How to correctly create a 4-day weight split

The exercises collected in this split system are perhaps one of the most effective, and indeed they are simply the best, especially for those who want to build muscle mass. It's no surprise that many serious bodybuilders use them as the basis for their endurance training. They really work. Ok, enough water, let's get to the point.

Benefits of a four-day split

Beginning athletes should initially pay attention to a 3-day split for performing basic exercises and when working on weight. As a rule, several years of bodybuilding are devoted to this training regimen. Subsequently, to improve the results achieved, use a system of dividing training into working out specific muscle groups.

Adding one more day to the program is an opportunity to divide the training week into three full sessions with basic exercises to work large muscles. The fourth day is isolation work with smaller groups.

For example, a 4-day split can be “broken down” as follows:

Working out the chest muscles.
Working out the back.
Leg workout
Hand muscle training.

When performing basic mass training, you engage small muscle groups. By the end of the program, they become very clogged, which does not allow them to be completed in isolation exercises. For this purpose, an additional day is provided, which is entirely devoted to isolation training.

Nutrition for weight gain

When gaining weight, special attention is paid to nutrition. As we have already found out, in order to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you expend.

But a lot of questions arise: what products are there? How much protein, fat, and carbohydrates should you consume? How many times should I eat? What time?

For weight gain, the proportion of proteins, fats, carbohydrates is as follows: 2/6/2 per kilogram of weight. Moreover, this proportion varies depending on your body type and your tendency to gain weight.

For an ectomorph, it is possible to increase the BJU until the weight gain meets your expectations.

You should take your food choices very seriously. Many people think that in order to gain weight, it is necessary to resort to eating fast food, fatty high-calorie foods, sweets, and starchy foods. These products should be limited as much as possible, because apart from fat mass and health problems, they will not give anything else. You need to rely on natural, natural products. The source of protein should be chicken, fish, beef, pork, eggs, and dairy products. It is these products that have a good amino acid composition, which is necessary for the growth of muscle tissue. The source of energy should be slow (complex carbohydrates) and healthy fats. As for carbohydrates, the main sources are porridge, buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, and other cereals.

Fats should be consumed from fish, as well as olive, flaxseed oil, foods rich in omega 3-6-9, which are necessary for the functioning of the cardiovascular system. You need to eat food 6-7 times a day, in small portions, so as not to burden the gastrointestinal tract, and all food is well absorbed. Please note that the most important meals are breakfast, pre-workout meal and post-workout meal. In the morning, the body is susceptible to nocturnal catabolism, so you need to prevent this process by replenishing carbohydrates and protein.

Before training, we need a supply of energy, so carbohydrates must be present in large quantities, and they must be slow. After training, it is necessary to replenish energy reserves and building material for muscles. In the first half of the day, the emphasis is on eating carbohydrate foods, in the second half of the day on protein foods.

By adhering to the recommendations described above, following a sports regimen that consists of productive training, proper and balanced nutrition, and good rest, you will definitely achieve your desired result. But it is worth understanding that we will not be able to get what we want in the shortest possible time, so we will have to make a lot of effort and spend a sufficient amount of time and then everything will work out.

First training day: Chest

Well-developed and proportionally worked pectoral muscles are a necessary element in building a beautiful and athletic body.

Anatomically, the pectoral muscles are divided:

upper;
average;
lower ones.

Experienced bodybuilders (for training on the “4-day split” program) advise starting with working the upper chest. This is due to the fact that the upper part visually increases volume, but at the same time significantly lags behind the rest of the pectoral muscles in training.

A universal exercise for working the upper part of the pectoral muscles is a barbell press on an incline bench, with the backrest set at an angle of 35-40 degrees. Before approaching, select for yourself the most optimal angle of inclination, at which you will feel the work of the upper pectoral muscles, and not the front deltoids.

Don't start working with maximum weight right away. The main thing is to develop the correct technique. Both a barbell and dumbbells are suitable for this exercise. Working with a barbell is an opportunity to develop muscle memory in the technique. Dumbbells are suitable for experienced athletes with ideal technique and regular increase in amplitude.

Execution order:

Choose a comfortable bench angle.
Arch your lower back and bring your shoulder blades together.
Firmly fix and press your body against the bench.
Slowly, while inhaling, lower the barbell (dumbbells) to the top of your chest, but do not let the bar touch it. Exhaling, lift the weight.

The number of approaches should be no more than four, and repetitions should not be more than eight. Rest between approaches for no more than 2 minutes.

Next, move on to the classic bench press of a barbell or dumbbells on a horizontal bench.

Technique:

Sit comfortably on the machine.
Keep your feet stable.
Arch your lower back. Please note that in this case the pelvis should not come off the bench. Make sure your shoulder blades are squeezed together.
Slowly lower the barbell toward your chest without touching your body.
Pause.
Slowly return the weight to its original position.

