After 25 years in the iron game, I’ve learned that the best workout splits for natural bodybuilding match your goals.
Offseason Training Split
A natural bodybuilder trains differently in the off-season compared to contest prep.
The off-season is for improving weak areas and adding quality muscle to your frame. You can do this by lifting weights three to five days per week, with four being ideal. Lifting four days per week allows you to recover without overtraining. Five days per week is not bad, but it can push you closer to the red line.
Your training will be intense since you have plenty of calories to fuel it. You will still do cardio. But during the offseason, you will do less cardio than during contest prep. This is because the primary goal is now muscle growth. If you are burning too many calories with too much cardio, it will make it harder to add quality size to your frame.
You can use high-intensity conditioning like sprinting. Or you could use low-intensity cardio like walking. I would use both. Two or three days per week is enough to keep you in great shape. As a bonus, sprinting will also build up your legs and get you into phenomenal shape. There is never a good reason to be an out-of-shape lifter!
Fat Gains Are Normal
With a focus on muscle growth, gaining some fat in the offseason is a normal part of the process. Your goal shouldn’t be to remain at 7 percent body fat year-round, as this will limit muscle growth. If you’re truly natural, staying that lean year-round is nearly impossible. Remaining between 12 and 16 percent body fat is acceptable.
It’s important to manage your weight. You want to begin contest prep in good shape and not at 25 percent body fat. Starting prep in shape makes the process easier!
Contest Prep Training Split
During contest prep, the primary goal should be muscle retention and fat loss.
Your training intensity will start off high. But as you go further into prep, your intensity will drop due to the lack of calories. You should continue to lift relatively heavy during contest prep. This will allow you to keep most of your muscle mass. But the fact of the matter is that your training numbers will dip.
You can keep most of your muscle mass by lifting weights three to five days per week. Four days a week is ideal because it promotes recovery. During contest prep, two days of cardio per week may serve you well at first. But as you get deeper into prep, things will change. As your body begins to fight your fat loss efforts, you will need to drop your caloric intake lower. The more body fat you lose, the harder it gets to lose more fat.
Towards the end of contest prep, you may find yourself needing even more cardio to keep dropping body fat. As you near contest shape, your ability to do high-intensity conditioning will diminish. It’s hard to sprint at full capacity when you are so depleted. If you are doing cardio five or more days a week, most of it will be low-intensity cardio, like walking.
The Best Workout Splits For Natural Bodybuilding
I use the training splits below. These workout splits have worked since the beginning of natural bodybuilding. Both training splits are effective for building muscle. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced natural bodybuilders can use these training splits.
3-Way (training specific muscles every 5 days)
Sunday: OFF
Monday: Shoulders and Arms
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Chest and Back
Thursday: OFF
Friday: Legs
Saturday: Repeat the cycle
Upper/Lower (training specific muscles every 4 days)
Sunday: OFF
Monday: Lower Body
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Upper Body (conditioning)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: Lower Body
Saturday: Upper Body (conditioning)
Conclusion
Your workout split is the blueprint. Build your split around your goals and watch your physique transform. The time to work is now.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman
