Sharing some ideas on how to put your weekly plan together and split your workout days to improve performance and recovery!
Hi friends! How is the week going? Hope you have a nice morning so far! I got a call with our amazing travel agent regarding Spring 2023 travel (the best) and I’m putting together Fit Team workouts for September. If you would like to join us for our September Self-Care Program (with a focus on In-Exercise Nutrition and Self-Care Strategies), Join us here! Anyone who signs up today will also receive a personalized nutritional guide thank you 🙂
for today’s post, I’m chatting about splitting up workout days and how to do it strategically. I’m a big fan of split workouts throughout the week. It can help you strengthen different areas of the body, giving you time to recover, as well as the freedom to control the way you train. Today, I’m sharing practical tips to help my reader friends break up their workout days and get the most out of their workout routine.
(Please note that while I am a certified personal trainer, I am providing general information for educational purposes. This is not medical advice. Always seek the help of your doctor before starting or changing your fitness routine.)
How to divide your workout days
Full body split
This type of split involves a full-body workout every time you train. The benefits of this type of training are your ability to use more luxurious and *fun* compound-type movements, running multiple muscle groups simultaneously, and due to peripheral movement training, your heart rate may rise, indicating higher calorie burn during exercise . I love full body work for my novice clients (focusing on body weight exercises only first), as well as my clients with big weight loss goals.
The downside to this type of training is that it can be difficult to get muscle fatigue, which encourages muscle growth, and that you shouldn’t train your whole body for two days in a row. I recommend alternating between full body, rest and cardio workouts.
upper/lower split
This happens when you work out your upper body one day (back, shoulders, chest, triceps, biceps), and your lower body on a different day (hamstrings, glutes, core, calves). The benefits of this type of training are that you are able to train strength on consecutive days (upper body one day, lower body the next), and you can easily add volume and load for a specific muscle group. This can encourage muscle growth, which is the *toned, slim* look that many of us strive for.
My personal favorite way to prepare the split is upper body one day, lower body the next, and a full body cycle on a different day. This is how I set up most of our Fit Team workouts as well.
4 divided days
For the four-day split, there are a few different ways to do it:
Upper body and lower body and two full days
An anticonvulsant or synergistic muscle training.
antagonist muscle groups
This type of training involves working opposing muscle groups, such as the chest and back one day, the biceps and triceps the following, the hamstrings and calves, and the shoulders and calves (sort of in the form of lol). This is especially effective in ultra-style workouts, because you can go straight from one set to the next, allowing the opposing muscle group to rest. (When one of the antagonist muscles contracts, the opposite muscle expands.)
The main benefit of this type of training is the serious ability to build muscle. If you are looking for gains, maybe try this style of training.
Synergistic muscle groups
This occurs when agonist muscles (those that work together to perform a movement) are used. for example:
shoulders, chest and triceps,
legs and core
Back and biceps.
This is another of my favorite ways to train, and another great way to build muscle. I would recommend this type of training to friends who want to see serious muscle definition, improved metabolism, and have three days of strength training each week.
Workout split samples
Your workout split will depend on different variables, including the equipment you can use, your current level of training, what you enjoy (!), and your fitness goals. The key here is knowing how many days per week you want to strength train. I like to hit each muscle group at least twice a week (on non-advisory days or the same workout), and make sure to get a day or two of complete rest each week.
If you need help planning your workouts for the week, Join us in Fit Team! I also have a free PDF here on how to create your workout schedule and set up your plan. If you are looking for customized training plans, I Request a 1:1 training here.
Have a great morning and see you soon!
xoxo
Jenna
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