Hi Dr. Bell,

Exercising and meal planning are very new to me. This may be a dumb question, but someone recommended I do a split routine. To not look stupid, I pretended I knew what he was talking about. I keep finding varying explanations. What is a split routine and do you recommend it?

Hello Shaun,

High level, advanced and competitive weightlifters, bodybuilders and powerlifters sometimes incorporate Split Routines. These are high-volume exercise routines where they have 2 and sometimes 3 workouts/day!

These Split Routines should only be used by highly advanced weightlifters who manage their meals, sleep, stress, hydration and nearly every other aspect of their life meticulously. If you are not careful, it is very easy to overtrain, resulting in loss of gains or even serious injury.

Monday: (AM) Shoulders, (PM) Trapezius

Tuesday: (AM) Triceps, (PM) Biceps

Wednesday: (AM) Quadriceps, (PM) Hamstrings

Thursday: (AM) Chest, (PM) Upper Back

Friday: (AM) Abs, (PM) Calves

Saturday: (AM) Low Back, (PM) Forearms

Sunday: (AM) Rest or Cardio, (PM) Rest or Cardio

Please DO NOT ATTEMPT this until you have years of steady consistent training experience behind you. Avoiding Overtraining should remain your number one goal