Pushing exercises. Split training: choosing the ideal system

So, the moment has long passed when you first visited the gym and found the strength to stay there for a long time. The first months of monthly weight gain are also behind us and the progress in kilograms is no longer as we would like, perhaps even not at all. So it’s time to think about “What am I doing wrong?” Perhaps you simply don’t have enough calories in your food, or you started spending less time on sleep, or maybe it’s time to change your training program.

So, if you are sure that everything is fine with your nutrition and you have time to get enough sleep, then you should approach your trainer and ask him for a new program. If you don’t have it, you’ll have to think and experiment on your own.

To begin with, I would like to remind you about vitamins. I advise you to take undevit and ascorbic acid regularly, as well as pentovit on training days. Why them? Read my article -. I hope she convinced you and we move on.

Now about the training program itself. It is divided into 2 days. One day is called “Pull”, the other “Push”. I think you have already guessed what we will do in them. First day

Day 1 – Pull

1. Bent-over barbell rows 3 sets of 12-8 times (that is, the first time we do 12 repetitions, the second 10 and the third 8. I don’t repeat it further)

2. Bent-over dumbbell rows 3 sets of 12-8 reps

It should be said right away that the methodology described today is designed for athletes who have training experience of at least one and a half years. If this program is used by novice athletes, its effectiveness will be extremely low. You must first prepare your body for maximum stress in minimum number approaches.

This program easily fits into the life of any person. You can even use it at home, which will save a lot of time. It is very important that the positive phase of each movement is performed as quickly as possible, but at the same time in full accordance with the technique. The negative phase is performed at a slow pace.

During the week you should not train more than four days. IN otherwise the effectiveness of the training will decrease. Simple and effective program For bodybuilders, the push-pull style involves a cyclical pattern. You will complete four cycles, consisting of four workouts each. After this, it is necessary to give the body rest for 7 to 10 days. After this, you can continue training and, if necessary, make certain adjustments to them without changing the basic scheme.

Each muscle group is trained once over eight days. This will allow you to maintain a balance between optimal loads and the rest time necessary for the body to recover. If for some reason you manage to conduct your next lesson not on the fifth, but on the fourth day, then reschedule the next workout on the third day. It is important that four classes (one cycle) are completed over 16 days. In other words, you need to train once every four days.

If you stick to the pace mentioned above, perform the exercises technically competently and put in maximum effort in each lesson, the results will not be long in coming.


If for some reason you have not trained for a long time, then a simple and effective push-pull bodybuilding program will be very useful for you. You can safely increase your working weight by 2–3 kilograms at each session.

You may have noticed that there are no squats in the program. Also deadlift replaced by Romanian cravings. Due to the absence of these exercises, which require large energy expenditures, this technique is not capable of greatly tiring your body.

It is also important to remember proper nutrition and sleep. Without these factors you will not be able to achieve good results. It is very good if you keep a diary of your activities.


If your body is exhausted from previous stress, and you are close to a state of stagnation or have already found yourself in it, then it is better to give your body a couple of weeks of rest. It is difficult to give exact recommendations in this matter and you should focus on the state of your body.

This program is designed to build muscle mass and for this reason the bench press should not be performed in a powerlifting style. This way you can significantly speed up the gain of muscle mass.

When working on biceps, it is best to use an EZ bar. Of course, you can use a regular bar, but it is much more difficult to control when working with weights that make up more than 75 percent of your body weight.

When performing French bench presses, use a weight that allows you to do 8 to 12 repetitions. This will protect elbow joints from possible injury. If they arise painful sensations when performing this exercise, replace it with a press down upper block. You should not use dips instead of the French press. You should work your triceps well and not overload your shoulder girdle.

Exercises to develop your abs can be done at any time. To do this, it will be enough to perform one set of twisting and hanging leg raises. If you use a crossbar with a diameter of five centimeters when performing leg lifts, then your grip will be trained at the same time.

Also on the fourth day you can add hyperextension for lower section backs. This is especially true when this muscle group is lagging behind in its development. In addition, the Romanian deadlift will be performed for a fairly long period of time and strengthening the lower back will not be superfluous.

If you are experiencing problems with the spinal column and vertical loads using free weights are contraindicated for you, then the simple and effective push-pull bodybuilding program will undergo minor changes, but the scheme will remain the same.

You can easily replace, say, a standing bench press with a bench press supported on the back of a bench set almost vertically. In the same way, you can replace arm curls with a dumbbell “hammer” grip. There are always options and there are quite a lot of them.

If you have back problems, it is advisable to replace the Romanian deadlift with the leg press. In this case, there are also quite a lot of options. A simple and effective push-pull bodybuilding program is a split system in which one session is devoted to the muscles that perform the pulling function, or, more simply, to the flexors, and the second to the extensors.

For more information about the program, watch this video.

Two-day split for mass or in other words two-day program training is a type of separate training systems, according to which you separate the work on all the main muscle groups body for two separate workouts. As a rule, the upper body is worked out in one workout, and the lower body in the second. What is the advantage of a two-day split training program and why is it so popular among naturals?

