12 Programs To Follow

12 Programs to Follow
by Tim Henriques | 08/22/12
Hopping onto a random strength-training program you found online can

be fun. It's generally not advised, but if you haven't made appreciable
progress in ages or find your motivation to be waning, what have you got
to lose?
Sometimes doing something completely out of left field can be just what
you need to re-ignite a dwindling passion for bending bars and breaking
PR's.
Still, there's a big drawback as much as it may stoke your fire, that cool
program wasn't made with you in mind. For a program to be truly
made for you, you have to make it yourself.
Creating a workout program can be exciting I love the feeling of hope

and optimism that comes with putting a new program to paper but it
can be daunting as well, especially to the uninitiated. However, it doesn't
have to be difficult.
When setting up your program, the first thing you must do is figure out
your primary fitness goal. Most of you reading probably know that
already you're reading T Nation, right? though you'd be surprised
how many seasoned lifters lose sight of this.
The second thing is to pick a weekly routine to follow, and that's the point
of this article. I'll present 12 separate routines you just need to pick one
and then flesh out the details as you see fit.
This way you get the best of both worlds: an exercise routine that you
know works, combined with an individualized program set up for you, by
you.
Path #1:Total Body Routine

I define a total body routine as a routine that includes an upper body
pushing exercise, an upper body pulling exercise, and a compound leg
exercise all in one workout.
Recommended Frequency: 1-4 times per week; 2-3 times per week is
most common
Outline: 1-2 exercises per main muscle group, 6-10 exercises in the
workout
Day 1: Total Body
Day 2: Total Body

Day 3: Total Body
Strengths: Typically used for beginners, fat loss, and general health and
fitness. Doesn't require insane intensity to produce results; allows for a
specific lift to be practiced frequently. Shouldn't make one super-sore.
Limitations: Not typically used to build maximum muscle size and muscle
work capacity (such as the ability to complete 16 sets for chest, for
example); may tax lifters' recovery capabilities, especially as they get
stronger, bigger and/or older; may be hard to work on weak points and
still train the bigger items; harder to program effectively if training 4+
times per week.
Path #2:Upper/Lower Routine
The upper body is trained one day; the lower body trained another. Abs,
core, and lower back can go on either day, although being paired with
the lower body is most common.
Recommended Frequency: 2-6 times per week (2-4 times per week is
most common)
Outline: 1-3 exercises per muscle group, 5-10 exercises per day
Day 1: Upper (Chest, Back, Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps)
Day 2: Lower (Glutes, Quads, Hams, Calves, Abs, and Lower Back)
Note: The days and order are interchangeable.
Strengths: Promotes recovery compared to total body routines; works
well in many situations; works well if exercising 4 or more times a week.
Limitations: Upper body day can be long; some lifters may feel they need
more recovery time.
Path #3:Push/Pull Routine

The upper body pushing muscles are trained on one day, the upper body
pulling muscles are trained on another. The legs can be trained with
either day but are generally paired with the pulling muscles because of
time (the push day tends to take longer). Core is generally paired with
the pushing muscles.
Frequency: 2-6 times per week (2-4is most common)
Outline: 2-3 exercises per muscle group, 5-10 exercises per day
Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs)
Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps, Legs, Lower Back)
Strengths: Allows for a bit more focus on similar muscles compared to
the upper/lower routine; may be more ideal for size; works well in many
situations.
Limitations: Produces more local muscle fatigue than an upper/lower
routine; may be too advanced for beginners; pull day can be demanding.
Path #4:Push/Pull/Legs Routine
Similar to Path #3 but now the legs have their own day.
Frequency: 3 times per week (can go up to 6 if you want)
Outline: 2-4 exercises per muscle group, 6-8 exercises per workout
Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps, Abs)
Day 3: Legs (Glutes, Quads, Hams, Calves, Lower Back)
Strengths: Allows for more focus on specific muscles (particularly the
pulling and leg muscles) compared to the 2 day-a-week routine; can
promote recovery compared to higher frequency routines.
Limitations: Only training each area once a week may not be optimal
stimulus; likely to produce soreness if training is intense.
Path #5:Superset Routine

This is a 3 day-a-week routine in which agonist/antagonistic muscles are
paired. This allows for supersets to be employed, although it isn't
mandatory.
Frequency: 3 times per week (can go up to 6 times per week)
Outline: 2-4 exercises per muscle group, 6-8 exercises per workout
Day 1: Chest and Back
Day 2: Legs, Lower Back, and Abs
Day 3: Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps
Strengths: Easy to use supersets; small upper body muscles receive

stimulus 2 times per week; may promote recovery; tends to provide the
feeling of a 'pump' which, according to Arnold, feels pretty good.
Limitations: Only training each major area once a week may not be an
optimal stimulus; likely to produce soreness if training is intense.
Path #6:Sheiko Routines
Matt McGorry wrote a good summary of Sheiko routines for T

Nationhere. Their main purpose is to promote strength without adding
too much muscle mass, allowing lifters to stay in the same weight class.
Frequency: 3 times per week
Outline
Day 1: Squat movement, Bench movement, 2-3 assistance
Day 2: Deadlift movement, Bench movement, 2-3 assistance
Day 3: Squat movement, Bench Movement, 2-3 assistance
Note: Sometimes a squat, bench, or deadlift is repeated in the same day
as an assistance exercise.
Strengths: Promotes neuromuscular coordination through repeated
practice of the big movements; big movements are trained every
session.
Limitations: Workouts can be boring; easy to over-train if training is too
intense; not ideal if lifter expresses compensations during the movement
or is dealing with a chronic injury.
Path #7:2 Compound Exercises per workout

