Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get at least a few e-mails from excited new lifters asking me to critique their workout routines.
More often then not the sample routines they send me tend to focus too much on the “show off” muscles such as the chest and arms and not enough on the real powerhouse muscles of the back and legs.
So that’s why I’ve put together a complete basic bodybuilding workout routine that you can follow that focuses on building size and strength throughout all the major muscle groups of the body.
This 3 day per week bodybuilding split routine that I’m going to share with you can be used by all lifters, from beginners right up to advanced levels, with good results.
Workout 1 – Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
These are the “pushing muscles”. You’ll notice that all the exercises you do for chest, shoulders, and triceps involve some type of pushing or pressing movement. For example, bench press, shoulder press, tricep push down, etc…
That’s why we’re going to group all these muscle groups together in the same workout. This will allow the complementary muscle groups to get trained at the same time and also get equal recovery time between workouts.
In the 2nd workout we’ll cover the “pulling muscles”, the Back & Biceps, and in the 3rd and final workout we’ll cover training for the legs and abdominals.
Click Play to watch the 1st Workout… Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps.
Note: if for some reason you can’t watch the embedded video clip above,
you can watch it directly on my YouTube Channel at the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abQ5PUD09E
If you like this video, make sure to Click Here & Subscribe to my Bodybuilding Video Channel so that you can get early notification of whenever I add new videos.
You can see Part 2 of this workout at: Back & Biceps Workout Program
You can see Part 3 of this workout at: Legs & Abdominals Program
49 Comments
Warren
Hey Lee,
Thx alot for this workout espically the face pulls you just gave me another exercise to add which i never seen before so that will help me workout the rear delts as there inst many ways to work them out. Keep bringing more your helping alot people.
Thanks
Personal Trainer Mumbai
Whats the added advantage of push-ups over bench-press?
Mark
Thanks, Lee. I may switch up my routine once this series is complete. I do have a question, however: my favorite exercise is dips and it seems like an ideal exercise for chest, shoulders and triceps. Is there any reason why you didn’t include it as part of this routine? If I wanted to add them to this routine, is there an ideal place to insert them?
mike
Hi master Lee, I´m a big fan of your bb routines, I´ve been training for more than 5 years and I´m planning to buy one of those 11 pills multivitamins ( Animal pak) whats your opinion about it ?have you ever used it? is it worth? can it damage your liver or kidneys? are there any sideffects?
Nelson
Afternoon Lee, Great video. I am forwarding this video and all that will arrive later to some friends who are enjoying the nice weather we’re having here in NYC but they also want to look good with a summer body. Well we are in July I tell them better late than never. This 3 step break down you just sent will be a great starting point for them since they are weekends warriors. Keep up the good work Lee… Stay Strong… Herc.
nki
you can be my superman…
Mike
G’day Lee.
Great info.
I was always taught to lift smoothly and lower the weight for a count of 4. I notice you use an even lift, lower ratio. Am I doing this wrong?
Bali
Hey Lee whats your approach towards progressing in the side lateral raises. The next heavier set of dumbbells in the rack is usually too heavy to lift. Is this an exercise where volume is the main goal?
Carlos
How many sets would you recommend for an experienced lifter…not a novice
Gil
Hey Lee, Thanks for the info. This will be a great work out to throw into my routine to mix things up a bit. Can’t wait to get in the gym on Monday!!!!!!!
BTW, LOVE THE SHIRT!!!
BILLY
Awesome video Lee. I hardley see guys at my gym doing these routines! I tryed the facepulls and those guys looked at me with the wtf look on their faces,but anyways i just said watch and learn. I used to do those at home on my lat machine but the cable snapped on me!It was not a pretty site getting smacked in the face with a lat bar.May seem funny but true,my equipment at home is ancient!anyways lee thanks for the good tips,can’t wait for the next ones!
val
thanks lee, this happens to be my favorite workout with a three day split with one exception i tent to do rear delt on back day …please comment….
Rod
Thanks Lee. Great and honest work from you, as usual.
BigRich
yea the way u do db press takes a load off the shoulders, but put the stress more on the triceps than the chest, more like tricep presses
BigRich
when i do side laterals, i always feel it more in my traps than mid delts, why??? oh and by the wAY facepulls are pulling not pushing?
leehayward
Push ups are a bodyweight exercise, and any time you can move your entire body through space you’ll get a deeper level of muscle stimulation compared to exercises where you only move your limbs. Push ups are a great complementary exercise to add into any chest routine.
leehayward
You can do dips in place of push ups. Both are great exercises, but dips are harder because you are lifting a higher percentage of your bodyweight compared to push ups.
leehayward
Animal Pak is good, but it’s a bit of an overkill. You don’t need mega dose on vitamins. Mega dosing will not provide any more benefit then simply taking an optimal dosage. If you are looking for a good quality vitamin / mineral supplement check out Vitality from http://www.BlueStarMuscle.com this provides “optimal levels” of all the essential vitamins and minerals and is a lot cheaper than Animal Pak.
leehayward
There is no real “right” or “wrong”, just different ways to go about it. I personally try to lift as fast as I can while maintaining good exercise form. This allows for heavier weights to be lifted and helps to simulate the fast twitch muscle fibers more.
leehayward
I prefer to keep the weight the same with side lateral raises. Use a moderate weight and let the volume and strict form fatigue the muscles. When the weight you are using becomes obviously “too light” than you can up the weight to the next heaviest set of dumbbells.
leehayward
An advanced lifter can do the same workout, they would just lift heavier weights to match their strength levels.
leehayward
You can train your rear delts on either chest or back day, the main thing is that you work them consistently.
leehayward
To feel the side laterals in the delts try using lighter weights and hold the dumbbells for a second at the top of each rep. This should isolate the side delts more.
