Which gym split workout is right for me?
If you are a fitness enthusiast or you are approaching the gym for the first time, you might probably have came out with this question more than once: “Which gym split workout is right for me?”. Well, let’s start by saying that there is not a real scientific answer behind this question but also it depends. It depends on many factors, to list a few:
- Your age and your fitness situation (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
- Your ambitions (burn fat, build muscle, look better, loose weight)
If you know already the answer to these questions, it is going to be a lot easier to find out your own routine, but remember, it is a journey and not a mathematical formula. You try, you measure, you adjust; this is the cycle to understand what is good and what is bad for you!
Workout types
Today I want to fly over some of the most common workout types and create a simple chart that should help you in deciding where you belong. Usually the routine is to follow this order:
- Full-body (you are new to the gym or you are back after a long time)
- Upper-Lower (you gain some experience so it’s time to focus more on one or more areas)
- Bro-split (now you know your limits, so you split even further)
The Bro-split is a way of splitting your workouts on various muscles area and re-hit the same area within 48 to 72 hours. There are many bro-split techniques and I will dedicate a specific article just on that.
So, in order to answer the original question of this article, let’s see how and when to choose a specific workout style and for how long you should maintain it:
Full-body
- You are new to the gym
- You are back after a long period of rest (injury, demotivation)
- You simply want to stay fit
Upper-lower
- You gained some experience and want to move next
- Full-body is now a boring routine
- You want to downgrade from the Bro-split demanding routine
Bro-split
- You want to focus on specific areas
- You want to grow more and take it really seriously
- The Upper-lower is not a boring routine for you
There is not really a timeframe which trigger the change in your workout routine. Usually, you start the gym or you come back after a long period of rest and use the Full-body which normally last for about 8 weeks. Then you move into a second phase where you approach the Upper-lower routine and you stick to that for another 8 to 12 weeks, but nothing stop you to carry over the Upper-lower if you are happy with the routine and with the results.
The bro-split kicks in when you decide to take it seriously. You want to improve specific area of your body, you want to engage more and you hit the limit of the upper-lower (you are not making any progress anymore).
Another important factor is the set and repetition, but I will explain that in details in another article. Below I created 3 sample routines that you can follow to get started, just to keep it simple, you will have 3 sets per workout, and 8 to 12 repetitions on each set. If you want to gain strength, increase the weight and stick on 8 repetitions, if you want to gain definition, decrease the weight and stick on 12 repetitions.
Full-body workout example
How often? 3–4 times a week. No more. Why? Because if you are on this workout it means:
- You are new to the gym
- You are back after a long time
Because of these reasons, you don’t want to injure yourself and also you don’t want to stress too much your body. You can simply do 1 day at the gym, 1 day REST. If you really want to also loose body fat, then 1 day Full-body, 1 day HIIT or Cardio (I suggest HIIT to get results faster). Below I made 2 Full-body workout and an hypothetical calendar. I made sessions of 4 sets but you can start with 3 sets per workout and move forward when you feel comfortable.
An example of basic plan can be something like this:
- Mon, Wed, Fri: Workout A
- Tue, Thu: HIIT 15 minutes
- Sat, Sun: Rest
If you want to go more advanced, you can do something like
- Mon, Thu: Workout A
- Tue, Fri: HIIT
- Wed, Sat: Workout B
- Sun: Rest
Upper-lower workout example
How often? Same as above, you can do 4 times a week the Upper-lower so that you hit the same muscle groups twice a week, add one or two days of cardio HIIT if you want to shrink more, and maybe add some ABS extra workouts.
When you should start? I would suggest, if you are new to the gym, take the Full-body for at least 10 weeks, then you can see if you are ready for an upgrade or if you still need time to get more fit. Example: if you run at the end of the full-body with plenty of energy and you want more, then it’s time for an upgrade.
Here you can get quite fancy with the plan, let’s say a normal plan would be:
- Mon, Thu: UPPER + Optional ABS
- Tue, Fri: LOWER + Optional ABS
- Wed: HIIT + Optional ABS
- Sat, Sun: Take REST or do some HIIT if you plan to loose weight
This workout style is going to be heavier, especially because the LOWER days you are going to work really hard on your legs. The ABS are not mandatory but if you do, no more than 4 times a week.
Bro-split 3 days workout example
How often? Well here we go into the hell of the debate. Below I share a simple 3 days split, then it’s up to you. What I love is the formula:
- Chest / Triceps
- Back / Biceps
- Legs / Shoulders
Usually I suggest 6 SETS per day, 3 on one muscle group, 3 on the other. Add ABS at the end if you still have energy. Take one day of rest or if you prefer, kill yourself with some HIIT.
Here things get more difficult, so usually I do the following and I add optionally the ABS at the end:
- Mon, Fri: Chest / Triceps
- Tue, Sat: Back / Biceps
- Wed, Sun: Legs / Shoulders
- Thu: Take a rest or HIIT
Again, you need to try it out, see if it fits you and if you can keep it up. The 3 days bro-split works as far as you workout 6 days a week, so you can stimulate muscles and burn calories. I got amazing results from this program but it requires a lot of commitment.
That’s all folks for today. Give it a try, test the workout of your choice for at least 3–4 weeks and let me know how did it go. In the upcoming days I will write down some variations of each workout so that you can have some alternatives to switch too during time to time.
Have fun and keep pushing play!
