In my 9+ years as a professional fitness coach, clients thought spending more time in the gym was better for their gains.
However, this is not true, as rest is essential to fitness training. A 3-day split is effective as it lets you work out and gives you enough time to rest.
I worked closely with colleagues and devised this guide of the best 3-day split workout routine to follow and attack your muscles best.
Keep on reading to explore the topic with me.
Quick Summary
- The 3-day workout split allows you to maximize the volume of your workouts and your body's recovery, resulting in fantastic results for both strength and hypertrophy without spending too much time in the gym.
- Several exercise routines may be used for a 3-day split, including push-pull leg, upper body-lower body, and full-body three-day split.
- You may get tremendous results with just three days of exercising each week if you exercise hard and smart, eat, and sleep well.
The Best 3-Day Workout Split
Full-body Workout Split
The full-body 3-day split is among the most well-known and tested workout routines ever.
The version illustrated below is the most typical, in which the workouts are completed every other day with two days rest at the end.
- Monday: Full Body Workouts
- Tuesday: Off
- Wednesday: Full Body Workouts
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Full Body Workouts
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
Of course, the specific weekdays you pick are insignificant so long as the same structure is maintained.
This is ideal if you want to spend your weekends off. If you like to work out on different days or have other days off, you may make that happen by adjusting.
The three-day full-body split allows you to train each body component thrice a week (once every 2nd or 3rd day).
This split may work for almost any objective and degree of expertise.
The workouts:
Full-body A
- 5 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions of flat barbell bench press or barbell floor press
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of dumbbell split squats or barbell lunges
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of horizontal cable rows
- 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for Good Mornings or Hyperextensions
Full-body B
- 5 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions of barbell or dumbbell bent-over rows
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of barbell front squats
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of barbell or dumbbell incline bench press
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of barbell stiff-legged deadlifts or Romanian dumbbell deadlifts
Push Pull Legs Split
"Push-pull-legs is a workout split usually divided into three or six days. You could do three days a week — one pull-dominant day, one push-dominant day, and one all-leg-dominant day — and if you want to, you may cycle it into six days [a week] and do each day twice."
- Tom Hall, Third Space Elite Trainer
They may be done on any day of the week, although one rest day between pulling and pushing days is preferable, as are two rest days following leg day.
- Monday: Push
- Tuesday: Off
- Wednesday: Pull
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Legs
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
It separates the body into three workouts:
- The push workout routine involves exercising all upper body muscles involved in "pushing" activities. The chest, triceps, and shoulders are all included.
- The pull workout routine involves exercising all upper body muscle groups involved in "pulling" activities. This involves the biceps and back in particular.
- The leg workout comprises exercising all the lower muscle groups involved in "leg" activities. The quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves are all included.
The workouts:
Push
- 4 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions of dumbbell bench press or incline barbell bench press
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of dumbbell seated shoulder press or barbell push press
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of barbell close-grip triceps extensions or barbell tricep extensions
Pull
- 4 sets of 4 to 10 repetitions of deadlifts or snatch grip deadlifts
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of pull-ups or cable rows
- 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of dumbbell seated bicep curls or barbell preacher curls
Legs
- 4 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions of barbell front squats/lunges
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of Romanian deadlifts or barbell good mornings
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of the standing calf raise with a barbell
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of weighted crunches or weighted hanging leg raises
Upper/Lower Split
The upper body - lower body exercise split differs from the other recommended workout splits discussed in this article.
This is because, instead of separating the target muscles over three sessions, this merely divides them into two.
Upper workouts comprise all upper-body muscle groups, while lower activities include all of the muscle groups in the lower body.
This exercise split can be considered a three-day workout split because you can alternate your sessions.
Week 1
- Monday: Upper Body Workout
- Tuesday: Off
- Wednesday: Lower Body Workout
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Upper Body Workout
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
Week 2
- Monday: Lower Body Workout
- Tuesday: Off
- Wednesday: Upper Body Workout
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Lower Body Exercise
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
You will continue alternating this way from week to week.
Regarding the schedule, the version indicated above is the most typical, with the workouts completed every other day and two days resting after the end.
Of course, the days you pick are fine so long as the same structure is maintained.
This is yet another exercise split that can be tailored to almost any objective or degree of expertise.
The workouts:
Upper
- 5 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions of weighted dips barbell Incline on the bench press
- 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions of bent-over rows or weighted chin-ups
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of barbell close-grip bench press or barbell skull-crushers
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of dumbbell or barbell Curls
- 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions of weighted crunches/weighted hanging leg raise
Lower
- 5 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions of barbell low box squats or sumo deadlifts
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of dumbbell split squats or lunges
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of Reverse hyperextensions or good mornings
- 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions of cable woodchoppers or side bends
Push Pull Split
This split separates the body in terms of "pulling" and "pushing."
- The Push workout targets all upper and lower body muscle groups involved in "pushing" activities. For the upper body, this implies the triceps, chest, and shoulders, and the lower body, calves, and quads.
