Favorite Training Splits for Men

Exercise is one of the most important parts of maintaining a good lifestyle. Not only will staying active keep you healthy, but it will also boost your confidence and physical appearance. However, developing a good physic requires that you work out all of the muscles in your body as well as maintaining a solid cardiovascular routine. While people opt to work out their entire body in one session, this can take all day and burn out your body. Instead, maximize your workout by creating a split routine. Split routines let you focus on individual muscles, which will not only save you time, but also allow for a fast recovery.

The first thing to consider when designing your split is how often you will workout. Some people go to the gym every day, while others will only go four times a week. Depending on the number of days you go, you may choose to do splits based on two-day cycles or splits based on three-day cycles. They key in planning your split routine is giving your muscles enough time to heal without neglecting your cardiovascular exercises.

Two-day Split

If you are planning a two-day split, it is likely you will be repeating it two or three times a week. Thus, a good split would involve working out your upper body one day and your lower body the next. For your upper body workout, you will want to exercise your chest, shoulders, biceps and triceps. On your lower body workouts, you will want to focus on your legs, back and core muscles (which include your abs).

After each workout, spend at least 15-30 minutes doing some type of cardio-based activity such as riding a bike, running on a treadmill or swimming. Cardio should always be done after weight lifting since your glucose is already burned, allowing you to start burning fat right away. After your two-day routine, take a day to rest. Rest is very important when it comes building muscle. If you want to go to the gym, don’t do any weight lifting; spend the entire session on cardio instead.

Three-day Split

With a three-day split, you will be able to focus more time on individual muscle groups. Thus, dividing the exercises for a three-day split should be based around muscle groups that work together. The first day should focus on your chest, shoulders and triceps. The second day should be spent working out your biceps and upper back. On the third day you should workout your legs, lower back and core muscles. Make sure you perform at least one cardiovascular exercise after each session. On the fourth day, rest all of your muscles. Your body will need to recharge.

As you get used to your splits, start making some adjustments to your routine to keep it from getting monotonous. Consider changing the weight, number of sets, number of reps or the tempo of your exercise. This will lead to stronger muscles. With cardio, the key is to maintain your target heart rate. This will help you eliminate fat efficiently.

Training splits are much more efficient than full body workouts. You will find yourself with more energy. However you don’t want to stay at the gym all day, so find a split routine that works well with your schedule. Focus your time on gradually building each muscle group while developing a good cardio routine. This is the key to getting the most out of exercise.