A Push/Pull/Legs Split That Will Make You Look Like a Man!

I was a tad board, so I thought I'd just go ahead and make the dreams of any 18 year old - 20 something male come true.

That's right, I'm talking how to build musclez!

Don't tell me that you've never thought about how awesome it would be to look like Captain America or Thor!  I won't believe you for a second!

So come closer now as I tell you my secretz!

Secret #1:  Get stronger using progressive tension overload (i.e. lift progressively heavier weights).

I hope I just blew your mind.

Secret #2:  Get stronger in relevant exercises (i.e. don't you even dare touch P90X.  I might just have to take away your intelligence card.)

Secret #3 (Related to #2):  Muscle confusion is a concept for hamsters who want to continuously spin the wheels of stagnation.  If you're not consistently getting stronger in a select few exercises, how are you going to measure progress or even achieve any?

Secret #4:  Work hard, and understand that change requires time and commitment.

*Note:  This program is for intermediate/more advanced trainees who have been working out consistently for at least 6 months - 1 year.

You're welcome!

The Weight Training Routine

Pull

Cable Row 4x4-6

Weighted Chins 4x4-6

Cable Face Pull 6x8-12

Close Grip Chins 3x6-8

DB Curl 3x8-12

Cable Curl 2x1’

Push

Incline Bench (do at a 30* angle to the floor) 4x4-6

Weighted Parallel Bar Dips 4x4-6

Lateral Raise 6x8-12

Close Grip Bench 3x6-8

Triceps Extension 3x8-12

Push-ups 2x1’

Legs

Hex Squat/Front Squat 4x4-6

Leg Press 4x4-6

Calves 6x8-12

Leg Extension 3x6-8

Leg Curl 3x6-8

Planks 2x1’

The Schedule  Week 1                Week 2                   Week 3              

Monday              Push                      Pull                        Legs     

Tuesday             off                           off                          off                          

Wednesday       Pull                        Legs                       Push                     

Thursday           off                           off                          off                          

Friday                Legs                       Push                       Pull                       

Saturday           Push                       Pull                        Legs     

Sunday               off                           off                           off

The Diet             Rest Days                          Workout Days

Kcals                     12-14/lb of BW                 16-18/lb of BW

Protein                 90-120g*                            120-150g*

CHO                      60-70g*                              115-125g*

Fat                        4.2g/lb of BW*                  4.2g/lb of BW*

*Ranges represent minimum values for each nutrient. 

The Cardio

On your rest days, do some form of low intensity cardio for 40-60 minutes, as well as full-body stretching.

The Questions

How much weight should I use?

*As much as you can within the prescribed set and rep range.  Say the volume is 4x4-6 – if you can lift a weight for 6 reps on the first set, and do no less than 4 on the remaining 3, bump up the weight by 5-10lbs for the next workout.  Progressive tension overload is the magic “secret” to getting stronger and more muscled.

How fast should I lift the weight?

*Lift the weight slow enough to ensure that your muscles, and not the laws of physics, are doing the work.  Don’t throw around the weight or use crappy form just to get a rep out.  Be honest with yourself and check your ego at the door.  Also, DO NOT (NO NEVER) DO KIPPING CHIN-UPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I need to warm-up, or should I just jump right in?

*Do a warm-up, but keep it simple.  There’s no need to over-exert yourself to the point that you can barely stand.  Just do some warm-up sets for the first lift of each session:  1^st set = 12x50% target weight; rest 1 minute; 2^nd set = 10x50% target weight; rest 1 minute; 3^rd set = 4x70% target weight; rest 1 minute; 4^th set = 1x90% target weight; rest 2 minutes; begin work sets.  If you workout in the morning, do between 5-10 minutes of cardio just to get your core body temperature up; otherwise, don’t worry about it.

You mentioned resting between warm-up sets.  What about for the rest of the workout?

*For the 4-6 rep range, rest 2-3 minutes between sets.  For the 6-8 rep range, rest 1-2 minutes.  For the 8-12 rep range, rest 1 minute.  For everything else, I don’t care.

Should I do anything at the end of my workout?

*Some light stretching.

That schedule doesn't work for me.  Can I switch it up?

*So long as you ensure you average between 4-6 days between sessions of a certain kind, you can change up the schedule however your little heart desires.

What about a pre-workout supplement?

*I like coffee.

And post-workout?

*Just eat some protein and carbs in the 24 hours after you workout.  The only supplement you might find worth the time is creatine monohydrate (don’t get any of the fluffed up varieties.  The plain kind will do just nicely.).

How often should I eat?

*Eat whenever you feel like.  Just make sure your average calorie consumption and macronutrient consumption falls with the parameters listed above.

So I should eat every 2-3 hours?

*If you want to.  Meal frequency has nothing to do with metabolism, or your ability to more efficiently lose or gain weight.  Eat when it’s convenient.

So what if I only ate 1 meal a-day wise guy?

*Do it if you want.  You can conceivably go up to 72 hours without food, and you’d be fine (no muscle loss, no nothing).  You'd get a little hungry though.

Well, what should I eat then?

*I generally recommend eating lots of whole foods like meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, potatoes, rice, etc., but food choice doesn’t actually matter in terms of body composition.  Your long term energy balance does, however.  Eat responsibly (whatever that should mean to you).

Can I do HIIT or sprints or run a mile on my off days rather than walk?

*Do want you want, just don’t work yourself into the ground in a vain attempt to lose fat.  This routine is geared toward muscle building, and muscle building requires caloric adequacy (not a surplus mind you).  Doing excessive amounts of cardio may cause an otherwise adequate amount of calories to turn into insufficient calories.

Wait.  What’s “caloric adequacy?”

*It’s as many calories as you can eat without gaining fat.  You need a little more than maintenance calories to build muscle, but not a ton.  Muscle is built very slowly at the cellular level, and more calories will not force more growth.  Calories are permissive, not coercive.  If you start putting on fat, you’re eating more than is necessary to permit optimal muscle growth.

I’m not growing?

*Are you getting 8-9 hours of sleep every night?  Are you eating enough?  Are you progressively adding weight to your lifts?  Are you using un-compromised form?  Are you following the dietary guidelines I gave you?  Are you dead or dying?

If you have any further questions, leave a comment, and I'll get to you as fast as possible.  I may have been a little cheeky in this post, but it's all in fun.  I'm not a total jerk!