4 DAY SPLIT

 

 

If you want to get in shape then the program below is all you need.  There is nothing fancy in it. It is all the best exercises for each body part. Skip the next few paragraphs and head straight to the program.

 

While there are a million variations of each exercise and people will talk about the benifits and draw backs of each you need to remember 2 things.

 

1. All variatiosn in principle do the same thing. they work the same muscles.

2. these are the exercises that everyone does. in every gym around the world the vast majority of poeple will be using many if not most of these.

 

People use variations of these exercises for a variety of reasons

1. their gym doesnt have the equipment

2. On going injury

3. They like them

4. Theyre better than other at it

5. They want to look cool/different

6. they actually believe the exercise is better

 

Remember if one variation was so much better than another we would all be doing it as the standard exercise. 

 

VARIATION COUNTS

over time you will use many variations, whether it is through boredom, lack of equipment or more equipment available to you. The reason there is 3 or 4 exercises for each body part is because very different movements while working the same muscles work different fibers.

 

Flat Becnh press      -  all over

Decline bench press - Mostly inner/lower chest

Incline Bench pres    - Mostly outer chest

 

Lat pull down wide - mostly outer fibers (wide shape/ v shape)

Lat pull down narrow - Mostly inner fibres (thich back)

 

These are considered different exercises as opposed to variation. To vary them you can use dumblels or cable machine, assisted chin up up machine, take your hands even wider, or turn them around etc. You could change the angle from 20 degrees to 25 degrees. 

 

In the next article we will discuss variation as its on topic

 

 

 

 

 

 

     DAY 1 - SHOULDERS                                     ABS

     Seated Db Press                                             Twist sit up

     DB Lat Raise                                                   Full Sit Ups

     Bent over Cable front raise                                V Sits

     DB Shrugs

 

 

     DAY 2 - BACK                                                TRICEPS

     Lat pull down wide                                           Cable push down Stright bar

     Seated row                                                     Cable push down Rope

     Lat pull down Narrow                                       Tricep dip

     Standing Cable Rear flys

 

 

     DAY 3 - CHEST                                               BICEPS

     Bench Press                                                   Standing DB curl

     DB inc chest Press                                          Arm curl (machine)

     Dec Bench press                                             Standing cable curl

     Standing cable cross over / Flys

 

 

     DAY 4 - LEGS

     Squats 

     Dead Lift

     Leg Press

     Leg Ext

     Leg Curl

 

     DAY 5 - repeat cycle.

 

     Your msucles are having plenty of rest 3 complete days.

     While you may not be resting your muscle are!

 

Rest - minimum 90 seconds beftween each set. time it!

 

Effort - 100%  work to complete failure *

Even though you are working to complete failure ensure you maintian perfect technique.   It is failure with perfect form we are aiming for. Not throw around weights using other muscles as the ones your targeting get tired.

 

*For the first two weeks of a new program go lighter and ensure you have good technique and that exercises arent causing too much stress on the joints (tendonitis)

 

Variation - NONE Stick to the plan as best as possible. This way you will get good at each exercise and well as more confident. However if a peice of equipment isnt free use an alternative

 

Range Of Motion - full range of motion 

If you can not perform the full range of motion then the weight is too heavy for your muscles ability

 

Contraction Velocity - slow and steady

If you cant stop half way through any given movement, then carry on the weight is probably too heavy. On your last few reps you arent going to be able to do this, but on the first few you should be able to. We do not want you to lift the most weight possibly but to Stress the fibres as much as possible. Using momentum or other muscles groups wont help stress the fibres your targeting