Best Workout Split For Muscle Gain: Which Split Is Best For You?
The benefit of workout splits is that they allow you to track progress and focus on particular goals such as building muscle and strength. In a seven-day training cycle, upper-lower splits consist of two upper workouts and two lower workouts. Find out the answer in this article....
1. Introduction
We all know that exercise is good for our health and that the more we exercise the healthier we are, but what’s most important is what type of workout routine will result in the best physical results. In this post, I’ll go over different types of workout splits and guide you as to which one would be best for you, basing my suggestions on your fitness goals. So just pick one!
If you're seeking maximum muscle growth, then a four-day split where each muscle group gets worked twice a week would be perfect.
If, on the other hand, you're training for strength and want to really tax your muscles then a total body workout will give you massive gains.
Of course, there are a hundred different other configurations that will work as well. Here I’ll cover three different approaches for those who don’t have time to train more frequently.
Also the training frequency I've included in this article is based purely on what will produce maximum results for each goal. In each one, you'll see that every muscle group is trained twice a week as this is the frequency required to stimulate muscle growth and strength gains.
So, let’s get into it!
Three Different Workout Splits For Increasing Muscle Gains
Four-Day Split - Total Body Workout for Maximum Muscle Growth
It's a workout built around muscle splitting up your chest, back and legs on the first day, with your arms on the next day, and your shoulders/core on the third day. To make this a bit easier to follow you'll be training each muscle group once every 7 days. Meaning that by the end of week one you'll have worked out your chest, back and legs four times each. This is because you'll be training all three body parts twice a week.
Make sure you split your chest, back and legs for each training day as shown in the chart. The shoulders and core will be worked on the other days as shown in the chart as you don't want to anaesthetize these muscles.
By spreading your chest, back and legs across four days you'll ensure that all the muscle fibres are stimulated evenly. By doing this, you're giving your muscle fibres enough time to break down and rebuild for growth. If your legs only get worked once a week then they won’t have enough time to rest between workouts allowing them to tear down faster than they can rebuild or recover from working out. This will result in a slowing of recovery time and growth potential.
2. Why is a workout split important?
The amount of training you can do in a day is limited by how much subject matter, rest, and recovery you have available. One way to break this limit is with training splits. Of course, if your fitness goals are taking up your time exclusively then the only thing that matters will be how much weight you lift or yards you run per day. If however your goal is to reach a certain level of muscular strength or endurance then it's important to know what kind of split will help get more out of your time
If more weight isn't the objective then using different types of exercises may be better suited for improving maximum capillary recruitment (MCC) since MCC relates directly to muscular strength. If however you want to improve performance over time then using higher repetition sets during the same session may increase neural adaptation. Both of these will result in a similar increase in strength but during the same workout period. This article will examine how different splits rest and recovery affect MCC, neural training adaptations, and muscular strength after a workout.
The Science
Muscle mass is affected by how many fibers are recruited during a movement. In other words, the bigger the muscle group being trained, the bigger impact it has on overall muscle mass. There are many factors that can be manipulated to increase trained muscle mass, including volume (amount of sets and reps performed during a workout), intensity (how hard of a set is performed), and rest periods.
When increasing the volume of sets it is suggested you use increasing sets of an exercise rather than decreasing sets. This will "prime" your muscles for more fibers to contract with each movement. Unlike increasing weights on machines, this method will increase strength by recruiting more muscle fibers during each set for maximal strength gains. This is because you are forcing your body to lift heavier weights with less rest between movements, which then makes it harder to lift heavier weights over time.
Different exercises require different volumes. The more muscles you're working, the more rest you need between sets. This is because each muscle group has its own unique set of movements.
For example, a bench press isn't the same as a flat bench press, but both involve laying down on a bench and pushing up from there. Or, say you're doing deadlifts with a barbell and you've been training for 3 months. Your legs could be completely fatigued from deadlifting all those days but your upper body is only somewhat fatigued from all your reps and sets of barbell curls and lat pulldowns that day.
3. The two main splits: Push/Pull/Legs and Upper/Lower
Push, Pull and Legs: Which split is right for you?
Upper and Lower: What do the splits actually mean?
Neutral Split: The middle way.
The two main splits in CrossFit are Push, Pull and Legs. These are the three ways you can get stronger, faster and more powerful in CrossFit workouts. If you are a beginner or intermediate athlete, these are the three areas you should focus on developing.