- The Pull workout targets all upper and lower body muscles involved in "pulling" activities. This includes the back and biceps for the upper body. For the lower body, hamstrings.
You would then switch between push and pull workout routine, completing Push/Pull/Push one week and Pull/Push/Pull the following. You continue to alternate in this manner from week to week.
Week 1
- Monday: Push
- Tuesday: Off
- Wednesday: Pull
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Push
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
Week 2
- Monday: Pull
- Tuesday: Off
- Wednesday: Push
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Pull
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
Regarding schedule, the version indicated above is the most popular, with the workouts completed every other day and 2 days off at the end.
The particular days you chose don't matter as long as that specific pattern is kept intact.
The split allows you to exercise each body part twice a week.
The workouts:
Push
- 4 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions of dumbbell bench press or incline barbell bench press
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of dumbbell seated shoulder press or barbell push press
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of barbell close-grip triceps extensions or barbell tricep extensions
Pull
- 4 sets of 4 to 10 repetitions of deadlifts or snatch grip deadlifts
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of pull-ups or cable rows
- 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of dumbbell seated bicep curls or barbell preacher curls
Classic Bodybuilder Splits
This one prioritizes your three major muscle groups, with the lesser muscle groups augmenting them.
- Monday: Chest and Triceps
- Tuesday: Off
- Wednesday: Back and Biceps
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Legs and Shoulders
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
The above is the best technique to divide the major muscle groups. On the other hand, you might build the split differently if you have specific muscles that are lagging and require additional attention (for instance, your shoulders or legs).
- Monday: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
- Tuesday: Off
- Wednesday: Back and Biceps
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Legs
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: Off
As with the Push Pull Leg Split, taking one day off between upper body training days and two following the leg day is preferable, as leg exercises are typically the most demanding on the body.
The following exercises are an impactful group of workouts you could do on all three days to target the preferred muscle group.
Note: These exercises only contain the working load sets. We usually recommend that you warm up adequately before beginning the workout.
The workouts:
Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
- 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions of bench press
- 3 Sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- 3 Sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of cable crossovers
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of standing overhead press
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of lateral raises
- 3 Sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of skull crushers
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of triceps rope pushdown
Back and Biceps
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of the seated cable row
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of lat pulldowns
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of bent-over fly dumbbell
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of back hyperextension
- 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of bicep barbell curls
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of hammer curls
Legs
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of barbell squats
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of leg press
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of leg Extension
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of leg curls
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of standing calf raises
Adjust the repetitions and loads to your ability and fitness level.
Rest intervals between sets will vary depending on your weight training goals and how complex each set was, but as a rule of thumb, I recommend resting 1:30 - 3 minutes between sets.
If you're starting, you should avoid beginning out too heavy. Muscle gain is a marathon; you cannot make any gains if you are injured.
Warm-up Sets
The exercises with the various working sets we propose are all included in the exercise splits provided above.
Nonetheless, we always advocate adequately warming up for your activity and each movement.
You should do some exercise-specific warm-up, especially for large lifts, to prepare your system for the hard lifting [1].
"Warm-up raises the temperature. It raises the temperature of the active muscles, which enhances performance during high-intensity activity."
- Tom Cowan, Exercise Physiologist
Warming up also allows you to perfect the workout form without the heavy weight.
Warm up with at least two or three light sets of low weight and gradually work your way up.
For example, if you're warming up for squats, you may begin by squatting simply the bar, then progressively adding weights until you hit your working weight.
If your working weight is less than that of a standard-sized Olympic barbell, you may use a pair of dumbbells to warm up with smaller weights.
Aim for 2-3 warm-up sets and gradually raise weights with a sufficient difference between sets.
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What Is a 3-Day Workout Split?
A 3-day workout split is a weight training strategy in which you exercise three days each week.
A 3-day split targets various muscle groups in every session and trains them separately.
It is intended to exercise various muscle groups every day, allowing you to recuperate and optimize strength gains while exercising.
It is possible to strike a good balance between outcomes and efficiency.
Because of its simplicity and planning efficiency, a three-day split is among the best choices for beginners.
If you commit to a simple program, it often produces the best results.
Are 3-Day Workout Splits Effective?
A three-day exercise split may be helpful for any training objective if the activities are well-designed and the intensity is suitable.
Much of the success of this exercise split is decided not just by what you accomplish in the gym but by what you do outside of the gym.
You may get tremendous results with three days of working out each week if you exercise hard and wisely, eat well, and sleep well.
If you seek to acquire muscle or strength, it is crucial to understand that if you go to the gym regularly and lift weights that give stress to your muscle groups, you will have micro-tears in the muscles, which will help with muscle growth.
A systematic and coordinated three-day split workout every week will challenge your muscles in specific regions and result in considerable increases.
It all comes down to your ambition and how well you stick to your plan.
How About If You Are Looking To Be Leaner?
One of the fundamental concepts of losing weight is to ensure that you exercise and are engaged enough to burn more calories than you ingest.
