The Great Eight – Fast Track Your Results

Back when weight training first became popular many decades ago, most lifters would do full body routines on non-consecutive days. And while some thrived on such a program, many were not able to achieve significant progress due to the tremendous length of such workouts. As a result, gym-goers began experimenting with the concept of splitting up muscle groups, and working them on separate days. This allowed one to better target specific areas of the physique without spending many hours in the gym at each session. The most popular “body part split” back then, and still today, seems to be a 4-day per week version. However, there are many ways to approach such a program, and thus I will explore several different options below. I encourage experienced trainees to try all of these splits, perhaps using each for 8-12 consecutive weeks before switching to the next. This is a great way to keep things fresh in the gym, while avoiding boredom and stagnation.

Honestly, I could probably come up with a dozen more splits, but these eight should give you some great options for your own training. As for what days to perform the specific workouts, my preference is a 2 day on, 1 day off, followed by 2 day on, 2 day off protocol. I have trained most of my career on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, which kept me out of the gym on weekends (making my family and friends rather happy). However, you have to do what works best for you and your “life’s schedule.” That said I believe that the majority of lifters do best when they get at least a full days rest after two consecutive days pounding the iron.

Train hard and be consistent and you cannot lose!