Walk into any gym and ask ten people about their workout split, you'll get ten different answers. Full body, bro split, push pull legs, upper lower. Everyone swears theirs is best.
The truth? There's no single best split. The right answer depends on your schedule, experience level, and goals. A beginner with three days per week needs a different approach than an advanced lifter training six days.
This guide breaks down the four most popular workout splits with sample routines, pros and cons, and a comparison table so you can pick the one that actually fits your life.
TL;DR
Beginners or busy schedules: Full body split (2-3 days). Hit everything each session, build the habit, get strong.
Intermediate lifters with 4 days: Upper lower split. Better volume distribution than full body, manageable recovery.
Advanced lifters with time: Push pull legs (PPL). High frequency, excellent for hypertrophy, requires 4-6 days commitment.
Bodybuilding focus: Bro split (5-6 days). One muscle group per session, tons of volume per muscle, long sessions.
What Is a Workout Split?
A workout split is how you divide your training across the week. Instead of hitting every muscle every session, you organize exercises by muscle group, movement pattern, or body region.
The goal: maximize muscle growth while allowing proper recovery. When you train a muscle, it needs 48-72 hours to repair and adapt. Your split determines how you balance training stimulus with recovery time.
The four main approaches:
- Full body: Train all major muscle groups each session
- Upper lower: Separate upper body days from lower body days
- Push pull legs: Group muscles by movement (push, pull, legs)
- Bro split: One muscle group per session (chest day, back day, etc.)
Each has tradeoffs. Let's break them down.
Full Body Split (2-3 Days per Week)
Full body splits train every major muscle group in each session. You'll do a pressing movement, a pulling movement, a leg exercise, and some core work all in one workout.
Who it's for: Beginners, busy people, or anyone who can only commit to 2-3 gym sessions per week. It's also excellent for strength-focused programs where you need to practice the big lifts frequently.
How it works: Each workout includes 5-8 exercises covering your entire body. You hit each muscle 2-3 times per week instead of once. This higher frequency is backed by research showing muscles can be trained more than once per week for better growth.
Sample Full Body Routine
Here's a 3-day full body split:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squat | 3 x 6-8 | 3 min |
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 x 6-8 | 2-3 min |
| Barbell Bent Over Row | 3 x 8-10 | 2 min |
| Barbell Deadlift | 2 x 6-8 | 3 min |
| Military Press | 3 x 8-10 | 2 min |
| Pull-Up | 3 x AMRAP | 2 min |
| Plank | 3 x 30-60s | 1 min |
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday or any 3 non-consecutive days.
You can vary exercises each session (swap bench press for dumbbell press, squats for leg press) or keep them consistent. Both work. Beginners benefit from consistency to practice movement patterns.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Time efficient: Only need 2-3 gym days per week
- High frequency: Hit each muscle 2-3x per week for better strength gains
- Great for beginners: Learn all the major movement patterns quickly
- Flexible: Miss a workout? You're not skipping an entire muscle group
- Easier recovery: More rest days between sessions
Cons:
- Long sessions: 60-90 minutes to cover everything
- Fatigue accumulation: Squatting and deadlifting in the same workout is taxing
- Limited volume per muscle: Can't do 20 sets for chest when you have 6 other muscle groups to train
- Not ideal for advanced lifters: Need more volume than full body allows
Full body is the best starting point for most people. It's the foundation of many beginner workout plans and 3-day programs for busy schedules.
Upper Lower Split (4 Days per Week)
Upper lower splits separate your training into upper body days and lower body days. You'll do two upper sessions and two lower sessions per week.
Who it's for: Intermediate lifters who can commit to 4 days per week and want more volume per muscle group than full body allows. It's a sweet spot between frequency and volume.
How it works: Each muscle group gets trained twice per week with dedicated attention. Your upper days focus on chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Lower days hit quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
You can structure it as two identical upper and two identical lower days, or vary the exercises and rep ranges between the two sessions (e.g., strength-focused upper on Monday, hypertrophy-focused upper on Thursday).
