The Only 3 Day Split Workout Routine You Will Ever Need

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In today’s hectic climate, finding enough free time to be able to go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week for a couple of hours a time is far easier said than done, with many people leading increasingly hectic lifestyles which means they basically exercise whenever they can.

Of course, we all know just how beneficial it can be to go to the gym and get a fantastic workout in, but the problem many of us face is simply finding enough time to be able to do everything we need to do. A 3 day a week workout plan is perfect — everyone can find an hour every couple of days. (Most will do this on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and then have the weekend off).

If you work long hours, have a home and family to support, not to mention a social life, following a 5-day split made famous by a number of pro bodybuilders and fitness athletes is going to be near impossible, but that doesn’t mean that your training has to take a bit of a hit as a result.

Many of you would probably prefer to train 5 days per week, training one or two major muscle groups per session. But that means you have to dedicate a lot of time in the gym every week, and of course the reality of things is that that is probably not possible, so what do you do?

Well, you could sit around feeling sorry for yourself, wishing you worked less hours and had less real life responsibilities, or you could think logically and look for a feasible solution to your problem which allows you to not only get in and out of the gym relatively quickly, but that also only requires a few days in the gym, and allows you to work each muscle group in the process.

Full-body workout routines are growing more and more popular with each passing day, and for very good reason too. They may take less time than other workouts, and they may not contain anywhere near as much volume as other workouts, but if followed correctly and taken seriously, they will provide one heck of a workout that yields extremely impressive results in a relatively short amount of time.Here is a sample 3 day full-body program that hits each major muscle group, will last an average of just 45 – 50 minutes per workout, and only requires you to spend 3 days per week in the gym. Take a look and why not try it for yourself

What is a “Full Body Workout”?

It is basically what it says! It works out your full body. They have become more popular in recent years. I personally think it is due to the popularity of the CrossFit full body workouts.

What does this 3 day a week full body workout plan consist of?

3 works out.

Approx 45-60 min per workout.

Train most muscles, every workout.

You’ll really feel like you pushed some iron after these workouts!

The workout

Day 1 — Monday

Day 2 — Wednesday

Day 3 — Friday

Things To Know Before you Begin this 3 Day Split Workout!

Before you begin this program and try it out for yourself, take a look at the following things that you should know before you begin:

Days to train

If possible, try to allow for one full recovery day between each session, so ideally your training days could be Mon/Wed/Fri, or Tues/Thurs/Sat. This is designed to allow your body enough time to recover from the stress of the workout. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to train in this manner, that’s ok too, but ideally aim for one day on and one day off.

Warm ups

The program listed below will only list WORKING sets and not warm ups, the warm ups are down to you. Ideally before you perform any working set, you should choose a light to moderate weight and perform at least two warm up sets to get the blood pumping and the muscles working.

Always stretch beforehand (and after a workout!)

Before you even perform any warm up sets you should first take 5 – 10 minutes and perform some various stretches to help stretch the muscles out and to improve flexibility and muscle elasticity. This will reduce the likelihood of muscle cramps or rips. Don’t forget to stretch after a workout too!

Weight used

The program also doesn’t list which weights you should use because each person is unique so a weight that feels heavy to one person, may feel decidedly light to another.

The thing that you must remember however, is that you will only be performing one exercise per body part, and so because of this you will need to select a weight that really tests you that requires you to really push yourself on the last few repetitions.

Train to failure

The weights you use should allow you to just about complete the minimum amount of reps for each exercise before you reach failure. The idea is to really punish the muscles and put them through their paces, so you will need to ensure you train to failure. If the program tells you to perform 10-12 reps, and you easily hit 12 reps and could keep going for several more, the weight is too light so go a little heavier until you reach failure.

Hydrate

Before and during your workout you’re going to need to ensure that you have plenty of fluids in your body to ensure you’re well hydrated. This not only helps prevent injuries and dehydration, it also helps improve athletic performance.

Drink a glass or two of water around an hour before your workout, and sip on water during. Don’t drink too much or else you run the risk of becoming bloated, suffering from stomach and muscle cramps, and having to rush to go pee every 5 minutes.

Post-workout shakes

If you wish to get the most out of your training, you’re going to have to get your nutrition right on point, and that means your post-workout shake is going to have to be just right.

As soon as possible following your workout, mix up your shake with water and drink it down. Opt for whey protein, preferably isolate although concentrate will still be sufficient enough. You should also add a scoop of dextrose powder to help spike insulin levels to shuttle more nutrients into the body, as well as amino acids such as L-Glutamine, to help enhance protein synthesis and post-workout recovery.