Top 10: Ways To Increase Your Bench Press

Nick Mitchell & Justin Maguire

Walk into any gym in the world and you can guarantee one thing: There will be a few guys labouring away on the bench press. Long known as “the king of the upper body exercises,” every man wants a "bigger bench," and Justin and myself have lost count of the times we have been asked, “Hey man, what’s your bench?”

Justin is a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter, so weight is immaterial, but we have both benched close to 500 lbs at our peaks, and big Justin (all 285 lbs-at-10%-body-fat of him) is still only 24 years of age and growing stronger by the week.

The following 10 points are by no means exhaustive, but they are simple ways to help the weak to become strong with just a few simple adjustments of posture and technique.

Nick Mitchell is a personal trainer and strength, conditioning and nutritional coach who specialises in body composition and reprogramming for fat loss and muscle gain. He was named “London’s Best Personal Trainer” by Time Out (2010) and is the head coach and MD of Ultimate Performance, one of the UK’s leading personal training companies. Nick Mitchell of Ultimate Performance: Personal trainer and strength, conditioning and nutritional coach

He can be contacted via Caroline@UPFitness.co.uk / or at: UPFitness.co.uk.

Justin Maguire is a senior personal trainer with Ultimate Performance. When not training clients, Justin can be found knocking out 10 strict 450 lb+ bench presses and working his calves.

Positionng is KEY

Place your hands equally apart on the bar and use bars marked with ring placings -- I know this sounds basic but you’d be amazed how many people overlook this. Ensure that the bench is fairly low down and neither too wide nor too narrow, as this will improve hip stability and assist in keeping your shoulders protracted throughout the entire movement.  

Watch the initial lift

Initially, when taking the bar off the rack, try to use a bench rack that has adjustable height balances, as this will ensure that the bar is lifted whilst the arms are in a fully extended position. Shoulder injury is common in bench pressing due to the initial lift being too low and stress being displaced onto the smaller supraspinatus muscles in the rotator cuff. 

Another preventative measure to avoid overloading the shoulder stabilisers is to always use an experienced spotter for the initial “lift off” phase. 

Keep it straight

Once the bar has been lifted off the rack, use the assistance of a spotter to place the bar in the curve directly below the nipple line and above the sternum. Placing the bar in this position allows for straight curve of motion and a smaller distance in which to push the bar back up.

Always try to keep your elbows tucked into a 45 degree angle to the body, as this takes tension off the weaker stabiliser muscles and brings the more powerful pectorals and triceps into play.  

Keep your arse on the bench

Before the eccentric phase of the lift, ensure that your legs are bent to a little over 90 degrees and that your lower back is slightly arched; however, do not allow your buttocks to lift off the bench as this will cause excessive pressure on your lower back.

We have all seen misguided trainees floundering away under a heavy bench with movements reminiscent of a teenager making love to the Invisible Woman. Don’t be that fool. 

Control your breathing

As the bar descends, ensure that your shoulder blades remain protracted as you will want your pectorals to be fully stretched to encourage better nerve recruitment and explosive elasticity. Inhale during the eccentric phase, and if you do not suffer from high blood pressure or any other cardiovascular impairment, then you may want to practice the valsava manoeuvre during your low rep high weight lifts.

The valsava manoeuvre is when a person increases internal pressure along the rib cage by holding their breath during the concentric phase of a movement. Do this with caution, though, as it isn’t necessarily the healthiest method in the world -- but no one said lifting big weights was for wusses. 

Keep chest height constant

Whilst positioning the arms is crucial, pay attention to your chest too. Keep the height of your chest constant by flexing your spinal erectors and protracting your scapulae (shoulder blades). Another way to further increase chest height is to flex your gluteus muscles during the lift and press your heels hard into the ground. 

Don't watch the bar

When pressing, do not look at the bar, as this encourages your body to lift through a curve directed toward your shoulders and not directly above your chest. We have observed at our London personal training gym that this one small technical improvement can improve a lift by between 5% and 10%.

