5-Day Bodyweight Workout Split to Build Muscle

Splitting your workouts means dividing your training across different days to target specific muscle groups or movement patterns. 

It’s a widely used strategy in strength training to balance intensity, recovery, and progression. You may think that workout splits are only for weightlifters, but they can be just as effective for bodyweight training.

Here’s how split training works and how to apply it to bodyweight workouts for muscle growth.

Can You Build Muscle with Bodyweight Workouts?

Bodyweight workouts can grow muscle if approached correctly (1).

Some of the strongest athletes – including gymnasts and martial artists – are heavily reliant on bodyweight training. Moves such as planches, handstand push-ups, and pistol squats deliver high tension and overload, resulting in impressive physiques.

The key lies in understanding how muscle-building works and applying these principles to your training.

To grow muscle, your body needs three primary triggers:

1. Mechanical Tension – Muscle fibers must be placed under significant stress or tension. This happens during resistance exercises (2).
2. Muscle Damage – Controlled tearing of muscle fibers occurs during exercise. This damage prompts the body to repair and rebuild the muscle stronger and thicker (3).
3. Metabolic Stress – Muscle cells experience a buildup of by-products, such as lactate, from repeated contractions. This creates a stimulus for growth (4).

Bodyweight exercises can check all these boxes when applied smartly.

Apply Progressive Overload

Muscles grow when they’re constantly challenged. This is where progressive overload comes in. Progressive overload means increasing the difficulty of your workouts over time (5).

With both weights and bodyweight exercises, you:

• Increase reps or sets
• Reduce rest time which ultimately increases intensity
• Use tougher variations (e.g. moving from push-ups to archer push-ups)

These adjustments ensure your muscles never get too comfortable, which keeps the growth process active.

Create Mechanical Tension

Bodyweight moves can create enough mechanical tension when done correctly. Exercises such as push-ups, squats, and rows engage multiple muscle groups at once.

To increase the tension:

• Use slower tempos. Lower yourself into a push-up over 3-5 seconds.
• Isolate. Single-leg squats or single-arm push-ups put your full weight on one side, increasing the load.

These variations make your muscles work harder, even without external weights.

Encourage Muscle Hypertrophy

Muscle hypertrophy is the enlargement of muscle fibers. It occurs when:

• You perform reps in the 8-12 range. This activates fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are key to growth (6).
• You train to near failure. Pushing your muscles to their limit ensures adequate stimulus (6).

For bodyweight training, achieving near failure is about proper intensity. Using tougher variations (such as transitioning from standard push-ups to decline push-ups) keeps the challenge alive and encourages hypertrophy.

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Create Metabolic Stress

Bodyweight exercises can cause intense metabolic stress. How?
By maximizing time under tension:

• Hold positions such as planks or wall sits.
• Perform high-rep sets with minimal rest.

This stress leads to a pump (muscle swelling) that is caused by blood pooling in the muscles. It stimulates pathways for muscle repair and growth.

Pay Attention to Nutrition and Recovery

Muscle growth isn’t solely about training. You also need:

• Proper Nutrition. Protein fuels muscle repair. Aim for 1.6-2.4 grams per kilogram of body weight daily (7).
• Adequate Rest. Your body repairs muscle tissue during rest, not during exercise (8). Sleep 7-9 hours a night and allow muscle groups 48-72 hours of recovery.

Read more: How to Get Better At Calisthenics – Going from Zero to Hero!

How to Split Bodyweight Workouts Effectively

Split training means organizing your workouts by muscle groups, movements, or other focuses across different days. Instead of training every muscle in one session, you target specific areas on designated days. For example:

• Push day (chest, shoulders, triceps)
• Pull day (back, biceps)
• Leg day (lower body)

This structure ensures that each muscle group gets enough intensity while leaving time for recovery.

There are many ways to organize your split. You can divide your workouts by:

• Muscle groups (as mentioned above)
• Movement patterns: Push, pull, squat, hinge
• Upper/lower body
• Push/pull/legs

Split training offers several benefits:

• Targeted Intensity – Focusing on specific muscle groups lets you work them harder, ensuring stronger activation and tension.
• Better Recovery – Muscles grow during rest, not during exercise. Splits create a rotation so worked muscle groups can recover while others train.
• Progressive Overload – Allocating specific days allows you to challenge muscles effectively. You can graduate to harder variations or higher volumes without overworking.
• Time Efficiency  – Splits allow shorter, focused sessions. There’s no need to cram a full-body workout in every session.

Muscles need at least 48 hours to recover after a challenging session. When designing your split:

• Avoid training the same muscle group two days in a row.
• Alternate high-intensity sessions with lighter days or rest days.
• Use active recovery (e.g. yoga, walking) on rest days to stay loose and improve circulation.
• For example, after an intense pull day, a leg day gives your arms and back muscles time to heal. And while your legs recover on a rest day, you can work on mobility and flexibility with yoga.

Which Bodyweight Workout Split Is Best for Building Muscle?

Below, we’ll compare different bodyweight workout splits and highlight considerations to maximize your results.

1. Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) Split

This classic approach splits workouts into three distinct focus areas:

• Push Day targets chest, shoulders, triceps, and pushing movements (e.g. push-ups, pike push-ups).
• Pull Day focuses on back, biceps, and rear shoulders (e.g. rows, superman pulls).
• Leg Day trains quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves (e.g. squats, lunges).

Pros

• Muscle-Specific Focus: PPL allows you to dedicate an entire workout to specific muscle groups, ensuring they have enough volume to grow.
• Balanced Training: It ensures you evenly target the upper body, lower body, and core muscle groups.
• Progressive Overload: You can easily add intensity over time by using harder exercise variations for specific muscle groups.

Cons

• Time-Intensive: You need at least three days of consistent training. Adding rest days stretches it into a 5-6 day schedule.
• Complex Progression: If your workouts include advanced moves (e.g. single-arm push-ups), recovery may be harder to manage.

Best For

Intermediate or advanced trainees ready to commit to a structured training week with a dedicated goal of balanced muscle growth.

2. Upper Body/Lower Body Split

This approach divides workouts into two categories:

• Upper Body Day combines pushing and pulling movements (e.g. push-ups, rows, planks).
• Lower Body Day focuses on legs and glutes (e.g. squats, lunges, glute bridges).

Pros

• Simplicity: Only two main categories to organize your workouts, which makes it beginner-friendly.
• Flexible Schedule: You can repeat this split three or four times per week, depending on recovery and time availability.
• Efficient Recovery: This split naturally alternates between upper body and lower body, which reduces the risk of overtraining.

Cons

• Potential Bias: Beginners may unconsciously favor upper body training over legs, or vice versa.

Best For

Beginners and intermediates who want a simple yet effective split for balanced growth and flexibility.

3. Full-Body Split

Every workout trains the full body, hitting all major muscle groups. Exercises target the upper body, lower body, and core in each session.

Example structure:

• Push-ups (chest and triceps)
• Bodyweight rows (back and biceps)
• Squats (lower body)
• Plank or leg raises (core)

Pros

• Frequency: Working each muscle group multiple times a week ensures consistent stimulation for growth.
• Time-Efficient: Fewer training days needed (2-3 per week can suffice).
• Great For Beginners: Easier progression by focusing on mastering foundational movements.

Cons

• Fatigue Builds Up Quickly: It can get harder to maintain energy for each muscle group, particularly later in the workout.
• Limited Specialization: Not ideal for individuals who are looking to focus on a specific muscle group.

Best For

Complete beginners or anyone with a busy schedule who wants to maximize results with fewer sessions.

The Verdict

The “best” workout split will depend on your lifestyle, fitness level, and goals. Beginners may benefit most from simple full-body workouts. Intermediate to advanced athletes may prefer splits such as push/pull/legs or upper/lower for more volume and recovery.

Read more: Women’s Calisthenics: The Strength Era Has Arrived

How to Get Ripped with Bodyweight Exercises

Getting ripped means lowering your body fat while building and defining muscle. The great news is that you don’t need weights or machines to achieve this goal – bodyweight exercises combined with proper nutrition and consistent effort make it possible. Understanding how fat loss and muscle definition work is the key to your success.

• Use High-Intensity Sessions to Burn More Calories in a Shorter Period of Time

To show off defined muscles, you need low body fat. Body fat loss occurs when you consistently burn more calories than you eat. This creates a calorie deficit. Your body starts using stored fat for energy, which reduces body fat over time. 

High-intensity bodyweight exercises such as burpees, jump squats, and mountain climbers can burn calories effectively. Adding them to your routine boosts overall fat burning (9).

• Use Strength Sessions to Build Muscle

Building muscle also plays a role. Strong, well-formed muscles give that ripped, defined look once the fat layer shrinks. Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, dips, planks, and squats can create the muscle tension needed for growth and definition (10). The key is doing these moves with good form and enough effort.

• Apply Progressive Overload to Build Muscle

Your muscles grow when challenged. Bodyweight exercises need to use progressive overload to keep the challenge alive. For example, you can do more reps, reduce rest time, or use tougher exercise variations. 