Two-day training program

The two-day mass split is great for both beginners and more experienced athletes who don't use anabolic steroid. As is known, growth muscle mass without the use of steroids is possible only if the working weights in the exercises are constantly increased. However, most visitors gyms are in a state of deep stagnation. Due to the blind copying of champion training programs with which the entire Internet is littered, a natural’s body simply does not have time to recover, which leads to a state of overtraining in which there can be no talk of any progress. A two-day mass split allows for full recovery between workouts, which will have a positive effect on increasing the athlete’s working weights and muscle mass. With the help of this you are guaranteed to be able to break through stagnation and reach new level. Tested by personal experience!

The most common options for constructing a two-day split are “TOP-BOTTOM” and “PULL-PUSH”. According to the first option, in the first workout you work the muscles of the upper body (CHEST, BACK, ARM), and in the second workout the muscles of the lower body (LEGS, PRESS). According to the second option, in one training session you work out pulling muscle groups (MUSCLES OF THE BACK AND BACK OF THE THIGH, BICEPS OF THE ARMS), and in another training session pushing muscle groups (CHEST MUSCLES, TRICEPS, FRONT DELTO, QUADRICEPS). For clarity, I will give examples of both options for a two-day weight split.

Two-day weight split “TOP-BOTTOM”

Workout #1 (TOP)

1. Bench press horizontal bench 3x8-10

2. Dumbbell press incline bench head up 3x8-10

3. Pull-ups on the bar with a wide grip 3x8-10

4. Bent-over barbell row 3x8-10

6. Standing barbell curls 3x8-10

7. French press with bar 2-3x8-10

Workout No. 2 (LOW)

2. Bench leg press 3x8-12

3. Deadlift with a barbell 3x8-10

4. Calf raises standing or sitting 3x12-20

5. Hanging leg raises 3x12-20

Two-day mass split “PULL-PUSH”

Workout No. 1 (PULLING EXERCISES)

1. Deadlift with barbell 4x8-10

2. Pull-ups on the bar 3x8-10

3. Bent-over barbell row 3x8-10

4. Standing barbell curls 3x8-10

5. Hanging leg raises 3x12-20

Workout No. 2 (PUSHING EXERCISES)

1. Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 4x8-10

2. Bench leg press in a 3x8-12 machine

3. Calf raises standing or sitting 3x12-20

4. Bench press on a horizontal bench 3x8-10

5. Seated barbell or dumbbell press 3x8-10

6. French press with a barbell lying or standing 3x8-10

Notes on the 2-Day Mass Split Program

The number of workouts per week will depend on your body's recovery abilities and other factors. The optimal amount of training is 2-3 times a week. If you have a busy work schedule and other problems that are preventing you from fully recovering, then you will need more time to recover. In this case, I recommend training only 2 times a week, for example on Monday and Friday. If you recover quickly, then you can exercise 3 times a week every other day (Mon, Wed, Fri or Tue, Thu, Sat) alternating workouts. For example, on Monday the upper body, on Wednesday the lower body, on Friday the upper body again, etc. So in the first week you will have two workouts for the top and one for the bottom. In the second week there will be two workouts for the lower body and one for the upper body, etc. There are many options. The choice is yours.

Frankly speaking, I prefer the first option for constructing a two-day split training program for mass “TOP-BOTTOM,” although both options are equivalent. At one time I was studying two-day split on weight in order to break through stagnation in working weights and muscle growth. And I succeeded. I hope you succeed too. I wish you good luck, friends!

March 19th, 2014 , 10:00 am

Push-pull leg split

1. For those not quite beginners who have already worked out the “up-down” split, and can afford two strength training sessions per week, I recommend a split that involves doing rows in the first workout (“pull”) and presses (“push”) - On the second.

2. For those advanced who can afford three strength training sessions per week, I recommend a push-pull-leg split.


They are all over 40. Do you want to look the same at their age? Dive under the cat!


Workout 1. “Push.” The muscles of the upper body responsible for performing bench presses work. Chest, shoulders, triceps.

Workout 2. “Pull.” The muscles of the upper body responsible for performing deadlifts work. Back, biceps.

Workout 3. “Legs.” All Bottom part body + abs. Although the abs, in principle, can be worked out in any of the workouts.

The big advantage of this split is that the muscles do not overlap and have time to recover.

This is what a 3-day weekly push-pull split might look like:

Day 1: Push.
Day 2: Rest.
Day 3: Pull.
Day 4: Rest.
Day 5: Legs.
Day 6: Rest.
Day 7: Rest.

Yes, the muscles do not overlap, there is enough time for recovery, but there is a big disadvantage: you train each muscle group once a week. It's better than nothing. This is better than not having time to recover. But if you are not a beginner and want progress in training, then one workout per muscle group is not enough. To maintain the shape of those who have achieved the desired - enough. For beginners, that's enough. In order to improve the existing form for advanced ones, no.

What to do?

I propose this split.

Day 1: Push.
Day 2: Pull.
Day 3: Rest.
Day 4: Legs.
Day 5: Rest.
Day 6: Push.
Day 7: Pull.

