The 3 Best Workout Splits of All Time (2, 3 & 4 Day Templates)

Are you looking for the best workout splits of all time?

You are in the right place!

After reading this article, you’ll learn:

• the pros and cons of each training split,
• how to decide which one is right for you, and
• templates to create
  • a 2 day workout split,
  • a 3 day workout split, and
  • my personal favorite, the 4 day workout split.

Let’s get started.

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3 Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Training Split

It is important to note that there are many different variables that must be taken into consideration before determining which split you are going to use.

These include:

1) Your Workout Schedule and Availability

First, you must determine how often you can work out on a weekly basis.

If your workout schedule only allows you to train twice a week, then you will have to get creative with the split that you choose.

A decreased training frequency will benefit more from upper/lower splits, and full body splits.

2) Your Training Experience

Are you an absolute beginner, or have you trained before? Beginners benefit more from full body workout splits over the others.

Intermediate trainees can use any one of the splits listed below.

3) Your Goals

Are you trying to build muscle (aka hypertrophy)? Look a certain way? Simply exercise more?

If you don’t have specific goals, then the split you choose won’t matter that much.

However, if you have a specific goal, it is important to choose the split that will allow you to customize your training to achieve that goal.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way, let’s cover the actual splits themselves.

Split #1: The Full Body Workout Split

First off is the full body split. This is by far one of the, if not most effective, training splits for the vast majority of the population.

The goal is to train large muscle groups of the upper body and lower body in the same session.  

For example:

• One day you may do Squats, Bench Press, and Pullups in a single workout
• On another day, you do Overhead Press, Lunges, and Romanian Deadlifts.

I have an entire post just on The Full Body Split, which you can check out here!

Full body splits are ideal for beginners or novices who are new to lifting and need to practice the major functional exercises often.

More advanced athletes can also use full body training splits, but they need to focus on balancing out the exercises that are used on a weekly basis.

Pros of The Full Body Split:

The total body workout routine is ideal for beginners who are strength training and need to practice the exercises multiple times per training week.

Only 1 or 2 exercises are needed per each half of the body to elicit a proper stimulus.

This makes each workout easier to recover from and minimizes soreness.

In addition, the workouts can be tailored to be of short duration if you do not have a lot of time to spend at the gym.

Cons of The Full Body Split:

Full body splits require you to focus only on the major exercises and thus limit the amount of exercise variation you can use in your program.

As such, it is possible to completely neglect one of the critical functional movement patterns such as the horizontal pull and smaller muscles such as the biceps and posterior deltoids.

Lastly, someone who is no longer a beginner may need to pay careful attention to exercise selection, as one workout can interfere with the recovery of a past workout.

I highly recommend the full body workout split for most people, especially beginners.

Example of a Full Body Workout Split

Day 1	Full Body Training
Day 2	Rest Day
Day 3	Full Body Training
Day 4	Rest Day
Day 5	Full Body Training
Day 6	Rest Day
Day 7	Rest Day

Split #2: The Upper Lower Workout Split

One of the most popular training splits is the upper lower split.

What this means is, that you train all or some of the major muscle groups in the upper body on one day, and then all or some of the major muscle groups in the lower body on another day.

• For the upper body, you are generally training the shoulders, the chest, the triceps, and the many muscles of the back.

• For the lower body, you are training the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the glutes and the abdominal/core muscles.

The upper/lower split is ideal for anyone who can train 4 times per week, but it could also be done if you are training less frequently.

This is one of my favorite ways of training.

Check out my entire post on Upper/Lower Splits: The Best Way To Train for Busy People.

I have personally used the upper/lower workout split for many years to build great strength.

Pros of The Upper/Lower Split:

Upper/lower splits simplify your training, as you are only focusing on one half of your body per day.

This makes your warm-up easy to tailor, and decreases the number of exercises you have to do per day.

In addition, the upper/lower split is ideal for anyone who wants to increase the number of times they train a specific muscle group, as you have two dedicated training days for each half of your body.

Cons of The Upper/Lower Split:

The upper/lower split can be difficult to recover from, especially if you do a lot of exercises for the upper body in one day.

Since you are hammering one half of your body each day, you may notice increased fatigue and soreness that can interfere with the subsequent workout.

