Choosing an optimal training split is like solving a puzzle. You want to make sure you train all your muscles, get adequate recovery, and finally make it work with your other commitments. All of that might sound overwhelming. However, the first step in choosing a training split is to identify the number of days you can realistically dedicate to exercising every week. Consistency over time is what will get you results.
You can train 1-2 days per week
Splits to try: full body
Full body means you train all your muscles in one session. It might be challenging but if you focus on compound exercises (where multiple muscles are worked at the same time) you can have a great workout.
Full body workout example:
Lat pulldown
Dumbbell bench press
Squats
Romanian deadlift
Overhead press
The full-body split will mean lower exercise volume per muscle group. However, if you have a very limited number of days to train, the full-body approach will ensure you work all muscles.
You can train 2-3 days per week
Splits to try: upper/lower body, full body
Option one – you can train the upper body on one day, lower body on another day, and full body on the third day. Option two – you can train the upper body, followed by the lower body, followed by the upper body and so on. Finally, you can perform 2-3 full-body workouts per week.
Upper body workout example:
Assisted chin-ups
Incline pushups
Kettlebell overhead press
Renegade rows
Prone flys
Lower body workout example:
Box squats
Kettlebell deadlifts
Side lunge
Glute bridges
Step-ups
The upper/lower body split allows for more volume per muscle group per session and exercises variety. However, choosing to do 2-3 full-body workouts will mean your muscles will get worked more times per week compared to upper/lower body split.
You can train 4+ days per week
Splits to try: upper/lower, push/pull split
Being able to consistently train 4 times a week would work well with 2 lower and 2 upper days or push/pull training split.
Push/pull split is essentially 2 upper and 2 lower body days except you’ll be focusing on specific movement patterns per session. For instance, instead of doing all upper body muscles on one day, you get to have two different sessions – one focused on muscles involved in push movements and the other one on muscles performing pull movements.
On push day you will focus on chest, shoulders, and triceps by performing horizontal (bench press) and vertical (shoulder press) push exercises. On pull day you will focus on back and biceps by performing horizontal (seated row) and vertical (chin-ups) pull exercises.
Upper body push workout example:
Incline dumbbell bench press
Military press
Push-ups
Lateral raises
Tricep pushdown
Upper body pull workout example:
Assisted pull-ups
Seated rows
Single-arm DB bent over rows
Barbell curls
Face-pulls
Similarly, you’ll train the lower body over two days. On push days you will focus on exercises primarily targeting quadriceps (squats, lunges). Meanwhile, on pull days, you will be focusing on glutes and hamstrings (deadlifts).
Lower body push workout example:
Goblet squat
Reverse lunge
Bulgarian split squats
Leg press
Leg extension
Lower body pull workout example:
Hip thrusts
Deadlift
Single leg Romanian deadlift
Pull-throughs
Kettlbell swing
Push/pull approach means you can have more efficient training sessions, receive adequate muscle recovery between sessions, and ensure balanced development of all muscle groups.
However, the push/pull approach might be more challenging to maintain if you tend to miss sessions. This will lead to longer periods of time between the same muscles being trained. If that’s the case, and you are not sure you can commit to 4 days of training per week, a simple upper/lower body would be more suitable.
Other training splits
Body part split. You’ve probably come across numerous “arms only”, “booty only” and “shoulders” workouts online. All of those would be a part of a body part split. Essentially, you only train one body part per session. This approach will help you build muscle but would mean that you have to train most days of the week and some muscle groups might be worked less frequently than others.
Push/Pull/Legs. Similar to the push/pull approach above but you would be training all lower-body muscles on the same day. This split might be worth trying if you want to implement a push/pull approach but can’t consistently train 4 days per week.
In conclusion…
In this post, I decided to focus on the splits that have the most advantages, are simple to understand, and allow achieving the benefits of weight training whether you can train 1 or 4 days per week.
However, your training split will ultimately depend on your goals. For instance, if your goal is to build big legs and glutes you definitely want to be training your lower body more than once per week.
Other factors to consider include: how much time per day you have to exercise, how experienced you are, what other physical activity you partake in, and whether your body gets adequate recovery.
While choosing an optimal approach might take trial and error, sticking with a basic training split that you can maintain despite ever-changing life circumstances is more likely to ensure long-term success.