The BEST Workout Split to MAXIMIZE Muscle Gains

Summary

In this video, the creator breaks down how to choose the best workout split based on how many days you can commit to the gym. He discusses various options from one to six days per week, emphasizing the importance of balancing rest and compound movements. Whether you opt for full-body or more specific splits like upper/lower or push/pull/legs, he highlights the need for proper programming to avoid overtraining. The video also touches on optimizing volume, intensity, and variation in exercises, with a pitch for his one-on-one fitness coaching program to tailor personal routines.

Takeaways

• 💪 For muscle building, train at least three days per week.
• 🏋️‍♂️ One-day splits should be full-body with compound movements and an omni grip.
• 📈 Two-day splits can be full-body with a focus on upper or lower body on different days.
• 🛑 Ensure at least 48 hours of rest between workouts for the same muscle group.
• 🔄 Three-day splits offer flexibility with full-body, upper/lower, or upper/lower/full-body routines.
• 🏆 Four-day splits are ideal for upper/lower splits with the ability to focus on specific muscle groups.
• 🚫 Avoid redundancy in exercises to prevent 'junk volume' that doesn't contribute to muscle growth.
• 🔄 Six-day splits provide a blank canvas for workout design but be cautious of overtraining.
• 📅 Plan specific cycles for different rep ranges and exercises to keep your workouts novel.
• 🍽️ Post-workout nutrition is crucial; consider lean protein and vegetables for recovery.

Q & A

What is the most important factor when choosing a workout split?

The most important factor when choosing a workout split is how many days you're going to be going to the gym.

What is the recommendation for someone who can only train one day per week?

For one day per week, it's recommended to do a full body split focusing on compound movements and possibly using an omni grip to vary the workout.

What is an omni grip and how does it benefit workouts?

An omni grip is a technique where you change your grip between each set of an exercise, which can help bias different muscle groups and prevent muscle imbalances.

What should be the focus for someone training two days per week?

For two days per week, it's suggested to do a full body split but with an upward or lower focus on different days, ensuring at least a one-day rest between workouts.

Why is three days per week considered the minimum for optimal muscle building?

Three days per week is considered the minimum for optimal muscle building because it allows for a balanced full body split with enough rest between workouts.

What is the advantage of training four days per week compared to fewer days?

Training four days per week allows for a favorite split, upper/lower, providing a good balance of variety and specificity, and flexibility in scheduling without worrying about rest.

What is the recommended split for someone training five days per week?

For five days per week, options include straight upper/lower, Push/Pull/Leg, or upper/lower with an accessory day for lagging body parts or preventative work.

What is 'junk volume' in the context of workout splits?

'Junk volume' refers to volume in a workout that serves no purpose and may lead to overtraining or wasted effort, especially when there is redundancy in exercises targeting the same muscle group.

Why is six days per week considered the 'Holy Grail' of workout splits?

Six days per week is considered the 'Holy Grail' because it offers the most flexibility and allows for almost daily training with various split options like PPL or UL, and additional accessory days.

What are universal tips for workout splits regardless of the number of training days?

Universal tips include alternating between different variations of exercises, planning specific training cycles, and adjusting volume and intensity based on personal training style and goals.

Why wouldn't the speaker recommend training seven days a week?

The speaker wouldn't recommend training seven days a week because it's important to have at least one active rest day for recovery and to avoid overtraining.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Choosing the Right Workout Split Based on Gym Days

In this section, the speaker addresses the fundamental question of which workout split to follow, emphasizing the importance of determining how many days per week you can dedicate to gym sessions. He begins by discussing a one-day-per-week workout, recommending a full-body workout focused on compound movements with some isolation exercises like rear delts. He introduces the concept of 'omni-grip,' which involves changing grips during exercises like rows to target different muscle groups and prevent imbalances. He wraps up this segment by stressing the importance of compound movements for limited gym days.

05:02

🏋️‍♂️ Structuring a Two-Day Workout Routine

The speaker explores two-day-per-week workout routines, again recommending a full-body split for maximum efficiency. He explains how two days provide more flexibility to focus on different areas each day, such as an upper-body-focused full-body day followed by a lower-body-focused full-body day. Key tips include ensuring at least one rest day between workouts for optimal recovery. He reiterates that the focus should still be on compound movements and experimenting with omni-grip techniques to engage multiple muscle groups within a short time frame.