But if you program correctly, this will likely not be an issue for you.

With that said, the upper lower split is a great option for intermediate lifters.

A lot of popular training programs such as 5/3/1 use an upper lower split.

Example of an Upper/Lower Body Workout Split:

Day 1	Upper Body
Day 2	Lower Body
Day 3	Rest Day
Day 4	Upper Body
Day 5	Lower Body
Day 6	Rest Day
Day 7	Rest Day

Split #3 The Push/Pull Workout Split

The third most popular workout split is the push-pull split.

Rather than focusing on which body parts you will train on each session, the push-pull split focuses on the actual exercises instead.

Any exercise that is considered a push will be trained on the push workout day, and any exercise that is considered a pull will be trained in the pull workout.

So in other words, the push-pull training split is a specific variation of the full body training session.

The Push muscles are located in the front of your body, while the Pull muscles are located in the back.

The Push Exercises

Horizontal Pushes: such as Pushups, and Bench Presses

Vertical Pushes: such as Overhead Press and Dumbbell Shoulder Presses

Lower Body Pushes: such as all Squat variations

The Pull Exercises

Horizontal Pulls: such as Barbell Row, Cable Rows, and Dumbbells Rows

Vertical Pulls: such as Pull-ups and Pulldowns

Lower Body Pulls: The Deadlift and all other hip hinge exercises

Pros of The Push/Pull Split:

Similar to upper and lower body split, the push/pull workout split allows you to train a few different muscle groups multiple times per week.

It also has the benefit of being a full body workout session as you train both upper and lower body exercises in one day.

Cons of The Push/Pull Split:

This routine works well for individuals who can train 4x per week.

The volume for each individual muscle group may be too low if you cannot consistently work out more than 3x per week.

Example of Push/Pull Training Split:

Day 1	Push Day
Day 2	Pull Day
Day 3	Rest Day
Day 4	Push Day
Day 5	Pull Day
Day 6	Rest Day
Day 7	Rest Day

Bonus Split: The Push Pull Legs Training Split

The push pull leg split is a slightly different variation of the push pull split.

Instead of mixing and matching upper body and lower body movements, all of the lower body movements are done on a separate lower body workout.

Example of Push/Pull/Leg Training Split:

Day 1	Push Day
Day 2	Pull Day
Day 3	Leg Day
Day 4	Push Day
Day 5	Pull Day
Day 6	Leg Day
Day 7	Rest Day

The advantage of this split is that you get to really focus on specific muscle groups on each training day.

The obvious disadvantage of this split is that you must train 6 times a week if you want to train each compound exercise movement pattern two times a week.

This, in my opinion, is way too much compared to my recommended 4 day training plan, and I do not recommend it.

I go over the Push Pull Leg Split in a lot more detail here.

The Workout Split You Should Avoid: The BodyBuilding Bro Split

There is one final training split that I would like to discuss. It is known as the bodybuilding split (aka the bro split.)

It’s exactly what it sounds like. Each training session is dedicated to one or more specific body parts.

For example, Monday is Chest Day, Tuesday is for Back and Biceps, and so on and so forth.

Since each body part has its own day dedicated to them, this type of training requires you to go to the gym approximately 5-6 times a week.

Bro splits are popular among the bodybuilding crowd, as most programs that you find online or in fitness magazines utilize this workout split.

I personally used a bro split for the first 2 years of my training before I knew any better.

Pros of The Bodybuilding Bro Split:

The bodybuilding split allows for maximum focus on one dedicated muscle group.

This makes training very simple and specific and allows you to utilize a wide variety of exercises.

If your sole purpose is to build one specific muscle group such as the biceps, then this type of training is ideal for you.

Cons of The Bodybuilding Bro Split:

Bodybuilding splits are extremely time-consuming and do very little to improve your athleticism and fitness.

This split is not ideal for busy individuals who have limited time to spend at the gym.  If your goal is to improve your fitness and your performance, then this style of training should be avoided.

I highly recommend that you avoid using a body part split in your training.

Example of a Bodybuilding / Bro Split:

Day 1	Chest
Day 2	Back
Day 3	Legs
Day 4	Shoulders
Day 5	Biceps and Triceps
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

How To Design A Workout Plan Using These Splits

Okay, so now let’s go over a few examples of workout splits depending on how often you can go to the gym.

