The body is A complex machine. Your body has over 600 muscles, all of which work together to help you perform at your best every day. Fitness experts tend to categorize all of these into different muscle groups: upper body, lower body, core, and legs. If you’re training to improve your physique, it may feel impossible to figure out how to train all the groups included in your workout plan. That’s why seasoned gym-goers incorporate something called training splits to best address all of these muscle groups and strategize which muscle groups to work on in each individual workout.
“Instead of training everything in one day, we split the training content into different days,” said Ebenezer Samuel, CSCS. M.H. says the fitness director. “This allows you to focus on different muscle groups with each workout, increasing the training intensity for each muscle group.”
Exercise intensity is the ultimate determinant of muscle growth and strength gains. You need to load your muscle groups and give them the right amount of time to recover and prepare for the next workout. Finding a training split that works for you will make it easier.
Which muscle groups should I train?
One of the ways Samuel organizes the muscle groups in the body is by dividing them into two groups: primary muscles and accessory muscles.
major muscle groups
Key muscles are the major powerhouses of many lifts.
chest
return
- Includes latissimus dorsi and rhomboids
leg
- Includes glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
Secondary/auxiliary muscle groups
These support all movements powered by our major muscles.
shoulder
triceps
biceps
core muscles
minor muscle groups
These muscle groups are almost always activated during strength training.
forearm
calf
trap
“The first duty in training is to always train the larger primary muscle groups,” says Samuel. “Partly because if you do it well, you’re tangentially training secondary and secondary muscle groups.”
Which muscle groups should you train together?
There are several training styles that group specific muscle groups, depending on the intensity and frequency of training.
full body workout split
Every time you train using this method, you will be working almost every muscle in your body. This is done by focusing almost exclusively on these major muscle groups. To target all of these muscle groups, you should include at least one of each of the following exercises.
Why whole-body splitting works
The biggest advantage of this split is its simplicity, making it a great option for beginners. It is also very time efficient, as it only works on the most important movement patterns. Therefore, for a person who can only go to the gym once or twice a week, this is a great routine.
Disadvantages of whole body division
This approach requires a large amount of energy because it focuses only on larger muscle groups. If you’re really trying, you’ll get tired quickly. This can mean you won’t be able to perform exercises with the heaviest weights later in your workout, which isn’t ideal for building strength or muscle. You’ll also be training your entire body, so you’ll need plenty of time to rest and recover. You should have at least 1-2 days between each workout. This is perfect if he only has time to train 2-3 days a week, but not very ideal if he wants to train more often.
Splitting upper and lower training
This split alternately focuses on upper and lower body muscles. Since you no longer have to train your entire body, you have the time and energy to incorporate a few more auxiliary movements. It’s a great split, especially if your goal is to go to the gym four times a week. Every day you should include a variety of exercises, such as:
lower
- Hip-based exercises like barbell deadlifts that work your glutes and hamstrings
- Knee-based exercises like goblet squats that work your glutes and quadriceps
- Leg isolation exercises that target targeted muscle groups, such as leg extensions for the quadriceps and hip thrusters for the glutes.
- Unilateral exercises such as walking lunges
upper
Why the top/bottom split works
By splitting your body in half, you can train major muscle groups more completely. You can also add some accessory motions so you can start training with several different planes of motion. This split is great for recovery because it allows your upper body to rest while you train your lower body, and vice versa. This will allow you to increase the frequency of your training.
disadvantages of Upper and lower division
Because you’re working so many major muscle groups in one workout, the auxiliary movements added at the end can be tiring.
push/pull/leg split
For even more nuance, push/pull/leg splits work every muscle group from every angle. If you are a frequent gym goer, this routine will stimulate all muscle groups. One day, you’ll work out the muscles in your upper body that you use to pull things towards you: your back and biceps. Next, focus on strengthening your upper body muscles, such as your chest and triceps. And on the third day, we will focus only on the legs. Your exercise routine will look like this:
pull day
push day
leg day
- Hip-focused exercises like barbell deadlifts that work your glutes and hamstrings
- Knee-based exercises like goblet squats that work your glutes and quadriceps
- Leg isolation exercises that target targeted muscle groups, such as leg extensions for the quadriceps and hip thrusters for the glutes.
- Unilateral exercises such as walking lunges
Why push/pull/leg splits work
This split allows you to use each muscle group more time, allowing you to work harder on assistive movements.
Disadvantages of push/pull/leg
To do this split properly, you need to be able to go to the gym 5-6 times a week.
Division of “brothers”
One of the most controversial is the “brother” split, which involves going to the gym five days a week and focusing on one muscle group each day. Typically, the 5 days include one day of his chest, back, arms, legs, and shoulders. Working those muscle groups essentially gives him a week of rest and recovery before seeing that muscle group again.
This division is primarily limited to one population: bodybuilders. In general, the muscles recover faster than a week. “Bodybuilding is the only group that trains hard enough to require a full week of recovery between sessions,” Samuel says. “So unless you’re prepared to really train your muscles, this might not be for you.”
Which training split is best for you?
Don’t overthink it when choosing which splits to commit to so you can work on all muscle groups. All of these splits have proven effective for different purposes. Consider how many days a week you work out and how intensely you want to work each muscle group. If you only have two days a week to work on, you should choose a near-full-body split. Most splits are effective if you can go to the gym three or more days a week.
If you really want to encourage growth, push/pull/leg or “sibling” splits are your best bet. Even if you’re not quite ready for that level or commitment, you can still train hard using your upper/lower body or your whole body.
Whichever you choose, remember that the overall goal is to keep your entire body active. “You can still work all muscle groups to some degree,” says Samuel. “And really, that’s all you need to gradually build the strength and muscle you really want.”
Cori Ritchey, NASM-CPT, is the Health & Fitness Associate Editor at Men’s Health and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. You can see more of her work at HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and more.