Quick Summary
Your workout split must match your goals—athletes and beginners need different plans.
Training 4 days per week hits the sweet spot for results and recovery.
Training 0 days a week = no progress.
Your split can change depending on your schedule or short-term goals.
Ready to lock in your consistency? Start with Fitman’s 21-Day Fit Program and build the habit fast.
Still stuck on that ‘bro split’ from 2010? Or worse—working out with no plan at all? Let’s fix that today.
Many lifters want to know what the best workout split is for their goals. Fitman, the owner of the Fitman Performance & Physique Center in Abington, says your training split should always align with your ultimate fitness goals.
“Terrell Trackstar has to train differently than Natalie Newbie,” Fitman said. “Your split is your blueprint. If your blueprint is broken, your results will be too.”
Different Strokes For Different Folks
“Some people believe that seeing a personal trainer one or two days a week will give them a Hollywood body,” Fitman said. “But if you believe you can build an amazing physique by training only 1 or 2 days a week, you’re as crazy as the Joker!”
“I’ve tried various workout splits over the years. The most effective workout split that I have used is a 4-day split. It’s the ideal blend of training and recovery for most people.”
Fitman said that this does not mean you can’t see progress if you work out less than 4 days per week. “If you’re a beginner or okay with slower progress, training two days a week can lead to solid results,” he said.
“On the other side of the coin, the worst training split has you working out zero days per week. If you want to transform your body and gain confidence, training is essential.”
“You have one body. And not taking care of your body is criminal. Making fake hustle excuses for why you “can’t” work out won’t help you. Excuses only keep you weak, unhealthy, and unhappy with your body.”
How Often Should I Work Out?
How often should you train? Watch this quick breakdown from Fitman:
Use this guide below to know what results you will receive from training a certain number of days per week:
0 days per week: Absolutely no value.
1 day per week: Limited results. The slowest possible rate of progression but better than nothing.
2 days per week: Decent progression of results. Beginners can see good progress on this for a while, but veterans will see slower progress.
3 days per week: Very good for strength, performance, muscle growth, and fat loss; excellent for recovery.
4 days per week: Ideal for strength, performance, muscle growth, fat loss and recovery.
5 days per week: Great for muscle growth and fat loss. Overtraining could be a slight concern if your training intensity is not scaled correctly.
6 days per week: Fantastic for fat loss and certain stages of contest prep. But recovery will eventually be compromised, and overtraining will happen. Use sparingly and strategically. I don’t recommend it if your primary goal is muscle growth.
7 days per week: Not recommended. Will definitely lead to overtraining as there is no time for recovery.
A sample 4-day training split looks just like the example below:
4-Day Muscle Building Split
Sunday: OFF
Monday: Lower Body
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Upper Body
Thursday: OFF
Friday: Lower Body
Saturday: Upper Body
“One of my clients, Ishmael (pictured below), started on a 2 day per week split. He eventually switched to 4 days per week and saw his physique change in radical ways!”
Note: “This split is a general sample. Many people work out on different days due to their personal schedules. On one or two of your off days, you can choose to do easy cardio, like walking, if you want.”
Other Training Splits
“When we were building The Fitman Performance & Physique Center I reduced my training days from four days per week to 2-3 days per week. To commit time to building my gym, I had to reduce my gym time,” Fitman said.
“For a client who is going on vacation in three weeks, I could program them to train five days a week for those three weeks. I could do this because it is likely that when they are away, they will not train in the same fashion. This will allow them to keep those gains while they are in Belize.”
“My 4-day workout split will get you to your goals the fastest. But do not be afraid to reduce the number of days you work out if you have other priorities and goals. Just don’t stop training.”
Your results depend on your split. Text SPLIT to 267-460-1790 to get started.
Follow Fitman
Fitman has published three eBooks, available globally. For more fitness tips, follow him online:
Website: FitmanPerformance.com
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