I’ll give you some real examples of splits that you can do if you can train 2, 3, or 4 times a week.

My goal is to provide you with workouts that can be done in less than 45 minutes per day.

If you are even shorter on time, just perform the first 2-3 exercises listed.

You can find the Major and Minor exercises listed below in The Only Exercises You Need To Improve Your Fitness

You could also download our workout template to give you a concrete idea of how we recommend you set up your schedule.

Alright, let’s get started.

The 2 Day Workout Split

First, we will start with the 2-day workout split.

Working out twice a week won’t give you the absolute best results, but something is always better than nothing. Thankfully, you can utilize all three of the recommended training splits by working out twice a week.

It is ideal to have at least one day off in between sessions, but if you have to work out on 2 consecutive days, so be it.

Here are the two day workout splits.

2 Day Workout Split Using the Full Body Routine

Day 1	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps            Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps            Minor Lower Body Exercise (Push focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps  Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 2	Off
Day 3	Off
Day 4	Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps            Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps            Minor Upper Body Exercise (Pull focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 5	Off
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• Front Squat 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Overhead Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Goblet Squat, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Ab Wheel Rollouts 2-3 sets of 10 reps

Example Day 2:

• Low Incline Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Romanian Deadlift, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Pull-ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Plank Rows: 2-3 sets of 10 reps

2 Day Workout Split Using the Upper/Lower Routine

Day 1	Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps            Minor Upper Body Exercise (Push focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps  Minor Upper Body Exercise (Pull focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps  Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 2	Off
Day 3	Off
Day 4	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps            Minor Lower Body Exercise (Push focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Minor Lower Body Exercise (Hip focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 5	Off
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• Close Grip Bech Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated Cable Row, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Hanging Leg Raises, 2-3 sets of 10 reps

Example Day 2:

• Deadlift, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Reverse Lunge, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Cable Pull Throughs, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Side Plank Core Work: 2-3 sets of 20 seconds

2 Day Split Workout Using the Push/Pull Routine

Day 1	Major Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Major Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps              Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 2	Off
Day 3	Off
Day 4	Major Lower Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Major Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps              Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 5	Off
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Step Ups, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Leg Press, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Reverse Crunch, 2-3 sets of 10 reps

Example Day 2:

• Sumo Deadlift, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Weighted Pull-ups, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Face Pulls, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Loaded Carries: 2-3 sets of 10 reps

So there you have three examples of the best 2 day split workout routines.

Of the three, I recommend the full body routine.

Now let’s move on to the best 3 day split workouts.

The 3 Day Workout Split

The 3 day workout split is one of the most popular because it is easy to adhere to.

In addition, it gives you enough time out of the gym so that you don’t feel like you are always working out.

Are 3 day splits good for mass?

Yes, 3 day split workouts are great for building strength and muscle mass. With that said, it is important that the majority of your work is focused on using only the best compound exercises.

Any of the three training splits can be done using a 3 day split. Here’s how.

3 Day Workout Split Using the Full Body Routine

Day 1	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps  Minor Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 2	Off
Day 3	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps  Minor Upper Body Exercise,  3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 4	Off
Day 5	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps            Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• High Bar Squat, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Incline Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Bulgarian Split Squat, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 2:

• Goodmorning 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Power Cleans, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• EZ Bar Rows  3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 3:

• Trap Bar Deadlift 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Overhead Press 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Kettle Bell Swing, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

3 Day Split Workout Using the Upper Lower Routine

Day 1	Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Exercise (Push), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Minor Upper Body Exercise (Pull), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 2	Off
Day 3	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Exercise (Push), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Minor Lower Body Exercise (Hip), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 4	Off
Day 5	Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Exercise (Push), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Minor Upper Body Exercise (Pull), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• Low Incline Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Push-ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Horizontal pull-ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Alphabet Plank: 2-3 sets of 10 reps

Example Day 2:

• Box Squat, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Step Up, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Kettle Bell Swing, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Side planks: 2-3 sets of 30 seconds

Example Day 3:

• Overhead Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Dumbbell Push Press, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated Cable Row, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Hanging Leg Raises: 2-3 sets of 10 reps

