Richard79
New Member
I have been doing 4 day splits for a while but a lot of people at my gym tell me it would be best to do a 5 day split. Is a 5 day split beneficial to a natural?
MESO-Rx
Anabolic Steroids
What are some good workout plans for a natural lifter?
- Thread starter Richard79
- Start date
RodgerThat
New Member
Enhanced lifter or natty doesn't matter IMHO only thing that matters is you recover from your workout and that's on a personal level. I don't do bodybuilding stuff as it doesn't apeal to me but if you've recovered from your workout id hit the muscle again whether that's 48 hours later or 5 days later up to you but 5 day split didn't yeild anything for me. Best gainz I've made is by squating & benching 3x a week and deadlift and overhead press 2x a week
Richard79
New Member
I see. So basically just see if I recover from the previous workout and that will let me know my limits concerning how frequently I could workout a specific muscle?
RodgerThat
New Member
Bingo bud. I can hit traps every second day but if I were to do OHP two days after I had done it last I'd fail my sets required. Can hit legs eod as well but can't deadlift eod or bench eod so some muscles are different too is basically what I'm getting at.
First of all, what are your goals?
Second, as my friend the deadlifting bear said, natty or not you can do any plan (depending on what YOUR goals are)
Second, as my friend the deadlifting bear said, natty or not you can do any plan (depending on what YOUR goals are)
Richard79
New Member
Mygoals are to have a bodybuilder physique. I want to build more mass basically
Richard79
New Member
I see. Thank you for the advice
weighted chinup
Member
Certain training frequencies and splits are simply not ideal for natural lifters. These kind of routines might be successful for maybe 10-20 percent of the drug-free guys who attempt them, but they aren't very effective for most others assuming the lifter is past a point where linear progression is no longer viable.
And usually it has very little to do with the workload being too high or to much for a drug free lifter....far from it.
I'm assuming by 5 day split you mean the typical bodybuilding split that has you hitting a muscle group once a week. This kind of training is not ideal - frequency is too low and it usually lacks periodization techniques.
A lifter needs fatigue once they are passed the linear progression stage, that is when the lifter is usually starting out and they can train and recover and still get stronger the next session. More experienced lifters can't do this because the amount of work they have to do to progress means they won't be recovered fully the next time they train that session. This is necessary, especially for drug free guys who want to make optimal progress, guys on AAS can get away with it because AAS will literally make almost anything work.
My suggestions for drug free lifters whose primarily goal is hypertrophy
And usually it has very little to do with the workload being too high or to much for a drug free lifter....far from it.
I'm assuming by 5 day split you mean the typical bodybuilding split that has you hitting a muscle group once a week. This kind of training is not ideal - frequency is too low and it usually lacks periodization techniques.
A lifter needs fatigue once they are passed the linear progression stage, that is when the lifter is usually starting out and they can train and recover and still get stronger the next session. More experienced lifters can't do this because the amount of work they have to do to progress means they won't be recovered fully the next time they train that session. This is necessary, especially for drug free guys who want to make optimal progress, guys on AAS can get away with it because AAS will literally make almost anything work.
My suggestions for drug free lifters whose primarily goal is hypertrophy
- Making sure everything gets hit at minimum every 3-4 days
- 5-10 RM for main movements / Moderate Intensity
- High Weekly Volume
- Periodization technique to manage fatigue is included, this is critical. Lots of things you can do for this, you can incorporate a scheduled deload where you take a week off every 3-4 weeks, or you can have one high intensity day and a lower intensity day instead of taking time off, etc. Lots of options for this.
Richard79
New Member
I think I get what you're saying. For example, a good routine would be 6 or more sets per excercise for a certain muscle with 5 to 10 reps on main lifts. Then within 3 to 4 days hit that same group again.
Richard79
New Member
Yeah I get what you're saying. I've been doing 4 days a week but I was thinking about changing it.
Greyskull lp
Same here. I been training 4 days a week for a while. Ready to drop it to 3 days a week.
Richard79
New Member
Do you hit the triceps directly with this program? I see the program but all I see as the excerises is curls, bench, press, chins, squat, deadlift or do they want you to stick with just those lifts?
Richard79
New Member
Same here man trying to switch up a little
caveman72
New Member
depends on age and body type genetics
but honestly I'm older and been natural tell 40 but I used to get hell of a gain do every thing just twice week 3 on 1 off 3 again make workout where fullbody gets hit in 3 days after that then switch to 4 on 2 off make whole body in 4 like for. yge 4 day chest tris. back bis.
shoulders traps, then legs
3 day program is like. chest and back
shoulders ans bus and tris.
then legs
goodluck
but honestly I'm older and been natural tell 40 but I used to get hell of a gain do every thing just twice week 3 on 1 off 3 again make workout where fullbody gets hit in 3 days after that then switch to 4 on 2 off make whole body in 4 like for. yge 4 day chest tris. back bis.
shoulders traps, then legs
3 day program is like. chest and back
shoulders ans bus and tris.
then legs
goodluck
caveman72
New Member
now pi don't look sarms things weekly more like have I hit all body parts yet then start over I do
this now and I even rest eod.sometimes
chest and shoulder press and side
back rear Delta and traps
arms both sides
legs
plus now I super set triple set everything I do to totally failure learn to stick to something than change then do it a gain I hope this helps if you need sometime I can write routine down don't forget calves when I say legs same with hamstrings
this now and I even rest eod.sometimes
chest and shoulder press and side
back rear Delta and traps
arms both sides
legs
plus now I super set triple set everything I do to totally failure learn to stick to something than change then do it a gain I hope this helps if you need sometime I can write routine down don't forget calves when I say legs same with hamstrings
Eh... It's different person to person..
