How to choose a workout split: a 2-minute guide

A workout split is just how you share out your muscles across the week. There's no single right one. The right split is the one that fits the days you can actually train, gives each muscle enough sets, and that you'll stick to.

Start with your days

• 2 days: full body both days. See the 2-day plan.
• 3 days: full body three times. See the 3-day full-body workout.
• 4 days: upper/lower, or full body four times. See 4-day splits.
• 5 days: push, pull, legs, upper, lower. See 5-day splits.
• 6 days: push/pull/legs twice. See push/pull/legs.

Then check three things

1. Does each muscle get trained at least twice a week? That's a good target for most people. See how often to train each muscle.
2. Does each muscle get about 10 or more hard sets a week? See how many sets per week.
3. Can you finish each session in the time you have? If not, use fewer exercises, or pick a split with more, shorter days. See how long a workout should be.

What if your week changes?

Fixed splits assume the same days every week. If yours varies, full body is the most forgiving: miss a day and every muscle still got trained this week. Liftsmith's Pro planning goes a step further: it doesn't use a fixed split, and instead plans each workout from what's recovered and what still needs sets this week, so whatever day you show up, the plan fits.

Don't switch too often

Any sensible split works if you run it long enough to add weight. Give a new split at least 8 to 12 weeks before judging it, and track your lifts so you know whether it's working. The one-rep max calculator is a quick way to compare sets of different reps.