The 5 day split allows you to be in and out of the gym in 30-45 mins, meaning you can train each bodypart to total failure, without having to ‘hold back’ energy for other bodyparts.
This routine is designed to hit the muscles from every angle and because the exercises are compound movements, you overlap the muscles you are working. So, for biceps you actually train them twice, first on back days (Tuesdays) and secondly on Fridays.
Performing your workout correctly:
Advanced Trainers only:
1. Perform a maximum of 3-5 sets per exercise. Always do a warm-up set of around 20 reps, to get the motion right and the blood into the muscle. Thereafter perform a maximum of around 10-12 reps for each exercise. The weight you are using should be heavy enough, so that the last rep should be near impossible. Try and increase the weights or reps you are doing every session, to ensure you are progressing. When I say increase, it only needs to be a very little increase in weight, (in some instances, a tiny 1 or 2lb plate or extra 1-2 reps is fine.). Don’t ego train, i.e. throwing two additional big plates on the end of each bar and thinking you can lift it, only to struggle or bounce it up, is a waste of time. You’ll end up using bad form, which makes you look silly, increases your chance of injury and on top of that you probably won’t even be using the actual muscle you are trying to work!
*Get proper instruction on all exercises or invest in a personal trainer to show you how to perform each exercise properly.
(If you want to know how to do an exercise,
click on its name and you’ll see an animated
graphic like this appear)
4-5 sets (including warm-up) on each exercise with 6-10 repetitions except where specified.
Monday
Military press
Upright Row
Incline Dumbbell Press
Flat Bench Press
Crunches
Tuesday
Close Grip Lat Pulldown
Close Grip Seated Pulley Row
Calf Raises
Reverse Wrist Curl
Wednesday
Thursday
Close Grip Bench Press
Shrugs
Tricep Dips
Seated Calf Raises
Crunches
Friday