Week 2:  For the following week, you must alternate the workouts: I.e: Day 1 is Lower Body, Day 3 is Upper Body and Day 5 is Lower Body

3 Day Split Workout Using the Push Pull Routine

Day 1	Major Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Major Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 2	Off
Day 3	Major Lower Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Major Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps  Minor Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 4	Off
Day 5	Major Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Major Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps  Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• Paused Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Paused Squats, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Handstand push-ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 2:

• Sumo Deadlift, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Barbell Row, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Face Pulls, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 3:

• Touch and Go Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Front Squats, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Front Rack Reverse Lunge, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Week 2: For the next week, you must alternate the workouts: I.e: Day 1 is a Pull Day, Day 3 is Push Day and Day 5 is Pull Day.

I really enjoy the 3 day split, as it keeps things nice and simple. When I first got into training, the 3 day workout split using the full body routine was my go-to program.

Next up is the 4 day workout split.

The 4 Day Workout Split

Up next is my favorite workout split schedule of them all, the 4-day split.

In how often should you workout, I discuss why the ideal number of workouts per week is 3-4.

Are 4 day splits effective?

4 day workout splits are by far the easiest to program as every week will be structured the same way, and you will effectively hit each major muscle group more than once.

The ideal setup for a 4 day split is 2 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on, 2 days off.

Here is what it should look like.

4 Day Split Workout Using the Full Body Routine

Day 1	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps  Minor Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 2	Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps                Minor Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps  Minor Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 3	Off
Day 4	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps  Minor Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 5	Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps                Minor Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps  Minor Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

The 4 day split workout using the full body training split is what The Best Workout Template For Busy Professionals is based on.

Example Day 1:

• Squat, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Push-ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Walking Lunges, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Core Work

Example Day 2:

• Low Incline Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Goblet Squat, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell Overhead Press, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Core Work

Example Day 3: 

• Romanian Deadlifts, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Dumbbell Bench Press, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Back Raises, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 4:

• Overhead Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Single Leg RDL, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Pull-ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Core Work

4 Day Workout Split Using the Upper Lower Routine

Day 1	Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Upper Body (Push focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Minor Upper Body (Pull focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 2	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Lower Body (Push focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 3	Off
Day 4	Major Upper Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Upper Body Push focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps  Minor Upper Body (Pull focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 5	Major Lower Body Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps              Minor Lower Body (Hip focus), 3 sets of 8-12 reps Core Work: 2-3 sets of 10 reps
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Dumbbell Push Press, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated Cable Row 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 2:

• Deadlifts, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Goblet Squats 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Ab Wheel Rollouts: 2-3 sets of 10 reps

Example Day 3:

• High Incline Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Handstand Push-ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Horizontal Pull-ups 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 4:

• High Bar Squat, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Dumbbell RDL, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Plank Rows, 2-3 sets of 10 reps

4 Day Split Using the Push Pull Routine

Day 1	Major Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Major Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 2	Major Lower Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Major Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 3	Off
Day 4	Major Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Major Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 5	Major Lower Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Major Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• Weighted Push-ups,  3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Front Squats, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Step Ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 2:

• Deadlifts, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Weighted Chin-ups, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Face Pulls, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 3:

• Close Grip Bench Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Low Bar Squats, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Dumbbell Overhead Press, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 4:

• Trap Bar Deadlift, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Barbell Rows 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Pull-ups, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

The 4 day workout split is now my go to training split.  Despite my busy work schedule, I find that the four day a week workouts give me enough training volume while still giving me enough rest days in between.

What is The Best 4 Day Workout Split?

In my opinion, the best 4 day workout split is the upper lower routine. This is the most balanced workout that will allow you to train all of the major muscle groups twice per week.

With that said, you can also do a 4 day full body split, especially if you are a beginner. I often recommend this split as it allows you to practice each of the major movement patterns more than twice per week. This is beneficial when you are first starting out as you are learning each of the major movement patterns.

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What About 5 Day or 6 Day Workout Splits?

Can you work out 5 or 6 days a week?

Sure.

In an ideal world, you should do some type of physical activity just about every single day.

However, when it comes to the gym and resistance training, I think 4 days a week is sufficient.

