Working Out Only 3x's A Week?

[bluelightning3]

I currently work out 5 days a week and it looks like this.

Mon Chest
Tued Legs
Wed Back
Thur Shoulders
Fri Arms

Now Im going to start working full time and go to school full time so Im only going to have Fri Sat Sun to work out. What would you guys suggest, I dont want to loose any of my current size, or poundage.
Im thinking something like this

Fri Legs/Shoulders
Sat Chest/Bi
Sun Back/Tri

Let me know what you think or maybe a better combination for those 3 days.

[TADOLFI]

Man - That's tough.
It looks like it will work, but you may notice that it is too much stress on your secondaries because of not having time to rest. Shoulders are involved in a lot of exercises.

What if you did
Chest/Tri Friday
Back/Bi Saturday
Legs/Shoulders Sunday?

My logic behind this is one of "push" "pull"
One day you are doing all push movements that will exhaust large muscle groups and secondary.
The next day you are doing all "push"
Last day is a round off of what was left out.

I'd be curious to see what some of the others around here think.

[bluelightning3]

Bump.....

[Zapp]

If you work legs like you supposed to, there is no way you could possibly work any other body part that same day. I would do something like this..

chest, shoulder, tri's
back, bi's
legs

[24labor]

If you work legs like you supposed to, there is no way you could possibly work any other body part that same day. I would do something like this..

chest, shoulder, tri's
back, bi's
legs

bullseye with chest movement you work the anterior delts so why not do them with chest throw in some military press and side lat raises to hit side delts and your good. With back you hit the posterior delts with rowing movements so hit bis/back and throw in a couple rear delt exercises and your set. You can also do trap on back day. As for legs I would just keep it legs by the time I'm doen with my workout I can barely walk and talk let alone do another body part. Hope this helps

[TADOLFI]

24labor makes sense - Simple but effective.
I'd give it a try.

[powerliftmike]

If you work legs like you supposed to, there is no way you could possibly work any other body part that same day. I would do something like this..

chest, shoulder, tri's
back, bi's
legs

Yep. I always like 3x wk for me. Any more and most people will just spin wheels.

[Kärnfysikern]

I do a routine like this. Im maintaining my strenght without a problem with this routine even though Im 5 weeks into pct and frankly eating like crap.

Monday: (like a wsb maximum effort bench day)
chest, triceps, lats, abs

Wendsday: (like a wsb maximum effort squat day)
Legs, lower back, biceps, abs

Saturdays:
explositivity/form training in the bench and squat and some tri, ham and ab work.

[bluelightning3]

I wonder if being off for 4 days straight will weaken me or loose size since ill train only on fri sat and sunday, what do you think?

[Pinnacle]

I take it no one here likes Dc's(DoggCrapps)method of training?

Don't tell me all you guys are over-analyzers.Meaning you try to hit each muscle group from every angle.One way ticket to no-where.

~Pinnacle~

[TADOLFI]

What? I'm not suppossed to do Bis every time I go to the gym?

[Kärnfysikern]

I take it no one here likes Dc's(DoggCrapps)method of training?

Don't tell me all you guys are over-analyzers.Meaning you try to hit each muscle group from every angle.One way ticket to no-where.

~Pinnacle~

I have done doggcrapp and I like it if Im bulking and juicing like a mofo. Otherwise I prefer powerlifting.

[Flexor]

bullseye with chest movement you work the anterior delts so why not do them with chest throw in some military press and side lat raises to hit side delts and your good. With back you hit the posterior delts with rowing movements so hit bis/back and throw in a couple rear delt exercises and your set. You can also do trap on back day. As for legs I would just keep it legs by the time I'm doen with my workout I can barely walk and talk let alone do another body part. Hope this helps

Good post 24, here we are 100% agreed. Thanks for saving me the time of writing this post, because that is what I would have said

The only thing I would add is that doing those three workout days consecutively will give your CNS a toasting and you will overlap on some of the muscles of the midback, e.g. rhomboids, mid traps, serrator posterior, because these are used heavily in dips to perform retraction, depression and downward rotation of the scapulae, and these muscles are hit during back day so there would be a minor overlap. However, if you cannot manage a rest you shouldn't run into too much trouble.

[bluelightning3]

I wonder if being off for 4 days straight will weaken me or loose size since ill train only on fri sat and sunday, what do you think?

[Canadiantiger]

4 Days straight rest should not be to much of an issue as long as your diet stays in check. I used a workout routine like Zapp suggests in the spring when my mom was really sick and time became limited and made good gains. The only difference was I put legs in between the upper body workouts.

[GunTotingHipGangster]

can't you just go to the gym early in the morning before classes or work? thats what i do....i love starting my day with a fresh set of squats

[bluelightning3]

I wish I could the thing is I go into work at 6am and get out at 230pm then off to school I go from 4-10 pm and this is monday thru thursday. So i dont think im going to be able to manage any training on those days.

[Canadiantiger]

I wish I could the thing is I go into work at 6am and get out at 230pm then off to school I go from 4-10 pm and this is monday thru thursday. So i dont think im going to be able to manage any training on those days.

