Strength training programs differ from person to person, depending on their fitness goals and desired physique. Some people prefer to pair specific muscle groups together when devising their program. If you want to give split training a go, you might be wondering what body parts to work on what days.
Read on to learn which muscle groups you might want to combine to get the most out of your workouts.
What Body Parts to Work on What Days
When talking about what body parts to work on what days, we’re referring to targeting major muscle groups individually to get the most out of your workout. The muscle groups you’ll work on are called skeletal muscles, and they allow you to perform a wide range of movements. The major muscle groups in the body are as follows:
- Shoulders
- Arms
- Chest
- Abdominals (abs)
- Back
- Legs
These muscle groups can be further divided into specific categories:
- Latissimus dorsi (lats): under your armpits
- Trapezius (traps): top of shoulders
- Biceps: the front of your upper arm
- Triceps: the back of your upper arm
- Forearms: lower arms
- Glutes: hips and buttocks
- Quadriceps (quads): the front of your upper leg
- Hamstrings: the back of your upper leg
- Calves: lower leg
Few exercises can isolate one muscle group. While an exercise might primarily focus on a particular muscle, several other muscles will typically be engaged in completing the movement.
When it comes to pairing muscles together on specific days, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The best option is to experiment with several pairings until you find the routine that works best for you.
There are several basic principles to keep in mind when designing your workout program:
- If your aim is general fitness, find a program that can balance different muscle groups.
- If you’re an athlete, go for a program emphasizing the muscle groups used in your sport.
- You can pair adjacent muscle groups since many exercises targeting a specific body part use these muscle groups.
- Avoid training the same muscle groups multiple days in a row.
- Your muscles generally take 72 to 96 hours to fully recover from a workout.
- Don’t overwork a specific area, as this can lead to injury.
With that in mind, here are some examples of what body parts to work on what days.
Two-Day Workout Routine for Beginners
If you’re just starting out and plan to do strength training twice a week, a great way to pair muscle groups is as follows:
- Day 1: shoulders, arms, and chest
- Day 2: abs, back, and legs
Three-Day Workout Routine for Beginners
Once you’re ready to add another day of strength training, you can mix things up a little and try the following schedule:
- Day 1: shoulders and chest
- Day 2: legs
- Day 3: abs, back, and arms
Three-Day Workout Routine for More Advanced Lifters
When you’re a beginner, sticking to the six basic muscle groups will get the job done. However, if you’ve been exercising for a while, it’s best to target specific categories when devising your program. Here’s an example of how you can combine these categories:
- Day 1: shoulders, triceps, forearms, and chest
- Day 2: glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves
- Day 3: traps, lats, biceps, abs, and back
Four-Day Workout Routine for Advanced Lifters
According to the American Heart Association, you should take at least two days off between strength training sessions to give your body enough time to recover. As a result, many people work out three days a week.
However, if you’re a seasoned lifter and looking for more gains, you can up the ante and go for a four-day workout.
Here’s a popular way of combining different muscle groups:
- Day 1: Chest and back
- Day 2: Hamstrings and quads
- Day 3: Shoulders, biceps, and triceps
- Day 4: Abs and glutes
Five-Day Workout Routine for Advanced Lifters
If you’ve been in the groove for a while, you might want to train five times a week. If that’s the case, here’s a program you can follow:
- Day 1: Back
- Day 2: Chest
- Day 3: Hamstrings, quads, and calves
- Day 4: Shoulders and abs
- Day 5: Biceps, triceps, and forearms
What Are the Best Exercises for Each Body Part?
After learning what body parts to work on what days, it’s time to get down to business. Let’s explore the best exercises for building specific muscle groups.
When focusing on the chest, try the following:
- Bench presses
- Push-ups
- Dips
You’ll get a perfect back workout if you incorporate some of these exercises:
- Dumbbell and barbell rows
- Barbell deadlifts
- Pull-ups
- Chin-ups
When it’s time to work the arms, go for these excellent exercises:
- Biceps curls
- Triceps dips
- Pull-ups
Your shoulders will significantly benefit from doing the following:
- Shoulder presses
- Planks with straight arms
- Dumbbell raises
When it’s time to do the legs, try these exercises:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Leg presses
- Leg curls
- Calf raises
Finally, your abs workout should look something like this:
- Planks
- Hanging leg raises
- Bicycle crunches
Why Work Body Parts Separately
Now that you know what body parts to work on what days and how to work them, you might wonder why you should work them separately. There are several benefits of splitting different muscle groups when exercising. Still, the primary benefit is giving each muscle more time to rest.
For instance, if you go for our five-day workout routine outlined above, your legs will have seven days to recover before you work them again. This way, your muscles can fully recover between sessions.
Other notable benefits of split workouts include:
- You need less equipment during a session.
- Overall, you’ll get tired less as you’re not targeting many different muscle groups.
- You can target and grow specific muscles for more physique control.
- You can challenge muscles more as you have more days in between to rest.
- Your muscles will increase in size faster.
- These workouts allow superior body shaping.
Generally speaking, split workouts are excellent if you can consistently dedicate specific days to a training program. Otherwise, catching up will take longer if you miss a workout.
Is a Full-Body Workout Better Than Split Training?
While there are many benefits to working different body parts on different days, some fitness experts recommend a full-body approach instead. This might be a better route if you’re just starting out with strength training or if you want a flexible training schedule.
You should consider full-body workouts if you’d like to:
- Increase your overall strength and power
- Activate your nervous system better
- Improve endurance and conditioning
- Work on your balance and coordination
- Burn more calories
- Improve your metabolism
- Have fewer workout sessions per week
- Do fewer exercises to target a muscle group
Find What Works for You
There’s no one or best way to combine muscle groups while exercising. When choosing what body parts to work on what days, the best guiding principle is to listen to your body.
As long as you know the basics of split training, you can devise an enjoyable workout routine. If you can’t seem to stick to that routine, you can always mix it up and try another one. Eventually, you’ll find what works for you the best and go on to build powerful muscles.