Training Splits : Structure Builds Strength
“There are only two ways to train: the right way and the wrong way.” - Louie Simmons
There are countless training methods & splits you could use, but ultimately finding which one is best for you will take some trial and error.
Most recently high intensity training has experienced a resurgence. Generally speaking, the more intense training is the lower volume tends to be. Oftentimes higher intensity usually means lower frequency (amount of times per week) as well. There are also examples of high intensity, low-moderate volume, high frequency programs like the squat everyday plan that requires hitting a squat max daily.
Just about anything can work, but some things will work better than others. You may also need to change your split depending on your goal or training age.
Common Training Philosophies
High Intensity & Low Volume
Low Intensity & High Volume
These aren’t the only two philosophies, they just tend to be some of the most common. You can apply these style to the templates below as well. You could also do a more balanced approach with Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) or Weekly Undulating Periodization.
DUP Training Week Example:
Lower 1 = 4 x 6
Upper 1 = 4 x 6
Lower 2 = 4 x 12
Upper 2 = 4 x 12
WUP Training Block Example:
Week 1: Heavy 4-6 Reps
Week 2: Moderate 8-12 Reps
Week 3: Light 12-15 Reps
This article won’t go deep into DUP, WUP, or block undulating Periodization, I just wanted to introduce this topic to provide another layer for how the templates below can be modified.
How Often Should I Train?
I recommend first determining how many days per week you can train before deciding on the frequency, intensity, and volume you’ll need. Four days a week seems to work best for most people but it' will depend on how much time you can commit and what you can recover from.
Over time I recommend experimenting with intensity, volume, and frequencies. There is no such thing as a perfect program, you need to develop a plan that annihilates your weaknesses, exploits your strengths, and flows with your temperment (What’s your element brah?).
A full body split is great for beginners coming into the gym 2x a week, but it can also be a solid option for more advanced trainees trying to train 3x a week as well. The devil is in the details.
I personally am bored to death by full body training, it ain’t for me. It is however still a useful training split.
Asynchronous Push Pull Leg split involves doing push, pull, leg then repeating that but with 4 workouts per week instead of 3. This means you hit 4 push days, 4 pull, and 4 leg days in 3 weeks (Training 4x a week for 3 weeks for 12 total workouts).
There’s no rule that says a week of training need to evenly match an arbitrary 7 day calendar. Do whatever you want, just avoid leaving less than 48 hours between working the exact same muscle groups intensely.
Preferred Templates
2x a week: Full Body Balanced
3x a week: Full Body Strength or Upper Lower Rotating
Upper Lower Rotating: Follow the rotation of Lower 1, Upper 1, Lower 2, Upper 2, but 3x a week. Ex: Week one would be Lower 1, Upper 1, Lower 2. Week two would be Upper 2, Lower 1, Upper 1 etc.
4x a week: Upper Lower or Conjugate
5x a week: Conjugate Conditioning
It’s difficult to recover from lifting 5x a week, i’d recommend incorporating more conditioning if you plan on training 5x or more per week.
Mini-Workouts & Customizing
I’m a big fan of mini workouts (10-30 min in duration) throughout the week as well to address weaknesses or simply to improve conditioning. Mini workouts can include sled work, kettlebells, mobility, stretching, jumps, body weight work outs, prehab, and more.
Sleds are a great way to build work capacity without beating down your body. I highly recommend adding these in if you hate traditional cardio.
Each split has nearly infinite possibilities since the structure of the workout becomes more variable depending on the individual’s goal. For example, I use more giant sets or super sets for immobile and out of shape folks who can only make it into the gym 2-3 x per week.
If you have any questions drop them below or just send me a message, DMs are always open.
Training Split Database
Below you’ll find a database of training splits for 2-4x/week training. Each day is specific so rather than just saying “Upper 1” It will give you the entire template for that day so you can plug in exercises and get to it.
