Volume training - Zdeněk Červený

Properly designed training combined with a well-constructed eating schedule are the pillars of success to quality gains in muscle mass and strength.

Here I will describe my favourite split, which I have been returning to on and off for the past three years, only always tweaking it a little. The split of training and off days is as it best suits my habits. This split allows me to practice each part twice a week. That said, it's definitely not the most suitable workout for beginners, as they are perfectly fine with practicing each part once a week.

Now I will try to explain below why I choose such exercises, e.g. machine X free weight

Monday: Chest - Shoulders -Triceps - Abdominals

1. Bench press 1x10, 1x8, 3x5
2. Peck-Deck 3x12
3. Chin-ups 1x10, 4x6
4. Standing alternating lunges 1x10 5x5
5. Military press 4x5
6. Overhead press on machine 1x10, 1x8,1x6
7. French Press 3x10
8. Abdominals 6-8 sets

Nothing out of the ordinary on Monday. Perhaps I'll just point out the alternation of the compound exercise and the isolation exercise.

Tuesday: thighs - calves

1. Lunges - 4x10
2. Leg press - 4x15
3. Squat on MP - 3x10
4. Standing lunges - 4x15
5. Seated lunges - 4x12

Tuesday is all legs except hamstrings. I used to train them at the same time as the quadriceps, but over time it has worked well to separate them into a different day. I don't list it here, but I start with a short aerobic session on the exercise bike for warm up - about 5-10 min. This is followed by pre workouts where I gradually add weight. Here someone might wonder why squat on the multipress... Simply because as a third exercise, squats with free weights would be bad enough, at least for me. In MP, I can better focus on just what I'm lifting and don't have to watch the free bar behind my neck yet. This is definitely not to say that I'm against proper classic squats.

Thursday: Back - Biceps - Abdominals

1. Bottom pulley pull-ups 1x15, 3x10
2. Overhead pulldowns standing to waist 4x10
3. Overhead pulldowns 5x10
4. Delt deck 4x 12-5
5. Biceps EZ dumbbell on Scott. bench 5x 8
6. Abdominals 6-8series

Day off behind us and we go rested for the next workout. I'd call it kind of a lighter workout. It's all pulleys and machines and a few abdominal sets to finish.

Friday.

1. Pre-kicks - 5x10
2. Abduction - 3x15
3. Bench press on incline bench-machine - 3x8
4. Peck deck - 3x12
5. Chin-ups - 5x10
6. Single arm deadlift on pulley - 5x8
7. Overhead press on machine - 4x10
8. French Lying Press - 5x10

There's quite a bit on the schedule for Friday. I'm starting with lighter leg exercises. The rest of the exercises are already dedicated to the upper body and there's not a lot, but the next day is a day off so there's plenty of time for recovery and growth.

Sunday: Back-Biceps-Hamstrings-Belly

1. Deadlifts - 2x10, 2x6, 2x4
2. Push-ups - 5x 5
3. Bottom pulley - 3x10
4. Delt deck - 4x8
5. Overhead pulley - 3x10
6. Pullover - 3x12
7. Biceps with big barbell - 5x 5
8. Stumbling - 3x10

After a day off, it shouldn't be a problem to get off a proper deadlift, so I prefer to do it as the first exercise. It's quite a few sets, so sometimes it takes a while to come back from the deadlift and I can go for the hunches. Shifts are meant to be classic wide-grip trap bar pull-ups.

Due to the low number of reps, additional weight is a requirement. The other exercises are pretty obvious. I would stop at the so-called Pullover. I'm sure everyone knows it, so I won't explain what it is, but rather just that technique is very important with this exercise.

A lot of people practice it wrong. I basically lie across the bench, butt below bench level, with the dumbbell going at max range. Since the hamstrings are already engaged in the deadlift, I just finish them off with a few sets of dips where I alternate sitting, lying, standing.

Now all I have to do is follow everything, but that shouldn't be a problem, because: he who wants something, seeks a way. He who doesn't want something, looks for an excuse.

Written by Zdeněk Červený