Split Routines 101
Split Routines 101 – in this article we will see that there’s more than one way to approach working out. It’s not merely a simple case of walking into the gym and throwing weights around for an hour or so. Will you perform a full body routine, or will you divide up your muscle groups? A full body is great for new lifters or severely time-strapped lifters. But, if you want to make the most progress, you will need to logically divide yourself up so you can devote a more complete workout to each muscle group. This article shows you how – so let’s get started!
What Is A Split Routine?
A Split Routine is a training approach where you divide up your physique into logical groupings. For example, you could train your pushing muscles on one day, then your pulling muscles, and finally legs. You can then train each grouping once or twice per week.
It should be understood that many lifters begin their lifting journey using a full-body routine. Typically, a new lifter would train their entire body in a single training session and perform these sessions 3 times a week. A full body routine like this might include up to 6 exercises and up to 3 sets per exercise (not including warmups). It’s a good way to start but as you progress, the list of exercises typically gets longer, to the point where it’s just not practical anymore.
What Are The Benefits Of Split Routines?
- Split Routines allow more complete development because you can perform multiple exercises per bodypart.
- Split routines allow you to train with more intensity because you’re performing less total sets and working fewer body parts than a full body routine.
- You can apply progressive overload easier because you’re only working a few muscles per workout.
- Recovery per muscle group improves, however it’s important to have 1-4 (depending on the split) complete rest days to allow for nervous system recovery.
- Dividing your body up into 3 or more sections can allow for shorter workouts.
How Many Types Of Splits Are There?
The list is a long one that’s only limited by your imagination. Following are the most common Splits.
The 3-Day Split (Push/Pull/Legs)
I’ve already hinted at this routine above. It’s commonly called Push/Pull/Legs but you can do it in any order. Here’s how I typically use this split.
| Day 1 | Leg Day | Quads | Hamstrings | Calves | Abs | |
| Day 2 | Off | Off | ||||
| Day 3 | Push Day | Push | Chest | Shoulders | Triceps | Abs |
| Day 4 | Off | Off | ||||
| Day 5 | Pull Day | Pull | Back | Biceps | Forearms | Abs |
| Day 6 | Off | Off | ||||
| Day 7 | Off | Off |
Notes
Shoulders include upper traps, and back includes the lower and middle traps, which are part of the back. As you can see, this is heavy recovery and works for older lifters or natty lifters. It also works well for those people with very demanding schedules – you can move around your workout days as needed.
The 4-Day Split
A 4-Day Split allows you to divide yourself up even more. Looking back at the 3-Day, you’re doing a lot of work on Push Day. Why not do shoulders and upper traps on Day 4? Or how about arms? Yes, you cut down recovery time and flexibility, but you can even out the work load with this popular split.
Here’s an example routine.
| Day 1 | Chest | Triceps | Abs | |
| Day 2 | Off | |||
| Day 3 | Back | Biceps | Forearms | Abs |
| Day 4 | Shoulders | Upper Traps | Abs | |
| Day 5 | Off | |||
| Day 6 | Quads | Hamstrings | Calves | Abs |
| Day 7 | Off |
The 5-Day Split
If the 4-Day lets you spread things out, the 5-Day lets you do so even more. Some lifters might choose to give back and chest their own days, for example. This approach allows you to put in more effort to these muscles as well as add an exercise or two.
Here’s an example.
| Day 1 | Back | Abs | ||
| Day 2 | Chest | Abs | ||
| Day 3 | Off | |||
| Day 4 | Shoulders | Upper Traps | Abs | |
| Day 5 | Quads | Hamstrings | Calves | |
| Day 6 | Triceps | Biceps | Forearms | Abs |
| Day 7 | Off |
The 6-Day Split
In this case, we’re moving from working out each muscle group once per week to twice per week. However, you only get a single rest day, and that will not work for the older lifter or the natty lifter. This is a routine for advanced lifters using more “aggressive” supplements with more free time. Since you only have a single day off, you can’t make too many adjustments if your schedule gets busy.
While there’s multiple ways you can group your muscles, I suggest simply taking the 3-Day Split and doubling it, as follows.
| Day 1 | Quads | Hamstrings | Calves | Abs |
| Day 2 | Chest | Shoulders | Upper Traps | Triceps |
| Day 3 | Back | Biceps | Forearms | Abs |
| Day 4 | Off | |||
| Day 5 | Quads | Hamstrings | Calves | |
| Day 6 | Chest | Shoulders | Upper Traps | Triceps |
| Day 7 | Back | Biceps | Forearms | Abs |
The Upper/Lower Split
This is an interesting split that requires you to work your lower body on one day, but your entire upper body on another day. Therein lies my problem with this routine – on your Upper Body Day, you have to do chest, back, shoulders (including upper traps), arms, and abs. That is just too much work. Therefore, I have a suggestion: Choose 1-2 compound exercises per muscle and do nothing more. Using this approach arms could be optional because they would be hit with the other compound movements. However, for me, arms should never be “optional”.
| Day 1 | Upper Body |
| Day 2 | Off |
| Day 3 | Lower Body |
| Day 4 | Off |
| Day 5 | Upper Body |
| Day 6 | Off |
| Day 7 | Lower Body |
The Arnold Off-Season Split
Arnold always trained 6 days a week. In the off-season, he would train once a day. It typically could look like the following example.
| Day 1 | Chest | Back | Abs | |||
| Day 2 | Shoulders | Upper Traps | Triceps | Biceps | Forearms | Abs |
| Day 3 | Quads | Hamstrings | Calves | Abs | ||
| Day 4 | Chest | Back | Abs | |||
| Day 5 | Shoulders | Upper Traps | Triceps | Biceps | Forearms | Abs |
| Day 6 | Quads | Hamstrings | Calves | Abs | ||
| Day 7 | Off |
The Arnold Competition Twice A Day Split
As part of his pre-contest training, Arnold would ramp up his training to twice a day, 6 days a week. Here’s an example of how that could look. As a side note, this is a very advanced routine that is best used by experienced lifters using aggressive supplements. Not to mention, you have to have a very relaxed lifestyle with plenty of free time.
