4 Week Beginner Program – WEEK 2: START THE SPLIT
With the first week of the program behind you, you are ready to start training different muscle groups on different days. Instead of training your whole body in one day, you split the training in two days. This takes the total of training days to four in the second week. The split is divided into two days focused on the upper muscle groups (Monday and Thursday) and two days focused on the lower muscle groups (Tuesday and Friday). The other three days are reserved for recovery.
Some of the exercises of the first week are transferred to the second. Yet, excluding the abs, each muscle group routine becomes upgraded with one exercise, allowing you to train them more completely. For example, you’ll do two chest exercises. One is a compound exercise involving the use of multiple joints and participation of as many muscles as possible. The other one is isolation movement, targeting single muscles.
The reps in this week also rely on the reverse pyramid scheme, but with slight increase in the third set, where you do 15 reps. This may not follow the ideal range for building muscles, yet, increasing the number will you in increasing muscular endurance, thus providing sound basis for further gains in size and strength.
DAY 8: Upper Body
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Dumbbell Flye | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Barbell Bent-Over Row | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Overhead Dumbbell Press | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Barbell Biceps Curl | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Machine Preacher Curl | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extension | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Rope Pressdown | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Crunch | 3 sets | 15-20 reps |
DAY 9: Lower Body
| Leg Press | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Leg Extension | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 sets | 15-20 reps |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 sets | 15-20 reps |
DAY 10: Rest
Today is rest day.
DAY 11: Upper Body
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Dumbbell Flye | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Barbell Bent-Over Row | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Overhead Dumbbell Press | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Barbell Biceps Curl | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Machine Preacher Curl | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extension | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Rope Pressdown | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Crunch | 3 sets | 15-20 reps |
DAY 12: Lower Body
| Leg Press | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Leg Extension | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3 sets | 10, 12, 15 reps |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 sets | 15-20 reps |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 sets | 15-20 reps |
DAY 13: Rest
Today is rest day.
DAY 14: Rest
Today is rest day.
Continues on page 3 (WEEK 3: Three Day Split)…
Would their be any problem if one decides to train every day with out a day off?
Yes actually. The body needs time to rest and rebuild itself. And even though you will not be training the same muscle groups every day, you still work your nervous system (which needs rest as well).