6 DAY SPLIT?

young_squatter · 12-15-2005, 04:22 PM

Hey everyone I was wondering what everyone thought of a 6 day split.

Monday: Chest/Back
Tuesday: Shoulders/Arms
Wed: Legs/Calves/Traps
Thursday: Repeat

And sunday off.

I plan on doing a split like this to finish off my bulk for 8-12 weeks. Its going to be 12 sets a day for big bodyparts and 6-9 for small ones, stoping 1 or 2 reps short of failure.

What does everyone think? Is it good or bad for bulking?

**Grunt76** · 12-15-2005, 04:31 PM

Much more info about stats, age, diet, training experience, etc. is required before answering that.

**NYCmitch25** · 12-15-2005, 04:40 PM

your overtraining

**Trick D** · 12-15-2005, 05:39 PM

Horrible for bulking, I could almost see it for cutting but it would still be too much. For bulking I like being in the gym the least as possible because you are burning calories everytime you go. Go 3-4 times... 5 at the most.

young_squatter · 12-15-2005, 06:59 PM

I agree it would be bad for bulking if you dont eat enough, But I eat plenty and gain 1-2 lbs a week.

I am 18 years old, I weigh 168lbs, im 6 foot. Been training for a year. I know this dont sound like much, but considering I weighed 133 when I started.

The reason I want to go to a 6 day split is because I recover quickly from workouts, I know I am going to get a hard time about wanting to do a 6 day split. But I dont believe that you can overtrain in the long term, I believe that you can overtrain at the beginning but your body would adapt to the volume and start progressing.

**MurphMan** · 12-15-2005, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by young_squatter

But I eat plenty and gain 1-2 lbs a week.

Of what?

**Grunt76** · 12-15-2005, 07:10 PM

I happen to think it's just perfect. Keep the food intake up, and regular. I don't think you're gaining 2lbs of muscle a week, but you'll do good all the same. How long do those workouts last?

1911a1 · 12-15-2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by young_squatter

Hey everyone I was wondering what everyone thought of a 6 day split.

Monday: Chest/Back
Tuesday: Shoulders/Arms
Wed: Legs/Calves/Traps
Thursday: Repeat

And sunday off.

I plan on doing a split like this to finish off my bulk for 8-12 weeks. Its going to be 12 sets a day for big bodyparts and 6-9 for small ones, stoping 1 or 2 reps short of failure.

What does everyone think? Is it good or bad for bulking?

This is a traditional six-day. All the big guns of the 70s & 80s like Arnold, Frank, Franco trained a 6 day. This represents a 72 hr rest period for each bodypart. I trained 6 days for years taking only Sunday off. In off season (winter), I would switch to an 8-day training M-W taking Th off and starting again on Fr. This way, your off day varies every week and you get an extra day of rest. I was start up the six day again after the holidays to prep for the warm weather competitions and the beach. I've never liked competing in the winter.

Be advised - listen to your body. Don't go into a state of overtrain. This is demanding on the body and your will power. You must eat well and live clean if you want to grow injury free.

Think strong!

young_squatter · 12-15-2005, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ss01

I happen to think it's just perfect. Keep the food intake up, and regular. I don't think you're gaining 2lbs of muscle a week, but you'll do good all the same. How long do those workouts last?

haha, I know im not gaining 2 lbs of muscle a week. My workouts dont last over 1 hour 15 minutes tops, and I drink xtend during my workouts.

**Grunt76** · 12-15-2005, 08:11 PM

I haven't read up on Xtend... What's it supposed to do?

young_squatter · 12-15-2005, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ss01

I haven't read up on Xtend... What's it supposed to do?

Its amino acids, Its suppose to help you recover faster. Its really good stuff and ever since I started taking it my recovery has been amazing.
I highly recommend it, even though its expensive, I got 4 big tubs of it.
It taste amazing, Ive tried the watermellon flavor, I got the grape and still have not tried it.