Practise without weights

Don't go ruining yourself with poor technique -- remember to first practice technique before loading the bar with weight. The rule is volume before weight. Spend time learning how to lift properly before unleashing the beast within and going for maximum poundages.

Slow it down

If you want to get stronger, slow down your pace and work on strength. If you want a cardio workout, go on the treadmill. Specificity of training is highly important so don’t diminish results by trying to rush muscular and strength gains, as this will only slow you down.

The best way to train to get stronger is to rest four minutes between sets. This can get boring, so an idea might be to superset with a pulling movement such as chins or rows, meaning that you can do a set of bench presses, rest 90 seconds, do a set of chins, rest 90 seconds, back to the bench press, and so on.

Have a good spotter

Finally, and most important, learn to use a spotting partner properly (or find a great personal trainer). So often in the gym -- especially among young lifters -- you will find one guy doing a bench press whilst his friend is simultaneously lifting half the weight and pumping up his traps. At Ultimate Performance we call this “over spotting” or just being plain stupid.

A good spotter understands how to dismount an initial lift, is always conscious of upcoming failure and assists only when needed. If you find one, hold on to them as this is a great tool for intensity and growth. 

Original Source: http://uk.askmen.com/top_10/fitness/top-10-ways-to-increase-your-bench-press.html

How To Diet To Build Lean Muscle

By Russ Howe

Everybody has different goals in the gym, but usually they revolve around learning how to lose weight or build lean muscle mass. If you are to do either, however, you will need to discover how to build your diet plan to suit your individual goal. Diet is the most overlooked part of any workout routine, and overlooking this aspect is a very costly mistake to make.

You needn't worry, though. Learning how to do this is not very complex at all.

Fat loss is a common goal in the gym. However, ninety percent of people who list this as their primary goal have overlooked the one aspect which is going to get them there - their daily calorie intake. The basic science behind fat loss is that if you eat less, you will lose more.

However, it would be quite foolish to set yourself a good calorie target and then neglect to go a little bit further. By learning how to optimize your intake of protein, carbohydrates and fats you will only enhance your results even further.

If you need assistance in creating a solid calorie target for building lean size and retaining it, try the following equation. While everybody is free to tinker with it and strike a balance which works for them, the basis of this equation works for the vast majority of individuals:

* Total daily calories = target body weight in pounds x 15.

So for someone who wanted to be 180 lbs, they would multiply 180 x 15. This will give that individual a daily calorie target of 2700.

* Total daily protein intake = 30% of overall calories divided by 4.

Getting the right split of the three macronutrients is critical to ensuring your calories are coming from the right places. For protein, we can establish that 30% of 2700 is 810 calories. Now divide this by four and you'll be given a target of 202 grams per day.

* Total daily carbohydrate intake = 55% of overall calories divided by 4.

For our daily intake of carbohydrates, we need to do a similar equation with some slightly larger figures. 55% of 2700 is, of course, 1485. Divide this by four and we get 371 grams of carbohydrates.

* Your daily fat intake = Take 15% of your total calorie figure and divide the answer by nine.

Our body still needs to consume fats if we are going to achieve our fitness goals. It is a vital macronutrient. So to establish your fat intake, we need 15% of our calorie goal. This is 405. We then divide this by 9, which is the number of calories in one gram of fat, and we can see that our daily intake of fats should be around 45 grams.

Alongside your other two macronutrients and your total calorie target, you now have the foundation of a proven muscle building diet. Alternatively, if your goal is to learn how to lose weight you can enjoy similar success by simply playing around with this proven principle and finding a balance which works for your body.

Original Source: http://weight-me.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/how-to-diet-to-build-lean-muscle.html

Advanced Muscle Building Strategies

If you’re looking to take your workout progress up a notch and see faster results than you ever have before, you’re gonna need to take things to a whole new level. And what better way to do that than implementing some advanced muscle building strategies.

If you just perform the same old workout routine consisting of straight sets over and over again, you are going to be very fast to hit a progress plateau. Especially when you have been training for a while now.

Two key advanced strategies that you should be considering are drop sets and giant sets. Let’s look a little more closely at what each of these are so that you can get the complete picture of how to go about adding them to your program.

