As a Coach, my goal is generally to get my clients onto a split routine as soon as possible. It’s typically the time when my clients saw the most physical results and noticeable change in their body. If you want to know the ins and outs of split routines versus staying on a full body routine — read on, my friend…
What is a split routine?
A split routine is when you separate your workout days to focus on specific muscle groups rather than doing as much as you can for all parts of your body in the same workout, each time you workout (otherwise known as a full body routine). You may hear someone say, “I’m doing lower body today”, meaning they are on a split. A split routine, when utilized effectively can be highly advantageous for individuals looking to lose weight, tone, and reduce body-fat, as well as those looking to strengthen and build mass (if programmed accordingly…).
Why should I?
If you typically workout for an hour, how much work do your muscles really get on a full body routine? On a full body routine, your workout allotment may look something like this: ten minutes to warm-up, ten minutes for your chest, ten minutes for your back, fifteen for your legs, five for your abs, five for your arms, and five to cool down. Five to ten minutes for smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps, delts, and calves, near the end of the workout make suffice, however, for the bigger muscle groups (Legs, Back, Chest– the drivers when it comes to both strength and fat loss) you may simply need more time to continue further progress.
On a full body routine, you would generally lift weights up to 3 times a week, with 1 rest day in between. However, on a split routine, especially if you end up going to the gym 4 days in a row, you could do some weight lifting on each effectively. Rather than full body, rest, and repeat. In my humble opinion, split routines (more often than not) allow for more creativity and flexibility with your workouts. On a split routine your week may look like the following, depending on your goals:
Day 1: Lower body & abs with more time to warmup and cooldown
Day 2: Upper body (push & pull focused) with ample time for abs, cardio, and stretching
Day 3: Accessory day, for shoulders, arms, calves, and abs — or maybe a yoga class or light run in or outdoors
Day 4: Back to day one — or possibly a full-body workout with weights now that you’ve had some time to recover
Whether you are trying to achieve fat loss, or build mass– moving from full-body routines to workouts where you narrow down your focus for the day can be very advantageous when it comes to seeing the results you are looking for…
When should I?
Full body routines are generally my recommendation for beginners, or for the first few weeks getting back into an exercise routine. If you do resistance training two to three times per week — staying on more full body workouts may be best. After all, do you think one great workout for your back per week is stimulating the muscle often enough to progress? You’re more likely just to end up very sore after each back workout, with little results to show. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again– frequency is everything.
Once you are working out three or more times per week consistently and your body has had some time to get used to lifting weights and recovering — then we can talk about moving towards an effective split routine. In fact, read that sentence again, especially if you are a beginner starting your workouts.
How should I?
Assuming you are working out three times per week (or more) and have been utilizing weights, the next step is breaking up your days and finding the right split that would make sense for what you are looking to achieve.
If you are very kinesthetically aware and confident with working out, an online program that is aligned specifically with your goals, may work– or it may not (either due to follow through of frequency or it is not aligned with your goal even though it reads “weight loss”…).
Because every body is different, I recommend working face to face with a Coach. If it is financially feasible, invest in yourself to work with a coach ongoing throughout the program, which is the best way to effectively stay the course. If ongoing training with a professional is not within your budget, hiring a coach for a few sessions to build you a catered program and explain it to you so that you understand and have the knowledge to follow through effectively is the next best option I would recommend.
Closing thoughts
The difference between full-body and split routines is often very misunderstood and which makes more sense will be specific to each individual. Some may move onto a split within one month, others may take six. Some may work chest, back, shoulders, and arms on their upper day, while others may only work one muscle group per day (less effective if you are working out less than five times a week and if your goal is more weight loss based…). Either way, I hope this helped you in understanding the potential benefits of a split routine.
As Wim Hoff says in his heavy Norwegian accent, “To all of you, I hope you have a good day– or a good night, wishing you all the love and all the power and rooting for your success always…” (that last part is from me).