This workout is very simple pick any 2 compound exercises and train
them in a workout. Mix and match the exercises as you see fit.
Frequency: 2-6 times per week, 2-4 is most common
Outline
Day 1: 2 compound exercises
Strengths: Goes well with autoregulation training; promotes recovery;
focuses on "bang for the buck" exercises; time efficient.
Limitations: Programming can be haphazard; weak points may develop;

certain areas may be undertrained; might not provide novice lifters with
enough direction.
Path #8:2+2 Workout
This workout is just like the 2 compound exercises described above,

except 2 assistance exercises are added into the workout. Mix and
match exercises as you see fit.
Frequency: 2-6 times per week, 2-4 is most common
Outline
Day 1: 2 compound exercises + 2 assistance

Strengths: Goes well with autoregulation training; can help address weak
points; can promote recovery; reasonably time efficient.
Limitations: Programming can be haphazard; certain areas may be
undertrained; might not provide novice lifters with enough direction.
Note: Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 Program is similar to this, although he
provides more guidance on how the program should be set up and when
to perform certain exercises.
Paths 9-12:Once a Week Splits
The following 4 Paths are similar but not identical. They generally consist
of 4 workouts per week, but each area of the body is only trained once a
week.
These workouts are typically associated with traditional bodybuilding
routines. I'll give the general frequency, outline, strengths, and limitations
of these programs first, and then outline the specific routines, with notes
to follow.
Frequency: 4 times per week (more is possible but generally
unnecessary)
Outline: 3-5 exercises per large muscle group, 2-4 exercises per small
muscle group, 5-8 exercises per workout.
Strengths: Promotes recovery; weak points receive significant stimulus;
allows lifter to train with high intensity; works well if lifter has sensitive
joints that require longer recovery; builds work capacity and lactate
threshold; promotes muscle balance; may reduce chance of overuse
injury.
Limitations: Must be used with high intensity training; training once a
week might not be sufficient to provide optimal stimulus; likely to produce
significant soreness; may not promote neuromuscular coordination in
key exercises due to lower frequency; doesn't work as well with more
laid back or newer lifters.
Path #9:Large and Small Synergistic Muscles Combined
Day 1: Chest and Triceps
Day 2: Legs and Lower Back
Day 3: Back and Biceps
Day 4: Shoulders and Abs
Note: Promotes full recovery. However, synergistic muscle may be fried

by the time you get to it.
Path #10:Large and Small Synergistic Muscles Separated
Day 1: Chest and Biceps
Day 2: Legs and Lower Back
Day 3: Back and Abs
Day 4: Shoulders and Triceps
Note: Smaller muscles are fresh when you train them and ultimately
receive stimulus twice per week.
Path #11:Separating Legs and Lower Back
Day 1: Legs and Abs
Day 2: Chest and Biceps (ideally have a day of rest after day 2)
Day 3: Upper Back and Lower Back
Day 4: Shoulders and Triceps
Note: This routine allows for the separation of legs and lower back to
minimize fatigue squats would be performed on Day 1, with deadlifts
on Day 3 so the lifter can approach these exercises as fresh as
possible.
Path 12:The Yates Routine
Day 1: Shoulders, Traps, Triceps
Day 2: Upper Back, Rear Delts, Lower Back
Day 3: Chest and Biceps
Day 4: Legs
Note: Named after the immortal Dorian Yates, this was the former Mr.
Olympian's favorite routine. He'd often train 2 days on, 1 day off, 2 days
on, 1 day off, and repeat.
Traps can be paired with either back or with shoulders, your choice. This
goes for any of the routines.
Get Training!
Exercise program design can be complicated but it shouldn't be like
trying to do calculus in Cantonese. The previous12 templates are timetested routines that thousands of lifters have used for decades. Pick
whichever one floats your boat and then personalize it by filling in all the
details to make it your own.
But above all else, believe in it, and follow it for at least a few months.
After that, reassess, tweak, or perhaps move on to a new program and
start the whole process again.
See? There's hope for the unapologetic program hoppers after all. As
long as you don't forget about progressive overload, the results will
come.

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12 Programs to Follow

by Tim Henriques | 08/22/12

Hopping onto a random strength-training program you found online can

Creating a workout program can be exciting I love the feeling of hope

Path #1:Total Body Routine

Day 2: Total Body

Path #2:Upper/Lower Routine

Path #3:Push/Pull Routine

Path #4:Push/Pull/Legs Routine

Path #5:Superset Routine

Strengths: Easy to use supersets; small upper body muscles receive

Path #6:Sheiko Routines

Matt McGorry wrote a good summary of Sheiko routines for T

Path #7:2 Compound Exercises per workout

Limitations: Programming can be haphazard; weak points may develop;

Path #8:2+2 Workout

This workout is just like the 2 compound exercises described above,

Day 2: 2 compound exercises + 2 assistance

Paths 9-12:Once a Week Splits

Note: Promotes full recovery. However, synergistic muscle may be fried

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