Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - How advanced do I need to be before splitting my lifting?

Martian · 12-28-2005, 12:46 AM

I'm too lazy to read all the responses here right now, so hopefully I'm not repeating any information.

The short answer is that you're ready to split up your workout whenever you feel ready to do so. How you split it up is entirely at your discretion, although if you have literally no clue it might not hurt to consult someone who knows (I'll be happy to work with you in designing a regimen if you'd like, as I'm sure many others here would).

Just a few things to keep in mind :

-It's a bad idea to work the same muscle group two days in a row. That's part of the reasoning for the 3 day thing; it gives you time to heal. Working out actually damages your body and it's the healing process that makes it stronger. This generally takes 24-48 hours. Working the same muscle group again within that period will at best deny you the full benefit of the workout and at worst could end up tearing a muscle or ligament, which will set you back greatly. The exception to this rule is your abdominals, which are generally safe to work daily because you're not bulking them; they aren't nearly so damaged and therefore don't need as long to heal.

-Also, balance is important. I know it's great to think of having rock hard abs or huge guns, but if you've got gigantic biceps and no pecs, you're going to look funny. Same goes for if your upper body is overdeveloped and your lower body not at all. With that in mind, it is okay to put an emphasis on muscle groups that are more important to you. Just don't do it to the exclusion of other parts of your body.

-Makesure you include cardio in your regimen. Working out increases muscle mass, which means you need more oxygen. You therefore need a stronger heart to deliver that oxygen. There's a reason that the big pro body builders suffer a disproportionate number of heart attacks.

-While not necessary, it's good practice to design two or more routines that give you the full scope of the workout and switch them up to keep it interesting. In the same vein, if you're working more than one specific muscle group in a specific day, you may have an easier time of developing a good routine if you create a pattern, such as top to bottom (so on an upper day, you'd go traps-pecs-biceps-triceps-lats-abs). This is how I do it; I split my workout in to uppder body and lower body and on both I work top to bottom. Abs are included in both and I do both 3x a week, alternating mon-sat and taking sunday off.

12-28-2005, 12:46 AM	#19 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	I'm too lazy to read all the responses here right now, so hopefully I'm not repeating any information. The short answer is that you're ready to split up your workout whenever you feel ready to do so. How you split it up is entirely at your discretion, although if you have literally no clue it might not hurt to consult someone who knows (I'll be happy to work with you in designing a regimen if you'd like, as I'm sure many others here would). Just a few things to keep in mind : -It's a bad idea to work the same muscle group two days in a row. That's part of the reasoning for the 3 day thing; it gives you time to heal. Working out actually damages your body and it's the healing process that makes it stronger. This generally takes 24-48 hours. Working the same muscle group again within that period will at best deny you the full benefit of the workout and at worst could end up tearing a muscle or ligament, which will set you back greatly. The exception to this rule is your abdominals, which are generally safe to work daily because you're not bulking them; they aren't nearly so damaged and therefore don't need as long to heal. -Also, balance is important. I know it's great to think of having rock hard abs or huge guns, but if you've got gigantic biceps and no pecs, you're going to look funny. Same goes for if your upper body is overdeveloped and your lower body not at all. With that in mind, it is okay to put an emphasis on muscle groups that are more important to you. Just don't do it to the exclusion of other parts of your body. -Makesure you include cardio in your regimen. Working out increases muscle mass, which means you need more oxygen. You therefore need a stronger heart to deliver that oxygen. There's a reason that the big pro body builders suffer a disproportionate number of heart attacks. -While not necessary, it's good practice to design two or more routines that give you the full scope of the workout and switch them up to keep it interesting. In the same vein, if you're working more than one specific muscle group in a specific day, you may have an easier time of developing a good routine if you create a pattern, such as top to bottom (so on an upper day, you'd go traps-pecs-biceps-triceps-lats-abs). This is how I do it; I split my workout in to uppder body and lower body and on both I work top to bottom. Abs are included in both and I do both 3x a week, alternating mon-sat and taking sunday off. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame