Topic: Question??

[Sat Santokh]

I'm thinking of starting a new workout plan where I will concentrate on a different body part or area everyday.  Here is what I was thinking
Monday: Legs, Lowerbody
Tuesday: Arms and Chest
Wednesday: Core, Abs
Thursday: Aerobic excersize (running probably)
Friday: Everything (APK WOD depending on what it is that day)


I would like to know what the pros and cons are of this idea.

[Steven Low]

In terms of pros and cons:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=06-028-training

----------------------------------

That being said, for a parkour-type workout where you are aiming for increased agility, strength, power, quickness, etc. doing a split is not a very good idea. Full body promotes greater awareness and muscular coordination not to mention the fact that all of the best movements like olympic lifts (clean & jerk, snatch, power cleans, etc.) which develop a high amount of posterior chain explosiveness are basically full body exercises. An upper/lower split is slightly better, than a full on split but also has its drawbacks of where to add certain exercises like oly lifts.

Anyway, even if I didn't write the above paragraph, your split isn't that great because it is missing back which is vital in all running, jumping, etc. movements....

[Sat Santokh]

Back?  Well I was kind of including that in the core day but nonetheless thanks a bunch for your input.  Also since gear made those tutorials I've started doing all those exersizes like the cleans,snatch,hang snatch....  Anyway what I've noticed that surprised me is that it really works out some of your core stabilizing muscles not enough to make them sore but it uses them.

[Gearsighted]

I think that bodypart splits have very little use as a bodybuilding method, and even less as a way to work towards useful fitness. The nature of functional movement is such that you can't isolate any one particular muscle because your  body works as one piece. If you start to isolate not only within specific exercises, but also specific days, you will create some pretty signifcant gaps in your all-around capabilities.

[Jumpin Jiminy]

Imagine being chased by some drug lord hooligans and you can out run them just fine, but you get cornered into an alley that you could have easily climbed out of, but unfortunately, today is legs day and you will have to wait until tomorrow to climb up to safety because tomorrow is arms and back day.

[Steven Low]

I think that bodypart splits have very little use as a bodybuilding method, and even less as a way to work towards useful fitness. The nature of functional movement is such that you can't isolate any one particular muscle because your  body works as one piece. If you start to isolate not only within specific exercises, but also specific days, you will create some pretty signifcant gaps in your all-around capabilities.

Agreed. All elite athletes train with periodization cycles more than anything... and if they wanted they could put up more mass than pretty much any bodybuilder if they didn't calorically restrict themselves like olympic lifters. Isolation exercises can be useful to gain mass (after heavy compounds of course), but won't do much for being fit.

[Sat Santokh]

Ok thank you everybody for the input.  I guess I'll just continue doing it normally.