**NYCmitch25** · 12-15-2005, 11:32 PM

3-4 day split is good enough for %85-90 of people. young lifters can pull off 4-5... i dont like 6 for anyone. give it a try and let us know.

young_squatter · 12-15-2005, 11:34 PM

You got it, I dont really see whats wrong with 6, I think people are just to scared of overtraining that they dont do them.

**Grunt76** · 12-15-2005, 11:41 PM

As the muscle size and strength increase, volume must be reduced.
As age advances, volume must be reduced.
But for a smaller, young trainee, it might be OK depending on his genetics.

young_squatter, another thing you might think of doing down the line after you've grown some, is to split your body among 4 separate workouts and keep the 6/week, allowing every body part to be worked 3 times instead of 4 times every 2 weeks.

And gradually, as you grow larger, reduce the workout length to 60 minutes, then 45 minutes, then 5 times a week, etc. Although I myself have had success with twice a day, 6 days a week training.

:p

young_squatter · 12-16-2005, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ss01

As the muscle size and strength increase, volume must be reduced.
As age advances, volume must be reduced.
But for a smaller, young trainee, it might be OK depending on his genetics.

young_squatter, another thing you might think of doing down the line after you've grown some, is to split your body among 4 separate workouts and keep the 6/week, allowing every body part to be worked 3 times instead of 4 times every 2 weeks.

And gradually, as you grow larger, reduce the workout length to 60 minutes, then 45 minutes, then 5 times a week, etc. Although I myself have had success with twice a day, 6 days a week training.

:p

Thanks for that good info, that actually helped me a lot. Right now I am pretty small, which is the reason I could probably handle this. But when I start getting bigger ill do exactly what you said so I can keep progressing, I appreciate all the help man.

madcow2 · 01-12-2006, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grunt76

As the muscle size and strength increase, volume must be reduced.

I think if you look at tonnage calcs in weightlifting you'll find quite the opposite. Workload and tonnage expand with experience quite substantially past the novice level continuously to elite/world status. This would include strength gain (as this is the object of the sport) and muscle size as a lifter drifts upward in weightclass over his career. This also holds true for powerlifters even though few are as meticulous in tracking these variables as in the OL world (where the core lifts make up a lot of volume facilitating this process and making it a more useful stat in programming).

**powerman2000** · 01-12-2006, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCmitch25

your overtraining

No he's not.

**b-boy** · 01-12-2006, 04:09 PM

ok young lifter since your looking for opinions then i'll give my 2 cents worth! first you are what? only 18 or 19? you say you recover well from workouts, well your recovery abilitly at that age ought to be quite substantial, but doing a 6 day split i really don't believe your going to recover well, and if you do then i would have to seriously question your workout intensity! if your working out with true intensity and pushing yourself day in and day out in the gym, then i don't believe your muscle's or your CNS is going to recover doing a 6 day split. i believe even when i was young the most days i was in the gym was 4 mon, tue, thur, fri. while dieting i would stretch that to a 5 day, and i later changed that back to 4. just listen to your body and be smart, if you even think that you may be on the verge of overtraining then why chance it! and yes you are walking a fine line with the 6 day split, unless you are on a pro's drug regimen, honestly you see these kind of workouts in flex magazine, the pro does this or the pro's do that, well the pros recovery ability are much greater due to their supplement regimine, the person above that said arnold, zane and others use to do this proves this point exactly, so unless your going to eat d-bol like candy as arnold did, then i would change my split.

**skelooth** · 01-12-2006, 04:17 PM

that looks like a 4 day split to me??

Any, i will go ahead and disgree with anyone who says it's overtraining... as long as you're doing it SMART.

Something like

Mon: Legs
Tues: chest
Wed: abs calves
Thurs: back
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday: abs arms
Sunday: Off

I've done similar things to that and was able to progress in the gym. The abs + small muscle group acts almost like a day off because the muscle groups are small. But this is also largely dependent on your genetics, current training experience, and your daily activity levels outside of the gym. If you're a stone mason laying down granite floors 5 days a week then you could not do something like this. If you're a computer programmer with a desk job you might NEED to do something like this.

