Help with working out?

I am not a stranger to the gym or working out, however I need some advice on weight training.

Could someone give me a schedule for when to workout which body parts and which body parts to workout together.

So Sunday starts my week and I workout lower and upper body with a friend. We usually pick either back/biceps or shoulders etc.

Which muscles should I workout in the same session? What would be a good schedule if I am weight training 4 days a week?

Thanks for the help. I just want to make sure now that I am getting stronger that I am maximizing my workouts.

Re: Help with working out?

I listen to fit girl podcasts and have found THIS very helpful. I will post it here for reference.

HTH!

Workout Rotations

There are an infinite number of ways to rotate workouts! The following are examples can help you design your own program!
Step 1: How many workouts a week can you do?
2-3 days a week
4 days a week
4-6 days a week

Step 2: Choose your "split".

Now, choose one of these workout schedules:
1. Full body: Workouts on 2-3 days a week
2. Split body: Upper/Lower: Workouts on 4 days a week
3. Body Part Split: Workouts on 4-6 days a week

Step 3: Choose your exercises.

1. Full body:
At least one exercise per body part, maybe two for the larger body parts like legs and back.

2. Split body: Upper/Lower:
Two exercises per body part. You are doing all upper body one workout and all lower body the next.

3. Body Part Split:
Two to four exercises per body part, based on your goals.

Step 4: Choose your rest days,(aka "off" days).

You need to rest from workouts for your body to recover and respond with lean muscle and fat loss! A body part needs from 48-72 hours to recover before being ready for another workout. With this in mind, you can schedule your days on and off.

1. Full body:
Workout on alternate days, or every other day. Example would be: Monday, Wednesday, Friday or
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or
Monday, Thursday, Saturday

2. Split body:
Workouts can be done on consecutive days, since you are not working the same body part. Example:
Monday: Upper
Tuesday: Lower
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: Upper
Friday: Lower
Saturday and Sunday: cardio or rest

3: Body Part Splits:
Usually with a body part split you can exercise two days on and one day off and then repeat, or three days on and one day off.

Body part splits can be done for many schemes such as:
1. push/pull
Examples:
Back & Biceps (the pulling muscles)
Chest, shoulders and triceps (pushing muscles)
Legs

2. antagonistic muscle groups
Back & Chest, Shoulders
Biceps, Triceps
Legs
3. any muscles you want to combine!
Whatever your focus body part is, do it first!

Step 5: Choose your sets and repetitions.

Sets and repetitions are based on two criteria:
1. Body Part
2. Fitness Goal

Certain body parts respond better to high reps such as calves and abdominals and others to lower reps such as back and hamstrings.

If your goal is weight loss or body tone, aim for the 10-12 rep range. If your goal is to build muscle, but not to bulk, aim for 6-10 reps. If you goal is to build massive muscle, then the 4-8 rep range is for you!

You cannot go heavy all the time! The body does need rest. Conversely, you cannot always go too light or the body won't respond at all! Cycling your workout programs will keep your body changing and your workouts motivating!

You should have a plan before going into the gym! If you fail to plan you plan to fail!

Sample Workouts:

Full body workout example.
Do 2 to 4 sets of these exercise supersets at 10-12 reps and 1 minute between sets or less for more cardiovascular benefits!

Sample Workout 1:
squat / chest press
seated row / leg curl
front pulldown / lateral raise
bicep curl/ triceps extensions

Sample Workout 2:
stationary lunge / close grip pulldown
stiff legged deadlift / chest flye
2 arm db row / reverse flye (rear delt)
Triceps press downs / bicep curls on the low pulley curl

For full details on your exercise options, listen to the podcast!

Upper body/Lower Body split
Usually 2 day workouts then 1 day rest.

upper: back, chest arms
lower: legs, abs, low back

Here's a sample exercise selection:

Upper body:
Front Pulldown
Seated Row
Chest Flye
Shoulder press
Bicep Curl
Tricep Press down

Lower body:
Squats
Leg Curl
Lunges
Calve Raises
Ball abdominal crunches
Ball hyper extensions

Body Part Training Split

Workouts can be 2 on / 1 off.
Split:
(Day 1: Back & Chest
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps

This is a sample workout for Day 1:
These can be done as straight sets or as supersets)

Back exercises: 2-4 sets per exercise, 6-10 repetitions
Front Pulldown with wide grip
Seated (or cable row) with narrow grip
Dumbbell Shrugs
Supermans (hyperextensions)

Chest Exercises: 2-3 sets per exercise, 8-15 repetitions
Flat chest press w/ dumbbells
Flat chest flye w/ dumbbells

Finish with cardio for fat burning &/or some ab work!

Re: Help with working out?

If you want to do training 4 days, this is what I would do (I am by no means a trainer, lol):

Day 1: bis, tris, and traps

Day 2: abs, obliques, stability, using own body weight

Day 3: legs

Day 4: back, delts, pecs