Mass gain program, four-day split. The best four-day split training program for gaining muscle mass 4-day split for relief

Four day split to ground or in other words 4 day program training is used by advanced athletes with at least 1 year of training experience, who already have experience in two classes and were able to achieve excellent results in terms of building muscle mass, as well as growth strength indicators in the main basic exercises.

Four day split This is one of the varieties of the separate training system, which involves dividing all muscles into four separate groups, each of which is worked out, as a rule, once a week. That is, you train 4 times a week, working 1-2 muscle groups in each workout. For example, on Monday we work the back muscles, on Tuesday the chest muscles, on Thursday the legs, and on Friday the arms and shoulders. Unlike the 3-day split, the 4-day weight split, thanks to the introduction of an additional training day into the weekly microcycle, promotes deeper and better muscle development.

For example, you used to do a three-day split program, working your back and biceps in the first workout, chest and triceps in the second workout, and legs and shoulders in the third workout. Agree, after training your back, your biceps get very tired, just as after training your chest, your triceps get tired. Options three day split a lot of. But in any case, due to fatigue, we cannot work out small muscle groups 100%. A four-day mass split gives us the opportunity to work out not only large but also small muscle groups more efficiently and deeply.

You can distribute muscle groups throughout the day in different ways depending on your goals and preferences. My favorite is the 4-day mass split option below. On Monday I work the back muscles, on Tuesday the chest muscles, Wednesday is a rest day, on Thursday I train the leg muscles and on Friday the arms and deltoids. Saturday and Sunday are days off.

4 day split for mass

Monday (BACK)

1. Pull-ups on the horizontal bar 3-4 sets 8-12 repetitions

2. Classic deadlift 3-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions

3. Bent-over rows 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

4. Horizontal thrust V block simulator sitting 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

5. Shrugs 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions

Tuesday (CHEST)

1. Bench press 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

2. Dumbbell bench press with a positive incline angle 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions

3. Dumbbell flyes lying on a bench with a positive incline 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions

Thursday (LEGS)

1. Squat with a barbell 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions

2. Deadlift on straight legs 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

3. Leg press 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

4. Standing calf raises 3-4 sets pl 12-15 reps

5. Seated calf raises 3-4 sets of 15-20 repetitions

Friday (ARMS, SHOULDERS)

1. Barbell press narrow grip lying on a bench 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

2. Dips with emphasis on triceps 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

3. Standing barbell curls 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

4. Hammers with dumbbells 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

5. Seated barbell press 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

6. Barbell rows to the chin 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions

Four Day Split: NOTES

According to this version of the four-day split mass training program, each muscle group is trained once a week, not counting the indirect load on small muscle groups. The alternation of training days and rest days occurs according to the weekly microcycle 2+1+2+2 (Mon and Tue - training, Wed - rest, Thu and Fri - training, Sat and Wed - rest).

Unlike a 3-day split, a 4-day mass split allows you to work each muscle group better. You can distribute muscle groups differently by day and change the order of performing exercises, adjusting this four-day weight split to suit you. You should not stick to the same one for a long time without any changes. Remember that variability is one of the key principles of bodybuilding. Good luck, friends!

Since the main muscle groups five (chest, back, legs, arms, deltoids) or six, if you divide your arms into biceps and triceps muscle groups, and there are only four training days, then you need to prioritize individual muscle groups. You need to understand which muscles should be given more attention and set aside a separate day for training them.

Some muscle groups will need to be combined in one workout.

An example of a simple four-day split

In this split, a separate day is allocated for each large muscle group, and small ones are combined into one workout. At the same time, biceps and triceps are trained twice per split. Once they receive a load during training of large muscle groups (back, chest), and once they train on a separate day.

Minus of this split is that the third day of training (arms, deltoids) may turn out to be too voluminous. Three muscle groups in one day, of which at least two exercises are for biceps and triceps. Since the deltoids consist of three heads (front, middle and back), at least one exercise must be performed for each of them. If you train traps on delt day, that's plus one more exercise.

