The best workout split varies and is dependent on the objective of your workouts, time, and recovery capacity. Novices will flourish on whole body exercises, intermediate on upper/lower or push-pull-legs (PPL) exercises, and advanced trainees can train body parts or even hybrid splits.
There are many popular splits, including the Arnold split, the Golden Six, the Bro Split, and many others, but the most efficient plan is the one that you are capable of following throughout the process and achieve some progress. Intensity of training, progressive overload, balanced nutrition, and smart recovery are as significant as the split itself.
What Is a Workout Split?
A workout split is nothing but how you divide your training throughout the week. You do not have to train all of the muscles daily, but you cluster the exercises by body part or movement. Examples include having one split spend a day on chest and triceps, or having one split to work on pulling muscles such as the back and biceps.
Workout splitting has the purpose of:
- Optimize intermuscle recovery.
- Enhance muscle-specific training.
- Avoid stagnation with an action plan.
Splits that are goal-oriented and schedule-oriented are used by professional athletes, bodybuilders, such as Ronnie Coleman, or even actors, such as Keanu Reeves or Brad Pitt.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing the Best Workout Split
Not all exercise programs are effective with all individuals. To design your own best workout split, you may consider:
Level of experience: Novices improve at a faster rate than experienced lifters, and experienced lifters need more training volume.
Goals: A push/pull/legs split could be the right choice in case of your intention is to build hypertrophy (muscle growth). In case fat loss is targeted, it can be combined with cardio training and resistance training.
Time investment: An individual who has time to train 3 days a week will have one split compared to the person who has time to train 6 days a week.
Age and recovery: It is completely possible to build muscle after 40, but it will require longer to recover. Divisions ought to have sufficient rest.
Lifestyle and nutrition: This is because certain pre-workout food, such as lean protein and complex carbohydrates, improves energy and recovery a lot.
Best Workout Splits for Beginners
When you are new to the gym, the most common workout split would be the easiest. You do not have to use complicated periodization or high-level bodybuilding exercises to achieve results.
Full-Body Split (3 Days per Week)
- Trains the largest muscle groups at one time.
- Concentrates on the big 3 lifts -squat, bench press, deadlift.
- Good to practise shape and win strength.
Sample Schedule:
Day 1: Biceps, squat, pull-ups, bench press.
Day 2: Rest or light cardio
Day 3: Deadlift, overhead press, rows, triceps.
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Variation of the squat, incline press, and landmine rows.
Day 6-7: Rest
This division is based on the principle of training the muscles several times per week, which, according to research, is highly effective in the case of novices. By simply performing three exercises on each muscle, you can become strong, though you have to apply a progressive overload.
Best Workout Splits for Intermediates
You’ll require more variety and a larger training volume after six to twelve months of training.
Four days a week, the Upper/Lower Split
- Upper days: arms, shoulders, back, and chest
- Lower days: glutes, calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps
- strikes a balance between recovery time and frequency.
Push/Pull/Legs Split (5–6 Days per Week)
among the most widely used options for building muscle.
- Push: triceps, shoulders, and chest
- Pull: traps, biceps, and back
- Legs: calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps
This split is great for strength and hypertrophy. PPL variations have been used by numerous bodybuilders, such as Chris Bumstead (CBum). Some train for six days in a row before taking a break, while others train for three days and take one day off.
A modified PPL (with an extra rest day or modified accessory work) is the best 5-day workout split for people who want it.
Best Workout Splits for Advanced Lifters
Specialization and increased intensity are advantageous for advanced lifters.
Five Days a Week: The Bro Split
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Returning
Day 3: Shoulders
Day 4: Weapons
Legs on Day Five
The bro split, despite its frequent criticism, enables experienced lifters to apply a lot of volume to each muscle group. One of the most successful bodybuilders in history, Ronnie Coleman, used this split.
The Arnold Split
This split, which bears Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name, works out every body part twice a week. It usually lasts six days and is hard but beneficial for significant growth. It consists of exercises such as isolation work, rows, bench presses, and squats.
The Workout of the Golden Six
This traditional full-body workout, which also dates back to the Arnold era, focuses on six compound lifts: the squat, bench press, pull-up, overhead press, barbell curl, and crunches. Before moving on to more intricate splits, this served as the basis for muscle growth for many.
Strength + Hypertrophy Hybrid Splits
“Powerbuilding” splits, which combine heavy compound lifts (such as the squat, bench, and deadlift) with hypertrophy-focused accessory work, are used by some advanced lifters. This enables both muscle growth and strength gains.
