Following a solid workout routine requires finding a workout split that you can perform consistently over time.
A workout split is the way you divide your workouts up throughout a week.
Additionally, a well thought out split can help ensure adequate recovery between your training sessions, maximize your effort levels for each workout, and see the best results.
The most optimal workout split will vary from person to person depending on their goals, workout experience level, number of days per week they have available for resistance training, and the type of training they find the most enjoyable.
Below, we will cover the 5 main types of splits you’ll see gym-goers utilize to maximize their efforts. They include full body splits, upper/lower splits, push/pull/legs splits, body part splits, and custom workout splits.
1. Full Body Splits
Full body workout splits are excellent for most people. They are often seen as the perfect way to begin working out for beginners. They also provide an optimal amount of training frequency throughout the week for anyone looking to build muscle and strength.
Most full body splits will require you to workout 2-4 times per week. Each session will work nearly every muscle group of the body and are often focused on compound movements. Each exercise within the workout will generally have between 3-5 sets.
2. Upper/Lower Splits
Upper/Lower splits are a great way to progress from full body workouts. By splitting your workouts in an upper/lower fashion, you can generally add more training volume per workout session. This makes them an excellent choice for more intermediate weightlifters looking to continue to build lean muscle mass and strength.
Upper/Lower workout splits divide workouts so that the muscles of the upper body are the focus 2-3 times per week and the muscles of the lower body are the focus 2-3 times per week. On upper workout days, you’ll focus on your chest, back, shoulders, and arm muscles. On lower workout days, you’ll prioritize quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
To make the most out of upper/lower splits, you’ll want to be able to commit to at least 4 training sessions per week. You can increase the total number of workout days to 6 if you’re more advanced. Each workout typically consists of 3-6 exercises for 12-20 total sets per workout.
3. Push/Pull/Legs Splits
Push/Pull/Legs workout splits are another way to progress from full body workouts and/or Upper/Lower splits. Push/Pull/Legs splits generally have a lot of training volume per session and quite a bit of training frequency per muscle group as certain muscles are worked indirectly on multiple workout days (for example, back muscles can be engaged on both pull and leg workout days).
To split up your workouts throughout the week, you’ll have a workout that is focused on push muscles, a workout focused on pull muscles, and a workout focused on leg muscles. The push muscle workout days will work your chest, triceps, and shoulders (and potentially quads). Pull workouts will prioritize the back and biceps (and potentially the hamstrings). Lastly, leg workouts will focus on your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
To make the most out of Push/Pull/Legs splits, you’ll want to be able to commit to 6 workout days per week. Some may choose to perform this style of split if they are weight training 3 times per week and performing another form of exercise other days of the week. Each workout will consist of 3-6 exercises for 12-20 total sets per workout.
4. Body Part Splits (AKA Bro Splits)
Body part splits are not as popular as they once were. Also known as the bro split, body part splits were made popular by professional bodybuilders and muscle magazines pre-internet fitness. They’re often described as not optimal. However, they can be a lot of fun and might be a decent way to spice up your training if you’re not excited to work out.
Body part splits are usually performed across 4-6 workouts per week. Each day of the week focuses on a specific muscle group. So, you would have a chest day, back day, leg day (possibly split up further as quad day and hamstring day), shoulder day, and arm day.
Each workout would consist of 4-7 exercises for 12-20 total sets.
5. Custom Workout Splits
The final workout split we will discuss are custom workout splits. These can be classified as any workout that combines principles of the other splits described above.
Custom splits are generally more individualized based on your goals, likes/dislikes, total workout days, etc. For instance, if you want to focus on building your leg muscles, you might perform two lower body workouts and two full body workouts. This increases your training frequency of the leg muscles, but not to the extent that might jeopardize your ability to recover.
Equipment Specific Workout Routines
Other workout styles you might find online include ones that are equipment specific.
What this means is that throughout the entire workout routine, only exercises specific to certain pieces of equipment are included.
Since many home gyms are small, these workout templates can be extremely helpful. Especially for those who are looking to improve their fitness without buying large pieces of exercise equipment.
Common equipment specific workout routines include:
- Dumbbell Only Workout Routines
- Kettlebell Only Workout Routines
- Resistance Band Only Workout Routines
- Bodyweight Only Workout Routines
FAQs about Workouts
1. What is the best workout schedule?
The best workout schedule is one that includes at least two resistance (or weight lifting) days per week and at least 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise. Accomplishing both things throughout the week allows you to meet the minimum requirements outlined by the CDC.
To accomplish this, the best workout schedule will depend on how many days you have available to workout, your level of experience with exercise, and what sort of exercise(s) you find enjoyable.
By understanding how many days per week you can commit to working out, you’ll be able to divide the minimum activity recommended by the CDC among those days. If you can commit to specific days each week, that will help you establish a regular workout routine.
Your level of experience with exercise will help you determine which type of workout split and how strenuous of workouts you should incorporate into your routine.
Lastly, by finding forms of exercise you find fun, you’ll have an easier time being consistent with your workouts. And ultimately, establishing consistency will allow you to see results and live the healthiest lifestyle.
2. What are the 10 best workouts?
The 10 best workouts are workouts that include fundamental movement patterns as the focus of the workout. There are many exercises that train those movement patterns. Among my favorite are:
- Pull Up
- Inverted Row
- Push Up
- Farmer’s Carry
- Romanian Deadlift
- Squat
- Hip Thrust
- Shoulder Press
- Dip
- Plank
3. What is the king of all workouts?
If you ask 5 different experienced personal trainers, you’ll get 5 completely different answers to this question. One might say the deadlift. Another the squat. You might get the other big lifts in there as well. Someone might surprise you by saying the hip thrust.
Truth is, there is no king of all workouts. Every movement pattern is important to train and will help you build muscle, potentially prevent injury, and improve your quality of life.
So, the king of all workouts? I’ll say YOU are the king or queen of all workouts you perform. Take the privilege in being fortunate enough to have the ability to exercise.
4. How many exercises should I do per workout?
The total amount of exercises you should perform each workout session will depend on what type of workout split you are doing, your goals, your experience level, and the frequency in which you exercise.
As a general response, I would say each weight training workout you perform should have 3-6 exercises. There might be exceptions to that rule, but that’s a good general recommendation. If you’re performing cardio, you’re generally performing one type of exercise like walking, jogging, biking, swimming, etc. But even with cardio, there is potential to vary your strides, spins, and strokes.
5. How long does it take to see results from working out?
The answer you’ll see a lot throughout these questions: it depends. It depends on your starting point. It depends on the effort you’re putting into other factors outside of your workouts such as nutrition, sleep, and stress management.
With that said, if you are truly putting forward the effort, I’ve always appreciated the anecdote of “it takes 4 weeks for you to start noticing a difference, 8 weeks for your friends and family to notice, and 12 weeks for the world to notice”.
Can’t remember where I heard that for the first time and wish I could provide proper credit to whoever said it – it’s a good starting point for anyone beginning their fitness journey.
6. What workout burns the most belly fat?
Despite popularized concepts, you can’t spot reduce any area you find troublesome. If you want to have a leaner midsection altogether, the best strategy is to focus on improving your nutrition by eating plenty of whole foods and eliminating as much ultra-processed foods as possible.
Paired with that, committing to a sound workout routine will help you improve your total daily energy expenditure. Stress management, potentially mental counseling, and sleep are all awesome areas to explore from a mental standpoint that will contribute to improvements in your physical health as well.
7. What workouts are the most fun?
Every individual will find different workouts more fun and enjoyable. I know people who love to dance. I know others who love to lift heavy. Some of my friends have to run a lot of miles before breakfast each day. And I’m also starting to notice a lot of people joining biking groups on the weekends.
Personally, I love to lift weights, walk/hike through state parks, and shoot hoops.
So, experiment with a lot of different forms of activities. Find the ones you enjoy the most and add them into your weekly workout regimen.
8. What is the easiest workout ever?
What is easy for some, might be incredible challenging for others. The exercise that has the lowest barrier to entry for most is walking. And walking can be incredibly effective at improving your health.
So, if you have access to a safe place to walk and some decent walking shoes, call up a friend or family member and lace them up. You’ll enjoy the conversation, likely go further, and be taking a great first step on your fitness journey.
9. What is a quick but good workout?
Two styles of training come to mind. The first is something called Tabata training. This is where you pick an exercise and perform reps for 20 seconds on/10 seconds off (rest) for 4 total minutes. By picking 3-5 exercises using this method, you can get in an insane workout in 20 minutes or less.
The other style of training that’s quick and effective is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Tabata is essentially a form of HIIT. This style of training is where you perform a work to rest ratio for a set duration of time. For instance, you could do 45 seconds on 15 seconds off for 5-10 minutes. Of course, you’ll want to warm up prior to performing HIIT training.
10. Is workout out for 10 minutes per day enough?
Some exercise is better than no exercise. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise per week (or 75 minutes of vigorous). If you perform 10 minutes of vigorous exercise per day, you will still fall slightly short of the 75-minute goal.
Increasingly popular opinion also suggests that being engaged and active throughout the day through multiple shorter bouts of exercise might be better than spending 30-60 minutes exercising and remaining sedentary throughout the remainder of the day.
11. How long should a workout be?
It depends on the type of workout you are performing and your overall level of fitness. The average workout tends to be 30-60 minutes. This allows you to spend 5-10 minutes warming up, 20-40 minutes working, and 5-10 minutes cooling down.
12. How many days per week should I work out?
The total number of days you choose to work out can vary depending on your personal schedule, goals, interests, etc. If you enjoy being active, you may potentially be active every day of the week.