As a result, the training may turn out to be unnecessarily prolonged.

To avoid this, delt training can be postponed to another day. For example, if you don't train your legs with a lot of exercises, you can add delt training to them:

If you need a separate day to train your legs, you can train your deltoids on the day of your back training:

It all depends on which muscle groups you need a separate training day for, that is, for which muscles you do.

You can create a more complex split in which some muscle groups will be trained twice during one split. One of these workouts will be hard and the other will be easy.

With this split option, large muscle groups are trained once per split, since they need more time to recover, and small muscle groups are trained twice per split, with heavy basic training and light pumping.

The split deliberately does not include the trapezius muscles. Although this small muscle group belongs to the back muscles, many people train it together with the deltoids, which is also correct. Therefore, on what day to train it is up to you.

The four-day split doesn't have to be done four days in a row. It all depends on your recovery capabilities. You can perform this split every other day, that is, a training day, then a rest day. At the end of the split, two full days of rest.

Another option:

1 day training

Day 2 training

3 day rest

Day 4 training

Day 5 training

6 day rest

7th day rest

As you can see, this split fits perfectly within the time frame of the week.

A four-day split is a great way to give your muscles a much greater challenge and increase the intensity and impact of your workouts. This is the next step after.

Typically, more experienced athletes have a harder time building muscle mass than beginners. Beginner athletes make excellent progress even with two sessions a week, and in experienced athletes, after many years of training, the muscles adapt to the load and it becomes more difficult to shock them. For athletes who have been training for several years, full body workouts or even double splits are no longer suitable - their muscles have simply already adapted to the load so much that it is not possible to fully work out and shock all muscle groups in one or two workouts. These athletes switch to three- or four-day splits. In this article we will look at various options for four-day splits that are very effective when working on mass.

The four-day split is the next stage after the three-split training systems. With this training regimen, we work all muscle groups with 4 sessions per week. There are many various options 4-day splits for mass, in this article we will consider only the most effective ones.

The main principles of creating four-day splits

For 4 workouts a week, we must work out the 5 largest muscle groups - legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms. Since we have only 4 classes per week and 5 muscle groups, some group is divided into components (arms - biceps and triceps, shoulders - front, back, middle fascicles) and trained with other large muscle masses. Most often, a four-day weight split is made up of a weekly or eight-day cycle. With a seven-day cycle, the following scheme is used - 2+1+2+2, that is, 2 days of training, then a day of rest, then again 2 days of loads and then another 2 days of rest. With an eight-day cycle, they most often do this - 2+2+2+2, almost the same as in a weekly cycle, but one more day is added for recovery.

As for exercises, they are mainly used only basic movements, since they are the most effective. When working on mass, they work in the range of 8 to 12 repetitions per approach, and for each exercise 3-4 approaches are performed.

4-day split when working on weight

Option – 1 (arms are divided into biceps and triceps):

  • Day 1 – chest muscles and biceps;
  • Day 2 – leg training;
  • Day 3 – rest;
  • Day 4 – back muscles and triceps;
  • Day 5 – working on deltas;
  • Days 6 and 7 – recovery.

Option - 2 (deltas are divided into bundles):

  • Day 1 – training the back muscles and rear deltas;
  • Day 2 – pectoral muscles + front and middle deltoids;
  • Day 3 – rest;
  • Day 4 – leg training;
  • Day 5 – biceps + triceps;
  • Days 6 and 7 – rest.

You can choose one of these four-day mass splits or some other (there are many options). We recommend that each athlete design a training program based on their individual characteristics. If you are not very experienced in drawing up training plans, you can ask your more experienced comrades or a coach to create an optimal training program for you. As for exercises, we advise you to use the following movements:

It is recommended to include all these exercises in your training program. Try to conduct your classes so that they last about an hour, and so that you do not perform more than 10 different exercises in one workout.


We hope that you will use one of the options for a four-day weight split or create a more optimal one for yourself training plan, taking into account our advice and recommendations.

