Fit Factor: Train like a caveman (stones and clubs not required)

Walk into any weight room in just about any gym in the world on a Monday, and chances are you will find every flat bench taken. Perhaps at some point in time the gods of Olympia decreed that chest exercises were to be done on the first day of the week. If it wasn't by Zeus' hand, maybe it's just because so many peoples' training schedules are based on the same weekly calendar. Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that far too much reliance is placed upon what is considered to be convention when it comes to working out. There are seven days in a week, which is why so many workouts are based on this unassailable truth. However, without trying to get all Plato on you, are there really seven days in a week? Or could it be that there are no true days, weeks or even months – at least, as not as far as your body knows? At the risk of turning the routine world in which we live into a land of confusion, try the following split routine resistance training workout, which is based on ... oooh, are you ready? Eight days a week.

TRY BEING A CAVEMAN

Your body has no idea what a week is. In fact, it doesn't even know who you are. The collection and storage of knowledge are all functions of the brain. While the brain is of course part of your body, it can sometimes be your worst enemy when it comes to working out. Cro-Magnon, Australopithecus, and Neanderthal were all men ... real men, with strong arms and small brains. If for some odd reason you were ever in a room with any of these evolutionary rest stops and asked them what the date is, they would likely club you nearly to death and then pee on you. But you will have learned a valuable lesson from these troglodytes, and that is: you shouldn't be focused on days or weeks, and should instead be more concerned with getting fitter and stronger. This somewhat traditional split routine is designed to make you think with your body and not with your brain, much like your hairier ancestors. It's very simple to follow; you'll split your workout to focus on two different muscle groups each day, while briefly revisiting the two muscle group you targeted two workouts ago. What's more, you'll find that you'll almost never have to vie for a flat bench again.

THE WORKOUT

Although the following is designed for a more seasoned lifter, an intermediate or even a novice lifter can still benefit from the basic eight-day week principle (but may need to tailor the workout to better suit their abilities). Enough talking, Unga-Bunga ... time to lift heavy things.

Monday

Cardio & Abs

• 30 Minutes of High Intensity Cardio (choose from Treadmill, Stationary Bike, Elliptical or Rowing Machine)

• 2 sets Hanging Leg Raises
• 2 sets Hanging Knee Raises
• 2 sets Russian Twists
• 2 sets Raised-Knee Crunches

Tuesday

Chest & Biceps (and brief Back & Triceps refresher)

• 3 Sets Bench Press x 8-10 reps
• 3 Sets Incline Dumbbell Press x 8-10 reps
• 4 Sets Cable Crossovers x 10-12 reps

• 3 Sets Standing Dumbbell Curls x 10-12 reps
• 3 Sets Preacher Curls x 10-12 reps
• 2 Sets Reverse Grip Pull-Ups x max reps

• 1 Set Neutral Grip Pull-Ups x 10 reps
• 1 Set Dips x 10-12 reps

Wednesday

Cardio & Abs

• Follow same routine as Monday

Thursday

Rest Day

Friday

Legs & Shoulders (and brief chest & biceps refresher)

• 4 Sets Squats x 8-10 reps
• 3 Sets Stiff Leg Deadlifts x 10-12 reps
• 3 Sets Reverse Lunges x 10-12 reps

• 3 Sets Standing Dumbbell Press x 10-12 reps
• 3 Sets Side Lateral Raises x 12-15 reps
• 3 Sets Upright Rows x 10-12 reps

• 1 Set Push-Ups x 15-20 reps
• 1 Set Drag Curls x 10-12 reps

Saturday

Cardio & Abs

• Follow same routine as Monday & Wednesday
Sunday

Sunday

Rest Day

Monday

Back & Triceps ( and brief Legs & Shoulders refresher)

• 3 Sets Single-Arm Rows x 10-12 reps
• 3 Sets Bent-Over Rows x 10-12 reps
• 3 Sets Wide-Grip Pull-Ups x max reps

• 3 Sets Close-Grip Bench Press x 10-12 reps
• 3 Sets Cable Press-Downs x 12-15 reps
• 2 Sets French Press x 12-15 reps

• 1 Set Deadlifts x 8-10 reps
• 1 Set Barbell Military Press x 10-12 reps

This cycle continues from here, with you starting with the cardio and abs workout you initially performed on the first Monday. However, as you probably see, you will now be performing this Monday workout on a Tuesday, and that every workout day listed above will then get shifted forward by a day. If this cycle seems a bit confusing, it's because you're paying too much attention to the days of the week again. Remember ... your new caveman maxim will be to forget about the calendar and instead focus on your workout ... and perfecting that whole 'learn how to make fire' thing.

MODIFYING THE WORKOUT

Even though much of what has been suggested deals with the abandonment of structured time and dates, it is important to change your workout every four to six weeks. One of the more common causes of fitness plateaus is your body's eventual acclimation to a workout. Again, this is a primordial response, an innate ability of the human body to adapt to environmental pressures (even if it is you that is creating them). This is why it is very important that this workout, or any workout for that matter, be changed after you have gone through your eight-day week cycle at least four, and at most six, times. Change can come in the form of an entirely new workout, or even just a change in the exercises, tempo, rest time in between sets, or number of reps you perform. The key is to keep it fresh and to keep your body guessing. The rest is simply evolution.