Training Styles: Push Pull Methods?

[inoverdrive]

Curious to what everyone thinks when it comes to basic training. Used to do all "Push" movements one day then the next "Pull" methods, and legs one day. I always wonder if its better to do opposing groups like:
Chest, Bis
Back, Tris
etc.

I used to do:
Monday: Chest Tris Shoulders
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Off
Friday: Back Bis

Lately its been:
Monday Chest Shoulders
Tuesday Back
Wednesday Cardio
Thursday Legs
Friday Bis and Tris

 

[Dave Perez]

I used to like chest and back then shoulders and arms on a different day.

 

[Dens228]

I used to like chest and back then shoulders and arms on a different day.

Same here. But as I got older my elbows and shoulders did not like it anymore.

 

[qbkilla]

I never like push pull. I like a bro split or full body 3x a week. You either dedicate a day to smashing a body part, or you train the body as a whole but the volume is divided into 3 days so each,,,say arms workout,,,is low volume so you can keep intensity high. Push Pull is kind of trying to do both. I can't hit my biceps all out after doing all my back sets (not physically but focus mentally) or tricep after chests.

Id rather just smash chest on a day,,,arms on a day,,,,or do a little volume for eery part on 3 days.

Not saying push pull doesn't work IMO no routine is superior than the other,,just why I prefer the two splits I listed over the push pull.

 

[buck]

I have had good results on most all splits from push/pull/legs, 1 part a day, back/tri chest/bi legs. And full body although that doesn't seem to last long before I burn out.

 

[danieltx]

I've had my best results from push / pull / legs with 2 workouts for each:

• Push A - upper chest, front delts, triceps
• Push B - mid chest, medial delts, triceps
• Pull A - back thickness, traps, biceps
• Pull B - back width, rear delts, traps, biceps
• Legs A - abductors / adductors / quads
• Legs B - abductors / adductors / glutes / hams

I start every workout with calves (one day press, next day seated; do tibia raises when I do seated calf raises) and end both back workouts with forearm work.

 

[heavyhitter]

I do the dc 3 way split which is basically push/pull/legs on a 4 day split. So whatever was trained on Monday will be trained again on Friday

 

[machomadness22]

I used to do back and tris, then chest and bi’s. Legs and calves then shoulders and traps. I always felt I got the most out of doing push/pull with one large muscle then focus on a smaller muscle. I saw more strength gains and size added from doing this I personally love it. I never knew how guys could do chest then roll into shoulders, or do back and do biceps those smaller muscle groups were always so destroyed by the time I got to them I wasn’t able to do the weight I wanted to. I don’t know works for me

 

[xpoc]

My go to is simple: PUSH-PULL-LEGS-PUSH-PULL-LEGS-OFF (6 on and 1 off then repeat)

2 exercises per muscle group

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
chest x 2
delts x 2
tris x 2
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
back width (lats) x 2
back thickness (horizontal pulls) x2
biceps x 2
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
quads x 2
hams x2
calves x2
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I think God made our bodies this way to handle 2 exercises per muscle group LOL

 

[benchmstr]

I either like doing 1 body part to absolute failure a day and under eating a bit..

or

hitting full body every day and alternating powerlifting days and bodybuilding days
And having a very small calorie surplus.

either way..no days off

 

[Dave Perez]

Same here. But as I got older my elbows and shoulders did not like it anymore.

Me too...now it is strictly push, pull, legd

 

[juggy38]

I've had my best results from push / pull / legs with 2 workouts for each:

• Push A - upper chest, front delts, triceps
• Push B - mid chest, medial delts, triceps
• Pull A - back thickness, traps, biceps
• Pull B - back width, rear delts, traps, biceps
• Legs A - abductors / adductors / quads
• Legs B - abductors / adductors / glutes / hams

I start every workout with calves (one day press, next day seated; do tibia raises when I do seated calf raises) and end both back workouts with forearm work.