As a natural I would hit body parts so differently every month. I changed things up, a lot and often. For example.........
Monday through Friday
Chest / back / shoulders / arms / legs
Shoulders / legs / back / arms / chest
Chest shoulder / legs / back arms / chest shoulder
Chest back / legs shoulders / rest / back arms / chest legs
Rest Saturday Sunday.
I always trained differently. I always gained at a faster pace and developed muscle well.. As a natty I put on 60lbs of some quality size in a year... Hit my 315 bench 385 dl 335 squat natty then decided to use gear..
Build your foundation.
Ideally I advice focusing on compounds for most nattys and anyone asking for advice...
As said earlier, 10-20% of nattys have the genetics to be able to train "advanced" and still make it work..
Try this.. Here I go spoon feeding again.
Chest
Warmup on db flies 4x15
Barbell incline bench 6x4
Barbell flat bench 4x8
Super1: Cable flyes 3x10
Super1: Dumbell incline flyes 3x10
Super2: incline DB bench 3x15
Super2: push-ups until failure
Back
Warmup on 4x15 close grip rows
Tbar row 5x8
Lat pull down 4x10
Serratus cable pull 6x10
Close grip row 4x6
Deadlift 6x5
Assisted pull-ups 3/4 bw 4 x failure
Shoulders
Warmup side raise / front raise 4x15
Side raise 5x8
Rear delt fly 4x12
Seated Smith machine OHP 6x6
Arnold press 4x12
Super1: side raise 3x20
Super1: front raise 3x20
Arms
Warmup superset DB curls/tricep push 4x20
Seated barbell curl 5x8
Incline db curl 3x10
Cross body curl 3x10
Tricep cable push down 5x8
Tricep kickback 3x12
Tricep skull crusher 3x12
Super1: DB hammer curl 4x15
Super1: Tricep cable pushdown 4x15
Legs
15min stretch/ Warmup sissy squats 4x20
ATG squats 6x8
Staight leg deadlift 6x8
Leg press 4x10
Hamstring single curl 4x10
Super1: quad extension 5x12
Super1: hamstring dual curl 5x12
Sissy squats burnout body weight x failure
Calves Monday and Friday
Abs...lol... Compounds build core
There you have it, pal. Welcome to meso.
Stay off gear. Eat. Get big.
As a natural I would hit body parts so differently every month. I changed things up, a lot and often. For example.........
Monday through Friday
Chest / back / shoulders / arms / legs
Shoulders / legs / back / arms / chest
Chest shoulder / legs / back arms / chest shoulder
Chest back / legs shoulders / rest / back arms / chest legs
Rest Saturday Sunday.
I always trained differently. I always gained at a faster pace and developed muscle well.. As a natty I put on 60lbs of some quality size in a year... Hit my 315 bench 385 dl 335 squat natty then decided to use gear..
Build your foundation.
Ideally I advice focusing on compounds for most nattys and anyone asking for advice...
As said earlier, 10-20% of nattys have the genetics to be able to train "advanced" and still make it work..
Try this.. Here I go spoon feeding again.
Chest
Warmup on db flies 4x15
Barbell incline bench 6x4
Barbell flat bench 4x8
Super1: Cable flyes 3x10
Super1: Dumbell incline flyes 3x10
Super2: incline DB bench 3x15
Super2: push-ups until failure
Back
Warmup on 4x15 close grip rows
Tbar row 5x8
Lat pull down 4x10
Serratus cable pull 6x10
Close grip row 4x6
Deadlift 6x5
Assisted pull-ups 3/4 bw 4 x failure
Shoulders
Warmup side raise / front raise 4x15
Side raise 5x8
Rear delt fly 4x12
Seated Smith machine OHP 6x6
Arnold press 4x12
Super1: side raise 3x20
Super1: front raise 3x20
Arms
Warmup superset DB curls/tricep push 4x20
Seated barbell curl 5x8
Incline db curl 3x10
Cross body curl 3x10
Tricep cable push down 5x8
Tricep kickback 3x12
Tricep skull crusher 3x12
Super1: DB hammer curl 4x15
Super1: Tricep cable pushdown 4x15
Legs
15min stretch/ Warmup sissy squats 4x20
ATG squats 6x8
Staight leg deadlift 6x8
Leg press 4x10
Hamstring single curl 4x10
Super1: quad extension 5x12
Super1: hamstring dual curl 5x12
Sissy squats burnout body weight x failure
Calves Monday and Friday
Abs...lol... Compounds build core
There you have it, pal. Welcome to meso.
Stay off gear. Eat. Get big.
Richard79
New Member
I see. Thank you
Richard79
New Member
LOL thanks. Yeah I'm not planning on doing gear anytime soon. I'm trying to get as much gains as I can naturally then probably jump on after college 24 or 25 maybe