Push/Pull/Legs gives you the ability to apply power, strength and speed to exercises requiring the combination of these qualities. Having said this, many coaches believe an athlete should specialize in one or two of these wherever possible. For example, if you are predominantly muscular then doing CrossFit WODs that require strength will be difficult for you as there is also a large skill element involved. If however Strength is your number one priority then seek out WODs that are biased towards strength development and select your other workouts accordingly.
It is worth noting that another way of looking at CrossFit's main splits is as a series of concentric and eccentric components. These are the real building blocks of fitness and performance.
Push: Exercises involving flexing a muscle over a period of time, such as the Bench Press or Thrusters.
Pull: Exercises involving extending a muscle over a period of time, such as Deadlifts or Pull-ups
Legs: Exercises involving knee and hip extension over a period of time, such as Squats or Box jumps.
This brings us to the second main split. Upper Body and Lower Body.
The Upper and Lower body split is different to the Push, Pull and Legs split in one important way. This is that it involves movement in different planes of motion. Think about the difference between chest to overhead press and squatting, or pulling up on a bar and standing upright with your torso parallel to the ground.
This brings us onto the third way of splitting training in CrossFit, Neutral. Neutral refers to movements that can be performed through any plane of motion, such as ring dips or push-ups.
4. Finding the best workout split for you!
There are many different types of workouts that can benefit you, depending on what your goal is. Your physical activity level, the time you have available to dedicate to exercise, how much exercise equipment you have, and your personal preferences are just a few ways to determine which type of workout may be best for you.
It can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect fitness split for yourself! Here, we've compiled a list of the top five best workout splits so that you can choose one that will work perfectly for your needs! Keep reading if you're unsure about which split is right for you!
A blog post about finding different types of workouts.
This post will help you understand different workout splits and how to adapt them to your liking.
This post will give you an intro to the benefits and drawbacks of each type of workout. Then, we'll tell you how to adjust each exercise; we'll also tell you when it's impossible to use!
This article will teach you everything you need in order to find your perfect fitness split!
This article is a comprehensive guide that will help you find the correct exercise and equipment for your fitness plan. Don't forget to save the post and keep it for reference, especially if you're starting a new fitness routine!
Don't forget to add this article to your Saved Reads in order to stay updated!
This article will tell you when it's best to use each type of exercise. Before you start a new workout routine, it'll be helpful if you know when you should be using an exercise. This article will help by giving a timeline of when each one is recommended.
This article has a ton of useful tips on how to find the perfect workout split for yourself.
This article will assist you in choosing your ideal workout split; then, it'll help you adjust the exercise and equipment to match your needs.
5. Your Workout Split will be your Advocate
The time for excuses is over:
It’s January and thousands of people have resolved to shed those extra pounds. But as we all know, resolutions don’t last without a plan.
What do you want to work on first? Lose weight? Get stronger? Maybe you want to up your endurance for hikes and bike rides. It doesn’t matter what you choose, but it does matter that you decide now because the only way that your workout split will be your advocate- or lack thereof- is if YOU decide now.
The plan that I use for anyone who needs to lose weight is the exact same plan that I use for anyone who wants to get stronger.
Why?
Because focusing on just one goal can be detrimental to your overall progress.
Let me explain. Say you’re looking for a way to get in shape, but you want to do it safely, so you decide to visit a personal trainer at your local gym (or better yet hire one!) The good news is that you found someone in the business of helping people like you make positive changes in their lives; The bad news is that they may not know how much weight loss really counts in the big picture.
The reason you’re training is not to build muscle; it’s to lose weight.
And the best plan for losing weight is one that involves burning more calories than you eat and/or drink. With that being said, your workout split should be based on something that has been proven time and again to burn the most calories.
More specifically, a simple formula for success is this:
The most effective way to lose weight, increase strength AND endurance AND grow muscle- all at the same time- is interval training.
This means working out hard for a short period of time with a longer rest period in-between. It means going all out for 30 seconds and resting for 90 seconds. It means alternating between hard work and rest for 6-10 rounds.
How’s that for effective? You’ll get stronger, you’ll grow muscle, you’ll get leaner and you’ll even improve your endurance.
But it goes even deeper than that…
Why do intervals work so well? For starters, because the amount of energy expended during exercise is based on three factors: intensity, duration, and frequency. Moreover, calories are burned during an exercise session through the following 3 mechanisms:
1) Energy cost of performing the work (the ATP-CP pathway)
2) Increased metabolism after exercise is over
3) Increased metabolism from EPOC (Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).
Related Article
The Best Workout Split For Muscle Gain: Building A Routine That Works.
