Gym Life

Got a question here, and I don't want to clutter things up by starting a whole new thread.
So, last year I was hitting this gym where the owner—this massive bodybuilding dude—set me up on this specific split
Day 1: Back, triceps, and abs
Day 2: Chest, biceps, and abs
Day 3: Shoulders, legs, and abs
Standard warmup and stretching before getting to work, obviously

Now I've moved to a different spot, and the owner here is suggesting something else entirely
1. Back and biceps (since the biceps get hit anyway when you're doing back stuff) plus abs
2. Chest and triceps (same logic applies) plus abs
3. Shoulders, legs, and abs

So now I’m asking you guys... what do you think is actually better?

Honestly, I think there’s a bit too much focus on sit-ups here—it’s easy to overdo it! Personally, I find both splits to be pretty solid, though I prefer hitting the abs just once a week alongside the lower back exercises to keep things balanced.

Jamie Phillips4 said:I have a question, and I’m trying to avoid starting a whole new thread here.
So, last year I was hitting this gym where the owner—a serious bodybuilder type—set me up with this specific split
Day 1: Back, triceps, and abs
Day 2: Chest, biceps, and abs
Day 3: Shoulders, legs, and abs
Standard warmup and stretching beforehand, of course...

Now I've moved to a different gym, and this owner is suggesting something else entirely
1. Back and biceps (since the biceps get some work during back movements) plus abs
2. Chest and triceps (same logic applies) plus abs
3. Shoulders and legs + abs

So now I'm asking you all: which approach actually makes more sense?

What exactly is your end goal here?

If you ask me, neither of these splits is particularly effective (hitting one body part once a week)... I'd much rather see you run a Pull/Press/Push style program.

For example, Pull would be deadlifts, pull-ups, bent-over rows, etc.
Press could be bench press, overhead press, and so on.
Push might involve squats...

Basically, you want to build your training around those foundational movements.

Say, Day 1

Deadlifts 5x5
One or two accessory lifts for the deadlift (maybe Romanian deadlifts, stiff-legged deadlifts, or trap bar deadlifts)
And one upper body movement—alternating between rowing one week and pull-ups the next.

Day 2

Bench press 5x5
One or two accessories (close-grip bench, incline dumbbell press, or barbell work)
Overhead shoulder press 4x5

Day 3

Back squats 5x5
Front squats 4x6
Good mornings or stiff-legged deadlifts

That's essentially the gist of it...

Those bodybuilding splits weren't actually written by bodybuilders, believe me. They were likely penned by some guy in an editor's office at a fitness magazine who probably hasn't even touched a barbell in his life.
Real bodybuilding programs require a bodybuilding diet, massive amounts of rest, and "assistance"... and by that, I don't mean protein powder or creatine, but actual performance enhancers.

With the routine I laid out above, you'll find it much easier to pack on some fundamental mass and strength, which will give you a better foundation for whatever comes later.

Look, I’m not trying to get huge or anything
I’m about 5'10" and weighing in at 183 lbs
It's mostly just belly fat for me :-D the rest is muscle
I just want to lean out a bit and tone up
With that first split I used, I actually saw some pretty decent results in six months. Lately, I've been dropping weight in certain areas where I don't want to bulk up too much, keeping things steady elsewhere, and really leaning into cardio
every day I'm hitting the gym. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I do 15 minutes on the treadmill before lifting. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's mostly just running, maybe repeating some light moves from the day before, and hitting some abs...
I can't really watch my diet that closely, but hey, I'm not eating a ton of greasy junk either