[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
Screw what most people here are saying. Odds are, you aren’t looking to become a pro BBer. It is more important to keep your training motivating and energized than it is to follow some specific split. If you want to give 5/3/1 or full body (or full body 5/3/1) a go, then do it. You can have fun, enjoy yourself, get strong and build tons of muscle. Alpha is a good example. He has all kinds of medical issues, does full body with obscene amounts of conditioning, and is stronger, in better shape, more muscular, and leaner than 99% of the people on this site. And yes many of the golden era BBers did full body routines.
Being consistent and training hard are more important than anything. If you are going to be bored and dread training doing what you are, change it.
My advice would be something like 5/3/1 for the 4 main lifts combined with BBing style assistance.
But yeah, if you want to compete and do well in bodybuilding competitions some day, you’ll probably want to switch to a traditional BBing split down the road, but that isn’t most people and probably isn’t you right now either.
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I agree with your overall advice, but Alpha is a poor example. The vast majority of people will not be as strong as him no matter if they follow a powerlifting, full body, or bodybuilding split with perfect nutrition. The weights and intensity he used would kill most people.
Not trying to argue, but just pointing out that Alpha has some good genetics for weight lifting. I think the overall advice is that if the OP is lifting primarily for physique purposes he should follow a BB routine. BUT, in the end, whatever keeps him going to the gym is what’s important.