Slowing down movements increases time under tension, which stimulates muscle growth even further (11). Over time, these small changes in difficulty force your muscles to adapt and grow stronger.

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• Eat Well and in the Right Quantities

Bodyweight workouts alone won’t get you ripped – nutrition is just as important. Protein is a priority as it’s needed to repair and grow muscle (7). Aim for plenty of lean protein sources such as chicken, eggs, or tofu. 

Carbohydrates fuel your workouts (12), while healthy fats support overall health (13). Avoid highly processed foods and eat whole, nutrient-rich meals. A calorie deficit is required for fat loss, but don’t drop calories too low, as this can harm muscle retention.

• Make Room for Rest and Recovery

Your muscles grow during rest, not during the workout itself. Make sure you’re sleeping for 7-9 hours a night. Rest days are equally important. Recovery time allows your muscles to heal and grow stronger (8). 

Overtraining leads to fatigue, which can stall your progress. Stretching or light movements on rest days can help keep your body active without adding strain.

• Be Consistent

The ripped look comes from sustained effort. Workout intensity and frequency matter, but so does sticking to the plan. A combination of three to five focused sessions each week and a clean, calorie-controlled diet will produce results. Fat loss is slow but consistent if you maintain a calorie deficit while staying active.

Is It Okay to Only Do Bodyweight Exercises?

It’s OK to rely solely on bodyweight exercises for your fitness routine, as long as you change techniques to achieve various outcomes.

Bodyweight training is a highly effective way to build strength, improve endurance, and develop functional fitness (1).

From a muscle-building perspective, bodyweight exercises can create the mechanical tension and metabolic stress that are needed for hypertrophy. Progressive overload, which is essential for muscle growth, is achievable with bodyweight movements (14).

Strength development is also possible without weights. Bodyweight training often involves compound movements that activate multiple muscle groups. Using stable and unstable positions also improves balance and coordination, which are key components of functional fitness.

Bodyweight exercises are even suitable for cardiovascular health. High-intensity moves such as burpees, jump squats, and mountain climbers raise your heart rate dramatically (15). Including them in circuit-style training or HIIT sessions enhances endurance while burning calories efficiently (9).

However, there are limitations to bodyweight exercises. They may not be optimal for those who are looking for maximal muscle strength or advanced hypertrophy, as adding external weight is the most efficient way to overload muscles. While variations such as one-arm push-ups or pistol squats significantly increase resistance, achieving comparable stimulus to heavy lifting is challenging.

Bodyweight training is ideal for general fitness, functional strength, and conditioning. It’s sufficient for beginners and those seeking a more active lifestyle.

Advanced athletes may need additional resistance, such as weights or bands, to push their limits further. As a foundational element of any fitness plan, bodyweight exercises offer immense value, particularly for people who prioritize convenience, versatility, and minimal equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do bodyweight exercises increase testosterone?

Yes, bodyweight exercises can increase testosterone levels, particularly when they involve large muscle groups and high-intensity movements (16). Exercises such as push-ups, squats, and pull-ups can stimulate hormonal responses, including testosterone release, when they are performed with enough effort. However, the increase is temporary and depends on factors such as intensity, volume, and individual physiology (17).

• Can I do bodyweight exercises every day?

Yes, but it depends on the intensity and structure of your workouts. If you focus on high-intensity or strength-specific routines, rest days are essential for recovery and muscle growth. However, low-intensity sessions such as mobility work or active recovery can be done daily without overtraining. Listening to your body and allowing time for recovery is essential.

• What is the 4-2-1 workout method?

The 4-2-1 workout method refers to the tempo of an exercise. It involves a 4-second eccentric phase (lowering or lengthening the muscle), a 2-second hold at the midpoint, and a 1-second concentric phase (lifting or contracting the muscle). This controlled tempo increases time under tension, which promotes muscle growth and strength.

• What is the 5-10-15 bodyweight workout?

The 5-10-15 bodyweight workout typically involves a sequence of three basic exercises performed as a circuit – for example, 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats repeated for multiple rounds without rest. It’s a simple, scalable workout to build strength and endurance.

The Bottom Line

Building muscle with bodyweight workouts is completely possible. By understanding the principles of muscle growth and applying them to your training, you can see impressive results without ever touching a weight. With progressive overload, proper intensity, and strategic split training, you can challenge your muscles effectively for maximum growth potential. It’s important to remember to also pay attention to nutrition and recovery for optimal results.