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VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Maciej Szukała

The training system is a plan according to which the training schedule is made. The first trainings do not have to be that varied. However, as you progress, however, you need to use more varied solutions to see results. Discover 6 training systems that you can use. How to create a training plan?

People who are just starting their adventure in the gym are convinced that to maintain the effectiveness of training, it is enough to simply lift weights - the more often and the more, the better. At the very beginning it will indeed be so, because any stimulus will be effective for an untrained organism. Over time, however, to achieve results, the training should be diversified. Whattraining systemscan be used for this?

System, method or regime - do they differ from each other?

In the literature, you will encounter several, synonymous terms used to describe how individual bodybuilding exercises are performed. They are:

  • training system,
  • training method,
  • training regime.

At first glance, it may seem that they are just synonyms and they all mean the same thing. In fact, however, each term refers to something else.

The training system is a set of assumptions common to the entire training plan. It is characterized by consistency in the implementation of individual rules regarding the division of the trained parts, the number of repetitions or weight.

Training systems are aimed at the development of all muscle groups, but they can stimulate them to a different extent. In simple terms, it can be said that the system is a "table" according to which all exercises in a given training are performed.

The training method concerns the methods of intensifying a given exercise, a particular series or even a single repetition. Within each system, you can use different methods, exchanging training stimuli for other ones. The choice of method should depend on:

  • level of advancement - not all of them will be suitable for beginners,
  • of the goal of the training plan - other methods will work in the event of reduction, and others will be good for building muscle mass.

Populartraining methods are, for example :

  • superserie,
  • combined series,
  • trisets,
  • negative repetitions,
  • forced repetitions,
  • initial muscle fatigue.

Finally, a training regime refers to the way you breathe during the various phases of the exercise (concentric, isometric or eccentric). Depending on the chosen training regime, inhalation or exhalation will be counted differently in each repetition. The basic regimes are:

  • coaxial,
  • concentric-eccentric,
  • concentric-isometric-eccentric,
  • eccentric-isometric-concentric.

Is there a better and worse training system?

It should be pointed out at the beginning that there are no better or worse training systems. This is confirmed by the results of professional bodybuilders, who with equal effectiveness are able to build impressive strength and muscle mass on various exercise systems.

In practice, a lot depends on:

  • techniques for performing individual exercises,
  • diets,
  • regeneration,
  • supplementation.

Training systems should be changed from time to time, as well as individual training plans. As a result, the body does not get used to once learned stimuli and can continue to develop.

It is assumed that for beginners, all body workout (ABW) systems will be the best choice because they stimulate the muscles of the whole body. However, they do so moderately, without overloading the joints, tendons and muscles. Often times, beginner bodybuilders also do not have the "muscular feeling" developed enough to reap the benefits of more extensive training plans.

In turn, split workouts can be better for experienced people who want to fill in the gaps in their figure or who know their own body so well that they know where the limit of overtraining is and are able to withstand a high training load.

However, these are not strict rules and, just like with diet or supplementation, experiments are not necessary. Therefore, test various types of training systems and see when you make the best progress.

Popular training systems

Below are some descriptions of some systems you can try. They are intended for people of all skill levels, but you have to reckon with the fact that some will be more exhausting than others.

Remember also that no training - even very extensive and heavy - can guarantee gains in strength or muscle mass,if not through properly balanced nutrition, providing the necessary amount of calories from wholesome ingredients.

General training

Whole body training involves the involvement of all muscle groups during one training session. Usually, these types of units take little time and are good for people who do not want to spend a lot of time training, but at the same time strive to build their figure (ABW plans cause a large release of anabolic hormones such as testosterone or growth hormone). ABW's plans bring very good results especially for beginner bodybuilders.

General development plans are based on multi-joint movements that mobilize many different muscle groups at the same time and consist of several sets of exercises - usually two, less often three - which are performed alternately (A, B, or C).

In practice, one exercise is most often performed for "small" muscle parts (e.g. biceps, shoulders) and two for "large" parts (e.g. legs and chest).

The main disadvantage of this system is the lack of pressure on individual parties. If your goal is to emphasize the shape of the biceps or back, it is better to choose split workouts. When using heavy weights, it is also easy to overtrain, because the nervous and muscular systems receive too much stimulus.

Depending on your advancement level and training goal, ABW plans are made two to four times a week.

Split training

Split training is based on the differentiation of individual muscle groups. Usually these will be:

  • biceps,
  • triceps,
  • barges,
  • legs and calves,
  • back,
  • chest,
  • belly.