10:04

🗓️ Optimizing Muscle Growth with a Three-Day Split

The discussion turns to a three-day workout split, which the speaker believes is the minimum number of days required to efficiently build muscle. He suggests using full-body workouts but with varying focuses each day, such as upper-body-focused or lower-body-focused sessions. Alternatively, the speaker proposes an upper-lower-full-body split, noting that this frequency provides more flexibility and prevents the need to pack too many exercises into one session. He emphasizes the importance of rest between sessions and suggests three days as an ideal starting point for most people.

15:05

🔥 The Sweet Spot: Four Days Per Week for Most People

For four-day workout routines, the speaker recommends his favorite split: upper-lower. This approach divides training into focused sessions that allow for variety and specificity, such as dedicating one upper-body day to chest and back and another to shoulders or arms. He explains that four days is ideal for avoiding overtraining while still allowing for flexibility in targeting different muscle groups. He mentions alternative splits like push-pull-leg (PPL) but insists upper-lower is the most effective and versatile option for the majority of gym-goers.

20:07

⚖️ Five-Day Workout Splits: Maximizing Flexibility with Caution

The speaker delves into five-day workout routines, where there's even more flexibility to mix and match training styles. He suggests options like three upper-body days and two lower-body days or experimenting with a push-pull-leg-upper-lower split for more variety. However, he cautions against overloading on volume, advising against redundant exercises like doing both incline bench press and incline pec fly in the same session. He introduces the concept of 'junk volume,' where excess exercises don't contribute to muscle growth and may even lead to overtraining.

🎨 Six-Day Splits: The 'Blank Canvas' of Workout Plans

Six-day workout plans are popular because they allow for daily gym sessions, but the speaker warns that such frequency increases the risk of overtraining. He provides several split options, such as PPL (push-pull-legs) or upper-lower with two accessory days to focus on lagging body parts or preventative exercises. While the six-day split offers tremendous flexibility, the speaker emphasizes the importance of avoiding excessive volume and managing fatigue. He recommends keeping exercises per muscle group limited and prioritizing smart programming to prevent burnout.

🛌 Seven-Day Splits: Why Rest Is Essential

Addressing the idea of working out every day, the speaker advises against seven-day workout splits, recommending at least one rest or active rest day. He explains that active rest can involve lighter activities like walking, playing sports, or listening to a podcast while staying active. The key message is that training every single day isn't necessary, and allowing time for recovery will ultimately lead to better muscle growth and performance. He suggests that 3-6 days per week is the optimal range for most people.

📅 Universal Training Tips: Customizing Your Routine for Success

The speaker wraps up the video with universal workout tips applicable to all splits. He suggests varying exercises week by week, such as alternating between different pressing movements, and incorporating mesocycles where each cycle focuses on different rep ranges, like strength or hypertrophy. He also discusses volume and intensity, noting that higher-intensity training might require lower overall volume, while lower-intensity training may benefit from more sets. The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding an individualized approach and highlights his personalized fitness coaching program for those needing specific guidance.

🍽️ Post-Workout Meal: Reaping the Benefits of Teriyaki Chicken

In the final segment, the speaker transitions to his post-workout meal at a local teriyaki restaurant, sharing his choice of lean protein (chicken breast) and vegetables. Although the chicken initially appears dry, he praises its flavor and juiciness, mentioning the addition of salad dressing for extra taste. He wraps up the video by encouraging viewers to like and subscribe and teases future content. The speaker leaves his audience with a reminder to apply the workout strategies discussed and to stay consistent in their fitness journey.

Keywords

💡Workout Splits

Workout splits refer to the division of different muscle groups to be trained on specific days of the week. In the video, the speaker discusses various workout splits based on the number of days one can go to the gym, ranging from one to seven days a week. The concept is central to the video's theme of optimizing muscle building through strategic workout planning.

💡Omni Grip

The Omni Grip is a technique mentioned in the video where one changes their grip between sets of an exercise to target different muscle groups. It is used as a strategy for full-body workouts, especially when training with limited days per week, to maximize muscle engagement and prevent imbalances. The speaker exemplifies this with row exercises, changing from pronating to neutral to underhand grip.

