The Best Workout Split for Natural Bodybuilders and weightlifters
Natty?
Great.
Want the best workout split for you?
Keep reading!
What Determines Your Workout Split?
What determines your split is this question….
How quickly do you recover?
And what do you do to recover?
Performance-enhancing drugs can definitely help you recover faster. But that doesn’t mean you can’t recover at the same pace if you’re a natural bodybuilder.
The thing that you should keep in mind to build muscle is this:
Your muscle protein synthesis (amino acids used to build new fibers)levels should be higher than protein breakdown (amino acids used for energy)
Protein synthesis peaks at around 48 hours after a workout. So, training frequency should be every 2-3 days or so.
With that being said, another important factor to consider is the significant variability of recovery rate when it comes to body parts.
Biceps? Yeah, they can recover within a day or so.
Quads or chest? They might remain sore for 5 days up to a week!
Therefore, there is no such thing as the PERFECT workout split!
It is YOU who should determine your program.
With that being said, there are “recommended” workout splits rather than perfect.
If you are a beginner and looking for the perfect workout split.
You might want to try the push, pull, leg, or the upper/lower body split.
If you are advanced, however, I have something for you.
3 Tips For Structuring the Best Workout Split as a Natural Bodybuilder
When structuring your best workout split as a natural lifter, the following three tips will help you:
1- Frequency Training for Weak Muscle Groups
Say your shoulders are underdeveloped.
Hit them multiple times a week.
You can’t just train all muscle groups with high frequency.
You won’t have the capacity to recover and you might even risk muscle imbalance.
2- Volume for the weak muscle groups
Consider training the weak muscle groups with high volume only If you are doing a full-body workout.
3- Experiment
Seriously. Chase the pump and have fun.
As a natural bodybuilder or weightlifter, your training program will change in the future based on your priorities.
When the weaker muscle groups are no longer weak.
When your recovery pace changes, or when your lifestyle changes.
So, do not stick to one split. Experiment!
I know you still want a program for natural lifters.
If you are an advanced natural bodybuilder, here’s one for you.
The Best Workout Split for Natural Bodybuilders
This program is structured similarly to the push pull legs. But, the legs now are included with the push and pull movement as follows.
Quads with Push.
Hamstrings with Pull.
Here, the frequency is much more important than volume. Therefore, you should train 5 or 6 days a week.
Each muscle group is hit twice or 3 times a week but with only one exercise (2 for the back).
For this reason, I have included three different exercises for each time you hit the muscle again. Variation (or Day) A, Variation B, and Variation C, below.
Variation C of both push and pull has no abs or calves training.
Each exercise is performed with 3 working sets only. The last one should be done with heavy weight until failure.
Failure is defined as until you cannot do more reps. with the same good form anymore.
It is recommended that that last set should be:
(1) Cluster set: do, say 8 reps, rest for 10-20 seconds, do 4 reps. rest for another 10-20 seconds, then do 1 or 2 final reps.
(2) Drop set: do, say, 10 reps, drop the weight, do another 10 or 8reps, drop the weight again, do the final 10 or 8 reps.
Or …
(3) A set focused on eccentric movement (increased time under tension).
Variation A
Push & Quads: Quads, Chest, Triceps:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest
Quads: Squat
3
12 - 6
2 - 5
Chest flat bench barbell/dumbbell press
3
12 - 6
2 - 5
Shoulder lateral raises
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Tricep laying skull crushers
3
15 - 10
1 - 3
Abs crunches
3
50 - 25
1 - 2
Pull & Hams: Hamstring, Back, Biceps:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest
Hamstring curls
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Wide-grip lat pull down
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Barbell Rows - Back
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Bicep barbell curls
3
15 - 10
1 - 2
Calf standing raises
3
25 - 30
1 - 2
Variation B
Push & Quads: Quads, Chest, Triceps:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest
Quads: Leg presses
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Chest incline barbell/dumbbell presses
3
12 - 8
2 - 5
Shoulder lateral raises
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Tricep behind the neck extention
3
15 - 10
1 - 3
Abs leg raises
3
30 - 20
1 - 2
Pull & Hams: Hamstring, Back, Biceps:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest
Romanian Deadlift
3
15 - 10
2 - 5
Narrow-grip lat pull down
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Dumbbell Rows - Back
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Bicep dumbbell curls
3
15 - 10
1 - 2
Calf seated raises
3
25 - 30
1 - 2
Variation C
Psuh & Quads: Quads, Chest, Triceps:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest
Quads: Leg presses
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Chest weighted dips
3
12 - 8
2 - 5
Shoulder lateral raises
3
15 - 10
2 - 3
Tricep cable pushdown
3
15 - 10
1 - 3
Pull & Hams: Hamstring, Back, Biceps:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest
Glute walking lunges
3
15 - 8
2 - 5
Reversed-grip lat pull down
3
10 - 6
2 - 3
Cable rows
3
10 - 6
2 - 3
Bicep preacher/concentration curls
3
15 - 10
1 - 2
Frequency Schedule for The Natural Bodybuilding Split Workout
As mentioned above, this program will be performed either 5 days or 6 days.
Frequency is key.
Here is how to do the 5-day frequency schedule.
5 Day-Workout Schedule For Natural Lifter Split
week
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
week 1
Push A
Pull A
Off
Push B
Pull B
Off
Push C
week 2
Pull C
Repeat
As you notice, this is a two-day training followed by a day off.
6 Day- Workout Schedule For Natural Lifter Split
week
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
week 1
Push A
Pull A
Push B
Off
Pull B
Push C
Pull C
week 2
Off
Repeat
Here, three days of push-focused training (two push separated by a pull) then a day off. They another three days of pull-focused training (two pull separated by a push), followed by a day off.
And So on.
This one is more intense.
We recommend doing it no longer than 8 weeks.
