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I am planning on switching up my training and going back to the push, pull, leg split in HDI. Does anybody know why Mike changed the routine around making it a 4 way split as presented in HDII, it seems that the routine in HDI eliminates exercise overlap?

G′day NPCNJ

With your new split are you going to go the standard: Push, Legs, Pull? Or will you insert and extra Leg workout as in HDII: Push, Legs, Pull, Legs?

Later

Stevo

NPCNJ,

Actually with the HD1 (pudh/pull routine) you get a lot of TRAINING OVERLAPS on the same muscles in one workout! Imagine performing incline presses and DIPS( both hits pecs, delts and triceps) in the same workout. Then their is the BACK and BICEPS thing that atually require too much BICEP work! In HD2 Mike realized this delimna and made a way to SPLIT the bodyparts in a way that MINIMIZES training overlap in the same workout. In fact I beleive it is only HD2 that he delved deeper on the isue of training overlaps. PEACE.

NPCNJ,
He did that because he found that his clients were making consistent strength gains on their lower body exercises, but they were not progressing as well on their upper body exercises. With the four way split, there is a leg workout placed between every upper body workout, and he found that his clients began making consistent progress on all exercises.

Personally, I agree with you; overlap can be minimized by carefully selecting your upper body exercises. I have tried the four-way split and found no difference, either positive or negative, in my progress. With the original three way split, there is going to be a leg workout placed between upper body workouts 50% of the time. I think the real key is adequate recovery time between workouts. I train once every 12 days. Training any sooner will slow or stop my progress on all exercises.

NPCNJ,
He did that because he found that his clients were making consistent strength gains on their lower body exercises, but they were not progressing as well on their upper body exercises. With the four way split, there is a leg workout placed between every upper body workout, and he found that his clients began making consistent progress on all exercises.

Personally, I agree with you; overlap can be minimized by carefully selecting your upper body exercises. I have tried the four-way split and found no difference, either positive or negative, in my progress. With the original three way split, there is going to be a leg workout placed between upper body workouts 50% of the time. I think the real key is adequate recovery time between workouts. I train once every 12 days. Training any sooner will slow or stop my progress on all exercises.