💡Compound Movements

Compound movements are exercises that involve multiple joints and muscle groups, which are recommended in the video for full-body workouts. These movements are efficient for muscle building and are advised when one has limited gym days, as they allow for a comprehensive workout in a shorter amount of time. Examples given include exercises that work the major muscle groups like squats and deadlifts.

💡Active Rest

Active rest implies engaging in low-intensity physical activity on days designated for rest from heavy workouts. The speaker suggests that even on a rest day, one should remain active, which can include walking, playing sports, or other light activities. This concept is tied to the overall message of maintaining an active lifestyle for muscle growth and health.

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle size and is a key goal for many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. The video discusses how different workout splits can optimize hypertrophy, with a focus on the number of days per week one trains. The speaker recommends three to six days as the 'sweet spot' for maximizing muscle growth.

💡Volume

In the context of the video, volume refers to the total amount of work performed in a workout, typically measured in sets and repetitions. The speaker advises on balancing volume with intensity and rest to avoid overtraining and 'junk volume,' which does not contribute to muscle growth. This concept is crucial for understanding how to program effective workouts.

💡Intensity

Intensity in the video pertains to the effort put into a workout, often linked to the weight lifted and how close one gets to muscle failure. The speaker discusses how higher intensity workouts might require lower volumes to allow for adequate recovery and avoid overtraining, which is essential for progress and injury prevention.

💡Full Body Split

A full body split is a workout routine where all muscle groups are trained in each session. The video mentions that this split is suitable for those with limited gym access, such as one or two days per week. It provides an example of how to structure a full body split with a focus on compound movements and the use of the Omni Grip.

💡Upper/Lower Split

The upper/lower split divides workouts into days focusing on the upper body (chest, back, shoulders, arms) and lower body (legs, core). The video highlights this as an efficient split for those training four days a week, allowing for focused training on different body parts with adequate rest in between.

💡Push/Pull/Leg Split

The Push/Pull/Leg split organizes workouts into pushing exercises (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling exercises (back, biceps), and leg exercises. The video suggests this split as a flexible option for those training five or six days a week, allowing for a balanced and varied training approach.

💡Arnold Split

The Arnold Split, named after bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a workout program that involves training each muscle group once a week with a full-body workout followed by a split routine. The video briefly mentions this split but advises against it due to the potential for 'junk volume' and overtraining.

Highlights

Optimal workout split depends on the number of gym days per week.

For one gym day per week, a full body split with compound movements is recommended.

Experiment with an omni grip to avoid muscle imbalances.

For two gym days, consider a full body split with an upper or lower focus on different days.

Ensure at least 48 hours of rest between workouts for muscle recovery.

Three days per week is the minimum for muscle building with a full body split.

Upper/lower split is recommended for four days per week for a balance of variety and specificity.

With five days per week, you can experiment with different splits like Push Pull Leg.

Avoid 'junk volume' where exercises do not contribute to muscle growth.

Six days per week allows for a blank canvas in workout splits but risks overtraining.

Seven days per week in the gym is not recommended due to the need for active rest.

Universal tip: Alternate between different variations of compound exercises.

Plan specific cycles for strength or hypertrophy to introduce novelty into your program.

Adjust volume and intensity based on your training goals and personal capacity.

For personalized workout plans, consider one-on-one fitness coaching.

Post-workout meal suggestions include lean protein and vegetables for optimal recovery.

Transcripts

what's up guys today I'm answering the

age-old question what workout splits

should I follow let's jump right into it

so we're here at LA Fitness in Hanover

Park by an upper body day now first off

when it comes to choosing a workout

split the most important factor is how

many days you're gonna be going to the

gym so we're going to be going down the

line one day all the way throughout

seven days starting with one day so if

you're trying to optimize building

muscle I wouldn't recommend training

anything under three days per week

however if you are working with one day

pretty much full body split it's

literally all you can do you're probably

gonna be wanting to stick to pretty much

all compound movements maybe like one or

two isolation exercises for something

like rear delts where it's hard to hit

and when you're dealing with the

compound movements you want to

experiment with something called an omni

grip which is essentially changing your

grip in between each side so if you're

thinking about row set one you start out

with a pronating grip row set to you

move on to something more neutral grip

and set three you do something underhand

where you're gonna be buying some more

of your bicep there and the idea with

this is changing grips will kind of bias

different muscle groups especially for

something like row you're trying to make

sure that you're like avoiding muscle

imbalances and you're trying to get as

many muscle groups into one workout as

possible but okay enough talking instead

of first set

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thank you

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I need a longer rest moving on to the

