Split Routines??

Why not Split Routines? Two people have asked me this question in the last week. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, a split routine is one where only part of the body is worked in any given workout. The theory is that it enables you to concentrate more on that particular body part. The most common type of split is an upper/lower body split. For example, you might work the upper body on Monday and Thursday, and the lower body on Tuesday and Friday.

So why don't I advocate a split routine for most of my clients? Actually, I feel a split routine has more disadvantages than advantages for most people:

1. You need to be hitting the weights at least 4 times a week with a split routine. If you're only doing 2 or 3 weight workouts a week, half or all of your body is only getting worked once a week. This allows too much recovery time, and you end up backsliding.

2. For weight loss or muscle building, you really need to be stimulating the muscle every 48 hours or so. Longer than that, and your body stops compensating. For strength gains, weight lifters may need longer between workouts for optimum neurological recovery, but most of us aren't competitive weight lifters.

3. In order for a split routine to do any good, you really need to "Blast" the muscle totally! A competitive lifter might come away from a workout hardly able to walk. Most of us have real lives! Some of us would actually like to be able to function the next day! Studies have shown that for muscle growth and weight loss, as well as general fitness, we don't need to do such devastating workouts.

4. Split Routines just add un-needed complexity. Most of you come in to see me once a week. If we did a split routine, we'd only be able to do half your workout each week.

So why do other trainers and most "gym rats" use split routines? Well, I could be unkind and say "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS", but instead I'll just say that most people tend to think more complicated is better. So they use a system even if it isn't doing them any good. Now don't take this to mean that split workouts aren't of any use. At a certain level they're almost required, but certainly not for everyone.

As an interesting side note, what was old is now new again! Seems other are discovering the benefits of non-split routines: http://www.thinkmuscle.com/articles/haycock/hst-01.htm