To work the lower chest, use the same technique in a head-down position on an incline bench.

Second training day: Back

The next muscle group that is worked out in the 4-day split program is the back muscles.

The main exercise for developing the back muscles is pull-ups. The horizontal bar is a universal exercise machine that works well on the back, allowing you to increase its width and thickness. During the lesson, depending on the area being worked on, a wide, medium and narrow grip is used.

Technique:

choose the required grip;
use your back muscles to pull your body towards the bar, avoiding jerking and swinging;
Do not allow full extension of your arms at the lowest point.

After completing the required sets, move on to barbell deadlifts.

Be careful and do not work with heavy weights in the initial stages. The exercise is traumatic and can lead to damage to the spine. Please note that your back should be straight in this exercise. You should not slouch or bend when performing the approach.

To pump and develop the latissimus and rhomboid muscles, barbell rows to the waist are suitable. In this exercise, all back muscles are maximally worked out. The position of the back and the angle of inclination relative to the ground play a key role in the correct technique.

Individual characteristics

The options for three-day schemes are varied, but, as a rule, they all follow the same principle: muscles are divided into “pulling” and “pushing”, and a separate group is worked out in each training session.

When choosing a suitable training system, many factors are taken into account, among which the most important are:

Gender of the athlete.

Split training for representatives of the stronger half can be very different from the women's program. This circumstance is primarily due to the different anatomy of the muscle corset and the different biochemical composition of the blood. Among other things, training has different goals. Ladies, in most cases, try to get rid of extra pounds and achieve a beautiful body contour in order to look even more impressive. And the three-day split in the male version is, first of all, a concern for creating a beautiful figure that shows muscles. Representatives of the stronger sex use exercises to make their biceps “lumpy”, complementing them with the “building blocks” of the abs.

Degree of preparation. A beginner should not overestimate his own capabilities and switch to split training in the very first days. Experts unanimously say that you should first pump up all muscle groups as a whole. This method will allow the body to develop evenly, gradually increasing endurance and strength.

And only after reaching certain “heights” does it make sense to approach split exercises, that is, devote time and attention to each muscle group separately

Body features.

People, in general, from the point of view of bodybuilding training can be divided into three groups: ectomorphs, endomorphs, mesomorphs. Depending on whether you belong to one type or another, the speed at which you improve your body and build muscle mass changes. Therefore, the approach to organizing training should be significantly different.

Dependence of the training plan on body type

Ectomorphs

Tall, very thin men with long and thin limbs often have a huge number of complexes and, at times, not very good posture.
Such people have difficulty gaining weight because they have a good metabolism. But correctly selected techniques will allow you to quickly turn such “disadvantages” of your build into significant advantages, since a tall, “pumped up” and moderately thin young man looks great. A three-day split for people of this type should be selected taking into account the following recommendations: advertising is not displayed
it is necessary to pay sufficient attention to basic exercises; training time should not be more than 45 minutes; exercises are repeated 6-8 times, and the number of approaches should be from 4 to 6. the rule “the more, the better” is not for people of this type

Mesomorphs

Such people have muscles developed from birth, they have a wide chest and a long torso. Muscle mass responds to exercise excellently, increasing proportionally. It is much easier for men of this type to form beautiful relief. In this case, split training should take into account the following rules:

repeat each exercise 8-10 times, with the number of approaches ranging from 6 to 8;
it is allowed to include special exercises in the training that can help improve muscle shape;
Each session is recommended to work 2-3 muscle groups.

Endomorphs

People who are prone to being overweight usually accumulate pounds in the hips and abdomen. Such a “non-athletic” figure, first of all, should be put in order. Endomorphs require training designed taking into account the following conditions:

heavy physical exercise at the beginning of classes. They should ensure the burning of excess calories and the growth of muscle mass.
minimum rest time between approaches (no more than a minute or one and a half);
The duration of each workout is one and a half to two hours.

Taking into account all these recommendations, there is one “but” - the development of an individual complex (as a rule, the Monday-Wednesday-Friday regime is taken as a basis) is better based on the recommendations of a competent instructor. This nuance is especially important for those who are just starting to engage in bodybuilding, since without additional consultations and advice you can, as they say, “break the woods.”

Third training day: Legs

A common mistake beginner athletes make is ignoring exercises aimed at working the leg muscles. You can often see a person in the gym who has a powerful torso, developed arms and “matchstick” legs. Firstly, it does not look harmonious, and secondly, it is wrong from a bodybuilding point of view.

The leg muscles require special attention, because to work them you need to spend a lot of time and effort. That's why the 4-day split includes a separate day in its program dedicated to working the leg muscles. Moreover, on this day the muscles worked the day before are restored. The key to muscle growth is not only high-quality and active training, but also proper rest.