next exercise

now we're moving on to a lap pull down

focusing on the lower lash so we're

going to focus on the bottom range

motion first and as we fatigue we're

going to increase the range of motion

and basically let our arms extend more

get back to the topic at hand if we're

talking about two days per week I still

would pretty much only recommend a full

body split I guess you could do upper

lower as well but there's certain weekly

metrics you want to hit such as hitting

every muscle group types for a week or

roughly every five days which you

wouldn't be able to get if you're not

doing full body now you're going to find

that with two days you can definitely

divide the volume up a little bit right

so you can kind of do a full body split

but still have a focus on that day so

the first day might be an upward Focus

full body split where you mainly focus

on your upper body but you might add

some accessory leg exercises and then

second day would be more of a lower

focus a full body split wear vice versa

you're gonna be predominantly focusing

on your big leg movements such as like

Squad deadlift that sort of thing but

one thing you need to keep in mind if

you're going to do the full body two

times per week is have at least a one

day rest between each workout you want

roughly around 48 Hours of rest between

a muscle group so in the ideal sense you

know you want to just divide it up by a

day I think that makes the most sense

and same tips with the one day split

still applies which are the movements

you should use are compound movements

and you should focus on using an omni

grip when you can but yeah that's pretty

much it with two days so let's hit our

side

against

us

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you're in Chicago I'm like it's only

Fitness one yeah do I go to a bunch of

different ones there used to be a

Naperville one that closed down it was

like the old style Elite Fitness it had

a lot of really nice old equipment but

um that one closed down so then I never

used it before I think it's good yeah

there's like I think none of this brand

just in general they have a lot of like

um like higher quality stuff yeah and

you don't find it in like the newer gyms

because I think it's more expensive it's

probably like it's cheaper for them to

buy like something else you know I mean

but yeah and it's crazy

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foreign

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[Applause]

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swing

into the Flop right and this by putting

on the for the setting you get the best

range of motion possible when you're

doing the movement so that's just a

quick tip but getting back to the top

and get a hand if we're dealing with

three days in the gym this is where it

gets pretty pretty interesting I

personally recommend if you want to try

to optimize building muscle three days

is like the minimum for me okay with

three days you can be looking at same

full body split albeit you can make them

shorter and a little bit more focused

again right like a full body upper Focus

day full body lower Focus day and then

maybe that third day would be full body

but focus more on like your uh lagging

body parts but on top of that you can do

something like upper lower full body

right so getting more even more hyper

specialized big thing with this is if

you're doing a full body no matter what

you want again one day of rest in

between so you can be looking at let's

say if we're doing three full bodies you

do Monday Wednesdays Friday I want to

watch you to do Monday Tuesday Wednesday

because you again you want to have

around like 48 Hours of rest between

each muscle group now with full body I

think you use using an omni grip becomes

less important because you know you have

more days to work with overall and this

is why I recommend going at least three

days because you have the flexibility

you have to try to like jam pack

everything in every single workout so

three days I think for most people no

matter if you're working a job if you're

going to school this is like a pretty

good amount to start at so that's three

days time to hit our set

foreign

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for me I don't know about you guys but

