Well, it doesn't involve bananas or gymnasts, I tell you whut!
(if you said that with an accent, +2 points)
A 'Training Split' simply means the body-parts you are going to be working on that day in the gym, usually referring to a pair of muscle groups ("back & bi's"). I've been getting a lot of questions lately regarding how often to LIFT and what to train and (how Loooong to train) to see results and because this is so incredibly different for everyone I am going to break it down into a few broad categories to help ya'll out!
The Beginner
Well lucky for you you can work the least amount of time (actual minutes per week) and see the most results. For the first 12-14 weeks of consistent training your muscles require less volume to get results than someone who's been at it longer then you. If you want to get into weights (because you are smart and you realize weight-lifting is legitimately the fountain of youth then (If you don't want to hire a trainer to teach you, duhhhhh) START BY TAKING A CLASS AT THE GYM. THIS IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE DOING. SERIOUSLY. A good instructor will take you through almost every body part (FULL BODY WORKOUT) in a single class and help you work on proper form and learn how much weight is necessary for you to feel fatigue but not failure. No you will Not GET BULKY. Even when your instructor says "Go Heavy" at most you are lifting 12lbs! This is NOT "heavy" weight people. this is just "heavy for you". Know the difference. It takes a lot of food and work to get "bulky", believe me, I KNOW (have you seen my traps?).My RX for you: Take a weight lifting or "sculpt" (that word makes me want to vomit, FYI) class 3x a week, space out these classes 1-2 days apart.
The Intermediate
So you've been taking class or have worked with a trainer in the past. You know your stuff! Maybe you love class but you can't make it one day and have to go train on your own, then My RX for you is an 'Upper/Lower
Body Split' where you workout 4 days a week instead of 3, dividing your
gym time into one upper-body muscle group day and one lower-body muscle
group day. You can go work day-work day-rest day or train every other day. This keeps it easy because you will be able to monitor that
you are not only working or over working a specific muscle group an still be fresh enough to make it back to your favorite class!
The Advanced
The world is your oyster. You know what you are doing! Maybe you just need a way to streamline your workout schedule so that it's most effective! Well if you have already been doing the classic bodybuilding split (back/bi's, chest/tri's, Legs, Shoulders/Abs) then my suggestion is to play with the order just a bit so it's spliced to functional movements based around the planes of the body... you see every weight-lifting exercise is based off either 'pushing' 'pulling', 'lunging' or 'squatting'. If you ever take 'Chisel' with me or if you are a private client, this should ring a few bells. If you were to divide your exercise days into only working muscle groups that perform in the same manner, you can actually work them twice a week and gain strength and size without over-training because by the time you work your way around to that muscle group again you are ready to go! My preference (and what I tend to follow when strictly bodybuilding) is Chest/Shoulders/Tri's, Back/Bi's, Legs/Abs, Chest/Shoulders/Tri's, REST, Back, Legs! IF this feels like a lot of training, but you still want to try it, only train 4-5 days a week, just rotate out 1-2 splits a week. OR do one high rep day and one low rep day (my favorite).
No matter what level you are at, you need to lift a minimum of 3x a week and your workouts should last no longer then (approx) an hour and ten minutes because the weight you are lifting and the energy you are expending should be HUGE, people! If you can work out for 2 hours you are not going heavy enough or you are on the juice! #nojudgment
Go KILL IT! AND put your weights back!!!
Your Trainer,
Tristan xo
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