Can You Do This Bodypart Split?

Training Beginners
1

Hi… out of curiosity, I just want to ask this question. I remember that my gym instructor who taught me that crap workout program which i posted in another thread, said that If you do shoulders on day 1, you cannot do chest, back, OR triceps on that same day (Day 1). Instead, you can only do biceps. or if you do chest on day 2, you cannot do biceps or shoulders on that same day. he even said, you cannot workout biceps and triceps on same day… I’m jst wndering if that’s true, since I’ve seen some workout programs in the internet that goes like this: DAY1: Back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps; DAY 2: legs, chest, shoulders, and triceps; DAY 3: Legs, back, chest, and biceps

According to him, if you do shoulders, you must do biceps. If you do chest, you must do back and triceps… please enlighten me… thank you. Again, this is just “out of curiosity”… I’m on a rippetoe’s program now…

2

Your trainer is not very bright. I don’t know what his train of thought is with this, but it doesn’t make any sense. I would ask him WHY he suggests this.

3

I can’t find a rhyme or reason to it. Either have him explain WHY or move on.

4

I’m not to clear on what you are asking but a body part split essentially works the best when you aren’t overlapping muscle groups on consecutive training days.

From what it sounds like, you wouldn’t want to do shoulder exercises on a back day because the next day is an arm/shoulder day. If you did this then you would be overlapping training and basically over training shoulder.

5

You can combine any body parts while doing a body part split. I would recommend against combining back and legs, due to those being the two most demanding body parts and it being unlikely that you’d be able to hit both with enough intensity. But, even that isn’t set in stone.

For instance Dexter Jackson likes to combine back and hamstrings. I’ve tried that split and found that those two actually work pretty well together. But, I honestly like pairing either back and chest, or back and biceps.

That trainer simply doesn’t know what they’re talking about. If that’s what you wanted to hear, then there it is. Like Yasser said above. if the trainer brings up the issue again, ask them why you can only pair shoulder and biceps.

Otherwise, just let them be and go about doing your Rippetoe routine. In a years time if you stick to the basics and eat like you are trying to gain weight you’ll have progress to show for it. That’s really the only thing you should concern yourself with at this point.

6

what i’m asking is, would combining biceps and triceps be effective as well? or say:

Mon - back, shoulders, bis/tris
Tues -
Wed - legs, chest, shoulders, triceps
Thurs -
Fri - legs, back, chest, biceps
Sat -
Sun -

would that be effective considering, it has that kind of combinations? Because, if it will be judged based on that instructor’s principles, those will be USELESS.

lol… people in the gym might be thinking that i’m lazy right now… haha… i only spend 45 mins. in the gym, 3 times a week. while they spend 2 1/2 hours a day 6 times a week.

please don’t think that I’m ignoring your advice. I will still do that rippetoe program, and still working on the form right now. Again, this thread is merely because of curiosity.

7

[quote]beibitoi wrote:
what i’m asking is, would combining biceps and triceps be effective as well? or say:

Mon - back, shoulders, bis/tris
Tues -
Wed - legs, chest, shoulders, triceps
Thurs -
Fri - legs, back, chest, biceps
Sat -
Sun -

would that be effective considering, it has that kind of combinations? Because, if it will be judged based on that instructor’s principles, those will be USELESS.

lol… people in the gym might be thinking that i’m lazy right now… haha… i only spend 45 mins. in the gym, 3 times a week. while they spend 2 1/2 hours a day 6 times a week.

please don’t think that I’m ignoring your advice. I will still do that rippetoe program, and still working on the form right now. Again, this thread is merely because of curiosity. [/quote]

Depends on what you do for 2.5 hours.
Some people get more done in 10 minutes than some get done in a week. No joke.

8

Actually he is kinda right, alot of trainers wont get there clients doing shoulders and chest on the same day as you are using the same small muscle groups and depending on how hard you go you will be using the larger ones as well.

And I agree when i was training and now that i am back training i will never or have never done shoulders with in a day of each other or on the same day.

But just try all different things, everything you read are just basic guide lines use them as a foundation but you might find something works better for you.

And most importantly have fun, it seems that with the advice and programs people have got you to try you don’t like if you don’t like it don’t do it, try something else as long as you see results and don’t kill yourself you are doing it right.

BUT if i could underline a word i would underline that BUT. You have to walk before you can run

And have fun

9

People also say you can’t deadlift and squat on the same day.

