What have you gotten better results from?

[Thealmightyronald]

Mixing a smaller bodypart with a bigger one, or everything on a separate day?

Example:
Chest with Tris
Back With Bis
Quads with hams and calves
Shoulders with traps

or something like
Back and Traps
Chest
Shoulders
Separate arm day
Separate leg day

[Bluto]

well mixing bodyparts probably would mean you could squeeze in more workouts in a week, which in theory would mean over time you would train more frequently = getting faster results.

personally ive never been comfortable with it, to train legs and say have another bodypart on top of that its kinda hard to get the motivation and the energy for it... but it also depends on how you combine, say chest and shoulders is pretty tough, where as chest and tris isnt that tough and you probably could get away with just 1-2 exercises for tris. on the other hand it's a pretty good feeling to give arms their own day, at least from time to time 

[JasonH]

Probably the second one is more effective for me.

[lubawyb612]

I really like combining chest with tris and back with bis. After finishing up with some heavy chest or back work...only a few sets are needed to exhaust the bis or tris...at least for me.

[webcake]

From a time perspective, the second one. Its pretty hard for me to get to the gym more than 4 times a week. And i just dont feel that arms need their own day. so id go the 2nd one.

The only problem i have with doing back and bi's on the same day is that after a back workout my bi's are fried and i struggle to do just 4 sets of db curls. Ends up that i often neglect my bi's. Should probably wear straps...

[LatsMcGee]

Upper Body/Lower Body splits have worked the best for me.

[RZA]

I've changed my habits considerably with time and experience. I used to do back and bi's, chest and tri's and squeeze in the shoulder workout (anterior and middle delts with the chest and post-delt with the back). I always trained the legs alone. But it didn't work for me. Bi's would get fried to the point of ovious overtraining once I had finished my back. My chest beeing a weak point, I also needed some extra work on it and my shoulders were way too small. So now, it's pretty much like this:

-Monday: Chest and bi's.

-Tuesday: rest.

-Wednesday: Legs/Calves

-Thursday: Complete Shoulder workout and then a few sets on pecs after as a reminder (I'll do half the sets I do on mondays and the shoulder workout before works well as a pre-exhaust)

-Friday: cardio

-Saturday: Back and tri's

-Sunday:rest

[BFP]

When I was "bodybuilding" DC 2 way split worked best for me...in fact, I tell aanyone that asks me how they should structure training to use a DC setup for days.

Jason

[benz]

When I was "bodybuilding" DC 2 way split worked best for me...in fact, I tell aanyone that asks me how they should structure training to use a DC setup for days.

Jason

Ive been trying dc for quite a long time and it seems to be the way to go. I have a question for you though, when you repeat 1 muscle in the week, do you feel weak?

i do smth like: chest - b/t - back - shoulders - legs - chest and the following week i start with b/t and end the week with b/t and so on

[BFP]

Ive been trying dc for quite a long time and it seems to be the way to go. I have a question for you though, when you repeat 1 muscle in the week, do you feel weak?

i do smth like: chest - b/t - back - shoulders - legs - chest and the following week i start with b/t and end the week with b/t and so on

For me, i feel that the alternating actually helps make me stronger, as I feel fully recovered between workouts for sure.

Jason

[davie]

I was DC from january 2007 until like 4 weeks ago. I put on 30lbs in that time and got alot stronger. Dontt ry change the order from how its written, do it like ur meant to and ul ge thbte weight on. I dont think its great for fixing weaknessess, my chest is still weak, but its better.

Im now using what iv learnt in DC (diet wise/intensity etc), and applying it to HIT to see how that goes.

davie

[candidizzle]

traps go with shoulders, not back

[BFP]

traps go with shoulders, not back

support for this?

Jason

[Bluto]

might feel less spent after shoulders as after back

[candidizzle]

support for this?

Jason

yes, an anatomy chart...

[benz]

yes, an anatomy chart...

Actually both are ok. Traps/Shoulders or Back/Traps

I like to work traps after i finish back. Shoulders+traps = kill me.