What Are Drop And Giant Sets

First let’s go over what these sets consist of. A drop set is where you take one exercise, perform your standard set doing that exercise at the normal weight you lift, as you hit failure with that weight you immediately drop the weight five to ten pounds and perform a second set. If you’re really feeling ambitious, once that set is completed, you can drop the weight one more time and go for a third and final set of the drop set. Talk about BURN!

Giant sets on the other hand are where you’re going to pair together three exercises all done back to back with no rest. This set is very similar to a superset only that third exercise is added to the mix for extra difficulty.

The Benefits Of These Advanced Techniques

So what are the benefits to each of these techniques? With drop sets especially, you’re going to be teaching your body how to push through a very high state of fatigue, increasing your body’s ability to tolerate stress.

With giant sets, you’ll get excellent metabolic conditioning as you’ll be doing so much exercise in a short time frame and you’ll also see increased strength and size gains.

Both of these are going to force the body to do more work than it normally does, and this is a key factor that will allow you to pack on more lean muscle mass size, while increasing your metabolic rate significantly.

Adding These To Your Workout Routine

So now that you know what both of these are, how do you go about adding them to your workout program?

The important thing to remember is that you need to be adding them in with moderation. Don’t go doing every single set in the workout as a drop set or you will burn out incredibly quickly.

Instead, choose one or two movements and make a drop set out of them. Or pick three exercises to be performed in the workout session and perform a giant set out of those.

This allows you to maintain good balance overall so that you’re not going to burn out shortly after you start.

Try introducing these concepts into your next workout session and watch how fast you progress.

Original Source: http://www.anaboliccooking.com/blog/training/advanced-muscle-building-strategies/

Use foods, not drugs for sports success

BY PATRICIA THOMPSON

ALL athletes who compete wish to win, and many athletes are prepared to do whatever it takes to succeed.

Despite the wide publicity of the negative effects of drugs, many athletes still risk the chance for that one moment of glory. More often than not, what is needed is appropriate eating strategies and not wanton use of nutrient supplements. The registered nutritionist, especially one that is suitably experienced in sports nutrition, is the best source of information and guidance on eating for success without the use of unwarranted supplements. A sports nutritionist can help in selecting foods in the right combinations and quantities to meet the special needs of each athlete.

Athletes can get that competitive edge while staying drug free by eating right. Good nutrition legitimately and effectively improves athletic performance as attested by many top athletes. Studies have confirmed that the better the nutritional status of the athlete, the better he/she will perform. While training alone can enhance strength, skill, speed and agility, nutrition is necessary to boost endurance, help avoid injury, speed up repair of tissues, to build resistance to disease and avoid burn-out.

Eat for psychological fitness

All physical activity requires the energy provided by food. The muscles store the energy that will be needed for competitive events. As this store is used up during training and competition, it must be replenished daily and in a timely fashion by eating regular, well-spaced meals to ensure proper fuelling of the brain. Athletes need to understand how to eat relative to their personal requirements, type of sport and level of exertion such as for repetitive events. If the athlete does not eat appropriately, the activity cannot be sustained at the desired intensity, especially for repetitive activity. This results in underperformance from central fatigue that can be misinterpreted as psychological weakness during competition.

Enhance endurance without supplements

The storage form of energy in the muscle is carbohydrate, so foods high in carbohydrate (those from plant sources) must be adequate. Athletes who eat irregular meals and especially of foods too high in fat, will lack the energy needed for sustained training and competition. On the other hand, some athletes eat carelessly and gain weight from eating too much and this also hinders performance because of inappropriate body composition. Turning to supplements without appropriate fuelling strategies will not eliminate early fatigue. Athletes need to be professionally advised by a registered sports nutritionist on how to fuel up for competition and be individually guided through the process.

Avoid injury and speed recovery

The parts of the body involved directly in physical activity are bones and muscle. Food provides a range of natural anti-inflammatory substances along with the building blocks for strengthening bones and muscle in the form of protein and the minerals along with essential vitamins. Blood carries nourishment to all parts of the body and especially oxygen to the exercising muscle which requires good nutrition. The athlete needs to understand how to eat for quick recovery, not just providing the nutrients, but in the correct combinations and ratio for optimal uptake by the muscles. Timing of this nourishment is critical for success, especially for repetitive events.