As for exercises, there will be no problems here. Modern gyms can offer a variety of exercise machines for working your legs.

Start with an exercise aimed at extending and bending your legs in the machine. This is an excellent option for warming up and preparing for complex equipment and heavy weights.

You can include a barbell squat in the program, which actively engages not only the leg muscles, but also the back.

At the final stage, work your calf muscles. To do this, use a special simulator or perform alternate calf raises with weights in your hands.

Introduction

So, we have passed the first and second stages. The third will require even more dedication from you than before. If you are persistent in your quest to gain muscle mass and build muscle, you will have to invest in yourself and in the sport, sacrifice time, study and perhaps give up some benefits, but this is a necessary sacrifice that will inevitably have to be paid, because nothing is given fast and free. Well, since I’ve already made such a cloud, it means it’s time to report on the most important point of the third stage - now you will need to train every day. But there is a bright side to this - we will train only one muscle group per day.

At this stage, the training program for gaining muscle mass in men will differ from the previous one in that then we adhered to the linear progression method, during which we linearly increased the weights in the exercises. Now we will use a more advanced progression method called wave periodization. The application of this method is to alternate light weeks with heavy ones. If in the first and second stages each week was hard for us, that is, we constantly tried to take more weight than in the previous week, then in the third stage we will train hard, with maximum weights for a whole week, and the next week we will work out with half the workers scales This will be necessary for sufficient recovery and gradual increase in results. Thus, now and in the future we will train according to the principle: hard week/easy week. Wave periodization is the most effective way to gain mass, increase results and increase weight in exercises, so we will stick to this scheme from now on.

Day four: Arm muscles and shoulders

The last training day, which is included in the 4-day split, is isolation exercises for small muscle groups.

The training should begin with pumping the shoulder muscles until the arm muscles are “clogged” with isolation exercises.

Seated barbell or dumbbell press:

sit on a bench with the backrest at 90 degrees;
slowly and smoothly lift the barbell from your chest up above your head;
gently lower the barbell down without touching your body;
Pay attention to the technique and correct breathing.

The finishing exercise is dumbbell swings to the sides.

The French press is an ideal exercise for working the triceps. It is optimal to perform four sets of ten repetitions. A “finishing” exercise can be done with arm extensions in a block.

Standard standing barbell curls are great for working your biceps. To better work out this group, you can use a Scott bench. The exercise is performed until failure.

How to organize workouts for weight loss three times a week

Several strategies can be distinguished:

"Group Lessons" You take 3 Body Pump or Hot Iron classes, or any other club class that uses light to medium weight dials. Do not equate training with body bars “for the whole body” to this; this, after all, is not entirely strength training. Why lessons with dialing bars? Because they perfectly speed up metabolism, help increase endurance and at the same time work on the technique of strength exercises. Usually, after these classes, people quickly get used to the gym and achieve good results. If you still have energy after these exercises, spend 20-30 minutes on a treadmill at a medium pace; advanced aerobics visitors can try interval training.

“Gym” - in this case, it is better if a strength program is written for you by a trainer. For those who are training for the first year or two, there is no particular point in doing a split. Especially when it comes to girls, your priority is to increase energy expenditure, and this is only possible if you load large muscle groups. If, nevertheless, you do it, it is better to combine training of one large group with a load on the “small” one, that is, not the classic approach - 1 day back and chest, 2 day - abs and legs, 4 day - arms and abs, and the other - We train the back with biceps, the chest with triceps, and the deltoids with legs. Moreover, the abs should be pumped up every training day, varying the intensity and type of exercise. At the end of the strength session, literally for 15-20 minutes you should stand on a treadmill or ellipsoid and do a short but intense (intervals, wave-like increase in load) training.

"Dancing". In this case, ordinary dancing will not work. If you need to simultaneously shape your figure and burn fat, and develop plasticity and stretching, go to a pole school-studio. Don’t be afraid, no one will undress you there, or force you onto the stage. Usually a lesson lasts 1.5 hours, during which you will have time to get strength training, cardio, and stretching. And this dance is also quite an energy-consuming thing. Plus, he develops self-confidence and the valuable ability to walk in heels.

"Rock climbing". If the pole is not suitable for you for ideological and political reasons, and the gym is simply boring, you can try to be like a climbing wall. Choose an “institution” organized according to the type of section; there must be a trainer there, and ideally there should also be general physical training classes. Training in such a club will help not only achieve the utilitarian goal of losing weight and building a “lean” muscular body, but also significantly expanding your social circle and leisure activities.

In general, the ideal regime is one in which you recover and enjoy your workouts, rather than forcing yourself into the gym on pain of being deprived of dinner. So, experiment with the frequency of training, and you will definitely find your “recipe for being slim.”

Elena Selivanova

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