[candidizzle]

well, i guess the lower traps can be argued as part of the back, not the shoulders...but when most people talk about traps, they are referenceing the traps that are interconnected with the delts...and those muscles (the ones you hit with shrugs) are much more closely tied to shoulders than with back. and working out your traps(shrugs) either before or after shoulders is, IMO, the best way to do it. either before shoulders..and you really KILL them(so your traps are burnt and when you go to sie laterals you can easily isolate your delts and really put on some width) or after, and then youll only need a few sets because of all the work they did in side laterals...

[jpm101]

I agree with LatsMac, upper and lower body split.

Traps allow support and function for the shoulder girdle and the upper back. (warning...I'm going to use that overworked word again)  It is a "Core" unit just like the ab/lower back are. If you were in a lab and had a numbing element injected into the total trap area, than you would have a very hard time doing any overhead presses, let alone any form of DB raises about and above shoulder height. Your DL and any pulling movement (cleans, Hi-Pulls, etc) would suffer also. Even the squat (bar on the trap/neck area) gets into the act.

Anyone can work the traps with the shoulders or back for successful results. Personal view is to work the traps with the back. Because the traps are a very powerful short ranged muscle group and capable of handling extreme heavy weight. They should be trained that way for best results. DL's, cleans, etc come to mind.

The up-right row may be one of the better BB'ing exercises that can call upon the core (point of transfer of function/power) unit of the traps, back and delts to work as a group together. Try it with DB's for a change of pace, keeping the elbows out and inline with the body during the pull. Either BB or DB, when used right, the up-right row can be a great shoulder, trap and back mass builder. Good Luck

[Overload]

I don't train arms directly and my arms have grown more than ever in the last year.

Sun - Chest
Tue - Legs/calves
Thu - Shoulders/traps
Sat - Back

It took me almost 10 years to realize direct arm training did nothing but give me sore elbows and wrists.

I suggest people give it a try for 3 months before telling me i'm wrong...

[Bluto]

arms obviously grows the most the more pounds in total you put on

[candidizzle]

I don't train arms directly and my arms have grown more than ever in the last year.

Sun - Chest
Tue - Legs/calves
Thu - Shoulders/traps
Sat - Back

It took me almost 10 years to realize direct arm training did nothing but give me sore elbows and wrists.

I suggest people give it a try for 3 months before telling me i'm wrong...

my arms only respond to very high volume.. ive tried laying off of them for a while, and going h.i.t. traiing..my arms suffered botht ime...but when i spend an hour on just bi's and tri's and i really fry them...they respond well..

everybody's different man

[triple_pickle]

traps go with shoulders, not back

wow, another gem by canjizzle

[candidizzle]

wow, another gem by canjizzle

[A2daMIR]

Mixing a smaller bodypart with a bigger one, or everything on a separate day?

Example:
Chest with Tris
Back With Bis
Quads with hams and calves
Shoulders with traps

or something like
Back and Traps
Chest
Shoulders
Separate arm day
Separate leg day

Best thing to do IMO is to mix it UP.  i actually just finished writing my new routine, every 3 months i switch up. for 3 months i do every bodypart once a day:
Chest
Bi/Tri
Legs
Back
Shoulder Traps
 ( Rest or Sometimes just start over again)
Start over again

and then for the next 3 months i'll do (which i will be doing for the next 3 months)
Chest/Bi workout A
Delts/Traps  workout A
Legs  workout A
Back/Tri workout A
(Deffinately Rest)
Chest/Bi workout B
Delts/Traps  workout B
Legs  workout B
Back/Tri workout B
(Deffinately Rest)
Start over with workout A


when i do 2 bodyparts a day, for example for chest, i dont do the same amount of volume as when i train it by itself... i also vary excercises from Workout A to workout B

for example for chest

Workout A:
Flat bench     x4
Incline Flyes   x4
Hammer Press x4

Workout B:
Incline Press  x4
Decline Press x4
cable Crossover  x4



and so on for every bodypart...

[benchmstr]

Mixing a smaller bodypart with a bigger one, or everything on a separate day?

Example:
Chest with Tris
Back With Bis
Quads with hams and calves
Shoulders with traps

or something like
Back and Traps
Chest
Shoulders
Separate arm day
Separate leg day

whole body 3 times a week,more frequency less volume.

bench