Once you do 5 or 6 days a week, you may start to notice difficulty in recovering from your workouts.

To combat this, you can make the 5th or 6th day a “light” day or an active recovery day where you do light cardio and minimal isolation exercises such as biceps, or posterior deltoids.

If you are a beginner or an intermediate, I do not suggest doing moderate to heavy resistance training more than 4 days a week.

However, if you insist, here is how to do it.

5 Day Workout Splits

So what is a 5 day workout split? A 5 day split usually involves 5 consecutive workout days in a row followed by 2 days of rest.

To combat any potential fatigue, you can make the 3rd workout “easier” to allow your body to recover from the frequent workout sessions.

What Is The Best 5 Day Workout Split?

The best 5 day workout routine would be either an upper/lower split with one day of core work or an upper/lower split with one day of cardio.

For example:

OPTION #1

Day 1	Upper Body Work
Day 2	Lower Body Work
Day 3	Core Exercises
Day 4	Upper Body Work
Day 5	Lower Body Work
Day 6	Off
Day 7	Off

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OPTION #2

Day 1	Upper Body Work
Day 2	Lower Body Work
Day 3	Off
Day 4	Upper Body Work
Day 5	Lower Body Work
Day 6	Cardio/ HIIT
Day 7	Off

6 Day Workout Splits

6 day workout splits are even tougher to recover from. You should only train this frequently if you are an intermediate or advanced athlete.

What Is The Best 6 Day Workout Split?

If you want to workout 6 days a week, I recommend that you follow either the upper/lower training split, or the push/pull/legs training split as I mentioned above.

Here is an example 6 day split routine:

Day 1	Major Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 2	Major Lower Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 3	Major Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-10 reps Minor Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 4	Major Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps  Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 5	Minor Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Upper Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 6	Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Push Exercise, 3 sets of 6-12 reps Minor Lower Body Pull Exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 7	Off

Example Day 1:

• Overhead Press,  3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Dumbbell Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Seated Rows, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 2:

• Snatch Grip Deadlifts, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Goblet Squats, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Back Raises, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 3:

• Barbell Rows, 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Face Pulls, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 4:

• Front Squats, 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Walking Lunges 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Kettle Bell Swings, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Example Day 5:

• Weighted Push-ups 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Pike Push-ups 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Pull-ups, 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Example Day 6:

• Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Knee Extensions 3 sets of 6-12 reps
• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

*Note that Day 5 and Day 6 are using only “minor” exercises – to allow for adequate rest and muscle recovery.

Is A 6 Day Split Too Much?

For the vast majority of people, yes, a 6 day split will be too much. If you don’t plan your workouts carefully, you run the risk of overtraining.

You can get all the benefits you need from a 4 day a week workout split.

If you decide to use a 6 day split- be sure to use deload weeks regularly.

What About 7 Day Split Workouts?

Unless you are a professional athlete or you get paid to exercise, I do not recommend a 7 day workout routine.

This is far too much for the average person and can lead to overtraining.

The only exception is if your workout intensity is low and of short duration.

For example, you can certainly train 7 days a week if your sessions are only 15 minutes long and aren’t terribly difficult to perform.

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Related Questions

What Is The Best Workout Split For Beginners?

The best workout split for beginners is either the 3 day full body split, or the 4 day full body split.

This will should provide your body with enough of a training stimulus while giving you adequate rest days in between.

When doing a full body split, you can increase the frequency in which you train the major muscle groups which include

• The Pullers: AKA The Back and the Lats
• The Pushers: AKA The Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
• The Knee Extensors: AKA The Quadriceps and Adductors
• The Hip Extensors: AKA The Hamstrings, Glutes, and Low Back

Try to train each of the big muscle groups twice per week.

Should I Train Full Body Or Split?

The full body workout is a type of split. You can’t go wrong with a full body workout if you are a beginner or an intermediate.

For intermediate or advanced lifters, the full body workout split will begin to have diminishing returns.

In this situation, the upper/lower split becomes the best split for intermediate/advanced athletes.

The push/pull/legs split is also another good option, but it is impractical to go to the gym 6 days a week for most of us.

Is The Bro Split Workout Good?

If your goal is to maximize muscle growth, then yes, it is a good workout. Otherwise, I generally don’t recommend it. Especially not for beginners.

