If you want to be good at your favorite exercise activities, there’s little room for improvisation. A structured approach rooted in science is far more effective than simply showing up and doing what feels right. This is particularly true when your goal is to build muscle and strength efficiently.
A well-designed workout plan acts as your roadmap, guiding you through the complexities of resistance training. It helps you manage variables like volume, intensity, and frequency to ensure you’re providing the right stimulus for growth without overtraining.
This guide will break down the science behind muscle group workouts, helping you build an effective plan tailored to your goals.
A muscle group workout plan, often called a “training split”, is a schedule that organizes your resistance training sessions by targeting specific muscles or muscle groups on different days. Instead of working out your entire body in every session, you divide your routine to allow for focused effort and adequate recovery for every part of your body.
The goal is to maximize the training stimulus for each muscle group while giving it enough time to repair and grow stronger before the next session.
This method is based on the principle of progressive overload, which involves gradually increasing the stress placed on your muscles over time (1). By dedicating specific days to certain muscle groups, you can increase the total training volume – the total amount of work performed, calculated as sets x reps x weight – for each muscle, which is a key driver of hypertrophy (muscle growth) (2).
Research supports this structured approach. For example, a review in Journal of Sport and Health Science highlighted that the effectiveness of a resistance training program depends on manipulating acute variables such as:
A split routine is simply a practical way to manage these variables.
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Common types of splits include:
The right split for you will depend on your training experience, goals, and how many days a week you can commit to training.
Read more: Best Gym Schedule: A Science-Backed Guide for Peak Results
Muscle growth, or hypertrophy, is a complex biological process, but the stimulus for it is surprisingly straightforward. It is driven by three primary mechanisms, as identified by Dr. Brad Schoenfeld (4), a leading researcher in the field.
This refers to the force that is generated within a muscle when it’s stretched and contracted under load. Lifting heavy weights creates high mechanical tension, which is considered the most important factor for stimulating muscle protein synthesis (MPS) – the process of building new muscle proteins (4, 5).
When you lift a weight that challenges you, you recruit a large number of motor units, including the high-threshold motor units linked to fast-twitch muscle fibers, which have the greatest potential for growth (4, 6). To maximize mechanical tension, you should focus on loads that are at least 65% of your one-repetition maximum (1RM), which typically corresponds to a rep range of 6-12 (7).
This is the micro-trauma that occurs in muscle fibers during intense exercise, particularly from the eccentric (lowering) phase of a lift. This damage triggers an inflammatory response and releases growth factors that signal satellite cells to repair the injured tissue (5).
As the muscle fibers are repaired, they become larger and more resilient. You’ve likely felt this as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) a day or two after a tough workout (5). While some damage will likely occur, excessive damage can hinder recovery and impede progress (8).
This is the buildup of metabolic byproducts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen ions within the muscle during exercise that relies on anaerobic glycolysis for energy. It’s the “burn” you feel during high-rep sets or when rest periods are short (5).
Metabolic stress can promote hypertrophy through cell swelling (the “pump”), which places pressure on the cell walls and may signal a growth response. To effectively induce metabolic stress, use:
To grow muscle “fast”, your program should effectively incorporate all three mechanisms. This doesn’t mean every workout has to target all three. Instead, you can structure your training over a week, month, or year to emphasize different mechanisms. This is called periodization (9).
For example, you might have a heavy day focused on mechanical tension and a lighter, higher-rep day focused on metabolic stress.
To maximize muscle growth, your training stimulus must be matched by proper nutrition. First, you need to be in a slight caloric surplus – aim to consume about 5-15% more calories than you burn each day – to provide energy for recovery and muscle synthesis (10).
Equally important is protein intake – research has consistently shown that you should aim for 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (11). This range ensures your body has enough building blocks to repair and grow muscle tissue after resistance training.
Without enough calories and protein, even the best training plan will fall short.
The best muscle group combinations depend on your training frequency, recovery capacity, and specific goals. The idea is to pair muscles in a way that’s synergistic and allows for optimal performance and recovery.
Here are some of the best muscle group combinations to work out together:
Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps (Push Day)
These muscles all work together during pressing movements. For example, during a bench press, the chest is the primary mover, but the shoulders (anterior deltoids) and triceps are key synergists (12).
Grouping them allows you to train them all with compound movements such as the bench press and overhead press, followed by isolation exercises for each muscle.
Back and Biceps (Pull Day)
Similar to the push day logic, the back and biceps work together in pulling movements (13). When you perform rows or pull-ups, your back muscles (lats, rhomboids, traps) are the primary movers, while your biceps act as secondary movers. This combination allows for efficient training.
Legs and Core
This is a classic pairing. Leg days, featuring heavy compound lifts such as squats and deadlifts, are incredibly demanding. They also heavily engage the core for stabilization (14). Combining them ensures your core gets a significant workout while also allowing you to dedicate a full session to your lower body.