Tips for creating a 4-day split from a professional

Good day to everyone, our dear subscribers and visitors just passing by. In this article we will look at you in detail four day weight split. Not long ago, I published an article that talked about. This same program will be different in that we will add one more day to our training program. This, of course, cannot but please fans of hardcore pumping. And also, I cannot help but note another very significant advantage of this split. This advantage is to increase the quality of work separate groups muscles, and you can also add a couple more new exercises, it depends entirely on you and your preferences. The 4-day split is intended, like the 3-day split, not for beginner athletes, but for athletes who want to improve the quality of their training.

Four-day weight split: On breast day, you can adjust the day to suit yourself, in principle, like the entire program. For example, usually, in ectomorphs the upper bun lags behind pectoral muscles, therefore, it would be advisable to add a bench press incline bench. That is, 2 warm-up approaches are performed on horizontal bench, after 4-6 sets of 8-10 repetitions on an incline bench.

On the fourth day, you can add exercises for the front deltoid, such as: Lifting dumbbells in front of you, Arnold press and others.

Exercise Suitable x rep.
1. Warm-up and stretching 10-15 min.
2. 4-8 x 8-10
3. Leg press 3 x 8-10
4. Seated calf raises 3 x 10-15
5. 3 x 8
7. 3 x 8
8. Ab crunches 3 x max.

Here are the training days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On rest days without doing anything physical activity, eat well, including in your diet sports nutrition, For better effect recovery. Another, as you can see, one very positive side that has a good effect on weight gain is reducing the training time. Example, this program. If, for example, in a three-day split, you worked both the chest and triceps on one day, then in a four-day split, we transfer the arms to a separate workout. Thanks to this, you work out your pectoral muscles as efficiently as possible one day, and your back on another, since on the “back and biceps” day we also remove our arms. Also, many people forget to train the rear and middle deltoids, so I decided to post a split specifically with deltoids. It turns out that it turns out to be four days:

  1. Chest and middle delta;
  2. Back and rear delta;
  3. Rest;
  4. Legs;
  5. Hands.

This is how it came out 4 day split workout for mass. There are many varieties training programs and this is one of them. Can be swapped if desired training days. Remember that there is no perfect training program and this program is no exception. Everything you see is just a “program layout”. You can create your own program using this layout. Also, for this split you can use the same diet as for a three-day split, only slightly adjusting it to suit you.

Contents:

Why do you need an additional fourth day of training? Which muscle group and which exercises to do on each training day.

Many beginners often don't know which training regimen is best for them. They believe that the more training a week, the more better result. This is fundamentally wrong. As practice and experience show, a 3-day or 4-day split is the most optimal training regimen.

Benefits of a four-day split

Beginning athletes should initially pay attention to a 3-day split for performing basic exercises and when working on weight. As a rule, several years of bodybuilding are devoted to this training regimen. Subsequently, to improve results achieved, use a system of dividing training into working out specific muscle groups.

Adding one more day to the program is an opportunity to divide the training week into three full sessions with basic exercises for working large muscles.

For example, a 4-day split can be “broken down” as follows:

  1. Working out the chest muscles.
  2. Working out the back.
  3. Leg workout
  4. Hand muscle training.

Carrying out basic training for mass, you use small muscle groups. By the end of the program, they become very clogged, which does not allow them to be completed in isolation exercises. For this purpose, an additional day is provided, which is entirely devoted to isolation training.

First training day: Chest

Perfectly developed and proportionally worked out are a necessary element in building a beautiful and athletic body.

Anatomically, the pectoral muscles are divided:

  • upper;
  • average;
  • lower ones.

Experienced bodybuilders (for training on the “4-day split” program) advise starting with working the upper chest. This is due to the fact that top part visually increases volume, but at the same time significantly lags behind the rest of the pectoral muscles in training.

A universal exercise for working the upper part of the pectoral muscles is a barbell press on an inclined bench, with the backrest set at an angle of 35-40 degrees. Before approaching, select for yourself the most optimal angle of inclination, at which you will feel the work of the upper pectoral muscles, and not the front deltoids.

