is 3 days a week enough?

[Sammy1980]

Hello, i wonder if working out three times a week is enough if your looking to put on mass (natural). Im asking this because i wont be able to workout much more than that because of work/uni. Im thinking of using a three way split: legs,calves : chest, arms : back, shoulders

Sammy

[co2boi]

Yeah 3 days will suffice if you are eating and sleeping right. Your split seems reasonable, but I would personally do something like

legs/ triceps:
chest / shoulders:
biceps / back:

[Sammy1980]

Thanks for your advice. One thing tho: if you do legs/triceps: you cant concentrate the pump to one area.

[co2boi]

That may be true, I just personally find that I get a better overall workout by seperating some things out. Like biceps and triceps, triceps and chest, etc. If I do, say, flat bench and flys, it wears my arms out but doesn't really work them. If I do bench and flys, it works my shoulder but doesn't wear them out, so I go ahead and do shoulders. I honestly don't know if there is a "best" way to go about a 3 day split, but that's how I would do it. Try different things and do what works best for you (i.e. what your body responds best to) and be sure to throw in some cardio if you aren't getting it somewhere else.

[Sammy1980]

Yes, there are some combinations that you can use. Thank you for your answer.
The classic pull push split would be this:
Legs,calves: chest,shoulders, triceps : back, biceps

Sammy

[co2boi]

Cool bro, good luck with everything

[AnabolicBoy1981]

I myself have been doin Mike Menzters "Heavy Duty" routine, which he recomends once or twice a week or less. Since i'm dieting right now and doin cardio it's hard to see the full effect. But in another couple months i'll start bulkin up again with it.
He recomends really short workouts with only one actuall set per excersise, taken to failure. He also incorporates forced reps, static holds, and negative training as well. But the workouts are short, and very far apart, in that you work out once every four days in the beginning, and as you grow stronger, once every seven days or less!
I know, doesn't seem like enoough does it? I had to get used to that idea of not going to the gym so much. But his main premise is intensity(through forced reps,supersets, statics, negatives etc.) and recovery(no more than once every four days).
Hers what his plan looks like:
Monday:
Chest and back.
Flyes
superset with,
incline bench

pullovers
superset with
palms up pull downs

Deadlift

Friday:
Legs.

Leg extension
superset with
Leg press or squat
calf raises

Tuesday:
arms and shoulders.

Laterall raises
superset with
Bent over Lateral raises

Concentraion curls

Tricep extensions or pressdowns
superset with
dips

Saturday.
legs again


Doesn't look like much i know. But he's big on supersets and intesity measures as well as reletivly heavy poundages, so you really stimulate growth. I was skeptical at first too, but all i can say is, i usually don't make strength gains when dieting and doing cardio, but with Mike's system I have this time. Not huge gains, but considering i'm cutting up, that's not bad. i can't wait to see what happens when I bulk.
If you do the workout right you should be out of the gym in 20 minutes.
So considering you said you don't have that much time to work out, this may be the way to go.
Mentzer trained alota people, and he said they made gains in all their lifts from workout to workout, on a steady basis. And when their progress slowed, he simply had them ad more rest days and they started growing again.
I read "Heavy Duty 2: Mind and body" and he said that he had many clients gain up to 20-30 pounds in three months. That's crazy! I wondered if they were juicing though, however, he said that these cases where not just the exception, but the rule, so unless he had 2000 clients that juiced he musta been on the right track.
I ordered his last book "high intesity training the mike menzter way" and i'm half way though it. I would get that one if your interested. Actually, i just ordered the whole training series also which has two books and two tapes, so that should be interesting.
Well, good luck.

[Sammy1980]

Hello, Anabolic boy. My recommendation is not to use Mike Mentzers system...but of course you should try it..and if it works: go for it.
But i know many people who tried it(including me): they tell me all the same thing: first weeks they gain abit strength then after that nuttin also its not optimal for size.
But i have to say it also depends on from what program your coming from, because variation is important i think. I think training 2 times a week is to little. (my personal opionion), i have read loads of Mentzer articles and first time i saw them i thought they was the secret to get big lol..i was wrong. I now know there is no secret: only the hard reality: train like a beast (within your recuperative abilities) and eat alot of food, and keep things basic.
I want to thank you for taking the time and coming with a recommendation. Peace.

Sammy

[DBarcelo]

You can't work out like a pro when you first start out and expect to have the same results. A few people out there may be able to do it, but not the vast majority of us. That's what makes this whole thing so confusing for so many people.

[IronReload04]

I had to cut back because of my work shedule also. I ahve actaully been getting gains of working out 2 days a week. every muscle getting it every other week. and surprizingly it works. my work shedule has been cutting back finally so now i can get in their 3-4 days again