Help Choosing A Split

[Xenith]

Hi All,

I am fed up of this plateau and really want to break out of it. Have tried changing reps, sets, drop sets, pyramiding, supersetting etc. and I think it is the split itself which has become stale. Currently it is:
Mon - Quads, Hams, Abs,
Tue - Chest, Tris
Thu - Back, Bis
Fri - Shoulders, Calves, Abs

Recently tried a 2-day, twice a week split but that didn't workout. I have two choices methinks:
1. Stick to a 4-day split and change up the muscle groupings
2. A split to hit each muscle twice a week, such as conjugate strength/hypertrophy split

If I go 4-day, I had the following in mind:
A
Mon - Quads, Hams, Abs,
Tue - Chest, Bis
Thu - Back, Tris
Fri - Shoulders, Calves, Abs

B
Mon - Quads, Calves, Abs
Tue - Chest, Shoulders
Thu - Back, Hams
Fri - Bis, Tris, Abs

If I would do a conjugate split, from what I have read, it would be something such as:
Mon - Upper body strength (2 exercises per body part, 3 sets each, 4-6 reps, mainly compound exercises)
Tue - Lower body strength (2-3 exercises per body part, 3 sets each, 4-6 reps)
Thu - Upper body hypertropy (2-3 exercises per body part, 3 sets each, 8-10 reps, compound and isolation exercises)
Fri - Shoulders, Calves, Abs(2-3 exercises per body part, 3 sets each, 8-10 reps)

One other option I was considering is a compromise between hitting muscles once a week and twice a week, by hitting them 3 times in two weeks. What I would do is use a 3-day split such as:
1 - Quads, Hams, Calves
2 - Chest, Shoulders, Abs,
3 - Back, Bis, Tris

And I would do the following over a 2 week period: 3 on 2 off, 3 on 2 off, 3 on 1 off. In other words:
Mon - workout 1
Tue - workout 2
Wed - workout 3
Sat - workout 1
Sun - workout 2
Mon - workout 3
Thu - workout 1
Fri - workout 2
Sat -workout 3

Please can you guys help me decide (I really suck at decisions! )

The aim is mass and strength, but with the focus being on mass.

Thanks for any advice,
X

PS. No 3-day or 5-day splits please.

 

[eat big]

what are your weak muscle groups now, if arms are one of them train them twice, once on chest day for tris and once on back day for bis and then do tri bi one day, has worked well for me

 

[big4life]

I like this one the best.

If I go 4-day, I had the following in mind:
A
Mon - Quads, Hams, Abs,
Tue - Chest, Bis
Thu - Back, Tris
Fri - Shoulders, Calves, Abs


That's the same one that I use and it helped me a lot. I found that doing chest and bis together helped me really hit my bis. The same with working tris with my back. My triceps were fresher and I could hit thim harder.

 

[Xenith]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the (somewhat varied ) responses. I got another idea from someone which sounds quite good. It is based on hitting muscles 3 times in 2 weeks by using a 3-way split and working:
-3 on, 2 off
-3 on, 2 off
-3 on, 1 off
The split itself is a classic legs/push/pull routine. In other words:
Workout 1 = Quads, Hams, Calves
Workout 2 = Back, Bis, Abs
Workout 3 = Chest, Tris, Shoulders

What do you think?

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

i personally love the legs/ push/ pull style routine. it keeps it simple, and it keeps the strength functional. you could take one day off and hit everything twice in 8 days, or take two days off and hit everything twice in 9. i dont keep my rest period rigid, it depends on how i feel. i like to put abs on leg day though. my leg day is the shortest day of all. plus i get to feel the burn in my back and abs on the same day. thick trunks make thick branches!

am i right to guess that you train purely for size?

 

[Xenith]

yeah, really for size only. I will see how my schedule comes along and may just do a straight 3 on 2 off, 3 on 2 off etc. routine without worrying about the day of week.

X

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

when i stopped worrying about the day of the week, my training immediatly picked up. no longer do i go "its monday, time for those tris to get hit.... sigh..."

now i just look at my gym journal and say, "well, looks like my legs and pulling day were last, time to push some weight!!"

it really keeps it fresh, and it keeps you from competing with the same guy every damn tuesday on the squat rack at 8 pm.