Here’s my 2 cents. One body part a week with a split for legs. Tues: quads, Weds: hams and calves, Thurs: chest Sat: arms/shoulders, Sun: back. I’ll mix it up if I’m traveling or life gets in the way, otherwise I’m pretty happy with that schedule. Each workout includes a basic lift for whichever muscle group I happen to be working, i.e. squats, stiff-legged deads, dumbell bench press, straight bar curls, dips (weighted), chins (weighted), deads.
I’ve found this routine VERY VERY effective for gaining strength and mass if done correctly and with proper nutrition. I am all natural and have put on 20 lbs of lean mass in the past 4 months by using this and variations of this program.
Monday
Squat 3x10
Good Morning 2x10
Hamstring Curls 1x10
Quad Extension 3x10
Bench Press 3x10
Seated Shoulder Press 3x10
Tricep Extension 3x10
Low Lat Pull 3x10
Pull ups 3x10
Bicep Curl 3x10
Abs
Wednesday Snatch Squat 2x5 Rack Clean 3x5 Power Press 3x5
Friday Squat 3x10 Good Morning 2x10 Hamstring Curls1x10 Quad Extension 3x10 Incline Press 3x10 Seated Shoulder Press 3x10 Tricep Extension 3x10 Low Lat Pull 3x10 Pull Ups 3x10 Bicep Curls 3x10 Abs
I wanted to chime in about the HIT discussion. I have found myself that cycling volume and reps works well, but I myself made good gains with HIT; definitely in the 30lb range for LBM. Some people do have the ability to get stronger and more muscular with HIT, but training HIT with a 2 or 3xweek program will yeild better results for the majority. It seems this way because most people lack enough fast twitch fibers so that they can take off periods of such length. In all honesty, I’ve made some nice gains training volume but always stopping short of failure. If you look at training from a workload standpoint, HIT will fall short, but it will work(and continue to work) when the individual finds the specific amount of frequency and alternates exercises once in a while, etc. HIT works and stops working when your body adapts to it, so as far as HIT goes, you can take a layoff, add rest days, or cycle intensity on you HIT program. If possible, I would recommend looking at the IART website on prescribed exercise. It has an article that basically picks about Mentzer’s final contribution to exercise science. This is a great read and will teach a thing or two about the shortcomings of “Heavy Duty”.