Build infection resistance and consistency of performance

Any bout of infection will prevent the athlete from undertaking adequate training and frequent nuisances are colds and flu. Generally, a well-balanced diet will help build resistance, but some nutrients are noted for their anti-oxidant properties, that is, they clear the body of toxic substances which are produced during strenuous exercise.

Also critical to optimum performance is proper hydration. Water should be taken before, during and after training and competition. Again, proper timing, correct volume and temperature are needed to promote water retention and to avoid adverse effects when taken too close to the time of competition. If sweetened drinks with electrolytes, such as commercial drinks are used, they should be at the correct concentration and volume.

Original Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Use-foods--not-drugs-for-sports-success_14768898

Tips for staying fit after 50

By Silversurfers

Fitness, it’s often assumed, is a young person’s game.

But staying fit isn’t just something you can do when you’re over 50 – it’s something you absolutely have to do. As you enter middle-age, you have an increased risk of contracting particular illnesses and conditions, from high blood pressure and high cholesterol to back and muscle pains, and even certain types of cancer.

Maintaining a healthy body and mind could help you stave off the effects of some of these age-related afflictions. And staying fit is much easier than you think, if you discover the exercise regime that works for you.

Finding the right exercise for you

There’s no one way to exercise: just as your body is different from another person’s, the fitness routine that suits you will vary too. Your friend, for instance, may swear by her regular workouts on the treadmill at her gym – but that doesn’t mean that approach is right for you as well.

Start by considering your likes and dislikes. Perhaps you don’t enjoy the thought of running or jogging: think instead about sports that incorporate running, like football, squash and tennis. Look for a local five-a-side league with a high percentage of older players, or inquire about squash courts in your local leisure centre. This way, you’ll receive the benefits of running while participating in another activity.

But team sports aren’t your only option. Creative workouts like Zumba – which combines Colombian dance rhythms with aerobic exercise – are especially popular with older women because they’re fun and can be easily enjoyed with friends.

Weight training is also important when you’re over 50. This helps maintain your muscle mass, which you lose as you get older. You may need to consult a fitness trainer when you start weight training, to ensure that you don’t start with weights that are too heavy and accidentally injure yourself. If you’re joining a gym for the first time, many offer a few hours with a personal trainer as standard for new members.

Maintaining a healthy body and mind

When crafting your fitness routine, you need to think about activating your mind as well as your body. Disciplines like Yoga and Pilates engage both mind and body, teaching principles of core stability, coordination and helping to de-clutter your thoughts. Practicing even 10 minutes of Yoga or Pilates every day, in fact, can have a rejuvenating and energising effect. Another way to stimulate your brain is to vary your exercise routine – don’t stick to the same workout every day, and experiment with different sports and pastimes. This will make sure your mind stays engaged, and helps ensure that you don’t get bored.

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, try looking for like-minded over-50s that want to stay fit too. Charity Silverfit, for instance, was created specifically to motivate over-50s to become active so it could be a great place to start.

You’ll also find plenty of resources online to get your fitness regime off on the right foot. Boots Web MD, for instance, has a range of nutrition advice and exercise tips for women over 50, while the NHS’s online Health and Fitness guide is handily divided by both gender and age range.

Orignal Source: http://www.silversurfers.com/best-of-the-web/tips-for-staying-fit-after-50/

Everything That You Know About Motivating Others is Wrong

By Richard Talens

Arnold talks about finding your spark, the fire that you need to make fitness an integral part of your life. Many people go looking for it on their own. In fact, both the information provided on this site and Fitocracy’s Arnold’s 1% Challenge put that “spark” is well within reach.

If you’re passionate about fitness, you’ve probably tried to help a friend find his or her spark already, and more likely than not, this ended in failure.

That’s because everything that you know about motivating others is wrong.

