Working different muscle groups each day?

[Guitarded]

I've noticed that in the gym, lots of people tend to isolate certain muscle groups on different days. For example, one day they'll do arms, the next day they'll do shoulders, the next day they'll do abs, etc.

I just go in there and do a full upper body workout for about an hour. I've been at it for about 9 months and I've seen great results but as I start to leave the "beginner" fitness level, I wonder if it's better to start spending a whole day working out one muscle group. Does it matter? Also, should I start spending more time in the gym?

Thanks in advance!

 

[blackbeard]

If i were you i would have started off with a FBW such as the 5x5 where in as little as six months you can bench your own bodyweight and in two-three months squatting/deadlifting your own bodyweight from scratch. Some guy called Dr Darden said most people are needlessly doing splits which are only suitable for advanced trainees.

With FBW's you get the following benefit from T-Nation

Benefit #4: Greater Anabolic Hormone Stimulation

Taxing a large amount of muscle mass in a given session results in a greater acute increase in plasma anabolic hormone concentrations. Because this increase is so short lived, it's been debated as to whether or not it has any real impact on the muscle growth process. Having said that, I'd guess that even a brief increase in anabolic hormones is of value since the increase is occurring at such a sensitive time (when the body is primed for anabolism and massive amounts of nutrients are being consumed).

 

[tic]

If doing fullbody workout works for you, awesome. Everyone is different and as long as you are getting stronger and gaining more muscle, I'd stick with it a little longer. With that said, I personally do only 1-3 bodypart per workout session which last for about 75 minutes. Yes, sometimes I do spend 1 hour on 1 bodypart but rarely. If you do workout certain bodypart only, do complimentary muscle; ie chest+tricep or back+bicep.

Here is an example of just chest workout:
Flat BB bench press: 3 warmup sets (each with increasing wts), then 3-5 sets of 4-10 reps
Incline bench press: 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Decline press: 3-4 sets of 6-10
Seated flies: 3 sets of 10
cable upward flies: 2 sets of 8
downard cable flies: 2 sets of 8

If you wanted you can add some DB's workout in there as well. That along takes me about 45 minutes to complete.

 

[blackbeard]

Also, should I start spending more time in the gym?

Thanks in advance!

Spending more time in the gym doing lots of isolation is counter-productive. I would be worried about catabolism and the release of cortisol (a hormone that breaks down protein) when training for long periods.

 

[Mel Def]

Spending more time in the gym doing lots of isolation is counter-productive. I would be worried about catabolism and the release of cortisol (a hormone that breaks down protein) when training for long periods.

For your average Joe in the gym or someone trying to acheive some edurance or general fitness goal this may be true but bodybuilders prepping for a show couldn't do it with broad line full body workouts. It doesn't work. In that case, isolation coupled with compound exercises are necessary. One size does not fit all.

 

[blackbeard]

For your average Joe in the gym or someone trying to acheive some edurance or general fitness goal this may be true but bodybuilders prepping for a show couldn't do it with broad line full body workouts. It doesn't work. In that case, isolation coupled with compound exercises are necessary. One size does not fit all.

You are simply agreeing with what I said. A lot of people are doing pro-bodybuilder type split-routines when their bodies simply aren't that advanced.

 

[Mel Def]

You are simply agreeing with what I said. A lot of people are doing pro-bodybuilder type split-routines when their bodies simply aren't that advanced.

Where is there any comparasion or agreement? I have seen you respond to others in this supercilious way so probably it is best to let you say whatever and go on. Yes, by all means, I was parroting what you said. Full body workout and isolation mean EXACTLY the same. lol.

 

[tic]

Spending more time in the gym doing lots of isolation is counter-productive. I would be worried about catabolism and the release of cortisol (a hormone that breaks down protein) when training for long periods.

Okay buddy, let me break it down a little more. Most of the people on the board will agree that you should give at least 48 hours rest between doing the same body part, more ideally 72 hours (3 days). Meaning if you workout chest on Monday, the earlies you should do that again is Wednesday but ideally Thursday in order for the body to have enough time to recovery. Personally, I have felt a muscle soreness after 1 week of not training that muscle group. If i where to bring that kind of workout intensity to a fullbody workout ever other day, what do you think will happen to my muscle?

About the whole catabolism and anabolism is more dieting than working out at the gym. We know that during a weight loss diet, you are trying to get your body in a catabolic state (basically calorie deficit). If you are on a diet aka catabolic state, your body's cortisol level is elevated. There are other factors that will contribute to cortisol level as well such as sleep and stress in your life. The whole hormonal regulation in the body is going to take forever to explain BUT in regard to concerning yourself with catabolic / cortisol is more of a diet issue than full-body workout versus isolation.

Now back to training, once the "average joe" is ready to build some muscle after dieting and losing the bodyfat; I would recommend isolation. That miracle phase of gaining strength and losing fat only last so long. Bodybuilding is breaking down and rebuilding back up again. If you do fullbody workout 4-5 times a week, there is just not enough time for the body to rebuild. Isolation will: (1) give the body the sufficient time to rest and (2) more power and intensity so the muslce will grow more.

With that said, I still do fullbody workout but only during my cutting phase and use it as a glycogen depletion. But 90% of the time while I am at the gym, I am working isolation. That is my 2 cents. Btw, I am not a profession bodybuilder or nothing just someone who is passionate about working out.

 

[tic]

To Guitarded:

Try doing some isolation split for a couple of week and boost up the weight that you use and push yourself. See if it works for you, if not return back to doing fullbody workout. Or mix the two. Do what works for YOU.

 

[Karky]

If you brought that kind of intensity to an FBW you'd be fine, if you brought that kind of volume to an FBW you'd be there forever, and if then then did an FBW 3x a week instead of one muscle group once a week, you'd get 3x the volume. The idea is to spread the volume of the muscles out over the week, this actually let's you keep intensity higher since you have more rest in between all the volume.

I'm not saying FBWs are the best, but I think it's a matter of what your body responds to best aswell as, in some cases, what sport you do. I don't think I've ever seen an olympic lifter do a chest and triceps day, because it doesn't fit the movements they need to do.
You can argue the science with different hormones, fatigue versus muscle tension (muscle tension over the week would probably be greater with an FBW, but fatigue greater with a split), and so forth for ever and you would never come to a conclusion for what is best. The reasons for this are many. For one thing, everyone is different, another thing is that we really don't know all that much about what gives hyp, or str, science wise.

 

[blackbeard]

Where is there any comparasion or agreement? I have seen you respond to others in this supercilious way so probably it is best to let you say whatever and go on. Yes, by all means, I was parroting what you said. Full body workout and isolation mean EXACTLY the same. lol.

There is no need to get your knickers in a twist. In fact I let off your casual statement because it was Mothers Day. FBW's are not for average Joe's or people who want to be get fit. I don't want to start a flame war on FBW's vs Splits, but read up stuff from Rippetoe or Dr Darden.

 

[Beaver]

I like doing a split routine. I have been doing FBW for 18 months and decided to do a split routine so I can work one muscle group alot harder because with a FBW by the last muscle group I was exhausted

As I only workout 1 muscle group twice a week im abit unsure how long I should work the muscle for