A lot of people are skeptical about the efficacy of a three day workout routine; simply because it involves four days of rest in a week. Understandably, some fitness enthusiasts presume that the only way to get a ripped body is to slog it out in the gym every day.

However, they fail to realize that the body does not break down fat or build muscle when working out; exercising merely causes the wear and tear of the tissue while the muscles are strengthened when the body is at rest. As a matter of fact, the three day workout can prove to be more efficacious than a daily regimen. So, here is a look at how you can plan your very own 3 day workout routine in 5 simple steps.

Step One: Picking the days

Monday, Wednesday and Friday are perfect for a 3 day exercise routine; ideally, a workout day should be followed by a day of rest with two days of rest after the third workout day. So, you can start from Tuesday if you frequently go through manic Mondays; however, it is imperative to not club to workout days together. This gives the body enough time to heal

Step Two Choosing the best time of the day to exercise

Generally, mornings are the best for a workout session; exercising the first thing after you wake up boosts your metabolic rate through out the day and keeps your energized. Also, because exercising increases the blood supply to the brain and the other vital organs of the body, you will enjoy greater mental acuity following a morning workout session. Add to this the fact that it's cooler and less distracting to work out in the morning and it's easy to understand why many people like to hit the gym as soon as they get out of bed.

On the other hand, working out in the afternoon may also work to your benefit as the body has higher hormonal activity and temperature then, so you can get more out of an afternoon workout session than a morning regime.

Whatever time you choose for your workout, it is essential to stick with it through out the week and beyond, so that your body gets used to the schedule. Also, you will need to work on your meal times based on the workout schedule. For instance, if you intend to exercise in the afternoon, a heavy lunch just before a workout session will simply not do, the same holds true for your breakfast. However, there is no harm in eating a big meal after the exercise session.

Step Three: Choosing the muscle groups to work

When using a 3 day workout plan, you should divide the body into parts, working on the muscles in each section on one of the workout days. For instance, you can devote Mondays to the chest, shoulders and triceps while working on your legs on Wednesdays and reserving Fridays for the back and biceps with some exercises for the triceps thrown in for good measure. Continue this routine every week to give each muscle group enough time to rest and rebuild.

You can also split the 3 days into an upper and lower body routine where you start working on the upper body followed by the lower body on day 2 and complete the week with some exercises for the upper body again. However, start the second week with lower body exercises so that you do not overwork the muscles in the upper torso.

Try to train the abs for 10-15 minutes after every 3 day workout session to get the best results. Ensure that you do not workout for more than 45 minutes per session because your cortisol levels spike up after 47 minutes of intense physical activity which can mar the efficacy of your workout routine.

Step Four: Select the exercises

When working out with weights always start each routine with a brief warm up session with 50% of the weight that you intend to use in the exercise proper.

Some of the most effective exercises for muscle building include:

Upper Body: Chest, shoulders and triceps:

* Push ups: 15 to 20 reps per set - 3 sets
* Dumbbell bench press: 8 to 10 reps per set -3 sets
* Skull crushers: 8 to 10 reps per set -3 sets
* Barbell military press: 8 to 10 reps per set -3 sets
* Dumbbell side raise: 10 to 12 reps per set -3 sets
* Stability ball dip: 15 to 20 reps per set -3 sets

Upper Body 2: Back and Biceps

* Pull up: 15 to 20 reps per set -3 sets
* Dead lift: 10 to 12 reps per set -3 sets
* Preacher Curl: 12 to 15 reps per set -3 sets
* Standing dumbbell curl: 10 to 12 reps per set -3 sets
* Bent over barbell row: 10 to 12 reps per set -3 sets

Lower Body: Legs

* Stiff leg deadlift: 10 to 12 reps per set - 4 sets
* Leg press: 8 to 10 reps per set - 4 sets
* Standing calf raise: 12 to 15 reps per set - 4 sets
* Stationary barbell lunge: 10 to 12 reps per set -3 sets

Step Five: Create a performance chart:

Although you can do the same exercise routines every week, it is essential to challenge and shock the body to get maximum results and the only way to do this is by increasing the weight that you are lifting or by adding to the number of sets that you are doing. Ideally, you should aim for a 5% to 10% weight increase each week; alternatively, you could add a set more to every routine each week.

However, just increasing the number of sets will also increase the amount of time that it takes you to complete the routine, so at some point increasing the weight will be mandatory, unless you intend to spend the day at the gym.

When deciding on the right amount of weight to lift, remember that you should lift just enough to feel completely spent after the last rep. In other words, if you are doing 8-10 reps, make sure that the weight you lift makes it physically impossible to go for the 11th rep.

Ideally, you should always start the routine with multi joint and compound exercises when you are energized and fresh and then move to the isolated movements. Finally, it is imperative to understand that nutrition plays a large part in the success of your workout regimen. So, ensure that you are getting enough calories and nutrition before embarking on an intensive and taxing regimen.