So I have a major concern with my workouts. Being 5'8", and about 175 lbs, i fear bulking. My height puts me in a situation where too much muscle could make me seem stalky and stout. What I desire is a very lean figure, with strong muscular definition. I know and understand that weight training is essential for weight loss no matter what, and I love lifting, but I wonder if anybody could give me advice on putting on that lean, taut muscle, without gaining size. Nutrition is not an issue that I can see in my processes... I eat clean, and efficiently. I have, for the past year, worked muscles in a 5-day split. Below are the details.

Mon- Shoulders
Tues- Chest
Wed- Arms (Bis & Tris)
Thurs- Back
Fri- Legs

I lift with weights that I can manage, with good form, for 12 reps, 3 sets each exercise.

I do cardio, Mon-Fri... 25 mins on the treadmill, going at a high pace (7-9 mph) for 3/4 of the 25 mins. I rest on weekends.

Would a 3 day split work better for my goals? What sort of changes in weights/cardio should i switch around?

If anybody could give me suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks! :D

So I have a major concern with my workouts. Being 5'8", and about 175 lbs, i fear bulking. My height puts me in a situation where too much muscle could make me seem stalky and stout. What I desire is a very lean figure, with strong muscular definition. I know and understand that weight training is essential for weight loss no matter what, and I love lifting, but I wonder if anybody could give me advice on putting on that lean, taut muscle, without gaining size. Nutrition is not an issue that I can see in my processes... I eat clean, and efficiently. I have, for the past year, worked muscles in a 5-day split. Below are the details.

Mon- Shoulders
Tues- Chest
Wed- Arms (Bis & Tris)
Thurs- Back
Fri- Legs

I lift with weights that I can manage, with good form, for 12 reps, 3 sets each exercise.

I do cardio, Mon-Fri... 25 mins on the treadmill, going at a high pace (7-9 mph) for 3/4 of the 25 mins. I rest on weekends.

Would a 3 day split work better for my goals? What sort of changes in weights/cardio should i switch around?

If anybody could give me suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks! :D

Your present split indicates that you are overtraining due to too many muscle groups overlapping, effecting adequate recovery. You are training chest a day after doing shoulders, training tri's a day after doing chest, and training the back a day after doing bi's.

Attaining the lean muscular look you are after will require heavy lifting in the 4-6 rep range and tightening up the diet to expose the hard, dense muscularity.

Using 12 reps while training 5 days a week will get you lean, but you will look soft. Get some periodization in there so you are getting in some low rep power work (4-6 reps) on alternating weeks.

Give us an idea of your present meal plan.

Well, to get one thing out of the way, you really can't put on a lot of muscle and get "stocky" unless you want to. And you can't put on "lean" muscle vs. "bulky" muscle. You muscle either grows, stays the same, or diminishes. Your genetics determine their shape.

As for your split, if you want to keep a 5-day bodypart split (I don't personally like these splits, but it works for some people), just reorder the days. For example:

Mon Chest
Tues Back
Wed Legs
Thurs Shoulders/Abs
Fri Arms

Make sure you do compound exercises on arms day to rework your chest and back.

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, I really appreciate it. As for Mastover's question of my diet, eat 6-7 times throughout the day, sticking with a lot of tuna and lean meats, whole grain bread, dairy (lot's of milk and yogurt), and as much fruit as I can manage. I eat lots of almonds and dried fruits as well.

I have really been considering changing to a 3-day split. I had primarily stuck with the 5-day plan to "limit" gym time after work so I can get home at a decent hour. I generally get to the gym around 7, so I'm lucky to get home around 8:30. I've decided to suck it up and try switching things around. What do you think of this split?

Mon- Chest & Back
Wed- Arms (Bis & Tris)
Fri- Shoulders and Legs

Will keep the same cardio. Is the lower rep, higher weights really better for lean muscle mass? I had always understood higher reps, with lower weights limited large gains in mass. I'm willing to change, just curious/confused. Let me know. Thanks again!

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, I really appreciate it. As for Mastover's question of my diet, eat 6-7 times throughout the day, sticking with a lot of tuna and lean meats, whole grain bread, dairy (lot's of milk and yogurt), and as much fruit as I can manage. I eat lots of almonds and dried fruits as well.

I have really been considering changing to a 3-day split. I had primarily stuck with the 5-day plan to "limit" gym time after work so I can get home at a decent hour. I generally get to the gym around 7, so I'm lucky to get home around 8:30. I've decided to suck it up and try switching things around. What do you think of this split?

Mon- Chest & Back
Wed- Arms (Bis & Tris)
Fri- Shoulders and Legs

Will keep the same cardio. Is the lower rep, higher weights really better for lean muscle mass? I had always understood higher reps, with lower weights limited large gains in mass. I'm willing to change, just curious/confused. Let me know. Thanks again!


