Training Splits

By Ryan Kelly

A training split refers to how you schedule what muscles to work on what day. Although there are literally thousands of ways to group muscles together for training, the three most popular are the Push/Pull/Legs split, the Antagonist Muscle Split, and the Single Muscle Group Split.

The Push/Pull/Legs system was developed around the three traditional powerlifts. This system splits the body into three groups based on what muscles are used for the three powerlifts. Push day focuses on the bench press, Pull day focuses on the deadlift, and Leg day focuses on the squat. This system tends to be associated with powerlifters and other strength athletes, as the powerlifts develop strength but since they do not focus on isolating specific muscle groups this split does not tend to develop the separation and detail of muscle that bodybuilders train for.

The Antagonist Muscle Split focuses on training muscles that are attached at the same joint but perform opposite functions during the same session. A good example of this would be to train biceps and triceps during the same session. The biceps curl the arm up, while the triceps extend the arm. Therefore, they are antagonist muscles, and under this system they would be trained together. This system tends to be more associated with bodybuilding and physique training, because under this system there are more isolation movements and more emphasis placed on developing muscular detail as opposed to sheer strength. Also, this system is said to produce the best "pump", which is nothing more than the sensation of blood filling a muscle but is very highly valued by bodybuilders. In fact, Arnold Schwarzenegger once infamously compared this feeling to sex. I think this may be an exaggeration, but it can be invigorating to develop a good pump while training.

The Single Muscle Group Split simply trains one muscle group per session. For example if a trainer goes to the gym and trains only his biceps, he would be using a Single Muscle Group Split. This split is used by some bodybuilders, but is the less popular than the other two.

Which split should you use? Well, it is best to change your training style occasionally to keep your body growing. Therefore, I recommend that you change from one split to another as often as every month.

Ryan is a 275 pound natural bodybuilder from Arizona. He runs the Muscle Building Section of Good E-Books.com, where he lists his favorite books for building muscle mass. Visit http://www.goode-books.com/gainmuscle.html today to see Ryan's picks!