There are many different workout splits out there, and the right one will vary from person to person.
“Deciding which workout is right for you depends on many factors which include your goals, schedule, and experience level,” Massey says.
The number of reps and sets and the resistance used will also depend on each individual, so think of the split as a guideline for structuring your workout.
3 Popular Workout Splits to Try
To give you an idea of what a workout split is, here are three popular versions. Note that workout splits are typically for strength-training workouts, and will include weights and bodyweight moves that target specific muscle groups.
1. Body Part Workout Split
This six-day workout split focuses on a different muscle group each day. For example, Alex Cooley, a National Academy of Sports Medicine Group Fitness–certified trainer in New York City, says it could look like this:
- Monday: biceps and back strength workout
- Tuesday: triceps and chest strength workout
- Wednesday: abs, side obliques, and pelvic floor strength workout
- Thursday: quads and calves strength workout
- Friday: hamstrings and glutes strength workout
- Saturday: cardio
- Sunday: rest
2. Push-Pull Workout Split
This workout split is specifically for how to plan out strength workouts over the course of a week. With the push-pull split, you’ll divide working your pull muscles (such as the back and biceps) and push muscles (such as the chest, triceps, and shoulders), giving your body time to recover in between. Massey says a five-day workout split could look something like this:
- Monday: push split (exercises that activate “push” muscles in the front of the body, such as a bench press, which involves lying on a bench and pushing the weight up)
- Tuesday: pull split (exercises that activate “pull” muscles on the back side of the body, such as a bicep curl, which involves holding a weight in each hand and bending your elbow toward your body to lift the weight)
- Wednesday: rest
- Thursday: repeat a push split
- Friday: repeat a pull split
- Saturday: rest
- Sunday: rest
3. Upper-Lower Workout Split
This four-day workout split focuses on the upper body for one workout session, followed by lower body exercises the next. Massey outlines that your week could look like this:
- Monday: upper body (for example: exercises that target the arms, shoulders, and triceps)
- Tuesday: lower body (for example: exercises that target the quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes)
- Wednesday: rest
- Thursday: repeat upper body split
- Friday: repeat lower body split
- Saturday: rest
- Sunday: rest
