Help me with a 3 day split

DaWG

DaWG

DaWG

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24 Sep 2008
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92
Hey,

Been going to the gym since October, but haven't been using free weights, and was initially using machines etc (despite what i read here). Now, I think I'm doing well diet-wise, but with the new year and everything, i want to start a proper routine using free weights.

The only problem is, my gym has plenty of dumbells / smith machines etc, but there's only one weight bench, and the bar is fixed into a rail to prevent it being dropped onto oneself. I assume this will interfere with some of the standard exercies that would be included in most split routines?

If so;

a) would sombody be kind enough to post a 3 day split which wouldn't be affected by this, and

b) i saw a link in the sticky that listed how to do each exercise, but they were listed by muscle group - I recall seeing another that had them listed by the name of the exercise - would be appreciated if anyone could link this.

Cheers
 
Chest / Biceps
Back / Shoulders
Legs / Triceps

Is a classic split. Or you can try the push/pull split

i.e. if you do bench, you then do BORs
chins would mean dips
etc....

so basically as diametrically opposed as possible - but that can get quite tough.

Other splits are upper/lower splits.

i.e. Lower being legs and upper being waist up, so you'd do some upper work and then some lower work.

i.e. chest, bis, shoulders / RDLs, Leg press, step ups
back, tris / squats, calf raises
and so on...

All 3 have merit, but it's also good to mix it up. For example on a 3 day split I'd leave a day or 2 max between rotations:

i.e.

Mon - chest/bi
Wed - Back / Shoulder
Fri - Leg / tri
Sun - chest / bi
Tue - Back / shoulder
etc...

However I find that leaving nearly a week between body parts is a bit too small. So I tend to leave a max of 3-4 days between muscle groups, so I have a rolling split, i.e. chest on monday, but will do some chest exercises on Thursday, but different ones and at a different intensity. Legs on Thursday, but then followed by some more on Sunday etc...

They all have their place - some are more advanced than others, some will make you puke, bleed and cry, some will just make you sweat. Which one you want to do only you can decide. :)
 
Thanks for the quick reply. I don't think I stressed enough how new I am to this - some of what you wrote is totally over my head.

What I'm asking is - say i use the 3 day split in the sticky;


Tuesday (Chest/Shoulder/Triceps)

Flat Bench Press – 3x8
Incline Dumbbell Bench – 3x8
Skull Crushers – 3x8
Close Grip Bench Press – 3x8
Seated Dumbbell Military Press -3x8
Lateral Dumbbell Raises – 3x8


Thursday (Back/Biceps)

Dead lifts – 3x8
Bent over one arm Dumbbell rows – 3x8
Chin Ups 3x8
Barbell Bicep Curl -3x8
One arm Dumbbell hammer Curls – 3x8


Sunday (Legs/Abs)

Barbell Squats – 3x8
Dumbbell Lunges – 3x8
Calf Raises-4x10
Abdominal workout


Going on what's listed here: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

I'm looking through the Tuesday for instance, and the skull crusher (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/BBLyingTriExtSC.html) - aside looking absolutely lethal :eek: - I wouldn't be able to do, as the bar at my gym is fixed to a rail and can only go up and down.

Similarly, the deadlift (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBDeadlift.html) doesn't seem possible.

Could anyone suggest exercises that they could be replaced with? And could anyone who knows their stuff have a look through those exercises and tell me if any others would be impossible on a fixed bar?

Apologies for all the questions - I have a year to bulk up as much as possible, then i will be off traveling, so i really want to make sure I'm doing everything correctly and not wasting any time.

Cheers in advance
 
I've been doing something quite similar to the sticky and I find that doing back/biceps and chest/triceps in the same day quite good as the exercises tend to compliment each other quite well. For example the lat pulldown and seated row will also exercise my arm flexors, whereas benching and chest fly does the extensors. Not sure if I'm barking up the wrong tree, but it seems alright in my head.
 
