Bodybuilding.com - One Year Workout Guide: Month 4!

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Todd Opheim is a certified personal trainer located in Boise, Idaho.

3 Months Down, Time For the 3 Day Split! You've learned a wide variety of exercises and have perfected their form. See details for 3 day split.

A Year’s Worth Of Workouts: Building Up One Month At A Time!

By: Todd Opheim

MONTH #4 - 3 Months Down, Time For the 3 Day Split!

Congratulations, you've made it to Month 4. You've learned a wide variety of exercises and have perfected their form. You've progressed from the one day full body system to the two day split. You've made significant improvements in your body at this point. You should be looking and feeling better from head to toe. You should have gained a respectable amount of muscle at this point, and you haven't had to kill yourself getting here. So, what next? It is now time for the three day split. Here are the details.

1. You will take your two day split system and divide it further into three days. In other words it will now take three workouts to complete your entire body. It will be split into two upper body workouts (day #1- back and biceps, day #2-chest, shoulders, and triceps) and one leg workout (day #3- legs, calves, and abs). This workout split is known in bodybuilding circles as the push/pull system, as you are working the push muscles one day and the pull muscles on another day.

2. You will now workout 4 times per week rather than 3. The optimal split would be Monday on, Tuesday on, Wednesday off, Thursday on, Friday on, Saturday off, and Sunday off. These days could be manipulated somewhat, but the goal is to try to workout no more than two days in a row. The following is a sample schedule.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sat./Sun.

Back/Bis. Ch./Sh./Tris. off Leg/Cal/Ab Back/Bis. off

Ch./Sh./Tris. Leg/Cal/Ab off Back/Bis. Ch./Sh./Tris. off

Leg/Cal/Ab Back/Bis. off Ch./Sh./Tris. Leg/Cal/Ab off

3. Rest intervals will remain at 60-90 seconds. Repetitions will remain at 8-12 for most exercises.

4. Your upper body volume will be increased and your lower body volume will remain unchanged. This will result in an even greater amount of micro trauma than last month, and will result in more muscular soreness (at least initially). That is the major reason why you need 4-5 days rest before hitting the same bodypart again.

5. You will not be required to learn a bunch of different new exercises, but I have added a few in order to better round out the program and to keep you learning new exercises. The new exercises have an asterik next to them. The most significant of the new exercises is the deadlift. You should use caution with this exercise and work up slowly in weight, concentrating on using impeccable form. You've already learned the squat and the bench press, and the deadlift completes the big three exercises. Once you get these down, you can be assured you've learned the three greatest muscular enhancing exercises. I will take out the squat and romainian deadlift this month, as they work a lot of the same musculature as the deadlift, and would be too taxing at this point in the program.

6. You should continue following my diet and cardiovascular suggestions from Month 2.

7. You should have gained a significant amount of strength and muscle at this point, and the changes I have integrated this month should keep that trend going strong.

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