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One of the most common questions I’m asked when someone is creating a workout routine is what type of training split they should use.  My response is always the same – “It depends on what you want.”  That is, the best training split depends on the goals you have set and on what type of body you want to have.  If you ask a marathon runner how often they lift you will get a very different answer than if you ask a professional bodybuilder.  Everyone is different, and because of this there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” training routine.  Therefore you must make a decision about how often you’re going to train, and this decision should be based on your goals and your body.

What your training split should be based on

• Your goals (what you want to accomplish)
• Your body type (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph)
• Your weak areas

What your training split should not be based on

• How your friend is training
• What some guy at the gym is doing
• Some generic weight lifting book written for the masses

Creating a training split in this way takes time, and is definitely more difficult than just choosing one blindly, but the truth is … I never made serious gains until I structured a training program around my body type and the goals I had set. The generic programs I found in various books kept me in decent shape, but they didn’t give me the “WOW” factor that a custom program did.  More importantly, I was finally happy with my results because I was accomplishing what I wanted to accomplish instead of what someone else wanted me to accomplish.

First and foremost …

The first decision that must be made when creating a workout plan is what type of training split you are going to use.  However, before you can determine this you must have already set some goals, determined your weak areas, and you must understand your body type.  If you’ve already done this … GREAT!  If not, then click on the links above and make sure that you have at least a basic idea and understanding of these topics.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you have to at least think about all three topics before proceeding any further.

The different types of training splits

There are many different types of training splits that people use when structuring their workout program, varying from 2-day splits all the way up to 6-day splits.  Some people even do double sessions, working out one body part during the morning and then a different body part at night.  Again, the choice you make should be based on what you want to achieve.  Below are some sample training splits I have seen from different athletes and people that I have worked with.  They are not presented for you to copy, rather they are intended to give you an idea of the different types of training methods.

Sample training splits

Sample 2-day training split

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Sample 3-day training split

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Sample 4-day training split

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Sample 5-day training split

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Sample 6-day training split

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So it’s your choice.  Which do you prefer?  Are you thinking about changing your program?  Comment below and start a conversation to help others figure out what works best for them!

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Bo Burkett

Editorwww.schoolofmuscle.com

Bo Burkett has worked in education at the high school level for the last seven years and is the father of four beautiful girls. He is certified as a high school guidance counselor and is pursuing certification as a personal trainer and life coach. Helping others grow mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically is his passion. He's just awesome like that.