Don't start working with maximum weight right away. The main thing is to develop the correct technique. Both a barbell and dumbbells are suitable for this exercise. Working with a barbell is an opportunity to develop muscle memory in the technique. Dumbbells will do experienced athletes with ideal execution technique and with a regular increase in amplitude.

Execution order:

  1. Choose a comfortable bench angle.
  2. Arch your lower back and bring your shoulder blades together.
  3. Firmly fix and press your body against the bench.
  4. Slowly, while inhaling, lower the barbell (dumbbells) to the top chest, but do not let the bar touch it. Exhaling, lift the weight.

The number of approaches should be no more than four, and repetitions should not be more than eight. Rest between approaches for no more than 2 minutes.

Technique:

  1. Sit comfortably on the machine.
  2. Keep your feet stable.
  3. Arch your lower back. Please note that in this case the pelvis should not come off the bench. Make sure your shoulder blades are squeezed together.
  4. Slowly lower the barbell toward your chest without touching your body.
  5. Pause.
  6. Slowly return the weight to its original position.

To work the lower chest, use the same technique in a head-down position on an incline bench.

Second training day: Back

The next muscle group that is worked out in the 4-day split program is the back muscles.

The main exercise for developing the back muscles is pull-ups. The horizontal bar is a universal exercise machine that works well on the back, allowing you to increase its width and thickness. During the lesson, depending on the area being worked, a wide, medium and narrow grip is used.

Technique:

  • choose the required grip;
  • use your back muscles to pull your body towards the bar, avoiding jerking and swinging;
  • Do not allow full extension of your arms at the lowest point.

After completing the required sets, move on to barbell deadlifts.

Be careful and do not work with heavy weights in the initial stages. The exercise is traumatic and can lead to damage to the spine. Please note that your back should be straight in this exercise. You should not slouch or bend when performing the approach.

For pumping and development of the lats and rhomboid muscles A barbell row to the waist will do. In this exercise, all back muscles are maximally worked out. IN correct technique The position of the back and the angle of inclination relative to the ground play a key role in execution.

Third training day: Legs

A common mistake made by beginner athletes is to ignore exercises aimed at working the leg muscles. You can often see a person in the gym who has a powerful torso, developed arms and “matchstick” legs. Firstly, it does not look harmonious, and secondly, it is wrong from a bodybuilding point of view.

The leg muscles require special attention, because to work them you need to spend a lot of time and effort. That's why the 4-day split includes a separate day in its program dedicated to working the leg muscles. Moreover, on this day the muscles worked the day before are restored. The key to muscle growth is not only high-quality and active training, but also proper rest.

As for exercises, there will be no problems here. Modern gyms can offer a variety of exercise machines for working your legs.

Start with an exercise aimed at extending and bending your legs in the machine. This is an excellent option for warming up and preparing for complex equipment and heavy weights.

You can include a barbell squat in the program, which actively engages not only the leg muscles, but also the back.

At the final stage, work calf muscles. To do this, use a special simulator or perform alternate calf raises with weights in your hands.

Day four: Arm muscles and shoulders

The last training day, which is included in the 4-day split, is isolation exercises for small muscle groups.

Training should begin with pumping shoulder muscles until the arm muscles are “clogged” with isolation exercises.

Seated barbell or dumbbell press:

  • sit on a bench with the backrest at 90 degrees;
  • slowly and smoothly lift the barbell from your chest up above your head;
  • gently lower the barbell down without touching your body;
  • Watch the technique and proper breathing.

The finishing exercise is dumbbell swings to the sides.

French press – perfect exercise to work the triceps. It is optimal to perform four sets of ten repetitions. A “finishing” exercise can be done with arm extensions in a block.

Standard standing barbell curls are great for working your biceps. To better work out this group, you can use a Scott bench. The exercise is performed until failure.

Results

Thus, a 4-day split is ideal program for beginner athletes, allowing you to work out all muscle groups.

Optionally, abdominal exercises can be included in the program.

A few basic tips that will allow you to carry out weight training more effectively. You need:

  1. Get proper rest after each day of exercise.
  2. Proper nutrition.
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