Sample Upper Lower Routine
Upper Day A (Monday):
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 x 6-8 | 3 min |
| Barbell Bent Over Row | 4 x 6-8 | 2-3 min |
| Military Press | 3 x 8-10 | 2 min |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 x 10-12 | 90s |
| Barbell Curl | 3 x 10-12 | 90s |
| Cable Tricep Pushdown | 3 x 10-12 | 90s |
Lower Day A (Tuesday):
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squat | 4 x 6-8 | 3 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 x 8-10 | 2-3 min |
| Leg Press | 3 x 10-12 | 2 min |
| Leg Curl | 3 x 10-12 | 90s |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 x 12-15 | 90s |
| Ab Wheel | 3 x 10-15 | 90s |
Upper Day B (Thursday):
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 x 8-10 | 2 min |
| Pull-Up | 4 x AMRAP | 2 min |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 x 8-10 | 2 min |
| Cable Row | 3 x 10-12 | 90s |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 x 12-15 | 60s |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 3 x 10-12 | 90s |
Lower Day B (Saturday):
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Deadlift | 4 x 5-6 | 3 min |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 x 8-10 | 2 min |
| Hip Thrust | 3 x 10-12 | 2 min |
| Leg Extension | 3 x 12-15 | 90s |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 x 15-20 | 90s |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3 x 10-15 | 90s |
Schedule: Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat works well, or any pattern with at least one rest day between lower sessions.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Balanced frequency and volume: Train each muscle 2x per week with more sets than full body
- Shorter sessions: 60-75 minutes per workout
- Good progression: Easy to track and increase weights on key lifts
- Flexible: Can adjust upper/lower ratio based on goals
- Better recovery: More rest between muscle groups than full body
Cons:
- Requires 4 days: Not ideal if you can only train 3 days per week
- Leg days are hard: Cramming all lower body work into two sessions is brutal
- Less arm volume: Arms share time with bigger muscle groups
- Not optimal for specialists: If you only care about upper body, you're doing 50% lower work
Upper lower is underrated. It's more sustainable than PPL for most people and delivers better results than full body for intermediate lifters.
Push Pull Legs Split (3-6 Days per Week)
Push pull legs (PPL) organizes training by movement pattern. Push days train chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull days hit back and biceps. Leg days cover quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
Who it's for: Lifters who can train 4-6 days per week and want to maximize muscle growth. PPL is the gold standard for bodybuilding-style training.
How it works: You can run PPL once per week (3 days) or twice per week (6 days). Most people do it twice for higher frequency. Each muscle group gets hit every 3-4 days, the sweet spot for hypertrophy.
We have a complete PPL routine guide with detailed programs and progression plans. Read the full PPL guide for exercise selection and volume recommendations.
Sample PPL Schedule
6-Day PPL (Push, Pull, Legs, Push, Pull, Legs, Rest):
Run the cycle twice per week. Each muscle group gets trained every 3-4 days.
Push Day:
- Barbell Bench Press: 4 x 6-8
- Military Press: 4 x 8-10
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 x 10-12
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 x 12-15
- Cable Tricep Pushdown: 3 x 10-12
- Overhead Tricep Extension: 3 x 10-12
Pull Day:
- Barbell Deadlift: 4 x 5-6
- Pull-Up: 4 x AMRAP
- Barbell Bent Over Row: 3 x 8-10
- Cable Row: 3 x 10-12
- Barbell Curl: 3 x 10-12
- Hammer Curl: 3 x 10-12
Leg Day:
- Barbell Squat: 4 x 6-8
- Romanian Deadlift: 3 x 8-10
- Leg Press: 3 x 10-12
- Leg Curl: 3 x 10-12
- Hip Thrust: 3 x 10-12
- Standing Calf Raise: 4 x 12-15
4-Day PPL: Run Push, Pull, Legs, Rest, Push, Pull, Legs across two weeks. Each muscle gets hit roughly 1.5x per week.
3-Day PPL: Just one cycle per week. Good for beginners easing into the PPL structure, but frequency is low for optimal growth.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Optimal frequency: Each muscle trained every 3-4 days
- High volume: Plenty of sets per muscle group per week
- Logical grouping: Synergistic muscle groups trained together
- Customizable: Can add or remove volume easily
- Great for hypertrophy: The split most bodybuilders use
Cons:
- Time commitment: Need 4-6 days per week for best results
- Long sessions: 75-90 minutes if you're running high volume
- Fatigue management: Training 6 days straight is hard
- Not ideal for strength: Less practice frequency on specific lifts than full body
- Recovery demands: Need good sleep and nutrition to keep up
PPL is excellent if you have the time and recovery capacity. If you can't commit to at least 4-5 days per week, choose a different split.