Upper Body and Lower Body (Upper/Lower Split)
This is a highly effective split for those training four days a week. It allows you to hit each muscle group twice per week, which research has suggested may be optimal for hypertrophy.
A 2016 meta-analysis published by the Journal of Sports Medicine found that training a muscle group twice a week produced superior hypertrophic outcomes compared to once a week (15).
When structuring your workouts, a common and effective strategy is to perform large, multi-joint compound exercises first, followed by smaller, single-joint isolation exercises.
This approach is supported by research, including a review in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, which suggested that exercising larger muscle groups first provides a greater overall training stimulus (16).
Would you like to learn more about the optimal volume for muscle growth? Read our guide to how many exercises per muscle group you should be doing.
While there are no strict rules, some muscle group combinations can be less effective or even counterproductive. The main principle is to avoid pairing muscles in a way that causes one to fatigue and limit the performance of another in a subsequent exercise.
Here are some pairings you should be cautious about:
Large Muscle Groups on the Same Day
Training two major muscle groups like legs and back on the same day can be extremely fatiguing. Both require a significant amount of energy and neural drive. Doing this may mean you don’t have the capacity to train the second muscle group with sufficient intensity.
Shoulders Before Chest
Your shoulders, particularly the front deltoids, are heavily involved in most chest pressing exercises. If you fatigue them with a heavy overhead press before moving to the bench press, your bench press performance will likely suffer. Unless overhead pressing is the primary movement, it’s generally better to prioritize the larger muscle group (chest) first or train them on separate days.
Triceps Before Chest or Shoulders
Your triceps are the primary movers in elbow extension isolation exercises, but are essential synergists in all pressing movements. Fatiguing them with triceps extensions before you bench press or overhead press will create a weak link and limit the amount of weight you can lift, which reduces the stimulus for your chest and shoulders.
Forearms or Grip-Intensive Exercises Before Back Day
Many back exercises, such as deadlifts, rows, and pull-ups, are limited by grip strength. If you perform forearm-specific exercises before your back workout, your grip may fail before your back muscles are fully stimulated.
Ultimately, program design is about managing fatigue. If a certain combination of exercises leaves you feeling too tired to complete your workout with good form and high intensity, it’s not an optimal pairing for you.
A good workout plan is one you can stick to consistently and that is aligned with your schedule and goals. For intermediate lifters who are looking to build muscle and strength, a 4-day upper/lower split is an excellent choice. It allows you to train each muscle group twice a week with a good balance of volume and recovery.
Here’s an example of a 4-day upper/lower split program.
Program Notes
| Day 1: Upper body (strength) | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 | 5-8 | 2-3 mins |
| Bent-over barbell row | 4 | 5-8 | 2-3 mins |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 | 6-10 | 2 mins |
| Pull-ups (or lat pulldowns) | 3 | 6-10 | 2 mins |
| Dumbbell bicep curls | 3 | 8-12 | 90 secs |
| Triceps pushdowns | 3 | 8-12 | 90 secs |
| Day 1: Upper body (strength) | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 4 | 5-8 | 2-3 mins |
| Romanian deadlift | 4 | 6-10 | 2-3 mins |
| Leg press | 3 | 8-12 | 2 mins |
| Seated calf raises | 4 | 8-12 | 90 secs |
| Hanging leg raises | 3 | 10-15 | 90 secs |
| Day 1: Upper body (strength) | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 4 | 8-12 | 90 secs |
| Seated cable row | 4 | 10-15 | 90 secs |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 | 12-15 | 60 secs |
| Face pulls | 3 | 15-20 | 90 secs |
| Preacher curls | 3 | 10-15 | 60 secs |
| Overhead triceps extension | 3 | 10-15 | 60 secs |
| Day 1: Upper body (strength) | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg press | 4 | 10-15 | 90 secs |
| Leg curls | 4 | 12-15 | 90 secs |
| Dumbbell lunges | 3 | 10-15 per leg | 90 secs |
| Standing calf raises | 4 | 15-20 | 60 secs |
| Ab crunches | 3 | 15-20 | 60 secs |
Barbell Bench Press
Bent-Over Barbell Row
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Pull-Ups (or Lat Pulldowns)
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Triceps Pushdowns
Barbell Back Squat
Romanian Deadlift
Leg Press
Seated Calf Raises
Hanging Leg Raises
Incline Dumbbell Press
Seated Cable Row
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Face Pulls
Preacher Curls
Overhead Triceps Extension
Leg Curls
Dumbbell Lunges
Standing Calf Raises
Ab Crunches
If you’re curious about different ways to group your workouts, check out our article on what muscle groups to work out together.
