Most bodybuilders workout four to six days per week
and spend at least an hour on each workout. Add travel time to and from
the gym, and this adds up to a lot of time spent away from home and the
family. This is one of the reasons why a bodybuilder may want to build
a home gym in the basement. This will reduce the travel time, but the
length of the workout can still be an issue.
Most bodybuilders
will split the body into two or three parts and work one of the three
parts per workout. As I get older and busier, I have a problem with
this method. The problem is that with the high intensity that I use
(forced reps, drop sets, etc.), I just don't have the energy to train a
second or third bodypart during the same workout. This is especially
true on leg day. After my final set of hack squats, I can barely walk,
let alone move on to hamstrings and calves. If I do move on, I just
won't be able to generate the same intensity for these bodyparts.
I
have found an approach to this problem that has worked well for me. I
have divided my body into six parts instead of three. This requires
working out six times per week, but most of the workouts can be
completed in twenty to thirty minutes. Since you are concentrating on
only one bodypart per workout, you can put all your intensity and
energy into it, rest for shorter periods, and really blast that body
part!
You must be diligent and be sure not to skip a bodypart,
but part of the beauty of this method is that the workouts are short
enough that if one is missed due to the kids band concert on Thursday
evening, you can make up that workout by doing two on Saturday or
Sunday. You could also double up once in a while and do two of your
bodyparts in one workout.
There are different ways to split your body up, and I have tried many, but here is a split that I use most often;
Day 1 Chest
Day 2 Back
Day 3 Quads
Day 4 Hamstrings & Calves
Day 5 Triceps, Biceps, Forearms
Day 6 Delts
You
will want to do hit your abs at the end of every other workout. I
recommend using only two or three exercises per body part to help
reduce the length of the workout, but rotate different movements each
time you do a particular bodypart. For example, for chest I would do
Inclined dumbbell presses and standard bench presses one workout, then
maybe flat dumbbell presses and dips the next time.
Keep in mind
that even though the goal here is to complete each workout in as short
a time as possible, you need to make them intense! Perform a warm up
set of 20-25 reps, then get right into the heavy sets. Don't rest more
than 45-60 seconds between sets and be sure to use some drop sets,
negative reps and forced reps on your last set to really burn the
muscle.
If this sounds like a plan that might work for you, try
it for a couple of weeks. I think you will find that the shorter
workouts will enable you to increase your intensity and stimulate some
new muscle growth, and spend more time with the family in the process!
Don't forget to feed your muscles every day with 1-1.5 grams of protein
per pound of bodyweight for maximum results!
For more information on protein supplements, visit:
http://www.RockSolidBodybuilding.com/protein