Hi
Whilst trawling through some of the articles on T-Nation, I came across the following comments made by Coach Thib (taken from, The Training Split Roundtable, Part II):
Not all gym rats are powerlifters, athletes, or bodybuilders. In fact, most aren’t. I’d say that most serious iron addicts are somewhere between the three animals: they want to look good, be strong, and be athletic. For these individuals, the answer is less white or black: they can opt for several different options.
For these guys, an upper/lower body split like one of these might be ideal:
OPTION 1 (More bodybuilding/muscle oriented)
DAY 1 (Monday): Legs, quad dominant/calves
DAY 2 (Tuesday): Upper body pull
DAY 3 (Thursday): Legs, hips/hams dominant
DAY 4 (Friday): Upper body push
See: http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1335480
Using the above guidelines, I have attempted to put together three, albeit slightly, different workouts (in the interests of variety. I intend to alternate between each workout every six to eight weeks. At the end of each six to eight week period, I also plan to take a week off training), comprised of movements that have worked well for me. I was hoping that you guys could comment on my proposed routine.
Presently, I am training at home and have to contend with certain limitations, e.g. I have no access to a squat/power rack or a dip/chin station. Although I do have an adjustable bench and a heavy barbell and dumbbell set, and I do intend to purchase extra weights, because it takes time to adjust the weights for each movement, even with minimal rest periods, it is difficult to perform more than six exercises within an hour. Furthermore, because I do not enjoy the option of employing a wide range of set/rep parameters, I am planning to perform a total of four straight sets of six to twelve reps per exercise (although when performing certain movements, I can see myself going down to four reps when it comes to the fourth and final set), increasing the weight lifted on each set.
Below, it is clear where I switch from dumbbells to barbells (and vice-versa) from workout to workout (as well as alternating between different movements), but subtler variations involving a change in grip or angle have been bracketed. Even though when it comes to most of the exercises, the process of classifying them as pushing or pulling movements is straightforward, in the case of side lateral raises and flys, I consulted www.exrx.net in order to seek clarification. As for step-ups, from what I?ve read on the Net, there are those who classify it as a quad dominant movement, whereas others consider it to be a hams dominant movement.
WORKOUT 1
MONDAY: LEGS, QUAD DOMINANT/CALVES
Dumbbell Front Squat
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
Dumbbell Standing Single Leg Calf Raise
TUESDAY: UPPER BODY PULL
Barbell Bent-Over Row (Pronated grip)
Dumbbell Prone Row (30-degree angle, pronated grip)
Barbell High Pull
Dumbbell Standing Side Lateral Raise
Barbell Biceps Curl
THURSDAY: LEGS, HIPS/HAMS DOMINANT
Barbell Deadlift Shrug
Dumbbell Step-Up
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
FRIDAY: UPPER BODY PUSH
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press (30-degree angle)
Dumbbell Flat Bench Press
Dumbbell (Flat) Fly
Dumbbell Standing Shoulder Press
Dumbbell (Decline) Close-Grip Bench Press (Neutral grip)
WORKOUT 2
MONDAY: LEGS, QUAD DOMINANT/CALVES
Dumbbell Front Squat
Dumbbell Dynamic Lunge
Dumbbell Standing Single Leg Calf Raise
TUESDAY: UPPER BODY PULL
Barbell Bent-Over Row (Supinated grip)
Dumbbell Prone Row (30-degree angle, supinated grip)
Barbell High Pull
Dumbbell Standing Side Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curl (45-degree angle)
THURSDAY: LEGS, HIPS/HAMS DOMINANT
Barbell Snatch-Grip Deadlift
Dumbbell Step-Up (Alternating)
Barbell Straight-Back Straight-Leg Deadlift
FRIDAY: UPPER BODY PUSH
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press (15-degree angle)
Dumbbell Flat Bench Press
Dumbbell (Incline) Fly (30-degree angle)
Barbell Standing Shoulder Press
Dumbbell (Incline) Close-Grip Bench Press (45-degree angle, neutral grip)
WORKOUT 3
MONDAY: LEGS, QUAD DOMINANT/CALVES
Barbell Hack Squat
Dumbbell Dynamic Lunge
Dumbbell Standing Single Leg Calf Raise
TUESDAY: UPPER BODY PULL
Barbell Bent-Over Row (Pronated grip)
Dumbbell Prone Row (30-degree angle, neutral grip)
Barbell High Pull
Dumbbell Standing Side Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Standing Biceps Curl
THURSDAY: LEGS, HIPS/HAMS DOMINANT
Barbell Bulgarian Split Deadlift
Dumbbell Step-Up
Dumbbell Stagger Stance Good Morning
FRIDAY: UPPER BODY PUSH
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press (45-degree angle)
Dumbbell Flat Bench Press
Dumbbell (Decline) Fly
Barbell Push Press
Dumbbell (Flat) Close-Grip Bench Press
Thanks for taking the time to reading this; I really appreciate it.