Grade 1 - Workout Splits

 Workout Splits

What's a Workout Split

    A workout split is a schedule of what muscle groups you hit on what days. A workout split is key to tracking your workouts and making progress in your fitness journey. There are many apps that can help you track your workouts, but the easiest way to start is by writing it down in a notebook or your notes app. 

Common Splits

    I will explain some of the most common workout splits, along with giving some benefits of each. 

    Full Body Split (2 days/week)

        The full body split is a split where you're working your entire body only twice a week. This split is the least time-consuming on a weekly basis, however, your individual workouts will be much longer. On this split you'll hit the upper body and lower body in one day, then 2-4 days later do it again. This split is best for people short on time. 

    Upper-Lower Split (4 days/week)

        The upper-lower split is an extremely common split. In this split, you'll work upper body Monday and Thursday and lower body Tuesday and Friday with rest days in between. This effectively splits the volume of a full body split in half but doubles the days. This split works best for most people and will have you working out 4 times a week. 

    Bro Split (5 days/week)

        The bro split is a stereotypical workout split. It involves hitting one muscle group a day, 5 days a week. This split commonly sees you hitting chest Monday, arms Tuesday, legs Wednesday, shoulders Thursday, and back Friday, with rest days on the weekend. This split includes the shortest workouts of all splits but it's not perfect. In this split, you only hit muscle groups once a week which isn't optimal for muscle growth. This split is still good and is aimed at beginners in the gym. 

    Push, Pull, Legs (6 days/week)

        The Push Pull Legs (PPL) split is the most common split in all resistance training. This split sees you hitting push muscles - chest, shoulders, triceps - on Monday and Thursday, pull muscles - back and biceps - on Tuesday and Friday, and legs on Wednesday and Saturday. This is a lot of volume and time so it's not perfect for everyone, but it's one of the most effective splits in all of the lifting. If you have the time, I definitely recommend this split to beginners. 

    Arnold Split (6 days/week)

        Arnold's famous split is very similar to push-pull legs with some differences. This split involves hitting antagonists muscle groups on the same day. So, Mondays and Thursdays would be chest and back, Tuesdays and Fridays would be arms and shoulders, and Wednesdays and Saturdays would be legs. This split is similar in volume to PPL but can help reduce fatigue during workouts. I recommend this to the intermediate lifter. 

Calisthenics 

    Calisthenics splits are very similar to weight training versions however with slight differences. Usually in splits, you would replace one of the leg days with your core and skills day. This is because in calisthenics legs are not as important as compared to core and calisthenics skills. However, structure your split however you feel comfortable. 

Conclusion

    Do whatever split works best for you. Make your own split even if you want just to make sure it's something you can stick with and keep consistent at.