Two key phenomena explain why this happens and what you can do to successfully motivate others.

Phenomenon #1: Ambivalence and The Righting Reflex

Let’s start with a case study.

Joe burns through several packs of cigarettes a day and he’s been avoiding the doctor for as long as he can remember. Now he’s having health problems and deep down, he’s afraid cigarettes are the cause.

Joe sits in the doctor’s office nervously awaiting his prognosis. He taps his foot as he waits for the doctor and he craves a cigarette.

When Dr. Gupta enters the office, he explains that Joe’s at extremely high risk for atherosclerosis, a disease where his arteries harden. Dr. Gupta tells Joe that he needs to quit smoking immediately. He walks Joe through the percentage he’s at risk and the amount that risk decreases if Joe quits today.

Dr. Gupta delivered an objective diagnosis and told Joe exactly what he needs to do to improve his health. And yet, Dr. Gupta did the absolute worst thing possible to light Joe’s spark.

Why, you ask?

The answer comes from the “Righting Reflex” in conjunction with the “state of ambivalence,” two phenomena Dr. William Miller explains in the book “Motivational Interviewing.”

When people are passionate about a topic, they have a natural desire to dictate and direct changes they feel other people should make (Miller’s “Righting Reflex).

Professionals in the fitness and health space have the best intentions in wanting to fix their client’s problems, but these intentions can backfire when a client is ambivalent (i.e. in the state of deciding whether or not to change).

When someone attempts to make a difficult change, they play a continuous debate in their head. The debate is between two sides – one is pro-change and the other is pro-status quo.

Both sides of the internal debate are so strong that no objective “fact” will invalidate either argument. In Joe’s case, the most powerful arguments are the ones that he plays in his head over and over again.

Think about it. Would Joe – or anyone – say “Oh thanks Dr. Gupta, I didn’t realize my chances of a heart attack were increased by 30%! I’ll definitely stop now.”

When an ambivalent person encounters someone who exhibits the Righting Reflex, the natural inclination is to play the opposite argument in their own mind.

Try this on your own. Think of a subject that you’re truly ambivalent about – ending a relationship, quitting an addiction, etc.

Now, have a friend pick one side and argue it. What’s your natural reaction? If you’re like most people, you’ll instinctively start defending the other side. You might feel judged by your friend’s opinion, even if you’ve made the same arguments to yourself.

The argument that’s played internally usually wins.

Phenomenon #2: Growth vs. Fixed Mindsets

Prior to starting Fitocracy, I thought anyone could be instantly inspired.

The first eye-opener was discovering a significant proportion of people find before and after pictures demotivational. I remember telling people about this amazing transformation, only to be shocked by the number of people who complained about being discouraged.

The second eye-opened involves Fitocracy's point system. At Fitocracy, we use point values as a motivational tool – the exercises that deliver the most benefit to your health are weighted more heavily than others. Users like bjax, the guy featured in one of our banners, started seeing results for the first time in his life because he noticed that squats and deadlifts yielded more points.

Yet, many beginners quit Fitocracy because, to them, it didn’t feel fair their elliptical workouts earned relatively few points. They were demotivated by the same system that led to an enormous amount of successful transformations.

Why are these people so resistant to change?

It turns out, people can either be bucketed into “growth” or “fixed” mindsets.

People with a fixed mindset believe abilities and talents are immutable traits; you either have them or you don’t. They take negative feedback personally because they don’t differentiate between their performance and themselves. They avoid challenge and see failures as being outside of their control.

Those with a growth mindset believe skills and talents are acquired through education and hard work. They embrace challenge and use criticism to improve. (Side note: My framework of self-compassion, mindfulness, and humility all help develop the growth mindset.)

While not discussed in scientific literature, I’ve seen evidence in the wild that it’s possible to have a “growth” mindset around fitness but a “fixed” mindset around another subject, like math.

What happens when someone with a growth mindset tries to motivate someone with a fixed mindset?

Consider the backlash against this “What’s your excuse?” image that made its way around the Internet.

