after the main strength work. It is advisable for a beginner to train the whole body every other day because he does not use high weights in his exercises, which can significantly affect the condition of the musculoskeletal system. In this training, each major muscle group is pumped with two, maximum three exercises. The volume does not exceed 6-12 working approaches per group.

More advanced clients may train a muscle group once a week as they perform a larger volume of work. They usually perform up to 5 exercises, some more.

Types of combination

Exercises in training program can be combined:

• Fullbody – working out the whole body;
• Split – muscle group on a training day;
• Skill development - training is built around an exercise and the auxiliary movements necessary for adequate strength in it.

Important: the latter approach is justified from the point of view of biomechanics more than bodybuilding splits; Western training organizations (NASM, ISSA) proceed from the fact that the trainer will work on skills with the fitness client.

There is nothing wrong with splits either; they are great for gaining muscle mass and building an athletic body. To unlock your potential, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of recovery.

Fullbody

There are several options for working out the whole body:

• Learning basic exercises. Take a squat or deadlift, and add a bench or standing press, a simple or Australian pull-up, and some light shoulder swings and biceps curls. Exercises alternate by day, an adequate breakdown was discussed above;
• Strengthening the muscles and ligaments of a person with “motor problems”. At each training session, a person performs the same set of exercises in the machines. Typically these are leg presses, hyperextensions, chest and shoulder presses, cable pull-downs or gravitron pull-ups, seated rows, and abdominal exercises;
• Fullbody with an “emphasis” on future CrossFit or functional all-around training. Developmental training is added to the study of the squat and deadlift. cardiovascular system consisting of high-repetition squats, sprinting, etc.

Fullbody training alternates between a training day and a rest day.

Top-bottom split

Top one day, bottom one day training is typical of American bodybuilding and powerlifting. Entire methodological systems have grown up around them, for example, Brandon Lilly’s “Cube”.

Brandon Lilly – creator of the “Cube” system

Their advantages:

• They work well if you need mass and strength;
• Allows you to develop the necessary skills for any sport;
• Don't give too much high load on joints and ligaments;
• Suitable for men and women.

For a natural athlete, this option has almost no downsides. But in professional bodybuilding he often does not give desired result, since there is simply no time to develop individual small muscle groups.

3-Day Leg Press-Draw Split

A leg press-pull split usually looks like this:

Day 1– bench press, exercises for triceps, anterior deltoid, and middle deltoid;

Day 2– deadlift, or bent-over row, working the back, biceps, rear deltas;

Day 3– squatting and leg training

You can do shoulder exercises on leg day if you don’t have the strength to add them to your plan in other workouts, or they fall behind. This option is convenient for most exercisers, as it involves visiting the gym 3 times a week.

Four day split

This scheme is for those who want to pump their arms on a separate day, and see the meaning in this. Typically the breakdown is like this:

Day 1– chest and middle delta;

Day 2– back and rear delta;

Day 3– legs and front delta;

Day 4– biceps and triceps (they are antagonists, this is what gave the split its name)

A suitable option for more advanced athletes who feel that their arms are lagging behind.

Five day split

A five-day split is for advanced athletes whose level is close to professional. People who are losing weight often train in this style, simply because it motivates them to go to the gym every day and spend more calories.

Day 1– legs, front surface of the thighs;

Day 2– chest and triceps;

Day 3– back and biceps;

Day 4- legs, back surface hips;

Day 5– deltas.

Other options for a five-day split are possible, depending on the lagging muscle groups.

Conclusion

The criteria for constructing a training program are the preparation of a person, his muscle development, goals, and recovery rate. Frequent workouts are inappropriate if a person cannot maintain a daily routine and eat right. Most people with regular jobs and responsibilities are fine with a three-day split. But there may be exceptions. There are professional athletes who train only fullbody, and beginners with a five-day split. Those who have doubts about planning can use the services of a trainer, or begin to carefully monitor their condition and implement their characteristics in the program themselves.

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