Bro Split (5-6 Days per Week)
The bro split dedicates an entire workout to one muscle group. Monday is chest day, Tuesday is back day, Wednesday is legs, Thursday is shoulders, Friday is arms.
Who it's for: Advanced bodybuilders who need maximum volume per muscle group and have time for 5-6 training days per week. Also popular with people who enjoy the pump and mind-muscle connection focus.
How it works: Each muscle gets hammered with 15-25 sets in one session, then rests for a week before training again. Frequency is low (once per week per muscle), but volume per session is high.
Modern research suggests training muscles more frequently is better for growth, making the bro split less optimal than PPL or upper lower for most people. But it still works, especially for advanced lifters using performance-enhancing drugs who can handle and recover from massive volume.
Sample Bro Split Schedule
| Day | Muscle Group | Sample Exercises |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Chest | Barbell Bench Press, Incline Dumbbell Press, Decline Press, Cable Flyes, Dips |
| Tuesday | Back | Barbell Deadlift, Pull-Up, Barbell Bent Over Row, Cable Row, Face Pulls |
| Wednesday | Legs | Barbell Squat, Leg Press, Leg Extension, Leg Curl, Hip Thrust, Calf Raises |
| Thursday | Shoulders | Military Press, Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Rear Delt Flyes, Upright Row, Shrugs |
| Friday | Arms | Barbell Curl, Cable Tricep Pushdown, Hammer Curl, Skull Crushers, Concentration Curl, Overhead Extension |
| Saturday | Rest or Abs | Core-focused session or full rest |
| Sunday | Rest | Rest |
Each session includes 4-6 exercises with 3-5 sets each, totaling 15-25 sets per muscle group.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Maximum volume per session: Can pile on sets when fresh
- Serious pump: Feels great to annihilate one muscle group
- Mental focus: Easy to concentrate on one area
- Good for weak points: Dedicate an entire day to lagging muscles
- Social aspect: Chest Monday is a gym tradition
Cons:
- Low frequency: Each muscle trained once per week
- Long sessions: 90-120 minutes when doing 20+ sets
- Suboptimal for naturals: Research shows 2x per week beats 1x for muscle growth
- Recovery can lag: Week between sessions may be too long for adaptation
- Requires 5-6 days: Not practical for busy schedules
The bro split works, but it's the least efficient option for natural lifters. If you love it and it keeps you consistent, go for it. But don't choose it thinking it's optimal for muscle growth.
How to Pick the Right Split for You
Stop copying what the biggest guy at your gym does. Pick the split that matches your situation, not someone else's.
By Experience Level
Beginner (0-1 year training): Start with full body 2-3 days per week. You need to learn movement patterns and build work capacity. Hitting each muscle multiple times per week accelerates skill acquisition and strength gains.
After 6-12 months, you can transition to upper lower or PPL if you want more volume.
Intermediate (1-3 years): Upper lower 4 days per week or PPL 4-5 days are both excellent. Choose based on your schedule. Upper lower is easier to recover from. PPL allows more volume per muscle.
Advanced (3+ years): PPL 5-6 days or bro split 5-6 days, depending on your goals. If pure hypertrophy and bodybuilding is the goal, PPL edges out bro split. If you love the pump and have excellent recovery, bro split can work.
By Schedule
2-3 days per week: Full body is your only real option. You can technically run PPL once per week, but frequency is too low for good results. Check out these 3-day plans for busy people.
4 days per week: Upper lower is perfect. You can also run PPL across 8 days (Push, Pull, Legs, Rest, Push, Pull, Legs, Rest), hitting each muscle roughly 1.75x per week.
5-6 days per week: PPL or bro split. PPL is better for muscle growth. Bro split works if you prefer the structure and don't mind lower frequency.
By Goal
Building muscle (hypertrophy): PPL 5-6 days gives you optimal frequency and volume. Upper lower 4 days is the runner-up. Both beat full body and bro split for natural lifters.
Getting stronger: Full body 3 days or upper lower 4 days. You need to practice the big lifts frequently. PPL spreads out squat, bench, and deadlift too much. Browse strength-focused routines for specific programs.
Fat loss: Any split works for fat loss. Diet controls fat loss, not your training split. Pick the split you can stick to consistently. Full body 3 days is time-efficient if you're busy.