The pro-image camp believes the backlash was because their counterparts are lazy and make excuses to avoid hard work. The anti-image folks think their counterparts are too hardcore about fitness, unrealistic, and lack compassion.

Both camps are wrong. Simply, the backlash was the natural reaction that occurs when a “growth mindset” message is shown to a “fixed mindset” audience.

Similarly, in the examples revolving around Fitocracy users, both groups – those who were demotivated by transformation pictures and those who were demotivated by point variations – had a fixed mindset.

Igniting the Spark

If you’re passionate about fitness (many of you reading this article) you’re likely an individual with a growth mindset who exhibits the Righting Reflex. Most of the people you’re trying to motivate are going to be ambivalent individuals with fixed mindsets.

Think back to when you failed to help someone else and failed. You probably chalked it up to your friend’s laziness or lack of motivation. There was nothing you could do, right? It was beyond your control.

Does this sound similar to how the “fixed mindset” folks react to fitness?

It should.

The following is the ultimate irony for any fitness enthusiasts who’ve failed to motivate another person:

If you’re passionate about fitness and want to motivate others, you probably have a growth mindset around fitness but a fixed mindset around motivation.

The first step in helping light a loved one’s spark is realizing that motivation is a skill just like any other. Your success will very much depend on the message you send and how you deliver it.

This means coming from a place of compassion, not judgment. Both judgment and the Righting Reflex can make the person you’re trying to help feel bad and that doesn’t inspire change.

Guide, don’t direct. Help the person feel empowered and in control. Ask questions that encourage them to explain the need to find his or her spark, like:

“What do you think you need to do this time around in order to be successful with weight loss?”

Realize that someone can make the change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

I know, because I spent most of my life blaming my obesity on factors beyond my control – genetics, environment, etc. I thought there was nothing I could do. I had a fixed mindset around fitness.

Yet, through practicing humility and mindfulness, I transformed my fixed mindset into a growth mindset and subsequently made my physical transformation.

Motivating the people you love isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. You may be the catalyst that someone needs to find his or her own spark. The most powerful thing you can do to light someone’s spark is to help them realize that you can only provide the gas. They’ve had the flame all along.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Talens is a Cofounder and Chief Growth Officer at Fitocracy.  Dick is a former fat kid who used to look exactly like the kid in Up. He eventually geeked out over fitness enough to lose a lot of weight, get stronger, and compete in bodybuilding shows, even if he doesn't even lift. He likes to tell people his title is Chief Gains Officer. Outside of Fitocracy, he's been the nutritional coach to a many clients, including Miss America (successful) and his fat cat (unsuccessful). He has never been given the opportunity to coach a horse, however.

Website: https://www.fitocracy.com

Original Source: http://www.schwarzenegger.com/fitness/post/everything-that-you-know-about-motivating-others-is-wrong

Upper & Lower Body Split – 3 Day & 4 Day Upper/Lower Routine

The upper/lower split is probably my personal favorite weight training split of them all.

It just works so damn perfectly for so many goals, situations and schedules that it tends to be the type of routine I end up using and recommending most often. Let me know you why…

What Is An Upper/Lower Body Split?

The upper/lower split is a type of weight training schedule that revolves around splitting the body up into 2 groups: upper body and lower body. Each group is then trained separately on its own workout day.

In most cases, the upper body workout would train the following muscle groups to some degree:

• Chest
• Back
• Shoulders
• Biceps
• Triceps

On the other hand, the lower body workout would most often train these muscle groups to some degree:

• Quads
• Hamstrings
• Calves
• Lower Back
• Abs

As for how the workouts are scheduled, there’s a few options. These are the most common…

The Classic 4 Day Upper/Lower Split

• Monday: Upper Body Workout
• Tuesday: Lower Body Workout
• Wednesday: off
• Thursday: Upper Body Workout
• Friday: Lower Body Workout
• Saturday: off
• Sunday: off

The classic 4 day upper body and lower body split is probably the most common version. It involves doing 4 weight training workouts per week: 2 upper body workouts and 2 lower body workouts.

