Upper body/lower body: You work your upper body one day and your
lower body the next. You fit in your abs two to four times a week when-
ever it’s convenient. (See Chapter 12 for definitions of gluteals, quadri-
ceps, and the like.)
Day Muscles WorkedMonday Upper body (back, chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps)
Tuesday Lower body (gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves,
abdominals)Wednesday REST
Thursday Upper body (back, chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps)Friday REST
Saturday Lower body (gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves,
abdominals)Sunday RESTWhatever workout schedule you design, make sure each muscle group gets at
least one full day of rest between sessions. You can lift two days back to back,
but you don’t want lift with your upper body, for example, two days in a row.
Lifting weight literally creates tiny little tears in your muscles. They need those
48 hours to recover and rebuild. (You can do aerobic training on consecutive
days because it’s much easier on your muscles than weight training.) If you
don’t rest in this way, you may wind up sore and more prone to overuse
injuries. (Keep in mind that perpetual soreness can be a sign of overtraining.)
Besides, overworking a muscle may weaken it, defeating your purpose for
training.
How often should I change my routine? .........................................
Some people change some or all of their exercises every time they work out.
There’s no hard-and-fast rule on this subject, but we recommend that you try
at least one new exercise every month. After you learn a basic routine, such
as the one we demonstrate in the last section of this chapter, expand your
repertoire so that you have more options to choose from. Varying your exer-
cises keeps you more interested and can help you get better results. If you
stick with the same routine month after month, year after year, your muscles
adapt to those exercises; but by working your muscles from a variety of
angles, you involve more muscle fibers and keep your muscles challenged.
Changing your exercises isn’t the only way to keep you — and your muscles —
stimulated. You also can play with other variables, such as how many sets and
reps you perform and how much rest you take between sets.
Chapter 14: Designing a Strength-Training Program 211