- Day 1 & 4 – Chest & Back
- Morning: Heavy compound movements (Bench Press, Incline Press, Rows, Pull-ups).
- Evening: Focus on isolation, volume, and the “pump” (Flyes, Pullovers, Dumbbell Rows).
- Day 2 & 5 – Shoulders & Arms
- Morning: Heavy overhead presses, upright rows.
- Evening: Biceps curls, triceps extensions, and forearms.
- Day 3 & 6 – Legs & Calves
- Morning: Heavy squats, leg presses, lunges.
- Evening: Leg curls, stiff-leg deadlifts, and high-rep calf work.
- Day 7: Off
For Newbies: How To Set Up Your Routine
Start with the biggest muscle group and work down to the smallest – for example: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps. Begin with your heaviest exercise and work down from there – for example, bench press, incline press, flat/incline flyes. Make sure you warm up over 3-4 sets on your first exercise.
Nutritional Guidelines
Make no mistake, lifting nutrition always starts with protein, the most important macronutrient. I recommend consuming a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Additionally, I recommend you divide your protein intake evenly over the day. A great example of this would be to consume 3 main meals and then have 2 or 3 protein shakes and/or bars.
What about carbohydrate intake? Make sure you focus on complex carbs, keeping simple, sugary carbs to a minimum. In addition, I recommend keeping your total daily carbohydrate intake to 1 – 2 grams per pound of bodyweight. It also makes sense to watch your waist because if you start to gain fat there, you know you’re eating too many carbohydrates. Remember excess carbs end up stored as fat.
Fat Loss Adjustments
What if fat loss is your goal? Then you’ll have to keep carbs at 100 grams or less per day. However, I don’t really think it’s necessary to go below 100 grams, you’ll need that much at least for training energy. Also, never, ever cut protein.
Pre-Workout Nutritional Blueprint
I also suggest following what I’m calling a Pre-Workout Nutrition Blueprint, which simply says that you should consume about 50% of the day’s carbohydrates (and all of the day’s simple carbs) in the hours around your workouts.
Your Foundational Supplement Program
Here is the foundational supplement program I recommend.
Protein Powder
It’s not always easy to eat as much protein as suggested above. You may be surprised how often the day’s total can fall a little short. To help you meet your daily protein requirements, I recommend Hi-Tech Precision Protein. This is hydrolyzed whey protein providing 25 grams of protein per serving. Plus, it features an exclusive Hi-Tech technology which allows the release of leucine in the early phases of protein synthesis. That makes this one of the most anabolic protein powders on the market.
Pre-Workout
Many of the newer pre-workouts have an 8-10 gram dose of citrulline and possibly a 5-6 dose of beta-alanine. That’s because of the Pre I recommend: Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode. Why, you might wonder? Gorilla Mode is the pre-workout that hit the market hard with extreme dosing, especially the nitric oxide-boosting l-citrulline.
In fact, this is the Pre that earned a place in history as the Pre that forced the supplement industry to dramatically change their standard dosing practices. That means they had to start dosing their ingredients higher to compete! In fact, for some brands, it meant doubling and even near-tripling their doses.
What if you’re a lifter that does not want caffeine or stims? Then I suggest Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode Nitric. This is an exceptionally dosed stim-free Pre with all the good stuff but no stims whatsoever!
Creatine Monohydrate
No doubt one of the most effective natural supplements, creatine monohydrate has been tested and proven time and time again. Now, the suggested 2-scoop dose of Gorilla Mode (and the stim-free version) gives you the standard 5 gram dose of creatine (I personally think all Pre’s should).
But you still have to take a 5 gram dose every day which means you will need a creatine supplement for your off-days. The formula I recommend is Allmax Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate. This is an exceptional formula that features CreaSyn® patented micronized creatine monohydrate. That means quality you just can’t beat!
Multivitamin
Here’s a legendary multivitamin/mineral formula – Universal Nutrition Animal Pack. This impressive formula has been around since 1984 (!) and pretty much has everything you can squeeze into a vitamin pack. Don’t overlook this important supplement – it’s like natural health insurance!
Add These For More Mass Potential!
Do you want to take your supplement program to the next level? Then I have the products for you! First off, adding an EAA powder while you work out can give you targeted results. Those results help you stay in an anabolic environment when you’re working out. The EAA formula I often suggest is NutraBio Intra Blast. Here’s a very impressive formula featuring 10 grams of EAAs that include 3.6 grams of leucine. There’s also 5 grams of glutamine, 2 grams of betaine, 1 gram of OKG, and a 3 gram Hydration complex.
Here’s a more hardcore supplement you can add to your program: Hi-Tech Andriol. This is an innovative prohormone that does not need to be cycled, you can stay on it as long as you want. Plus, no PCT is needed!
Finally, here’s an even more hardcore product – Hi-Tech Halodrol. This is a serious prohormone that combines 1-Andro and 4-Andro. I suggest using on-cycle support, such as Purus Labs Organ Shield. And of course, a PCT is an absolute must. I suggest using Hi-Tech Arimistane PCT to block excess estrogen, and Blackstone Labs Apex Male to help restore your natural testosterone levels. Also, keep using Organ Shield.
Summary
In this article we have covered the most commonly used Splits, and taken a look at two of Arnold’s Splits, which are also very popular. Once you’ve chosen the Split that best fits your goals and lifestyle, all that’s left is to stop by illpumpyouup.com, and stock up – then let’s hit the gym!