3 Day Split or 4 Day Split???

melvinsdad · 02-09-2006, 10:53 AM

I hope somebody would help me with this.

I am a beginner bodybuilder, and I recently switched to 3 Day Split from 4 Day Split training program. I can train each bodypart twice a week, resting on Sundays. The advantage of this 3 Day Split, I think, is that it keeps your muscles firm compared to the 4 Day Split that I used to do before. The 4 Day Split program tends to "soften" the muscle after 3 days, and I was very worried about this.

The dilema though is that with 3 Day Split, I tend to get drained both physically, and mentally. To make the 3 Day Split, I have to workout more than 3 hours per day and I get completely exausted after a session.

A guy at the gym say that beginners have to train each body part at least twice a week in order to constantly stimulate the muscle. He says the 4 Day Split gives the muscles too much rest.

But when I read the magazines, all the article favors the 4 day split, and many pros even train each body part only ONCE A WEEK!

3 Day or 4 Day Split... Please help me.

fallen · 02-09-2006, 10:55 AM

3 hrs per day? I wouldn't recommend working out more than an hour to an hour and a half. I train one bodypart per day and only once a weekand have had great results. I do double up on calves though

gymfreak · 02-09-2006, 11:11 AM

[quote=melvinsdad]I hope somebody would help me with this.

I am a beginner bodybuilder, and I recently switched to 3 Day Split from 4 Day Split training program. I can train each bodypart twice a week, resting on Sundays. The advantage of this 3 Day Split, I think, is that it keeps your muscles firm compared to the 4 Day Split that I used to do before. The 4 Day Split program tends to "soften" the muscle after 3 days, and I was very worried about this.

The dilema though is that with 3 Day Split, I tend to get drained both physically, and mentally. To make the 3 Day Split, I have to workout more than 3 hours per day and I get completely exausted after a session.

A guy at the gym say that beginners have to train each body part at least twice a week in order to constantly stimulate the muscle. He says the 4 Day Split gives the muscles too much rest.

But when I read the magazines, all the article favors the 4 day split, and many pros even train each body part only ONCE A WEEK!

3 Day or 4 Day Split... Please help me.[/QUOTE it works better if u do a 4 day split due to letting your muscles rest and recover allowing growth. the reason that pros train each bodypart once per week is because they are already proportioned and have to train them all equally. therfore if you have some catching up to do on a specific bodypart then go ahead and add a fifth day.

gymfreak · 02-09-2006, 11:12 AM

it works better if u do a 4 day split due to letting your muscles rest and recover allowing growth. the reason that pros train each bodypart once per week is because they are already proportioned and have to train them all equally. therfore if you have some catching up to do on a specific bodypart then go ahead and add a fifth day.

tim290280 · 02-09-2006, 08:17 PM

Train less each day. 1 hour for each, pick 4-7 exercises each day.

4 day "split"
Chest Back (horizontal push pull empahsis)
Legs (quad emphasis, though still do calves and hammys)
rest
Chest Back (vertical push pull emphasis, plus arms if needed)
Legs (Hip emphasis, though still do calves and quads)
rest
rest
Repeat

Logan Muxlow · 02-10-2006, 01:25 AM

3 hours a day is way to much man.

My workout sometimes lasts 2hours with 30 mins of cardio in it.

Rocky · 02-10-2006, 08:26 AM

As everyone is saying - 3 hrs way too much. By that time your body is doing itself more harm than good.
Personally, and particularly for a beginner) I wold only train each muscle group once per week, and this can be done in 3 sessions. e.g.

Chest & Back
rest
Shoulders and arms
rest
Legs
rest
rest

This is my split and it's working pretty well. If you really want to train 4 days a week then you could do the split I've just suggested ( or any other one!) and then start repeating it on what is outlined above as the second rest day, so you'll always be one day ahead of yourself each week.
Just a suggestion.

LitterTrove · 02-10-2006, 01:24 PM

Think of your energy as an economic resource. If you spend all of it in three hours, you're doing your workout with about the intensity of a farmhand's chores or you're overly exhausting the muscles. Now, if you put more into your sets and spend the same energy in an hour and a half, your muscles get hit harder, but for a shorter period. That's definitely better in this case.

There's also the issue of your body's chemistry becoming unfavorable for muscle-building after a certain amount of training time, especially training time without food.

Now, how to decrease your workout time. More info please (rest periods, sets, when you get tired, closeness to failure, etc).