Workout splits
A training split is how you divide your workouts across the week. The best split is the one that fits your schedule and lets you train each muscle hard about twice a week.
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What actually matters
A split is just a way to share your muscles out across the week's sessions. It matters far less than the two things it serves: enough weekly sets per muscle (see How many sets per muscle per week) and training each muscle about twice a week.
Research spotlight
When weekly sets were matched, training a muscle twice a week built about as much as once a week — so pick the split that lets you hit each muscle roughly twice while keeping quality high.
The UK Chief Medical Officers also recommend muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week for general health2.
The main splits compared
| Split | Days a week | Each muscle trained | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full body | 2–3 | 2–3× a week | Beginners and busy people |
| Upper / lower | 4 | 2× a week | Most people, most of the time |
| Push / pull / legs | 3 or 6 | 1× (3 days) or 2× (6 days) | Keen lifters who train often |
| Body-part ("bro") split | 5 | 1× a week | Advanced lifters with high per-session volume |
Notice that a 3-day push/pull/legs hits each muscle only once a week. Run twice (6 days) it becomes one of the most popular splits for a reason.
Example weeks
| Split | A typical week |
|---|---|
| Full body ×3 | Mon full body · Wed full body · Fri full body |
| Upper / lower ×4 | Mon upper · Tue lower · Thu upper · Fri lower |
| Push / pull / legs ×6 | Push · Pull · Legs · Push · Pull · Legs · rest |
How to choose
- Start from the days you'll genuinely train, not the ones you wish you would. Three real sessions beat a five-day plan you abandon.
- Beginners: full body 3× a week. You practise the big lifts often and hit everything twice over.
- Four days: upper/lower is the easiest way to train everything twice.
- Six days and keen: push/pull/legs fits lots of volume in with fresh sessions.
- Consistency beats the "perfect" split. The best one is the one you'll still be doing in six months.
Make your split repeatable
Whatever you pick, the trick is to run it the same way each week and progress it. Save each day as a routine so your exercises and last weights are ready the moment you walk in — no deciding on the spot, no forgetting what you lifted.
Common myths
MythEach muscle needs a full week to recover, so train it once a week.
FactSmaller muscle groups recover in a day or two. With volume matched, twice a week is as good as or better than once.
MythBeginners need a 5-day bodybuilder split.
FactBeginners do best on full-body sessions a few times a week — more practice on the key lifts and plenty of recovery.
MythThere's one best split.
FactThere isn't. The best split is the one that fits your week and lets you train each muscle about twice with enough sets.
Questions people ask
How many days a week should I train?
Three to four is plenty for almost everyone. Two well-run full-body sessions still build muscle; more than four only helps if you can recover from it and stay consistent.
Can I build muscle training only 3 days a week?
Yes. Three full-body or push/pull/legs sessions can deliver 10+ sets per muscle a week, which is enough to grow for most people.
Track this in NutriLog
Save your split as a routine
Build your split once in NutriLog, then start each session in a tap — your exercises, sets and last weights are ready to go.
Free to use. No card needed.
References
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. J Sports Sci. 2019;37(11):1286-1295. doi:10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906
- Department of Health and Social Care. UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines. GOV.UK, 2019.