Particular workouts consist in exercising specific muscle groups. In practice, large parts, such as the back or legs, are most often trained separately, while small parts are combined for two or three in one training (another option is to combine one large part and one small part).

Shared plans are perfect for emphasizing the definition or building the strength or mass of a particular muscle group. Performing several exercises in one area allows you to maximize microdamage, reach deeper fibers and force more complete supercompensation, i.e. the body's adaptation to increased loads. Split systems often use more isolation exercises than other training plans.

Effective use of splits requires a lot of practice, as well as muscle endurance. Beginners may find it difficult to take a heavy load on onea muscle party. Another disadvantage of splitting is that you only train individual muscle groups once a week. It gives a lot of time to rest, but if the effort put into training is too small, the physiological effects of the training will not be optimal.

Split workouts are performed three to even six times a week, so it is quite time-consuming.

Up-Down training

Up-Down training systems divide the workouts into those focused on the lower and upper parts (universal exercises such as deadlifts and abdominal training are often used interchangeably). A typical breakdown is:

  • top: chest, back, shoulders, arms,
  • bottom: legs, calves.

The plans are dominated by multi-joint exercises and heavy weights, so it is a good method to build strength and muscle mass, and at the same time not as time-consuming as split and less tiring than ABW.

The plan is usually performed three or four times a week, with higher loads predominating on the first days.

An interesting idea is to diversify the training also in such a way that at the beginning of the week, more series are performed into large batches, and in the second half of the week, into smaller ones. As a result, the training priority is distributed relatively evenly.

Push-Pull system

The Push-Pull system does not refer to specific muscle parts, but is based on the pushing and pulling movement patterns to which individual exercises during training are subordinated.

In pushing, pushing or squeezing movements, the front body strap usually works. On the other hand, pull-based units most often involve the rear web ( although these are not strict rules). What are the typical exercises for each tape?

  • Push workouts - military press, bench press, squats,
  • Pull workouts - pull-ups, rowing with a barbell, climbing a rope.

Workouts according to each pattern should be performed alternately three or four times a week, based on multi-joint exercises. Each unit should consist of one exercise for small groups and two exercises for large muscle groups.

A variant of this system is Push-Pull-Legs, in which a separate leg training is added as the third type of unit. In this option, you can train up to five times a week, but it is important to maintain an appropriate training volume so as not to overtrain. Usually, one day off before or immediately after training the legs.

HST system

HST stands for specialized trainingtargeted at muscle hypertrophy (Hypertrophy Specific Training). HST training is based on high frequency stimulation of muscle parts and progressive overloading of the fibers.

In practice, a given batch is trained every two or three days in order to frequently bring the muscles into an anabolic state. In training performed three times a week, you only perform two or three series of work. The plan assumes that the number of repetitions should be closely matched to the training phase (15, 10 or 5) and based on free weights. Its implementation usually takes 6 weeks (two for each phase).

Of course, for this purpose, the number of exercises should be appropriately reduced, even to one or two per group. Another rule is constant, but slight, load progress and strategic detraining every several days in order to wean the fibers from stimulating stimuli.

Aerobic Circuit Training (ACT)

A perfect solution for both beginners and experienced people who return to training after a long break. It will also work well as a complementary training for other disciplines (e.g. martial arts, running). It is used to prepare the body for greater weights and more intense training plans by:

  • improving the condition,
  • building strength and muscle mass,
  • strengthening of joints, ligaments and bones.

It is recommended to do ACT workouts for about 2 months three times a week. You should start with one circuit of each exercise and add another one (up to a maximum of four) every two weeks.

The main idea behind the ACT system is to train with a weight that allows you to perform 12-15 repetitions in each exercise. The entire workout should consist of about 10-12 exercises and should not take more than an hour.

Contrary to the more advanced plans, there are no breaks between exercises. They are performed one after the other, and you should take a break of a few minutes only after you have completed all the exercises in the circuit.

How often to change the training system?

There is no good answer to the question of how often to change your training system because there are too many variables involved. Very often it turns out that it is enough to change only some parameters, such as the range of repetitions, weight or break time, to break the stagnation. Many people train with the same system for many years and keep making progress!

Changing your plan too often, every 3-4 weeks is not a good solution. It takes time for the body to adapt to exercise on a biochemical and hormonal level. Chaotic training organizationwill make the effectiveness of the exercises significantly limited, because the muscular and nervous systems will receive contradictory signals.

One thing is for sure - your muscles will get used to known stimuli over time, so you need to take care of changes. This does not necessarily mean rewriting the entire training plan from scratch. Start with minor modifications and observe how your body behaves!

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Bodybuilding