HOW TO CREATE A SPLIT WORKOUT FOR STRENGTH TRAINING

Strength training is integral to any complete exercise program, no matter your fitness goals.

However, you may need a more specific program if your strength training goals are to gain muscle (hypertrophy) or increase strength. Split training can help you achieve your goals. Split conditioning allows you to divide your week’s workouts to focus on different body parts on different days.

Split Workouts

Setting up a weekly schedule to divide your training may seem daunting, but it is quite simple. There are many types of split workouts that you can do:

• Full Body Split: Train all muscle groups during each session
• Push-pull split: Use push and pull muscles on different days
• 3-day split – Work push and pull muscles on two days, then legs on the third
• Body Part Split: Train one muscle group each day

Split vs. Whole Body Workouts

Many people begin with a complete body program as soon as they start lifting weights. 3 A total-body strength-training session that works all major muscles in one workout.

A total body workout could include two exercises to target the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. The total workout might take 45 minutes to an hour.

Split training is a different method. Split training is a type of training where each session has a different goal or focus. One day could be leg day. During this time, you will only do exercises that target your legs. While you may still go to the gym for 45 minutes to an hour, the exercises you do will only target the quads, hamstrings, and lower legs.

Split training is best for those who want to spend more time in a weight room. Split training is best for people who only want to target one or two body areas. It would be best if you spent more time at the gym to reach all major muscle groups.

Split training has many benefits.

To help you become more comfortable lifting weights, total body exercises are a great way to get started. You can also prepare your body to take on more challenging work. You might notice a plateau in your results if you have been doing full-body workouts for some time. If you continue doing the same exercises for too long, this is normal. 4

Splitting your workouts allows you to concentrate on different muscle groups more effectively than if you do them all at once. Splitting your workouts allows you to do more exercise and set more weights. This may lead to more results. 

Increased Training Volume

Recent research suggests that the amount of training volume, rather than frequency or style, is more important when building muscle.

Split training is more beneficial than doing total body workouts every day. Split training is actually more effective in stimulating muscle growth, according to some studies. 7

A Better Recovery

Split training is a great way to increase your training volume. The narrow focus makes it easier for you to recover faster. Split training allows you to work out any day, as you only focus on one part of your body. You can exercise while your legs recover, or you can do an upper-body routine, for instance. You will need to take a day off between each session for total body training.

How to split your workouts

There are many ways to divide a weekly exercise routine. Listen to your body, and do what is right for you. These routines can be modified to suit your needs.

Upper and Lower Body

You can divide your week into upper and lower body days. This will allow you to alternate between the exercises and lift up to four times per week. 8

Push-Pull Exercises

Split your week by having push exercise days while others are pulled exercise days. Pushing exercises involve the quads and calves as well as the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Pulling exercises involve the back, shoulders, hamstrings, and some types of shoulder exercises. This could include lat pulldowns and hamstring curls as well as upright rows, bicep curls, and crunches.

Splitting for Three Days

A three-day split involves dividing upper body work into two push/pull exercises over two days and working your lower body on one day. A three-day split might include chest and triceps exercises (push exercises) on Day 1. Back and biceps exercises (pull exercises) on Day 2. Legs on Day 3.

One group per day

Each day, lift weights for one muscle. This can be done by lifting the chest, back, shoulders, and arms.

You can reduce the body parts that you are working on by increasing the number and number of exercises. Choose between three to four exercises for each muscle group.

Sample Workout for Muscle Group

This weekly schedule will help you focus on one muscle group each day. Pick three exercises for each muscle group from the following lists.

Monday: Chest Day

• Bench press
• Chest fly
• Close grip chest press
• Dumbbell Chest Press
• Dumbbell Pullover
• Incline chest press
• Push-up

Tuesday: Back Day

• Barbell deadlift
• High row
• Face Pull
• Lat pulldown
• Pull-up
• Seated Cable Row
• Renegade row

Wednesday: Shoulder Day

• Barbell shoulder press
• Clear and press
• Dumbbell overhead press
• Dumbbell front raise
• Jammer
• Lateral raise

Thursday: Arm Day

• Biceps curl
• Cable curl
• Hammer curl
• Reverse biceps curl
• Skull crusher
• Triceps extension
• Triceps dip

Friday: Leg Day

• Basic squat
• Bulgarian split squat
• Front squat
• Goblet squat
• Lunge
• Thruster

Integrate Cardio Exercise

You should include cardio exercises in your workouts. This will help you burn more calories than weight training and increase your heart rate. It would be best if you tried to separate your cardio and strength workouts, whether on different days or at different times. If you are short on time, it is possible to do cardio and strength at the same time.

Doing Strength and Cardio Workouts Together

A word from Very well

You can experiment with various exercise programs and combinations to discover what works best for you. Don’t be afraid of trying new things. You’ll find that your body and mind are open to new workouts.