After that, ensuring you receive enough rest so your system can completely recover from that exercise is also an essential element of being leaner [2].
Then there's the diet. Several diets and eating regimens have gained popularity, including Keto, Paleo, Vegan, and the contentious carnivore diet.
It is essential to understand that the most basic way to lose weight is to reduce the calories you consume.
It is always simpler to avoid consuming 100 calories than it is to exercise for 10 minutes to burn the same 100 calories.
You should not eat back the calories you burn and consider adding some recommended fat-burning foods to your diet.
Add fat-burning foods to your diet.
To address the issue, the 3-day split may be used by anyone who wants to get leaner by ensuring that the body is adequately exercised and sufficient calories are burned to create a calorie deficit and lose weight.
Read More:
Which 3-Day Workout Split Is Right for You?
Your objectives and preferences will determine this. Now, let's figure out which is ideal for you by inquiring which is the optimum three-day split for gaining muscle, increasing strength, and losing weight.
The Best 3-Day Exercise Split for Muscle Building
The Classic Bodybuilder and Push Pull Leg splits are the most excellent three-day splits for muscle gain since they provide more volume on your muscle groups each training session.
As a beginner, the Full Body and Upper/Lower splits will be best for muscle building (though all three-day splits will be significant for a beginner) because you won't need as much volume for every muscle group per exercise and a higher frequency of engaging your muscle groups will be better for muscle growth.
The Best 3-Day Exercise Split for Muscle and Strength Gain
Most individuals desire to gain strength and develop their muscle group while losing as much fat as possible.
Any of the approaches can do this if the appropriate intensity is used.
Beginners may do any of the splits and notice fantastic results.
For intermediate and advanced trainers, however, we suggest the Classic Bodybuilder or Push Pull Legs for a nice balance of hypertrophy, strength gains, and muscle growth.
The Best 3-Day Exercise Split for Strength
Any splits can benefit strength development, but the Push Pull Leg, Upper/Lower, and Classic Bodybuilder splits are perhaps the greatest.
The 5x5 training regimen is also effective for beginners who wish to enhance their strength.
All you need to do is center your workouts on extensive compound exercises and gradually increase the weight loads on these movements over your training phase.
The Best 3-Day Exercise Split to Lose Fat
The upper/lower and full-body split is the ideal three-day split to lose fat since these workouts optimize calorie burn.
That being said, fat reduction truly boils down to food since even if you burn many calories with weight lifting and aerobic activities, you may consume that many calories in one sitting.
To lose fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn daily.
Benefits of a 3-Day Workout Split
- There are plenty of good scheduling alternatives available. Most individuals believe that there are only one or two effective 3-day exercise splits to pick from, which might give the impression that alternatives are limited. That, however, is not the case. As you can see here, various splits employ a 3-day plan and do so successfully. Another advantage is choosing an alternative that works with your particular schedule and the days you're available to exercise (e.g., weekdays or weekends).
- It's convenient. Fitting three exercises into your weekly calendar is far more convenient than working four, five, or six. Many individuals who try to employ those 4-6 day breaks fail to maintain consistency. That ends up being more workout days per week than they had time for, eventually leading to missed sessions, the supreme progress killer.
- Training frequency may be optimized with 3-day splits. Exercising each body part twice or three times weekly works better for most individuals with most goals than working out each body part once per week [3]. It implies that everything is trained once every 2nd to 5th day rather than every 7th. And the good news is that many 3-day exercise splits can readily accommodate this ideal frequency.
- It is conducive to recovery. Providing the overall split you're employing is appropriately timed, working out three times a week is unlikely to be an issue for most individuals regarding recuperation. This is significant since exercising too much and too frequently and surpassing your body's capacity to recuperate is another significant detriment to progress.
FAQs
Is a 3-Day Split Workout Enough?
Three-day exercise splits are significant because they provide a suitable amount of exercise to help you gain muscle and become stronger while also allowing you to recuperate and prevent burnout earlier in your lifting activity.
What Is the Most Successful Workout Split?
The push-pull legs split is the most effective exercise split since it trains all related muscles in the same workout. This implies that you obtain the most motion overlap within the same program, and the muscle groups being exercised benefit from this overlap overall.
What Is the Arnold Split Workout?
The Arnold split is a six-day exercise schedule in which you train your shoulders, arms, chest, back, and legs twice a week. It's a muscle-building regimen to help you gain muscle mass and enhance your overall physique.
The Best 3-Day Workout Split
A 3-day workout split can assist you in losing weight, gaining muscle, and becoming more assertive.
Depending on the training split you pick, you'll also have enough time to recover and squeeze in other workouts during the week.
Choose one that best meets your objectives, needs, and interests, and then either develop a workout routine yourself or employ a proven program based on your desired split.
Also, remember to eat a well-balanced diet, get enough rest, and incorporate these best pre-workout supplements for the energy needed to perform your workouts.
They offer a superb blend of nutrients to promote strength, energy levels, and focus during exercise.
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25153744/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6015912/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172/
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