You are right in that side laterals and face pulls are “pulling” exercises. But they are still shoulder exercises and that’s why I choose to do them during this chest, shoulder, and tricep workout.
Dave
Hi Lee, the face-pulls are unreal! I usually train my rear delts with exercises like reverse flys but yesterday i substituted the face-pulls into my normal back routine. You can really feel the muscle contract and my rear delts r really aching today!
Thanks Lee, just about to look at the next video, keep up the good work!
rich penson
nice vid lee did your chest and sholder workout and today i ache (BUT ITS GOOD LOL) cant wait to try your bicep work out keep em comming
Malik Asif
Hi mr lee I am a big fan of u .I have a problem and that is I am working out from the last 1 year and u know I can see a little bit improvement in my body I don’t know why ,I am very sad because of this .u know I have a good diet.my exercise routine is cheat,tricep.next day back bicep then next day shoulders.please give me some advice .help me .I need ur help because I want to make good body like u .reply please
leehayward
The fact that you are seeing improvements is good. Building muscle takes time. Most guys usually take about 4-5 years of consistent training before they get a thick muscular build.
Malik Asif
Hi mr lee thanks for ur answer.ur new videos r excellent .I like it very much about chest,shoulder,triceps.2 video about back,bicep .and 3th video legs,abs.u know these exercise r best .a big thanks to u ,mr lee can I add more exercises in chest,shoulders,tricep ?
abhilash
ty for this video lee . good video
amal
its great i did it….
Jacob B. Fernandis
Hi Lee, I’ve just started Push-Pull routine with 3 day split. My Gym Instructor advised me to include compound movements exercises. Will you please post a video of your Pull workout and legs workout?
On Push workout days I begin my workout with chest workout by the time I get to shoulder workout I am exhausted. So should I do shoulder workout first in next session of Push workout?
R. Hussaini
hey lee, thanks for the videos and workouts, I just wanted to know that for how long should I continue this routine, can I change the exercises, e.g. one week start with incline bench press, next week with decline or bench press. or should I continue the same exercises for long time.
jai
Heyy lee, its a great video..thanks for that.. i just wanna knw one thing..for chest only 2 exercises r enough? are all these exercises for all levels of trainees or is this for the experienced people or the already build up people let me say..
josian
hi lee:
i have a question for you:
can i add more exercises on the days: chest, shoulders and triceps.
day 2:back and biceps . and day 3:legs and abs?
please help me with this 3 day body split routine!
thank you!
your friend,
josian.
Dawn
So, where does cardio fit onto this? Is it a bad idea to do intense spinning, elliptical or running on or the day before/after leg days? What would be the better choice? THANKS!
leehayward
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A great way to fit cardio and weight training into your routine is to alternate doing weight training one day and cardio the next day. So this workout here is a 3 day split routine (i.e. weights every second day) so on your off days from weight training do your cardio.
mohanan.j
Hai Lee sir,Iam a trainer of my own gymnasium.i teach my students with your’s exercise routine. and also iam proudly says that iam a student of you.sir ,i have aquestion.in my gymnasium ,
members wants to develop their lateral muscle.(side of the shoulder,and upper part of bicepses)
what type of exercise can we do for this sir,please help me sir. iam from kerala, india(thiruvalla)
Thanking you sir,
your’s obediently
student, mohanan.j
leehayward
mohanan.j,
=====================
I’ve got all my best shoulder workouts posted in a video Playlist at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/leemhayward#g/c/C8ED282184C61B13
Dani
hey dude thanx for this its ace. ya should put these workouts in pdf for us to download 🙂
leehayward
Dani,
===================
Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll probably do that 🙂
peter
i am 63 160lb and still trying to get it done dog. benching 200lb.
Jose
How do you split these 3 part workouts ?. . . As in days of the week is what i mean
kenneth
if shoulder and triceps and chest are good combination of a exercise? pls mesage me idont have any idea
Mike Ive
Hey lee.
So I have been trying to switch up my routines as much as I possibly can. I read once not to workout chest after the day of triceps. Because it uses triceps as your secondary muscle group. I tried a back/ triceps workout yesterday. And today was thinking about legs and traps. Just wondering if that would matter as well?
UFC Gym Morena
Using your deltoid strength, raise the dumbbells to the front and upwards in a semicircular arc until the dumbbells are just above shoulder level. Hold this position for a second to maximize the peak contraction in the deltoid. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. Repeat.
Randy U
Lee,
When doing the “rotating” push/pull/legs routine (2 on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off repeat) would you suggest using the same exercises or change it up since I would be hitting hitting that muscle twice a week depending on the week?
leehayward
Randy U,
You could still use the same exercises. It’s fine to work a muscle more than once a week as long as you are recovering properly.
Rohit Singh
Great workout routines for biceps but I think that what most important is you must do all your biceps exercise with proper form and technique and this will help you to build big biceps.
Manu John
Hi, Lee
I am just new to body building and I don’t have any idea about it other than the basics. But, I’m planning to start workout in the gym .I’m a 68kG Guy with 168 cm height and 30 years old. How I can start my work out, I mean what sort of things I need to during my first days.
Thanks in advance.