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Sample Workouts

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There are hundreds of different possible variations to a workout, with hundreds of different combinations of body splits. I'll try and list as many as I can here and put some meaning to each.

Some routines are better for more advance trainees that beginners. Some require more time and dedication. Some are geared towards weight loss and others towards muscle growth.

There is no perfect routine. Some may work better than others, but stay on any one routine for two long, and you gains will slow down and possibly stop. Stick with a routine for anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months, and then try something new. If it worked well, come back to it.

Intermediate 3-way split routine

Here is a pretty standard routine giving each muscle group one workout a week with about 6 working sets each. Each muscle group is also trained with 2 or 3 exercises to ensure complete development.

There is no direct work for glutes, traps, forearms, or lower back, but using compound exercises like the Deadlift, squats and pullups should give those muscles plenty of stimulation.

Since each muscle gets a full week to recover (except calves, mine tend to heal quickly) this routine allows you to go all out, and lift some pretty heavy weights. The numbers of reps vary from week to week to allow stimulation of both fast and slow-twitch fibers as workouts move from volume to intensity.

Using supersets allows each muscle more time to recover between sets, and you can get out of the gym faster, though it may leave you huffing a fair bit.

Some variations you could try are adding another week with even lower reps to train for power and strength. Or you could use the same rep range for several weeks straight before switching. This is a pretty demanding routine, so unless you've been working out for a while and feel ready for it, look to the end for a beginners version.

(This is the only workout I have outlined in fine detail, not necessarily cause it's my favorite, I just happened to already have had it typed out!)

	exercise	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3
Monday: Back/Shoulder, calves	Wide grip pullups	2 X Max	2 X Max	2 X Max
	Deadlifts	2 X 12	2 X 8	2 X 6
	Chinups	2 X Max	2 X Max	2 X Max
	superset'ed with...
	Rotator cuff	2 X 15	2 X 12	2 X 8
	Shoulder press	2 X 10	2 X 8	2 X 6
	One armed lateral raise	2 X 10	2 X 8	2 X 6
	finish with...
	Standing calf raise (1 leg at a time)	2 X 15	2 X 10	2 X 8
	Seated calf raises	2 X 20	2 X 15	2 X 10
Wednesday: Chest, Biceps/Triceps	Decline bench	2 X 12	2 X 9	2 X 6
	Flat bench	2 X 12	2 X 9	2 X 6
	Incline Dumbbell Bench	2 X 12	3 X 9	3 X 6
	followed by...
	Barbell curls	2 X 10	2 X 10	2 X 8
	Incline curls	2 X 12	2 X 10	2 X 8
	One armed curls	2 X 10	2 X 10	3 X 6
	superset'ed with...
	Close grip bench	3 X 12	3 X 10	3 X 8
	French press	3 X 15	3 X 12	3 X 10
Friday: Quads/Hams, Calves	Squats	4 X 12	5 X 10	6 X 8
	superset'ed with...
	Leg curls	5 X 12	6 X 8	6 X 6
	followed by...
	Standing calf raises	3 X 10	3 X 8	4 X 6
	Seated calf raises	3 X 15	3 X 12	4 X 8
Saturday: Abs	Crunches on Swiss ball	4 X Max
Saturday: Abs	Hip raises	4 X Max

Beginners version:
I think someone starting out could greatly benefit from the above routine, but 6 heavy working sets per body part may be a bit much. Here are some changes I would make for someone starting out:

No more than 4, probably 3 heavy working sets per body part instead of 6.
Only do supersets on an infrequent basis.
Since you'd be doing less sets, drop one exercise, preferable the least basic.(i.e. decline bench)

Soon to come:

Beginners full body routine

This is for the beginner. If you're picking up a weight for the first time, I would recommend this program just to get your nervous system as well as you muscular system geared up for weight training.

It'll be a lot like circuit training, but with free weights and more compound exercises. It's a lot like the foundation training Arnold talks about in his 'Education of a Bodybuilder' (which is a great little book).

Beginners/Intermediate 3-way split routine

A lot like the first routine shown here, this will use almost exclusively compound exercises and give each muscle group a full week to heal. Might want to do this after some training experience in terms of repeat exercise for nervous system development.

Intermediate 2-way split routine

' This will involve working legs and arms one day, and chest, back and shoulders another. Each group gets worked every 4-5 days. This is the workout recommended with HMB supplementation, and is quite demanding.

Intermediate/Advanced 4-way split routine

This routine splits training the entire body over 4 days, allowing more work for each muscle group, or shorter workouts, depending how you want to look at it! I did this for a while, and it brought some fantastic results.

Advanced 2-way split routine

Here's a popular split you'll see in some of he older training mags: Chest and legs on Monday and Thursday, back, arms and shoulders on Tuesday and Friday. This makes for pretty demanding workouts, so consider splitting it further into 2 separate sessions each day.

Last Modified:
February 10, 2000

Exercise is not without its risks and this or any other exercise program may result in injury. To reduce the risk of injury in your case, consult your doctor before beginning this exercise program. The advice presented is in no way intended as a substitute for medical counsulation. The developer of Muscle101.com disclaims any liability from and in connection with any information conveyed on this web page. As with any exercise program, if at any point during your workout you begin to feel faint, dizzy, or have physical discomfort, you should stop immediately and consult a physician.