Bodybuilding Routines - Split Routines
People who start out developing their body muscles usually start with a full body work out. While this is a very good strategy to start body building, this also leads to less work out for individual muscles or body parts. The solution to this is the split routine.
What are split routines?
Split routines are a special exercising method which enables a person to train their muscles with greater intensity. This means that you concentrate on exercising two groups of muscles every day instead of the entire body. You progress to different parts of the body during subsequent days. While there are no hard and fast rules as to which muscles can be coupled for exercising, split routines usually follow a pattern:
* Exercises of the single-joint nature should be left for the end, after the more compound ones.
* The muscles that you are training everyday should be roughly the same in mass.
* The exercising should not last beyond an hour.
* Changing exercises every month or so helps in a split routine.
* Muscle grouping should also be varied every two months.
* Split work outs can be spaced out and affords more resting opportunities than a full body work out.
Advantages
The greatest advantage of the split routine is that all the muscles of your body receive intense work out so that your whole body starts developing. There are no hard and fast rules for a split workout. However certain factors can be kept in consideration while choosing a program like availability of time, exercising habits, genetics and goals. Thus, split routine exercises are determined as much by your personal choices and preferences as by other factors.
The benefits of a split routine over other kinds of exercises are as follows:
* It takes less time
* There are reduced chances of over exertion.
* The work out being concentrated on different muscles, the intensity of exercising is greater.
* It leads to greater concentration.
* Split routines lead to higher energy levels.
* Stamina increases with time.
However, overdoing it may cause more harm than good. Therefore caution is advised: resting is as important as working out in any kind of exercise regime. Ensure that your muscles are well rested between work outs.
No Fixed Regime for Anyone
Split routines are very person specific. There is no magic solution to every one's body building problems. This is also partly due to the difference in aims and goals. Not everyone will concentrate on the same body muscle. There are also different levels of body building from toning up to sculpting muscles. One must arrive at his or her own perfect body building regime by experience, by trial and error before one can ultimately settle down in to the perfect work out regime.