Organizing a training routine is key to optimizing performance, facilitating recovery, and achieving specific goals. Strategically dividing your workouts will allow you to work your muscle groups in a balanced way, reduce the risk of overtraining, and customize your routine based on your availability and experience level.
Ways to split your workout
Full Body
All major muscle groups are worked in each session.
Benefits:
- Higher stimulus frequency for each muscle group.
- Ideal for beginners and those who have only a few days a week to train.
- It promotes the development of balance and general coordination.
Disadvantages:
- Intense sessions that can lead to general fatigue.
- It requires careful planning to avoid overloading certain groups.
Example: Perform basic exercises such as squats, bench press, deadlifts, and pull-ups, distributed over three sessions per week.
Upper Body/Lower Body (Upper/Lower)
The training is divided into two sessions: one dedicated to the upper body and another to the lower body.
Benefits:
- Allows for greater training volume in each muscle group.
- Promotes proper recovery by working different groups on alternate days.
Disadvantages:
- It may not be the ideal option if you only have three sessions per week available.
- It requires complementing with stability and core exercises in both sessions.
Example: Monday and Thursday for upper body; Tuesday and Friday for lower body, combining compound and isolation exercises.
Push/Pull/Legs
The routine is organized over three days, each focusing on a type of movement:
- Push: Exercises that involve pushing (chest, shoulders, triceps).
- Pull: Exercises that involve pulling (back, biceps).
- Legs: Work focused on quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
Benefits:
- Allows for a specialized focus on each muscle group.
- Facilitates individual recovery of the muscles worked.
- It is adaptable to routines of 3 to 6 days a week.
Disadvantages:
- It requires more planning to balance the workload.
- It can be demanding for those with time constraints.
Example: Train three days in a row or spread them out throughout the week, ensuring at least one day of rest between intense sessions on the same muscle group.
Body part split
Each session is dedicated to working one or two specific muscle groups (e.g., chest and triceps day, back and biceps day, etc.).
Benefits:
- It allows you to concentrate your efforts and increase training volume on a specific muscle group.
- Suitable for intermediate and advanced users looking for hypertrophy and definition.
Disadvantages:
- Lower stimulation frequency for each muscle group, which can slow adaptation in some cases.
- Increased risk of muscle imbalances if not properly planned
Example: 4- to 6-day routine in which one day is assigned to each muscle (chest, back, legs, arms) and is complemented with accessory exercises.
Criteria for choosing the ideal division
When selecting your routine structure, consider the following factors:
Experience Level:
- Beginners: They often benefit from full-body or upper/lower body routines, as they allow them to learn basic movements and improve coordination.
- Intermediate/Advanced: They can opt for more specialized splits (push/pull/legs or body part split) to focus their training and maximize hypertrophy.
Personal Goals:
- If your goal is to gain overall strength or burn more calories, a full-body or upper/lower body routine may be more appropriate.
- For aesthetic and hypertrophy goals, splits that allow you to work a larger muscle group may be the best option.
Time Availability:
- If you only have three days a week, a full-body routine is ideal.
- With greater availability, more fragmented routines can be implemented that allow for more targeted work.
Recovery:
- Evaluate how you respond to training and adjust volume and frequency to avoid overtraining.
- Make sure your chosen split allows for enough rest days for each muscle group.
- If you feel like you're not recovering well, opt for a routine that spreads the workload more evenly.
Personal criteria:
- There's no one-size-fits-all formula. Experiment with different splits and adjust based on your results and your sense of progress.
Conclusion
Strategically dividing your workouts is essential for achieving sustainable progress and avoiding injury. Whether you opt for a full-body routine, upper/lower, push/pull/legs, or a body part split, the important thing is that the structure aligns with your goals and capabilities. The key is planning, constant adaptation, and listening to your own body to optimize recovery and performance.