Do you plan your workouts before going to the gym, or do you jump right into doing reps without a plan? Whether you’re trying to get stronger, become more athletic, or build muscle, it’s crucial to build a training plan. One of the best ways to create a great plan for yourself is by selecting a workout split. Throughout this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about workout splits and choosing the best split workout routine for you.
First things first, what exactly are workout splits? A workout split refers to the way you divide up your workouts by lift, movement, body region, or specific body part throughout the week. By dividing up your workouts in a specific way that works for you, you can fully optimize your workout results.
There are a few different types of workout splits, including weight training splits, the body part split workout, and the split body workout.
Weight training splits, also known as split weight training, refers to dividing up your workouts throughout the week to thoroughly exercise each group of muscles. For example, you might focus one set of workouts on the push muscles, which are the triceps, chest, and shoulders. These workouts might include exercises such as the triceps push down, the barbell bench press, the barbell shoulder press, the dip, and the incline barbell press. Workouts for the pull muscles - consisting of the legs, calves, abdomen, biceps, and back - might include standing calf raises, pull ups, sit-ups, and barbell curls.
These two sets of exercises are performed on separate days to ensure that each group of muscles is thoroughly exercised. Your larger muscles are typically trained before your smaller muscles each day to make sure you have enough energy to finish the workout. There are quite a few benefits to split weight training, including increased strength, higher energy levels, better health overall, less time spent training, and less possibility of over-training.
With the body part split workout, you separate your movement patterns or muscle groups into separate workout days. For example, you train your shoulders and arms one day, your core and legs another day, and your back and chest a third day. There are several benefits to the body part split workout. It enables you to focus on strengthening a specific body part, especially one that might be weaker. If you have a specific strength goal, you can train the relevant muscle groups in that particular movement pattern. Furthermore, you can split up the movement patterns or muscle groups however you please.
A split body workout, also known as split system training, refers to dividing up your weight training by regions of the body, typically upper and lower body training on separate days. We’ll get into the pros and cons of a split body workout below.
Split system training enables you to devote more time to a specific area of the body and recover for additional days before exercising that area again. If you have a full hour per day to dedicate to your workout, split system training will allow you to work on a couple of muscle groups intensively with heavier weights and more sets.
Working out a muscle group until it’s fatigued helps to boost muscle growth and repair. The time and intensity devoted to split system training can provide high-quality muscle building results.
Despite several benefits, there are a few drawbacks to split system training. For example, total body workouts tend to be better for fitness beginners and people with busy or limited schedules. Full body workouts help beginners build their overall fitness and strength and learn the correct exercise techniques.
Full body workouts are also a better option for people who are unable to maintain a strict workout schedule. With split system training, it’s crucial that you don’t miss any workouts because each of the workouts focuses on a different area. Allowing too much time to pass between muscle group workouts can halt your progress towards your fitness goals.
Here are a few of the best workout split options:
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