AboutRich Ruffing Expertise I can answer to questions to all aspects of exercise: strength training, flexibility, cardiovascular, body composition, etc.. The questions can be general or they can be more specific or individualized. I can help you with workout design, exercise selection, recovery methods and any other aspects that are part of your program. Visit my website, www.richruffing.com, for more information.
Experience I have been training since 2000, working in health clubs and studios and working with a variety of clients.
Education/Credentials I have a Bachelors Degree in Sports Biology and am certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Currently, I am working towards my licensure as a massage therapist.
Question I know I have asked about the whole split vs. full-body routine before, but there was something interesting I ran across the other day on this website (www.alwyncosgrove.com) in which Alwyn Cosgrove (C.S.C.S.) states in one of his articles that after years and years of keeping track and looking back at thousands of workout logs of people that he's trained and not trained, he came to the conclusion that “Probably around 80-90% of the population, 80-90% of the time, will respond best to total body workouts, and that maybe 90-95% of the population, 90-95% of the time, will respond best to either total body or an upper and lower split.” What are your thoughts on this statement he made? Is this true? That's a pretty bold statement. The other question I have, is can you do an upper/lower split 3 days a week, and if so how? I know that an upper/lower split is usually 4 days a week, but can you do it 3 days a week? It seems to me too that you have more upper body exercises than lower body. Lastly, can a person follow the same routine forever, whether it be a split routine or full-body? I mean, if you change sets and reps and weight from workout to workout, and also feel sore after, won't you always progress and naturally gain more muscle as time goes on? It seems to me that one only needs to do the big 5 (deadlift, overhead press, bent-over row, bench press, and squat) and that's it. It hits all the muscles. Thanks very much.
Answer Hi Dave. I'm a big believer in a lot of what Alwyn Cosgrove says. This is a guy who uses a lot of research to back up his results. Every time I've heard him speak or read his work, he has used research to back up his statements. I have seen that statement before and, yes, I do believe it.
There are a couple of ways to do an upper/lower body split three days a week. One way is to do 2 upper, one lower the first week and then 2 lower, one upper the second week. Then keep rotating through that cycle. If someone was doing some extra work in the form of GPP, sprint work or interval training then I would recommend 2 upper and one lower on a weekly basis.
To answer your last question, most individuals can not use the same exercises forever even though sets and reps change. The body will always adapt to a certain exercise or set/rep scheme, usually after about 3-4 weeks. And being sore does not indicate progression. Progression is indicated if your workout numbers continue to go up. Also, you're right. "The big 5" should make up the majority of your workouts, but also think of all the variations you can do of each. Take the deadlift for example: deadlift, deadlift from a box, rack pull, sumo deadlift, trap bar deadlift, etc.. I could go on and on.
On a side note, continue to read Alwyn Cosgroves stuff. The guy knows what he's talking about and gets results.
