I've seen it mentioned several times in the forums that chest and back shouldn't be worked in the same session.

I've been doing *this* (http://www.exrx.net/Workouts/Workout3TLA.html) 3-day split from the exrx site (except I've modified it into a 2-day split by adding legs to the chest and back day).

As a relative newbie, I would appreciate any feedback regarding my split routine.

Thanks guys :)

so your day 1 has legs/chest/back being worked on???.....isnt that a full body routine?

so your day 1 has legs/chest/back being worked on???.....isnt that a full body routine?
No, day 2 is shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Problem with that is your working on back and chest on day 1 which uses biceps and triceps respectively. So on day 2 if your doing arms without any rest your not letting them grow. You dont really need triceps or biceps specific exercises if doing a lot of compound moves, as you'll work them quite hard.

Your also trying to do to many muscles IMO in one day. Chances are certain groups will be exercised more or more hard than if they had their own day.

Problem with that is your working on back and chest on day 1 which uses biceps and triceps respectively. So on day 2 if your doing arms without any rest your not letting them grow. You dont really need triceps or biceps specific exercises if doing a lot of compound moves, as you'll work them quite hard.

Your also trying to do to many muscles IMO in one day. Chances are certain groups will be exercised more or more hard than if they had their own day.
Day 1 is on Monday and day 2 is on Thursday, so my arms do get a rest. Maybe I should split it - day 1 chest/biceps/legs, day 2 back/triceps/shoulders?

I was just wondering whether there was a specific reason why chest and back can't go together?

Day 1 is on Monday and day 2 is on Thursday, so my arms do get a rest. Maybe I should split it - day 1 chest/biceps/legs, day 2 back/triceps/shoulders?

I was just wondering whether there was a specific reason why chest and back can't go together?

I think you should go with chest/tri/shoulders and back/bi since you can use a lot of compound exercises that combine the targets. Chest/tri/shoulders are push exercises, back/bi are pull exercises.

I'm currently doing a 3-day split that feels OK for me; day1: back/bi/forearms, day2: chest/tri/shoulders, day3: legs/calves/abs.

I've seen it mentioned several times in the forums that chest and back shouldn't be worked in the same session.

I've been doing *this* (http://www.exrx.net/Workouts/Workout3TLA.html) 3-day split from the exrx site (except I've modified it into a 2-day split by adding legs to the chest and back day).

As a relative newbie, I would appreciate any feedback regarding my split routine.

Thanks guys :)


I love doing chest and back together but it can take a lot out of you if your not ready for it.
Most people recommend against it because they say you overtrain your bi's and tri's by working them twice in the same week, but personally i find my bi's and tri's recover quite fast compared to other body parts and the work they do on chest and back day is nothing compared to what they get on arm day.
I think do what your comfortable with but dont sacrifice 1 muscle group because you've fatigued yourself on another.
Arnold loved doing chest and back together because it made him feel huge from the pump front and back, but he was a pretty intense bodybuilder. :tu:

my split is like d-andy's. I don't do it on specific days though. I do one group, then I rest for a day, and do the next group rather than one group on mon, another on wed etc.

My guess is people have certain favorite exercises that like to do with weights. For me its dips for my chest and shoulder presses. I know if i had a leg/chest/back day, I'd be doing a lot more chest/shoulder exercises than a back or leg one.

Thanks for the replies, guys - very much appreciated :nod:

I used to do chest and back together, but whichever muscle group I'd do last I just wouldn't have any energy for.

I used to do chest and back together, but whichever muscle group I'd do last I just wouldn't have any energy for.

If you are dong a 2 day split, here's what I'd suggest:

Day 1: Legs (Quad Dom), Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 2: Legs (Hip Dom), Back, Biceps, Abs

Quad Dom Exercises: Squats, Lunges, Leg Press, Leg Extension
Hip Dom Exercises: Deadlift, SLDLs, RDLs, Glute-Ham Raise, Good Mornings, Leg Curls

Something like:
Day 1: Squats, Incline Bench, Shoulder Press, Dips, Skull Crushers
Day 2: SLDLs, Bent-over Row, Pull-ups, Curls, Crunches

Basic, but functional and effective.

Woo-hoo ... and dare I say, balanced as well? :)

Jeremy

Basic, but functional and effective.

Woo-hoo ... and dare I say, balanced as well? :)

Jeremy

yikes, I dont think i could hack just a two day split, mine is a 4 day split

Day 1 Chest, Bis
Day 2 Back, Tris
Day 3 Legs, Abs
Day 4. Shoulders.
(some times i'll do a three day and throw in shoulders with Legs and Abs.)

If i do more than two groups a day i know i'm cheating myself because i dont give each one the TLC they deserve. I WAS doing Chest and Back in the same session but it didnt feel quite right.

BTW kick ass avatar Jeremy!

For a few months now, I've been doing either a 4 or 5 day routine, depending on how tired I am on chest / back day.

Here's my routine:
Day 1: Bi & Tri
Day 2: Shoulders & Traps
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Chest & Back
Day 5: Back day if my chest workout wore me out too much.

I have seem some great results with this .

Woo-hoo ... and dare I say, balanced as well?

It's pretty balanced.

1 Quad Dom (Squat), 1 Hip Dom (SLDLs)
2 Horizontal Push (Bench, Dips), 1 Horizonal Pull (BO Row)
1 Vertical Push (Shoulder Press), 1 Vertical Pull (Pullups)
1 Elbow Flexion (Curls), 1 Elbow Extension (Skull Crushers)
1 Abs, but balances lower back work from RDLs and BO Rows

The thing that bugs me is that dips are a horizontal push, and are hard to balance. I think they could also be considered a vertical push, and elbow extension. But, adding some more sets of rows to balance the number of sets would help eliminate that.

If you have enough left after training legs to work chest and back,then you are more than likely not training intensely enough.

Working legs should leave you feeling like one of the "Living dead" if you work them correctly.

If you must only do a two day split,train the toso one day,ie. chest ,back,and shoulders,and train the appendages the next session,ie. legs, and arms.

Not the best scenario, but training 3 big demanding bodyparts like chest ,back,and legs,is not a good idea in my opinion.

Good luck!! :)

Thanks once again, guys. You're the greatest. :o