Day 1: Rest.
Day 2: Legs.
Day 3: Rest.
Day 4: Push.
Day 5: Pull.
Day 6: Rest.
Day 7: Legs.

With this breakdown, each muscle group is worked out not 2 times every 2 weeks, but 3 times every 2 weeks. For advanced people, this scheme is optimal. For beginners - no: it is better for them to train each muscle group 3 times a week, which means 3 full bodies every other day.

The push-pull-legs split can be modified slightly by swapping the push and leg splits. The result will be a push-legs-pull split that will look like this:

Day 1: Push.
Day 2: Legs.
Day 3: Rest.
Day 4: Pull.
Day 5: Rest.
Day 6: Push.
Day 7: Legs.

Day 1: Rest.
Day 2: Pull.
Day 3: Rest.
Day 4: Push.
Day 5: Legs.
Day 6: Rest.
Day 7: Pull.

“Push-legs-pull” loses to “Push-pull-legs” in that there is no rest day before leg training, which is always the hardest. However, there is a big plus: in consecutive “push” and “pull” workouts, there is a load on the joints and ligaments of the hands for two days in a row. If they are healthy and well developed and have time to recover, then there are no problems. Personally, I prefer not to stress the same ligaments and joints two days in a row, so for myself I would prefer a push-pull leg split, although they are no different in effectiveness.

Ugh. It seems that's it. Questions?

It’s not enough to make a sensible training program in bodybuilding, you still need to correctly perform exercises for one or another muscle group. When I started training, the most common exercises for us were biceps exercises - standing barbell and dumbbell lifts, chest exercises - bench press and flyes, and for training legs - squats. Not a rich arsenal, but it was enough for us. I mean that in school we made a lot of mistakes in each of them. Even now I can do some exercises with less than perfect technique. Therefore, I decided to pay due attention to exercises for all muscle groups for future bodybuilders, and it would not be amiss for myself either.

Here are the main muscle groups, by going into which you will find exercises aimed at training a particular muscle. Collected here best exercises for bodybuilding and more. This section of the site will be constantly supplemented and updated with reviews of new and old exercises with tips on the correct technique.

The best exercises for training muscles

EXERCISES FOR THE NECK AND TRAPEZIUS MUSCLES EXERCISES FOR CHEST MUSCLES
SHOULDER EXERCISES EXERCISES FOR LEGS AND HIPS
BACK EXERCISES ARM EXERCISES (BICEPS AND TRICEPS)
EXERCISES FOR THE ABS SHIN EXERCISES

The exercises are systematically distributed across the main muscle groups. In the description, I will try to give, if possible, options for substitute exercises. These are exercises for the back, legs, pectoral muscles, neck, exercises for the deltoids (shoulders), arms (triceps and biceps), lower legs and of course the abs.

Train large muscle groups

To build impressive muscle mass, I recommend starting training with large muscle groups: legs, back, chest. It is the training of these muscle groups that stimulates the release of the hormone testosterone and other hormones into the blood that promote weight gain and strength. There is an expression: “If you want biceps, train your legs.” I felt this myself when my biceps didn’t want to grow, I started squatting, my overall mass increased and all my muscles became bigger.

All exercises can be divided into two groups: pulling and pushing.

Pulling exercises are performed when you bring the apparatus closer to you or yourself to the apparatus, for example, pull-ups, deadlifts, etc. This group includes bending exercises for the arms and legs, because in them the exercise machine is pulled towards the body.

Pushing exercises are a group of exercises where efforts are aimed at moving the projectile away from oneself (bench presses or presses on the shoulders, pectorals, triceps).

Muscle strength training

Bodybuilding or bodybuilding is power training muscles through exercises with and without weights, to tone the muscles, increase their size and strength. Working with a barbell or dumbbells is always strength training for muscles, because this way you influence muscle strength, and increasing their size is more by-effect training.

All exercises can be systematized according to different criteria. The most common classification of exercises in bodybuilding is organized according to the following criteria.

Exercises for training muscles in bodybuilding - classification

Classification by muscle group being trained:

  • Leg exercises
  • Back exercises
  • Exercises for the pectoral muscles
  • Arm exercises (biceps and triceps)
  • Exercises for training deltoid muscles(shoulders)

According to the direction vector of the applied force

  • Pulling exercises for muscles
  • Pushing exercises for muscles

By the number of joints involved to perform the exercise

  • Single-joint or isolated
  • Multi-joint or basic

Multi-joint or basic is a class of exercises characterized by technical complexity and performed mainly with large scales, because they involve several joints and muscle groups. Examples of such exercises: squats with a barbell on the shoulders, deadlifts. Squats involve: hip joint, knee joints. When performing a deadlift, almost all joints and muscles of the body work. Both of these exercises are basic and require correct technique execution. But leg extension or bending in a machine is a single-joint or isolated exercise, where one joint works - the knee.

By doing isolated exercises a minimum number of muscles work, which means the body receives less stress, and therefore the muscles grow worse.

If you are new to bodybuilding and are looking for the best exercises to train your muscles, then choose only the basic ones - multi-joint exercises. Basic exercises- This the best option for building muscle mass and increasing strength in bodybuilding.