It all comes down to personal experiences and what works best for you. I'm one of the people who believe there's no such thing as over training, only under eating. (There are exceptions to that train of thought).

12-15-2005, 04:22 PM	#1
young_squatter Amateur Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 47 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	6 DAY SPLIT? Hey everyone I was wondering what everyone thought of a 6 day split. Monday: Chest/Back Tuesday: Shoulders/Arms Wed: Legs/Calves/Traps Thursday: Repeat And sunday off. I plan on doing a split like this to finish off my bulk for 8-12 weeks. Its going to be 12 sets a day for big bodyparts and 6-9 for small ones, stoping 1 or 2 reps short of failure. What does everyone think? Is it good or bad for bulking?

01-12-2006, 04:17 PM	#19
skelooth eh heh heh Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Behind you Posts: 7,202 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 158	that looks like a 4 day split to me?? Any, i will go ahead and disgree with anyone who says it's overtraining... as long as you're doing it SMART. Something like Mon: Legs Tues: chest Wed: abs calves Thurs: back Friday: Shoulders Saturday: abs arms Sunday: Off I've done similar things to that and was able to progress in the gym. The abs + small muscle group acts almost like a day off because the muscle groups are small. But this is also largely dependent on your genetics, current training experience, and your daily activity levels outside of the gym. If you're a stone mason laying down granite floors 5 days a week then you could not do something like this. If you're a computer programmer with a desk job you might NEED to do something like this. It all comes down to personal experiences and what works best for you. I'm one of the people who believe there's no such thing as over training, only under eating. (There are exceptions to that train of thought). __________________ http://loseover100lbs.com/misc-f7.html

12-15-2005, 04:40 PM	#3
NYCmitch25 Silver Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New York Posts: 1,099 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 50	your overtraining

12-15-2005, 06:59 PM	#5
young_squatter Amateur Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 47 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	I agree it would be bad for bulking if you dont eat enough, But I eat plenty and gain 1-2 lbs a week. I am 18 years old, I weigh 168lbs, im 6 foot. Been training for a year. I know this dont sound like much, but considering I weighed 133 when I started. The reason I want to go to a 6 day split is because I recover quickly from workouts, I know I am going to get a hard time about wanting to do a 6 day split. But I dont believe that you can overtrain in the long term, I believe that you can overtrain at the beginning but your body would adapt to the volume and start progressing.

12-15-2005, 11:32 PM	#12
NYCmitch25 Silver Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New York Posts: 1,099 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 50	3-4 day split is good enough for %85-90 of people. young lifters can pull off 4-5... i dont like 6 for anyone. give it a try and let us know.

12-15-2005, 11:34 PM	#13
young_squatter Amateur Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 47 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	You got it, I dont really see whats wrong with 6, I think people are just to scared of overtraining that they dont do them.

01-12-2006, 04:09 PM	#18
b-boy Gold Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 548 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 42	ok young lifter since your looking for opinions then i'll give my 2 cents worth! first you are what? only 18 or 19? you say you recover well from workouts, well your recovery abilitly at that age ought to be quite substantial, but doing a 6 day split i really don't believe your going to recover well, and if you do then i would have to seriously question your workout intensity! if your working out with true intensity and pushing yourself day in and day out in the gym, then i don't believe your muscle's or your CNS is going to recover doing a 6 day split. i believe even when i was young the most days i was in the gym was 4 mon, tue, thur, fri. while dieting i would stretch that to a 5 day, and i later changed that back to 4. just listen to your body and be smart, if you even think that you may be on the verge of overtraining then why chance it! and yes you are walking a fine line with the 6 day split, unless you are on a pro's drug regimen, honestly you see these kind of workouts in flex magazine, the pro does this or the pro's do that, well the pros recovery ability are much greater due to their supplement regimine, the person above that said arnold, zane and others use to do this proves this point exactly, so unless your going to eat d-bol like candy as arnold did, then i would change my split.

01-12-2006, 10:51 PM	#20
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 4,050 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 114