For most people, it’s not advisable to train the same major muscle groups every day. Muscles grow during recovery, and daily training prevents this process from occurring effectively. Constant training can lead to:
However, there are exceptions:
The Core
Your core muscles (abdominals, obliques, lower back) are endurance-based and recover relatively quickly (17, 18). They are designed to provide stability throughout the day. Performing a few sets of core exercises daily or every other day is generally safe and effective. A comprehensive core program is an excellent supplement to any training plan.
Calves
As with the core, the calves are composed of a high percentage of slow-twitch, endurance-oriented muscle fibers (19). They’re used to carrying your body weight all day and can handle higher training frequency. Training them 3-4 times a week could possibly be more effective than once or twice (20).
Skill-Based Practice
For beginners, strength is largely a skill. Practicing a movement such as the squat with very light weight or just your body weight every day can help improve neuromuscular coordination and technique without causing excessive fatigue (21).
For hypertrophy of larger muscle groups such as the chest, back, and quads, training them 2-3 times per week with at least 48 hours of rest could allow a great amount of quality volume (17).
Read more: 2 Full-Body Workouts a Week: The Definitive Science-Backed Guide
A good workout schedule for building muscle balances training frequency, volume, and recovery. The optimal schedule depends heavily on your lifestyle and experience.
3-Day Full-Body Routine
This is ideal for beginners or those with limited time. It involves training your entire body three times a week on non-consecutive days (e.g. Monday, Wednesday, Friday). This frequency is enough to stimulate growth while providing ample recovery. A full-body circuit workout is an excellent option here.
4-Day Upper/Lower Split
A great option for intermediate lifters. You train your upper body twice a week and your lower body twice a week (e.g. Mon: upper, Tues: lower, Thurs: upper, Fri: lower). This allows for more volume per muscle group than a full-body routine.
5-Day Body Part Split
It’s common among advanced lifters and bodybuilders. Each day is dedicated to one or two muscle groups (e.g. day 1: chest, day 2: back, day 3: legs, day 4: shoulders, day 5: arms). This allows for maximum volume and intensity for each muscle group, but requires more recovery time between sessions for the same muscle.
6-Day Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) Split
This is for advanced trainees who can recover quickly. The schedule is push, pull, legs, rest, and then repeat. This hits each muscle group twice a week with high volume. This is one of the best muscle group combinations to work out together 6-day programs.
Remember, the “best” schedule is the one you can adhere to. Consistency is more important than finding the “perfect” split. Listen to your body – if you feel constantly fatigued, sore, or your performance is declining, you may need more rest days.
To learn more about the best pairings, read our guide to muscle groups to work together.
Objectively, there isn’t a “hardest” muscle group, as difficulty is subjective. However, many people find their calves and forearms challenging to grow due to their high composition of slow-twitch muscle fibers, which may have a lower ceiling for muscle hypertrophy. (22). Large muscle groups such as the legs can also be considered “hard” to train due to the high systemic fatigue generated by compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts. Research has suggested that these muscles respond best to a range of loads. If your goal is simply to maximize overall muscle mass, exercise prescriptions should include training across a wide spectrum of repetition ranges. Higher-intensity exercise seems necessary to fully stimulate fast-twitch fiber growth, while lower-intensity exercise preferentially enhances hypertrophy in slow-twitch fibers. A periodized approach combining high- and low-intensity training may help ensure an optimal hypertrophic response in the full continuum of fiber types. Yes, you can train chest and biceps together. This is a common pairing in body-part splits, often referred to as a “push-pull” variation within the same session or for aesthetic reasons (getting a pump in the arms after training the chest). As the biceps aren’t heavily involved in most chest exercises (12), pre-fatiguing one won’t significantly impact the other. Muscles with a higher proportion of slow-twitch fibers, including the calves and forearms, often take longer to show significant growth than muscles with more fast-twitch fibers (22), such as the hamstrings or chest. In addition, large and complex muscle groups such as the back may seem to take longer to develop as they consist of many individual muscles that all need to be targeted for a well-rounded look. Larger muscle groups that are subjected to the most mechanical damage and neural demand during heavy compound lifting tend to recover the slowest. The muscles of the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, which are heavily taxed during deadlifts and squats, often require more recovery time than smaller muscle groups such as the biceps or deltoids. Research indicates that the lower limbs generally experience more fatigue and take longer to recover than the upper limbs (20).Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hardest muscle group to train?
Can I train my chest and biceps together?
Which muscles take the longest to grow?
Which muscles recover the slowest?
Ultimately, designing a muscle group workout plan is both a science and an art. The scientific principles of progressive overload, fatigue management, and stimulus specificity provide the foundation. The art lies in tailoring these principles to your unique body, lifestyle, and goals. Start with a structured plan, track your progress, and don’t be afraid to adjust as you learn what works best for you.
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