That’s almost exactly what I do, except I can’t recover from 6 days a week so I don

Pull
Push
Legs
Off......this gives my lower back a rest if pull day had rack dead’s or heavy BOR.

And to the OP. QUIT worrying about the most optimal split. Fun fact, there isn’t one. All things will work for a little bit, then they won’t. Then you change it up.

pick a split/style that YOU enjoy most. One you BELIEVE in. That’s the secret. Then, you train with brutality. Push beyond previous efforts than yesterday.

say you had John meadows build you a split perfectly for your lagging body parts and perfect volumes, but you hate the split and exercises. You give 75% in the gym. OR you pick a split that every time you walk in the gym you have a drive, malice in your heart, and on a fucking warpath. Even if the second split is less optimal, it will bring you so much more results.

so as long as your split isn’t fucking stupid, it’s fine. Because even the perfect program will eventually run out of gas, and you will have to change things up. My favorites....

pull, push, legs. Fortitude training, and the old school DC 2-way split EOD.

 

[Tank4411]

Have had my best growth off of push/pull/legs. 4-5 days a week. One hard training session with crazy intensity then the next session that week training the same body parts is more of a pump day. Works for me. Traditional bro split I always end up being a volume whore!

 

[Flex500]

I always end up coming back to this push/bull/full hybrid...I do pull first so it separates it from leg days. This routine also hits everything twice a week yet still allows a little bit of that "I killed that bodypart" feeling that we all kind of love even though we know it may not be overly conducive to extra growth (caveats appy).

Day 1: Pull (Back, hamstring, bi's)
Day 2: Push (chest, shoulders, tri's)
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Full body

 

[Dugbet]

You went from training 3 days to 4, it could be better or not, in the end what matters is the balance between hard training and recovery. More division and training days allows more focus on each individual muscle, but less recovery.

I think God made our bodies this way to handle 2 exercises per muscle group LOL

Dedicating the same volume to biceps training as quads seems utterly stupid.

 

[inoverdrive]

The one thing I really like when it comes to arms especially is what I saw Dusty do in a video. Nice slow steady reps. Blast up and slow down on biceps for example. It is amusing to see though when a 285 ld guy is sweating his fat ass off with painful looks on his face and just using 30-35 lb dumb bells or only 50-60 lbs on a preacher lol

 

[heavyhitter]

The one thing I really like when it comes to arms especially is what I saw Dusty do in a video. Nice slow steady reps. Blast up and slow down on biceps for example. It is amusing to see though when a 285 ld guy is sweating his fat ass off with painful looks on his face and just using 30-35 lb dumb bells or only 50-60 lbs on a preacher lol

I found when I stuck to like 35 lb dumbells and below for bicep work but focusing on a slow negative and explosive positive my arms got much bigger with much less tendinitis than they ever did trying to train them heavier. I do however still train triceps quite heavy and with some lower reps

 

[88shots]

For the guys who do pus/pull/legs 5-6 day routine every week, how many sets do you do per muscle? Also where do you stick your ab workout in there? It seems like you would be in the gym two hours on lifting days.I need time to rest in between sets.

 

[heavyhitter]

I do abs and calves every workout

For the guys who do pus/pull/legs 5-6 day routine every week, how many sets do you do per muscle? Also where do you stick your ab workout in there? It seems like you would be in the gym two hours on lifting days.I need time to rest in between sets.

 

[11111]

I've had my best results from push / pull / legs with 2 workouts for each:

• Push A - upper chest, front delts, triceps
• Push B - mid chest, medial delts, triceps
• Pull A - back thickness, traps, biceps
• Pull B - back width, rear delts, traps, biceps
• Legs A - abductors / adductors / quads
• Legs B - abductors / adductors / glutes / hams

I start every workout with calves (one day press, next day seated; do tibia raises when I do seated calf raises) and end both back workouts with forearm work.

Daniel, is this 6 sessions per week or is what you outlined above over a longer period of time?