Splitting up your workouts into distinct muscle groups requires a lot of time and effort.

The biceps don’t need their own training day. Neither do your arms for that matter.

As a busy professional, it’s best to maximize the time spent at the gym using one of the splits recommended above.

What Is The Best Workout Split For Fat Loss?

The best workout split for fat loss would have to be full body split training. That’s because full body workouts will burn more calories than isolating any particular muscle group or body part.

It is important that you focus only on big compound exercises that require a large range of motion.  Good examples include deadlifts, pull-ups, and overhead press.

Otherwise, you can do HIIT workouts, which burn the most calories.

What About For Building Muscle?

You can use any of the 4 splits for muscle gain. The most important components of building muscle include:

• Using compound exercises for the majority of your training (with good technique of course)
• Using the principle of progressive overload to ensure that your workouts getting more difficult as time goes on
• And last but not least staying consistent (this is by far the most important factor)

What About For Athletes?

Athletes will benefit from any of the major three workout splits (full body, upper / lower, push / pull / legs). The key is that you do not want to train so much that it interferes with your athletic practice.

If you are an athlete, I recommend sticking to 3 day splits.

How Long Should A Split Workout Last?

A split workout should last approximately 30-45 minutes. If you are spending more time than this at the gym, then you can improve your workout efficiency.

Let me show you how to get a complete workout in 30 minutes.

When Should I Do Cardio?

If you want to add cardio to your routine, I recommend doing it on your off days. If you don’t feel like doing cardio – that is okay.

In my post, Is Cardio Necessary? I discuss 5 reasons why I don’t do traditional cardio, and what to do instead.

Is It Better To Workout 4 or 5 Times A Week?

For busy professionals, it is better to work out 4 times per week.

This is easier to stay consistent with – which is the most important factor in fitness. With that said, if you can consistently workout 5 times per week and you are able to recover.

Whichever you choose, try to do at least 3 sets per exercise, per day.

That means that you should do at least 6 weekly sets of exercises targeting the

• The Pushing Muscles
• The Pulling Muscles
• The Knee Extensors, and
• The Hip Extensors

If you have time, 4 sets per day can yield better results than 3.

Conclusion: What Is The Best Workout Split?

The best workout split is a 4 day full body or a 4 day upper lower split.

Now, you can go and piece together all of this information into one cohesive plan that is right for you.

Or…

You can save yourself time and conveniently let me do the work for you.

I have created a done-for-you workout program that takes advantage of a full body training split so that it takes all of the guesswork out of the equation.

The WCT Strength Template is 15-week training program designed to help busy professionals build strength and develop lean muscle.

It doesn’t matter if you can only train 2, 3, or 4 days a week.

The template will allow you to modify your training as your schedule sees fit (but with that said, it works best with a 4 day workout routine.)

Best of all, the workouts are designed to only last 30 minutes a day.

This program is good for beginners or intermediates.

Final Words

Split workouts are probably the best way to train if your goal is to build muscle, gain strength, and improve your overall fitness.

So which workout split is right for you?

If you are a beginner, then the full body split is the obvious choice.

If you are a more intermediate trainee, then you can use any of the three approaches.

I personally think the upper/lower is the best split routine for intermediate trainees, however, the full body split is a close second.

I also recommend sticking with a 4 day split routine if you can.

The bottom line is that all three of these approaches work. It doesn’t matter which one you choose; all that matters is that you adhere to it.

Now we turn it over to you:

Have you ever done any of these three splits?

Which is your favorite and why?

Are you guilty of having done a body part split early in your training career?

Comment below and let us know!

Related Posts On Creating The Best Workout Routine For You

• The Complete List of The Best Compound Exercises
• The Ideal Rep Range You Should Use For Best Results
• How Much Weight Should You Lift?

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Alex Robles, MD, CPT / Brittany Robles, MD, MPH, CPT

Alex & Brittany Robles are physicians, NASM CPTs, health & fitness experts, and founders of The White Coat Trainer: a site dedicated to improving the health and fitness of busy professionals. Their advice has been featured on KevinMD, The Doctor Weighs In, My Fitness Pal, Reader’s Digest, Livestrong, and The Active Times. Learn more about them here.

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