Specialized Splits and Training Concepts
There are many distinctive training techniques in fitness culture:
- The 3-3-3 Rule is performing three sets of three exercises with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity.
- The 7-7-7 Method is frequently used to treat biceps burnout. It consists of seven partial reps, seven half reps, and seven full reps.
- The 6-6-6 Workout is a difficult yet efficient challenge that consists of six sets of six repetitions for three lifts.
- Organizing workouts according to intensity—heavy, moderate, and light—is known as the 3-2-1 Rule.
- The 4-8-12 Rule: To promote hypertrophy, increase reps gradually.
- The 5-4-3-2-1 Workout is a descending repetition pattern that increases stamina and strength.
- Like pyramids, the 6-5-4-3-2 workout gradually reduces repetitions while increasing weight.
Each of these variations aims to shock muscles, promote growth, and keep training difficult.
Celebrity & Pro Bodybuilder Training Routines
The exercises that Drake does are based on high-intensity training, which combines strength and cardio.
- Kate Hudson is a Pilates and functional trainer.
- Jennifer Aniston is a circuit and yoga enthusiast.
- Both Ryan Gosling and Tom Cruise draw upon the use of strength training and conditioning programs based on their movie characters.
- In preparation for John Wick, Keanu Reeves is said to have trained several hours a day, which involved functional strength and martial arts.
- The split that Brad Pitt followed in Fight Club is a traditional bodybuilding split that aims at defining lean muscles.
- The opposite philosophy to high-volume training was split, and the program of Mike Mentzer, named Heavy Duty, which focused on short and strenuous sessions with prolonged rest periods.
- The split mixes of Chris Bumstead incorporate changes to fit his physique requirements, such as push/pull/legs.
- The split of Ronnie Coleman was based on the bro-style, where he trains nearly every day with unbelievable intensity.
There is no universal answer to the question of the best workout split, as these examples demonstrate; it depends on their lifestyles, goals, and recovery.
Practical Training Tips
- Set Volume: Four sets rather than three can usually represent sufficient additional stimulus to overcome plateaus.
- Workout Time: Workouts that are most effective take 60-90 minutes. The length is not always good, but the intensity and the concentration are.
- Biceps Not Growing? Add some variety: t-bar rows, JM presses, and landmine rows are worth adding. Shock growth using bicep burnouts such as 7-7-7.
- Cardio: 1-2 times a week can aid in maintaining the health of the heart and in losing fat without disrupting muscle growth.
- Over 40: It becomes more difficult to build muscle, but not impossible. Keep concentrating on recovery, do not overtrain, and think about such supplements as vitamin D or creatine.
- Symptoms You know you are building muscle: You get stronger, you get pumps, and your weight starts to steadily increase.
- Stick with a Split: At least 812 weeks to switch. Stability is better than innovativeness.
Final Thoughts
The fact is that there exists no best workout split that can suit every person. Novices usually do well on full-body exercises or the golden six, intermediate can use an upper/lower or PPL split, and advanced athletes can consider body-part specialization, Arnold-type split, or hybrid powerbuilding.
What matters most is:
- Lifting more weight as time goes by (progressive overload) or more reps (progressive overload).
- Diet and rest (nutrition, get sleep)
- Consistency (not days but months)
Being motivated by Arnold, Chris Bumstead, or simply wishing to appear thinner like Hollywood stars, the best workout split you can have is the one that you can stick to, find enjoyable, and develop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best workout split?
The best workout split will be based on your goals and your lifestyle. Novices tend to achieve optimal results with whole body training, whereas intermediate students advance on upper/lower, or push/pull/legs segments. Sophisticated bodybuilders can also use body-part or hybrid splits to achieve specific growth.
Which 5-day workout split is the most efficient?
A 5-day split with an extra accessory day is best suited to 5 training days, which is a modified push/pull/legs split. The balance offers sufficient recuperation and still enables the muscle groups to be trained more than once a week.
What does the 3-3-3 rule of working out mean?
The 3-3-3 rule typically means doing three blocks of three exercises, which focus on flawless form and regulated reps. It is made in such a way that it develops strength without fatigue, which causes no wear.
What is the ideal workout split for 6 days?
The best 6-day splits are the Arnold split and the push-pull legs. They enable each group of muscles to be worked twice a week, and intensity is maintained to grow muscles.