Sorry to pester you all again - last time I promise - I will be starting tonight :D

Thanks for the link - just what I was looking for. Just a few final questions;

I assume certain exercises are regarded as being better than others for particular muscle groups? I have taken the 3-day split and taken out the exercises I won't be able to do;

Tuesday (Chest/Shoulder/Triceps)

Flat Bench Press – 3x8
Incline Dumbbell Bench – 3x8
Close Grip Bench Press – 3x8
Seated Dumbbell Military Press -3x8
Lateral Dumbbell Raises – 3x8


Thursday (Back/Biceps)

Bent over one arm Dumbbell rows – 3x8
Chin Ups 3x8
One arm Dumbbell hammer Curls – 3x8
Forearm Dumbell Curl

Sunday (Legs/Abs)

Dumbbell Lunges – 3x8
Calf Raises-4x10
Abdominal workout


Now, I've taken out;

Skull Crushers from day 1
Dead lifts from day 2
Barbell Bicep Curl from day 2
Barbell Squats from day 3

Can someone suggest the next best exercise that I can do in replacement of each of those (I assume they would involve dumbbells instead)? Is there a 'best'? Bearing in mind that at my gym, the barbell is fixed into a rail, hence why I can't do the above.

Also on the subject of 'best' exercises - the flat bench press. Could I swap this out for an incline bench press, or is there a reason the flat is preferred? I have also thrown in Forearm Dumbbell curls, as that is part of me that I've always wanted to improve - should they stay on Day 2?


Once again, thanks in advance
 
I would recommend an Upper/Lower for getting started.

If you want to do more of a 'split', I would avoid the push, pull, legs you've posted as I think there's pretty dire.

Chest & Back
Legs
Shoulders & Arms
 
Why is it dire? I've just copied it straight out of the sticky? I can only assume you say this due to the removed exercises, but I'm going to have this problem whichever way I split the routine, hence why I was asking for a few alternative exercises to the ones I have taken out.


edit: on re-reading that, the first part seems to come across as me questioning your knowledge Wardie, so just wanted top make it clear I wasn't. I am massively greatful for anyone who takes the time to reply. I just really want to be given a set of exercises to do over a 3 day split that I can work at over the next year, the only constraint being that certain barbell exercises are unavailable to me.

Cheers
 
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I didn't take it as that mate it's fine :D

I'm just not a fan of push, pull, legs.

I think that training chest, shoulders and triceps in one sessions means that you're compromising the gains you could make. They are all heavily linked, especially training chest which hits them all quite hard.

I think it is better to train shoulders and triceps away from chest, or at least one of them. For example you could do shoulders with Legs, so it's just chest/triceps.
 
Ahhhhhhh, I get what you're saying now - basically why do more on one day than another when I can split it over multiple days, and therefore not neglect any particular area due to trying to cram too much into any one session. Those few lines seem to have made everything I've been reading on split routines make sense :D Cheers

Okay, so taking this suggested by Freefaller;

Day 1 - Chest / Biceps
Day 2 - Back / Shoulders
Day 3 - Legs / Triceps

Could I be cheeky and ask someone to specify the exercises for each day (I assume what I had written above - the routine copied from the sticky) can just be moved around, but I'm not 100% sure on which exercises are for which muscle groups. And also bearing in mind that skull crushers / dead lifts / barbell bicep curl / barbell squats would also need to be swapped for an alternative exercise.

Cheers
 
Personally i'd go for..

Chest & Back
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Dips
Pull ups/Lat pulldown
Bent over rows

Legs
Squat
Leg Press
RDL
Calf Raises

Shoulders & Arms
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Dumbbell Curls/Barbell Curls
Close Grip Bench Press/Tricep Pushdowns

There's nothing wrong with Freefaller's routine, but I just prefer mine :D

Typically i'd aim for 4-5 sets of 10 reps.. but you should vary this.
 
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Thanks so much Wardie - that's exactly what I've been looking for.

There seems to be less exercises than other splits I've seen - is there any particular reason? And is this why you suggest 4/5 by 10? And what does RDL stand for?

Thanks again X
 
Well to begin with you'll be doing say 5 sets of 10 reps, so with two exercises that's 100 reps for chest, which is pleanty.

I recommend though that after a few weeks you change the reps slightly, perhaps go down to 6 reps so you can move more weight, or lower the numbmer of sets and aim for 12-15 reps.

Your body adapts to what you're doing so things need to change :)

RDL = Romanian deadlift.

Give it a quick google, it's quite hard to master (I wouldn't even say i'm there yet but a it's a really good exercise)
 
Yes 100 reps is always good! :D

Wardie's split is pretty good - it's been a while since I've done a 3-day split and in retrospect his is probably a more complete or at least more sensible work out. :)
 
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