General fitness: Full body 2-3 days. You don't need to train 6 days per week if you just want to be fit, strong, and healthy.
Comparison Table
Here's how the four main splits stack up:
| Split | Days/Week | Session Length | Best For | Experience Level | Muscle Frequency | Recovery Demands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Body | 2-3 | 60-90 min | Beginners, busy schedules, strength | Beginner | 2-3x per week | Low to Moderate |
| Upper Lower | 4 | 60-75 min | Intermediate lifters, balanced approach | Intermediate | 2x per week | Moderate |
| Push Pull Legs | 4-6 | 75-90 min | Hypertrophy, advanced lifters with time | Intermediate to Advanced | 2x per week | Moderate to High |
| Bro Split | 5-6 | 90-120 min | Bodybuilding, weak point specialization | Advanced | 1x per week | High |
Volume per muscle per week (sets):
- Full body: 8-12 sets
- Upper lower: 12-16 sets
- PPL: 15-20 sets
- Bro split: 15-25 sets
Time commitment per week:
- Full body: 3-4.5 hours
- Upper lower: 4-5 hours
- PPL: 6-9 hours
- Bro split: 7.5-12 hours
Choose based on your constraints, not what sounds coolest.
Common Split Mistakes
Switching splits too often: Give your split at least 8-12 weeks before changing. Constantly jumping between programs kills progress. Consistency beats perfection.
Picking a split you can't sustain: Don't start a 6-day PPL if you travel for work constantly. Choose the split you can actually stick to long-term.
Copying elite lifters: The guy benching 405 for reps might run a bro split, but he's also been training for 10 years and has elite genetics. Don't copy outliers.
Ignoring recovery: More training isn't always better. If you're sleeping 5 hours per night and eating 1,800 calories, a 6-day split will wreck you. Match training volume to your recovery capacity.
Not progressing: Your split doesn't matter if you're not getting stronger or adding volume over time. Track your lifts and aim to progress weekly or monthly.
Skipping legs on upper lower or PPL: Don't be that person. If you choose a split with dedicated leg days, actually do them.
Doing too much volume as a beginner: New lifters don't need 25 sets per muscle group. Start with lower volume and add sets as you adapt.
FAQ
What's the best split for beginners?
Full body 2-3 days per week. It teaches you the fundamental movement patterns, builds full-body strength, and fits into any schedule. You'll make faster progress hitting each muscle 2-3 times per week than once per week on a bro split.
Is push pull legs better than upper lower?
For hypertrophy with 5-6 training days, PPL wins. For 4 days per week, upper lower is more practical and delivers similar results. PPL requires more time commitment and recovery. Choose based on your schedule.
Can you build muscle with a 3-day full body split?
Absolutely. Full body 3x per week is enough volume to build significant muscle, especially for beginners and intermediates. Advanced lifters might need more volume, but you can add sets to full body workouts or transition to upper lower.
How long should you stick with one split?
At least 8-12 weeks, ideally 3-6 months. Changing splits constantly prevents you from progressing. Run the split long enough to increase weights, add volume, and see results. Only switch if your schedule or goals change significantly.
What if I can only train 2 days per week?
Run a full body split hitting all major muscle groups both days. It's not optimal, but 2 days is infinitely better than zero. Focus on compound movements (squat, deadlift, bench, row, press) and progressively overload over time.
Should I do cardio on rest days?
Light cardio (walking, cycling, swimming) on rest days is fine and can aid recovery. Hard cardio (sprints, HIIT) should be treated like another training session. If you're running a high-volume split like 6-day PPL, excessive cardio will hurt recovery.
Build Your Split
You now know the four main workout splits, their pros and cons, and how to choose based on your situation.
Your next steps:
- Pick the split that matches your schedule and experience level
- Find a specific program or build your own using the samples above
- Track your workouts and focus on progressive overload
- Run it for at least 12 weeks before evaluating
Need a structured program? Use the free workout planner to generate a custom routine based on your goals, schedule, and experience. Browse hundreds of pre-built programs in the workout routines library.
Want to train anywhere with video demos and progress tracking? Download the LoadMuscle app and access the complete exercise library with detailed instructions for every movement.
Stop overthinking your split. Pick one that fits your life, work hard, eat enough, sleep well, and be consistent. That's the real secret.