In terms of weight training, generally 2-6 times per week is a good general recommendation. Cardiovascular exercise can be performed on those same days, on the days you do not weight train, or a combination of the two.
13. Can I work out every day?
Yes, it is possible to work out every single day. If you are in good physical condition, you may choose to perform weight training some days and some form of cardiovascular exercise other days.
Incorporating variety in your exercise is another way to be able to schedule workouts daily. For instance, you may jog some days of the week to build certain muscle structures and walk other days of the week to recover and build different muscular structures.
13. Can you get ripped fast?
It depends on your definition of ripped. You can certainly begin to see results quickly by implementing changes to your lifestyle. However, attaining a certain level of leanness requires significant sacrifice that many are not willing to make.
Comparing yourself to others on the internet is also not helpful. There are many ways a person can manipulate how they look on the internet including photoshop, posing angles, substance abuse, and more.
Respect where you are on your individual fitness journey. Make healthy changes that you can maintain consistently for life. The end goal should be about improving your health. Muscle mass and lower body fat can certainly be a byproduct of all of these changes.
14. What body parts to work on what days?
Which body parts you choose to work out on specific days will depend on the training split you’re performing. However you decide to split up your workouts, it is recommended to have 48-72 hours of rest in between training sessions to be able to adequately recover.
15. Should I do cardio before or after my work out?
If your main goal is to build muscular strength, perform your cardio after your weight training. If your goal is muscular endurance, perform cardio before your weight training.
Regardless, just make sure to perform cardio as it is important for optimal health.
16. Is it better to work out in the morning or at night?
It is better to work out at whichever time of day you can fit your workouts in. Some suggest that morning training is better for your circadian rhythms and may improve sleep. Others have stated those who work out early in the day tend to not move as much throughout the rest of the day, thus working out at night is better.
Regardless of when you decide to work out, it is important you get a workout in at some point in the day as working out has immense health benefits.
17. When should you not workout?
You should speak to a doctor prior to engaging in any new form of activity to ensure you are healthy enough to exercise.
Additionally, it is best to avoid strenuous workout when you are sick. Some light movement may be beneficial in helping you feel better, but you should not go to a gym setting where you might spread germs to others.
18. Is it ever too late to start working out?
It is never too late to begin a workout program. The sooner you begin a workout routine, the more time you’ll have to establish healthy habits and lead an overall healthy lifestyle that is compounded with time.
“The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago, the second-best time is today.”
19. How do you start working out when you’re out of shape?
First, check with your primary health care provider to ensure you are healthy enough to exercise. Once you have obtained approval to engage in exercise, if you are truly out of shape, consult with a personal trainer in your area.
A personal trainer will be able to perform an assessment and create an individualized strategy so you can get in shape effectively and efficiently.
If you cannot afford a personal trainer, there is loads of free information online on how to incorporate best practices for working out. Just realize, most of this information will be highly generalized to fulfill the needs of a mass audience.
20. How do you work out to lose weight?
Perform resistance training to maintain the lean body mass you have while you lower your caloric intake. Cardiovascular exercise will also help with total caloric burn while providing other health benefits.
21. How do you work out to build muscle?
Perform resistance training to build lean body mass you have while you manipulate your caloric intake in whichever direction will provide the most optimum health benefits. Cardiovascular exercise will also help with building certain muscular structures while providing other health benefits.
22. How do you work out to build strength?
Perform resistance training to build lean body mass you have while you manipulate your caloric intake in whichever direction will provide the most optimum health benefits. Cardiovascular exercise will also help with building certain muscular structures while providing other health benefits.
True strength gains require maximal efforts on the main movement patters. You’ll want to schedule phases in your training year that require higher levels of intensity.
23. What is the best workout split for a beginner?
Full body workouts 2-3 times per week are generally recommended for beginners. These workouts should address whatever muscular imbalances you have while also focusing on the main movement patterns necessary for optimal health.
24. Are full body workouts optimal?
Full body workouts can provide a great stimulus and frequency to elicit muscular growth in some individuals. However, optimal is a very subjective word. You need to take into account several factors when deciding on which workout routine is best for you. This includes the days you have available to exercise, the amount of time each training day you have to exercise, and the level of enjoyment you get out of the workout split you have selected.
A workout routine is only “optimal” if it is something you can see yourself being able to perform day in and day out for a lifetime.
25. How much weight should I use when working out?
You should try to measure the perceived difficulty of whatever weight you have selected to perform an exercise and adjust based on that feeling. There are several ways to do this.
One that I enjoy using is rate of perceived exertion. On a scale of 1-10 how difficult was this exercise for you? For any exercise you are performing 6 or more reps, you should be aiming for a 6-8 RPE. For 1-5 rep ranges, a 8-9 RPE is a good goal.