every time I do an adduction Focus like

and these kind of like PEC fly moves and

my chest always gets so gassed dude it's

like my kryptonite good thing we're

getting a breather because we move on to

the next exercise it's gonna be a back

exercise all right so now we're moving

on to a prune grip machine row now when

we bring it up to four days per week

this is in my opinion The Sweet Spot you

know how three days was what I recommend

is the minimum four days is like what I

recommend for the vast majority of

people because you can do my favorite

split in the world and that is the upper

low or upper lower you have the

flexibility to do it back to back Monday

through Thursday or split it up one day

rest in between no matter what you're

never going to run to the issue of oh

did I get enough rest for a particular

muscle group because you can split it up

into literally the upper half your body

and lower half now the reason why I like

upper lower so much is I think it has

the best balance of giving you a variety

of different muscle groups within a day

so it's efficient as well as still being

specific enough for you to really

pinpoint and focus on certain muscle

groups so I can take an upper body day

but focus it more on my chest and back

and then maybe two days later when I do

my next upper day I can make it a

shoulder Focus upper body day or maybe

it's a farm folks upper body right you

can get a little more finite risk of

programming which I really like and then

I guess you could do like Push Pull leg

whole body for the sake of trying to be

different but I not just if you're doing

for a day stick to up for a lower that's

fine my big recommendation all right

we're gonna move on to this mid back

folks row let's get it

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wondering

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good side move on next exercise all

right so we're using this nice machine

overhead try something I've literally

never seen this before it's like super

super novelty type of equipment so I

figured why not try it out but anyways

getting back to the top of your hand and

we're moving to five days this is where

we get a lot of flexibility what we can

do now you could technically do just

straight up or lower depending on

whether you want to make it upper Focus

or lower Focus you can do three upper

body days two lower by days or three

lower body days and two upper by days

whatever floats your boat but what else

you can experiment with now that I'd

actually recommend would be Push Pull

leg upper lower so if you you guys are

big fans of PPL whatever maybe you if

you're a power lifter or something like

that PPL upper lower is a great workout

split you can also do let's say upper

lower upper lower and then on that fifth

day you can make it an accessory day for

a lagging body part or you can do like

preventative stuff on that last day such

as like rotator cuff work that sort of

thing now the one thing I need to warn

you guys when you get to five days is

you can kind of run into issues where

maybe you're incorporating too much

volume in a workout or you're just using

too much volume in your overall weekly

split so this is where I I would be more

anal about like redundancies in your

training for example let's say if you're

doing like incline bench press and then

after that you're gonna do like an

incline pec file I think there's a

little redundancy there like you know

you can a better option at that point

would be pairing let's say incline press

and then more like a flat Tech Deck so I

think this is the first day where it's

like you can actually kind of do too

much and basically kind of just waste

your time and accumulate junk volume

right which if you don't know what junk

volume is it's essentially like volume

in a workout that really serves no

purpose because if you think about the

relationship between volume and like

results such as like building muscle

it's kind of like a bell shape curve

where initially you're gonna be

benefiting from increasing volume at

some point there's a diminishing return

it might not be as beneficial in fact it

might actually be potentially harmful if

you're going to that over training

territory let me try using out this nice

overhead tricep machine I'll let you all

know how it goes foreign

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to be honest let's just go back to

cables

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all right we're gonna be moving on some