Wow That schedule seems tight and I thought I was busy............My theory still the same though diet and good three day set up for workouts and you will progress.

[spywizard]

I currently work out 5 days a week and it looks like this.

Mon Chest
Tued Legs
Wed Back
Thur Shoulders
Fri Arms

Now Im going to start working full time and go to school full time so Im only going to have Fri Sat Sun to work out. What would you guys suggest, I dont want to loose any of my current size, or poundage.
Im thinking something like this

Fri Legs/Shoulders
Sat Chest/Bi
Sun Back/Tri

Let me know what you think or maybe a better combination for those 3 days.

I do 3 days.. but i do very heavy...


Fri Chest/Bi
Sat Legs/Shoulders
Sun Back/Tri

that's how i would do it.. if you only had 3 consecutive days to workout.

the prefered would be

Mon/wed/fri though..

good luck..

[SwoleCat]

I wonder if being off for 4 days straight will weaken me or loose size

No, rest is good always.

It's the 3 days in a row and taxing of the CNS that will kill progression.

~SC~

[ZIA1]

I take it no one here likes Dc's(DoggCrapps)method of training?

Don't tell me all you guys are over-analyzers.Meaning you try to hit each muscle group from every angle.One way ticket to no-where.

~Pinnacle~

Pinnacle, can you elaborate on that? Curious to know what you mean exactly.

[ZIA1]

No, rest is good always.

It's the 3 days in a row and taxing of the CNS that will kill progression.

~SC~

What if the 3 days were split into M/W/F...that would be less taxing to the CNS? I'm in the same situation with school and work. I can manage M/W/F but still need 4 days off.

[Flexor]

AIZ, I do M W F, a clean 3 day split, and it gives plenty of rest for the CNS.

Pinnacle is referring to bodybuilders that try to hit every muscle from every conceivable angle. I agree with him, that it just isn't necessary, until the latter stages of development. I have never touched a pec deck or cable crossovers for my chest for example...

Only a few angles are needed at high intensity

[Hellmaskbanned]

No, rest is good always.

It's the 3 days in a row and taxing of the CNS that will kill progression.

~SC~

How many days should someone workout per week thats not juicing?

[Machdiesel]

depends on what ur goals are, id DEF!!! reccomend the Ironmans H.I.T workout(its the last workout in the sticky various training tech.) but u cant do it 3 days in a row.

[ZIA1]

AIZ, I do M W F, a clean 3 day split, and it gives plenty of rest for the CNS.

Pinnacle is referring to bodybuilders that try to hit every muscle from every conceivable angle. I agree with him, that it just isn't necessary, until the latter stages of development. I have never touched a pec deck or cable crossovers for my chest for example...

Only a few angles are needed at high intensity

Thanks but what do you mean by "high intensity" when hitting a few angles? Are you referring to fast paced workout, reps, etc? Not following that part.

[Kärnfysikern]

Thanks but what do you mean by "high intensity" when hitting a few angles? Are you referring to fast paced workout, reps, etc? Not following that part.

High intensity training is only doing one set per exercise(or sometimes muscle group)but taken to its absolute failure. 3-4 warmup set and then a set to death kind of.

IMO if your gonna do a 3 times a week routine you should do higher volume but not going to failure ever.

[Pinnacle]

High intensity training is only doing one set per exercise(or sometimes muscle group)but taken to its absolute failure. 3-4 warmup set and then a set to death kind of.

Exactly!! Rest/pause technique,followed by forced reps.Then extreme stretching of that muscle.Using this techique allows you to train a muscle group 3 times in a 9 day period.Training a muscle group once weekly you get 52 chances to spurt growth on a yearly basis.Training high intensity you'd get 3 times more chances at creating new growth/tisssue.


~Pinnacle~

[Kärnfysikern]

Exactly!! Rest/pause technique,followed by forced reps.Then extreme stretching of that muscle.Using this techique allows you to train a muscle group 3 times in a 9 day period.Training a muscle group once weekly you get 52 chances to spurt growth on a yearly basis.Training high intensity you'd get 3 times more chances at creating new growth/tisssue.


~Pinnacle~

one could easily work a muscle 3 times in 9 days with higher volume non failure training aswell. I would consider both apporaches equaly good. Doggcrapp training is plenty fun though

[Doc.Sust]

Man - That's tough.
It looks like it will work, but you may notice that it is too much stress on your secondaries because of not having time to rest. Shoulders are involved in a lot of exercises.

What if you did
Chest/Tri Friday
Back/Bi Saturday
Legs/Shoulders Sunday?

My logic behind this is one of "push" "pull"
One day you are doing all push movements that will exhaust large muscle groups and secondary.
The next day you are doing all "push"
Last day is a round off of what was left out.

I'd be curious to see what some of the others around here think.

couldnt agree more. 3 days using this scheme is great, chest and tris overlap, as does lats and bi's, its like killing two birds with one stone! as for 3 days in a row, thats too much on thecns like swole said but if you have to theway to do it is, friday, chest/tri sat legs/shoulders sun back and bi's. would work better than doing to days of upper body back to back IMO