They are classically done using the 2 on/1 off/2 on/2 off format shown above, which allows for the added perk of having the weekends off (something many people prefer). Of course, the actual days you choose really doesn’t matter at all as long as that same format is kept intact.

This classic 4 day version of the upper/lower split allows for a frequency where each muscle group is trained once every 3rd or 4th day, which is right within the ideal frequency range for the majority of people who are past the beginner’s stage.

The Classic 3 Day Upper/Lower Split

Week 1

• Monday: Upper Body Workout
• Tuesday: off
• Wednesday: Lower Body Workout
• Thursday: off
• Friday: Upper Body Workout
• Saturday: off
• Sunday: off

Week 2

• Monday: Lower Body Workout
• Tuesday: off
• Wednesday: Upper Body Workout
• Thursday: off
• Friday: Lower Body Workout
• Saturday: off
• Sunday: off

The classic 3 day upper body and lower body split is probably a very close second in terms of how commonly used it is. It involves rotating through 3 weight training workouts per week: Upper Body, Lower Body, Upper Body one week, and then Lower Body, Upper Body, Lower Body the next.

You’d then continue alternating like this from week to week.

The workouts are classically done using the 1 on/1 off/1 on/1 off/1 on/2 off format shown above, which again allows for the added perk of having the weekends off (if that’s important to you). Once again, the actual days you choose really doesn’t matter at all as long as that same format is kept intact.

This classic 3 day version of the upper/lower split allows for a frequency where each muscle group is trained once every 4th or 5th day. While this is slightly less frequent than the classic 4 day version, it’s still perfectly within the ideal frequency range for the majority of people past the beginner’s stage.

3 Day Version VS 4 Day Version: Which is better for you?

Well, first of all, they both work extremely well and will both produce the results you want. So, in general, one version is NOT better than the other.

However, one version may suit you a bit better than the other. Here’s the most common reasons why…

If you can only manage to train 3 days per week (or if it would just be a lot more convenient for you to train 3 days per week), then the 3 day upper/lower split is definitely the better version for you. No question about it.

If you are someone who has an overall lower capacity to recover, then the slightly reduced training frequency of the 3 day version would definitely be better for you as well.

This could be due to age (recovery gets worse as we get older), having a highly stressful life (stress worsens recovery), having a very physical job (a lot of additional outside activity can hurt recovery), or just having crappy genetics. Hell, you may just be someone who feels better/stronger/fresher when they train slightly less often, in which case the extra day you have off in the 3 day upper/lower split will make a world of difference for you.

Other than that, there’s nothing that really sets either version apart from the other. So, just pick one.

Whichever variation you end up choosing, the upper/lower split is considered a moderate frequency split (not too high, not too low), so volume (exercises, sets, reps) should be kept equally moderate to allow for adequate recovery.

Are There Any Other Versions Of This Split?

Yup, there are. While these are definitely the 2 most popular versions of this split, there are indeed a few others. In fact, my brand new guide to The Best Workout Routines fully explains 2 NEW upper/lower split options, one of which is my personal favorite of them all.

What About Lower/Upper Instead?

If you’d prefer to switch the order of the workouts so that you start with the lower body workout (and it essentially becomes a lower/upper routine), that’s perfectly fine.

Who Does This Split Work Best For?

Honestly? The upper/lower body split works best for the majority of the population.

Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced trainee. Whether you want to build muscle, lose fat, increase strength, improve performance or any combination thereof, the upper body and lower body split can ALWAYS be set up in a way that will be extremely effective for you.

As I mentioned earlier, this split allows for each muscle group to be trained between once every 3rd and 5th day (depending on which variation you choose), and literally all research looking into workout frequency shows that this is the frequency that works BEST for the majority of people who are past the beginner’s stage.

Real world results and my own first hand experience confirm this as well.

And, it just so happens that the upper/lower split is a perfectly balanced and amazingly adjustable way to reach that ideal frequency. That’s why it’s probably my favorite workout schedule of them all.

So, if you are an intermediate or advanced trainee, the upper and lower body workout routine is a fantastic choice for you no matter what your specific goal is. I highly recommend it.

Original Source: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/upper-lower-split/