10

[quote]Otep wrote:
People also say you can’t deadlift and squat on the same day.[/quote]

if you mean conventional deadlift + back squat, i’d advise against that option.

but pretty much other dl/squat combo would work just fine

11

[quote]Otep wrote:
People also say you can’t deadlift and squat on the same day.[/quote]

so… that would be inconsistent with workout A of Rippetoe’s program…

You cannot just workout any muscle that you want in one day… A fact or a myth?

12

[quote]beibitoi wrote:
Otep wrote:
People also say you can’t deadlift and squat on the same day.

so… that would be inconsistent with workout A of Rippetoe’s program…

You cannot just workout any muscle that you want in one day… A fact or a myth?[/quote]
It’s more for muscle group split programs not full body programs.

13

[quote]beibitoi wrote:
Otep wrote:
People also say you can’t deadlift and squat on the same day.

so… that would be inconsistent with workout A of Rippetoe’s program…

You cannot just workout any muscle that you want in one day… A fact or a myth?[/quote]

It depends on a couple factors.

Beginners (such as yourself) can definitely get away with doing squats and conventional deads on the same day (doing full body programs) because you really aren’t lifting enough weight to over-stress your lower back or recovery systems.

Even more advanced lifters could do both deadlifts and squats on the same day, providing that they didn’t try to max on both lifts (maybe one heavy and the other for higher reps, or both with lighter weight and higher reps). It just isn’t the preferred method of most if building muscle is the primary goal.

As far as the split you mentioned, once again, you can theoretically combine any body parts into the same day.

“Push/Pull” splits have you doing back, biceps, forearms, and glutes and hamstrings in one workout and chest, shoulders, triceps, calves and quads in the other.

“Upper/Lower” splits have you doing chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders and forearms in one workout, and quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and possibly hip abductors/adductors in the other.

Other successful splits include:
“Push/Pull/Legs” (hopefully pretty self explanatory),
body part splits (some examples)
-Chest/Back, Biceps/Triceps/Forearms, Quads/Hamstrings/Calves, Shoulders/Traps
-Chest/Triceps, Back/Biceps, Shoulders/Abs/Forearms, Legs
-Chest/Biceps, Shoulders/Triceps, Back/Hamstrings, Quads/Calves/Forearms
-Chest, Back, Arms, Legs, Shoulders/Traps

Once again those are only examples. You could also combine body parts splits with full body workouts.

Really the only limiting factors would be energy, ability to recover and time. Yes, injury could also be a concern, but if you know what you are doing you should be ok.

Everyone is different, so different people will have different preferences as to what split they utilize.

14

Someone’s never heard of antagonist supersets.

15

[quote]beibitoi wrote:
what i’m asking is, would combining biceps and triceps be effective as well? or say:

Mon - back, shoulders, bis/tris
Tues -
Wed - legs, chest, shoulders, triceps
Thurs -
Fri - legs, back, chest, biceps
Sat -
Sun -

would that be effective considering, it has that kind of combinations? Because, if it will be judged based on that instructor’s principles, those will be USELESS.

lol… people in the gym might be thinking that i’m lazy right now… haha… i only spend 45 mins. in the gym, 3 times a week. while they spend 2 1/2 hours a day 6 times a week.

please don’t think that I’m ignoring your advice. I will still do that rippetoe program, and still working on the form right now. Again, this thread is merely because of curiosity. [/quote]

It sounds like your trainer is trying to get you to use antagonistic supersets. Ian King explains the benefits here: http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=462044

If you are beginner, its probably not wise to spend so much time on the arms. Focus on big compound movements that work a large number of muscles. A popular beginner body part split that I’ve seen some authors, on this forum, suggest is something like (don’t remember it exactly - I think Poliquin suggests this):

Day 1: Chest/Back

Day 2: Legs/Abs

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Shoulders/Arms

Day 5: Off

Day 6: Off

Day 7: Repeat

Throw in some cardio if you want (three times a week, say).

But, since its each body part once a week, be sure to work them hard!

16

Scott Cartwright and Mark Bell both do heavy Squatting and Pulling on the same day, Both squat over a grand and pull 700+.
If you cant do all that in the same day how does push/pull work, or upper/lower? Or Weightlifting workouts. Bulgarian weightlifters supposedly would train 6 or more hours a day 5 or six days a week, doing heavy squats all the time and other crazy stuff.
Sure those guys are badasses, but just suck it up and do it. Your body is not made of glass, and I find that high frequency is the best for building up something that is lagging.