meantime jumbo curls but first let's

talk about six days this is like the

Holy Grail any Fitness person's workout

split not because it's the best for

anything but it's just the most common I

feel like and 60 is great you get to go

to the gym almost every single day right

so get the endorphins going and pump

pretty much up most days of the week and

with six days you're basically playing

with a blank canvas here right you can

do upper lower literally three upper

body Dave's three lower body days you

can go more specific and do PPL rest PPL

which is probably the most common six

day split I've seen people might be

asking like what about the Arnold split

bro split I think it can work if you

figure out a way to plant it so that

you're hitting every muscle group

roughly every five days but personally

because of the junk volume factor I

don't really recommend it I would stick

either PPL or UL what you can also do is

like let's say upper lower upper lower

like a four day upper lower split and

then have two accessory days where you

focus on either a lagging body part

Maybe one day's lagging body part the

other day is like a rotator cuff more

like preventative type of work or you

can make those two accessory days

literally just like your favorite

exercises or something right and

depending on whether you were trying to

focus on more of an upper Focus workout

split or a lower Focus workout split you

can do three upper days

two lower body days and on that sixth

day that's when you can tack on the

excessive 38 accessory day focusing on

your lagging body parts big thing with

six days is the risk of like over

training or just including too much

volume that that doesn't really like

contribute to anything it's Amplified

because you're working with another day

so this is where proper programming

really is important right because if

you're straight out doing like 20 sets

per muscle group and you're training

hard and stuff you probably can run into

some issues with accumulating too much

fatigue over time and at that point you

should really focus on like lowering the

body in fact I think with six days I

don't think you need to do more than two

exercises for a muscle group in any

workout even if you're doing like push a

push workout or a pull workout you're

just working with so many days that it's

more about controlling the volume making

sure you're not like overdoing it well

that's pretty much it when it comes to

six days now it's time to hit our set

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thank you

thank you

my hands are static again so shaky

okay that was a workout now it's time to

reap the fruits of our labor

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yourself

okay so real quick you might be thinking

what about seven days

if you're going seven days a week in the

gym

it's a little bit too much

to touch grass no kidding but yeah I

wouldn't recommend going seven days just

because

I think you should I think it's good in

general just to have some sort of active

rest day even if you're not specifically

weight training on that active rest day

you can definitely do something active

still it's active arrest today either

play sports go on a treadmill walk

listen to a podcast or better yet walk

and listen to some Tyler path YouTube

videos but I want to recommend seven

days I think the sweet spot if you're

trying to maximize building muscle so

you know hypertrophy

three to three to six days is that sweet

spot I would recommend if you're going

less than three days definitely I think

sticking to a more full body split makes

more sense but to quickly talk about

some Universal tips regardless of how

many days you're going what you could do

is alternate between different

variations of you know calm exercise

such as a press between each week so

let's say one week you're doing incline

demo bench press next week you're doing

the Hammer Strength machine press that

we did today and building on that idea

you can even plan out specific metal

Cycles where maybe you're sticking to

Incline demo bench for a whole month or

you can focus on like a specific rep

range so like maybe you're going you're

doing a mesocycle the last four weeks

long where you're really focusing on

strength so under six reps follow that

up with a deload week and after that do

another muscle cycle for another four or

six weeks where you're going to be doing

more like hypertrophy based stuff so so

you lighten up the load but increase the

Reps a little bit to kind of give

yourself some like novelty into your

actual program and the last thing I want

to talk about is related to your volume

and intensity so in general you need to

be truthful to yourself the lower

intensity you generally train the higher

volume you probably will want to program

to your split but if you're the type of

person that like actually goes to

failure and I'm not I'm not talking

about like what you think is failure but

it's like you hit failure and then you

try to get like three reps after that

then it might be more optimal for you to

do lower volume style stuff where you're

sticking to like less than 10 sets per

week for a muscle group so ultimately

there's a lot of individuality with it

and if you're listening to this and

you're like dude yeah there's honestly a

lot to think about personally I just

want I want to know what exact split I

should do in my specific situation I

want to know exactly what exercises to

do I want to be able to get all my

questions answered in like a very

streamlined approach and just basically

make my path to knowing about Fitness

more efficient and I highly recommend

you apply to my exclusive one-on-one

Fitness coaching program where I pretty

much will do just that so I want to copy

out this by saying that spots are

limited so apply soon I know we go into

back to school week everyone's going to

college and stuff like that but let's

make some gains so

check the link in the description for

that and now it is time to eat all right

y'all we're back at the usual spot enjoy

teriyaki gonna get some lean protein and

veggies

I think I'm gonna try something else

today perhaps I'll get either spicy pork

or chicken breast lunch

look at that grab and go lunch chicken

broth chicken chicken breast beef spicy

pork all right I think we're gonna go

with chicken breast

it's busy hello

I'll just have the uh go press lunch

I'll get the spicy teriyaki breast

all right so I ended up getting a

chicken breast Teriyaki but they forgot

the spicy sauce so I have the spicy

sauce right here

on first glance this chicken breast

might seem oh nothing nothing

spectacular but surprisingly it is

really really good

to be completely honest it looks dry but

it's not dry at all that's why everyone

love it here

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also

the salad dressing sauce it's actually

really good on the chicken in fact the

owner said you should put it on the

chicken

a little strip

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that was so good okay literally

everything's good dude that's why I

always come back here

with that said hope you guys enjoyed

this video

this video will help you kind of get an

understanding what kind of workouts that

you want to do how many days you want to

train in the first place so and all you

gotta do to thank me back is like the

video subscribe if you want to see more

videos like this and really [ __ ]

I'll see you all in the next video peace

thank you