Your diet seems okay. You've got some good protein sources in there. Low reps with heavy weight will target the white twitch muscle fibers (growth) while the higher reps with lower weight target red twitch (endurance). By alternating training methods from week to week, you'll hit all muscle fibers including type 1 + 2 and others also. On power week you want to progressively increase your numbers on the weight for the compound movements such as squats, benches and deadlifts. On higher rep week, you can do a multitude of techniques, supersets, tri-sets, drop sets, 1 1/4 reps, negatives, forced reps, etc.

Your entire physique will change. You will get leaner, harder, stronger, and more aesthetic. Keep a journal, especially with your foods, and your all set. Good luck dude. :tucool:

Thanks, definitely excited to switch up the workout a bit. A year of a 5-day split gets kinda old. Should be exciting to see some changes. Once again thanks. :tu:

i like the 5 day split, i make mine into a 6 day split. it does limit your time in the gym and i feel i can concentrate on that particular body part for that day.

i like the 5 day split, i make mine into a 6 day split. it does limit your time in the gym and i feel i can concentrate on that particular body part for that day.

Right, I know what you mean. I always felt like I could get the most out of each body part by focusing on one muscle group at a time. I figure it can't hurt to switch things up and see if maybe this works better for me though. :nod:

Your present split indicates that you are overtraining due to too many muscle groups overlapping, effecting adequate recovery. You are training chest a day after doing shoulders, training tri's a day after doing chest, and training the back a day after doing bi's.

Attaining the lean muscular look you are after will require heavy lifting in the 4-6 rep range and tightening up the diet to expose the hard, dense muscularity.

Using 12 reps while training 5 days a week will get you lean, but you will look soft. Get some periodization in there so you are getting in some low rep power work (4-6 reps) on alternating weeks.

Give us an idea of your present meal plan.

Great advise.

If I were to do a 3-day split like yours, I would take some concepts from ABBH and adapt then to a three day...

Mon Chest/Back, 10x3 or 5x5 (vertical)
Wed Legs (shoulders) - 3x10 or 5x5 - deads, squats, overhead press
Fri Chest/Back, 3x10 (horizontal)

Bis and Tris get worked twice a week this way.

If you can, throw in another leg day on saturday too.

Check out this article to get a better idea: ABBH (http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459341)


Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, I really appreciate it. As for Mastover's question of my diet, eat 6-7 times throughout the day, sticking with a lot of tuna and lean meats, whole grain bread, dairy (lot's of milk and yogurt), and as much fruit as I can manage. I eat lots of almonds and dried fruits as well.

I have really been considering changing to a 3-day split. I had primarily stuck with the 5-day plan to "limit" gym time after work so I can get home at a decent hour. I generally get to the gym around 7, so I'm lucky to get home around 8:30. I've decided to suck it up and try switching things around. What do you think of this split?

Mon- Chest & Back
Wed- Arms (Bis & Tris)
Fri- Shoulders and Legs

Will keep the same cardio. Is the lower rep, higher weights really better for lean muscle mass? I had always understood higher reps, with lower weights limited large gains in mass. I'm willing to change, just curious/confused. Let me know. Thanks again!

If I were to do a 3-day split like yours, I would take some concepts from ABBH and adapt then to a three day...

Mon Chest/Back, 10x3 or 5x5 (vertical)
Wed Legs (shoulders) - 3x10 or 5x5 - deads, squats, overhead press
Fri Chest/Back, 3x10 (horizontal)

Bis and Tris get worked twice a week this way.

If you can, throw in another leg day on saturday too.

Check out this article to get a better idea: ABBH (http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459341)

Thanks for the advice. I tried to open the link, though, and it didn't work. Also, I'm not familiar with the "vertical" and "horizontal" training you suggested for Monday and Friday workouts. Could you explain that a bit more?

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459341

It's a program devised by strength coach Chad Waterbury and it has had some amazing results. Some guys here have tried it and really enjoyed it. Chad knows his stuff- the differences in rep/set loading in terms of hypertrophy vs. strength vs. power vs. endurance seems like his strong point.

Here's a link to jsbrook's routine as he adapted it for himself:

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=167052&postcount=3


The idea stems from debunking the myth that bodyparts should only be worked one day a week (the "old timers" knew what they were doing with better results than the guys doing bodypart splits from the 80's and 90's). He doesn't say it in this article, but in another he believes that you can work large muscle groups 2-4 times a week naturally, provided you have proper nutrition and recovery. He also doesn't believe in working to failure except in the last set.

This program works your upperbody twice, lower twice. One day for each is dedicated to hypertrophy (muscle growth), and the other is for strength/hypertrophy. The two links should explain the differences between vertical and horizontal pulling/pushing exercises.

I finished my first week and it seemed really great.




Thanks for the advice. I tried to open the link, though, and it didn't work. Also, I'm not familiar with the "vertical" and "horizontal" training you suggested for Monday and Friday workouts. Could you explain that a bit more?