Fatigue is a funny thing. It's very age-based. What I mean by that is I feel more fatigued -- and feel it shit-loads faster -- than when I was 25yrs younger. Here's an example: when you're doing a lower/upper body split, you should be able to work one musculature hard and the other musculature just as hard the following day, before having a recovery day. Right?
Well, not all the time I found.
If I do a hard squat work-out at the start of the week, I increasingly find it pretty much reduces how much I can lift and how long for, over the remainder of the week in practically all other exercises whether upper or lower. It doesn't seem to matter. Sad but true. Yes, I can still work-out, but not to my usual potential which is less than favourable. No, this doesn't happen all the time but it is happening more often.
What I get from this is if I'm really feeling it after a hard work-out, I need to either A) accept that the rest of the week will be average to low work-rate wise or B) take either more days off -- or even the rest of the week if necessary. Personally I prefer option A. So this puts pressure on choosing when and where to put your heaviest lifts if you're experiencing the same thing as me.
Yeah, the above occurrence could simply be an accumulation of fatigue over time because we often forget that fatigue, like stress, is actually accumulative. Tiredness can stack up and spread out. Worse, because it also affects your mental state, this reiterates back to the body further tiredness which -- wait for it -- makes you even more tired.
Hm.
But. If you're getting fatigued on a semi-regular basis yet have decent recovery days programmed, then it isn't just fatigue accumulation. Rather it's another twist in this iron journey and something else you'll need to adapt too and work around. It could in fact be time for a bro split which is gym-speak for working specific body parts once per week, historically a popular bodybuilding routine.
However, this isn't very popular amongst us natty users as we're not hitting muscle groups as much as we could or possibly should -- plus there's the fact that bodybuilders tend to be on the juice, hence the term "natty" or natural in the first place, meaning steroid free. When you're natural it's always going to be harder. When you're on gear you can do bro splits till Jesus comes back and make huge gains.
...hyuuuge.
Not so much as a natty though.
But. If we consider that when someone first starts working-out it's the early years that produce (on average) the best results -- no, this isn't gospel for everyone -- before gains start to taper off over the ensuing years, it doesn't really matter what program you use to achieve your muscular and/or strength potential, does it? Not if they all arrive at the same place.
Sure, one program might help you reach your genetic potential faster than another but if you're going to reach your genetic potential sooner or later anyway, does it really matter what program you use to get there with? I don't think so. I think you can use whatever tears your nightie to get to where you want to be and fuck the naysayers.
BRO SPLITS MAY WORK FOR YOU. THEY PROVIDE ADEQUATE RECOVERY TIME AND EVEN THOUGH THE FOCUS IS ON 1-2 AREAS, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SPILL OVER BETWEEN THESE AREAS ACROSS EACH DAY. YOU'LL JUST REACH YOUR GENETIC POTENTIAL A LITTLE SLOWER (AND PROBABLY MORE RESTED)
So what do bro splits look like? Well, you can do an online search under "bro split routines" and find out for yourself but I've displayed one below that shows days, targeted muscles and a short list of exercises available for each (note that I've purposely doubled up triceps with chest as benchpress is tricep heavy, just as I've doubled up biceps with back, as bent-over rows are bicep heavy).
MONDAY: Chest & triceps
Benchpress, close-grip benchpress, skull-crushers, DB overhead tricep extension
TUESDAY: Legs & abs
Squats, calf-raises, abdominal exercises (crunches, butterfly kicks, planks etc.)
(Wednesday off)
THURSDAY: Back & biceps
Bent-over rows, pull-ups, bicep curls, wrist curls
FRIDAY: Shoulders & hamstrings
Shoulder-press, deadlifts, RDLs, shrugs
The above bro split is one of many and no, you don't have to train the muscles in the order laid out. Some people have a specific arm day where they do bicep, tricep and forearms -- usually at the end of the week as they need these muscles for the preceding days. Again, that's something to remember: how you stack your exercise order. You either cluster exercises working similar musculature or you spread them out so as to hit said areas more often.
Likewise, some people have a leg day where they do quadriceps, hamstrings and calves all in one go. Others double-up on ab days. There's really no end to how you want to arrange it; it really is up to you. If bro splits help you stay motivated though, if you recover better and push yourself harder using them, then bro splits are a totally viable option you may wish to investigate.
...and maybe even should?
This doesn't mean you have to throw out every other program you've used, it simple means you're incorporating a new program into the mix, adding to your arsenal as it were. Just like a golfer will use different clubs for different reasons -- think a long drive as oppposed to a short putt -- so too can we and hey, we probably should use different programs for different reasons like a golfer as well.
The world's your oyster, kemosabe.
But. Are you getting tired more often?
:: CONCLUSION
Look, any experienced lifter if they're honest will tell you they use more than one routine in fact, I have three go-to routines (refer Routine basics) I consistently use. Moving between 2-4 routines over a year is standard as A) you don't get bored B) it gives your body bit of a wake-up call and C) some people like switching between strength-focused routines and hpertrophy-focused routines yearly. Heck, some months I'll just squat, bench and row and that's it.
In fact, the older I get the more I could tend towards bro splits as I think you can get some real quality work in on specific areas. That and knowing that over time everything evens out however we reach our genetic potential, takes a lot of the doubt and worry away. So to recap: if you're an older lifter and continually getting tired, give bro splits a go. Or reduce your weights, volume or work-out amount, it's your call. Kia ora whanau.
△
© ironkiwi.nz