These days it seems to be all about full body workouts, but that’s not necessarily the end-all-be-all. There are so many different ways to train, and so many different ways to “be balanced” without hitting every muscle group in every single workout. Split routines are very popular alternative. Burnt out from HIIT? Strength hit a plateau? Give this one a go.
Other similar plans you may like:
The 3-day Monster workout plan
The Super-3 strength-building workout plan
How it works
Three days of strength training is a good baseline for seeing results. There are several different ways to program split routines, but in this case, it focuses on one movement and the muscles that perform that movement: Pulling, squatting, and pushing. Each day is dedicated to one.
Pulling is performed primarily by the back, but is also supported by the biceps, forearms, parts of the shoulders. Pushing on the other hand is performed by the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Both pushing and pulling are also supported by the muscles of the core and legs, but the primary movers are the muscles listed above. Squatting is squared focused on the legs including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
Considering that all movement is supported by all of the many muscles of the core; exercises to tax the core are also included throughout the week.
One day of HIIT cardio (15 minutes) and one day of long, steady-state cardio (45 minutes) is suggested.
Related: Do I need to work out to failure?
Directions
Follow this programming for 4 to 6 weeks. With each week, slightly increase the amount of resistance you use or the number of repetitions you perform.
Upon completion of your final week, we suggest transitioning into a program with more full body workouts and/or one with more training frequency. Check out the 10×10 splits.
For a temporary dose of variation, follow the programming for two weeks.
The schedule
Day 1: Pull
Day 2: Active Recovery or HIIT Cardio
Day 3: Squat
Day 4: OFF / Active Recovery
Day 5: Push
Day 6: Long Cardio
Day 7: OFF / Active Recovery
The workouts
Pull Day
Heavy seated row 5 x 8-10
Single-arm bent-over row 4 x 8-10
Extra wide-grip pull-ups 2 x as many as possible
Wide-grip pull-ups 2 x as many as possible
Cheat cable curl 4 x 8-10
ADVANCED BONUS: Bar muscle-up 2 x as many as possible
Rest 45-60s between sets.
Squat Day
Quick leg workout with a core warm-up and finisher.
Bird dog row
Front squat
Split squat
Bodyweight squat
Plank row
Complete the first and last exercise for 5 sets of 8-10 reps with 30-60 seconds rest in between sets. Complete the front squat, split squat, and bodyweight squat as a circuit for 5-7 rounds as quickly as possible. Each exercise should be done for 10 reps.
Push Day
*DB bench press 5 x 8-10
Seated shoulder press 5 x 10 superset with heavy side lateral raise x 10
DB flye 4 x 10-12 superset with speed push-ups x as many as possible
Tricep pushdown 5 x 8-12
Bench curl up 5 x as many as possible
Rest 30-60 seconds between all sets and supersets.
*DB bench press is a drop-set.