5.5.3: Training Splits and Volume Distribution
Ultimately, the choice of split comes down to personal preference and lifestyle. There’s no best split for hypertrophy, as long as the volume is sufficient and well‑distributed. However, the split does influence how you distribute your volume across the week, so it’s worth considering how to match your volume to your split. We will now briefly discuss the most common splits and how to distribute volume across them.
| Split | Information |
|---|---|
| Full‑body | A rotation of 2-3 full‑body sessions per week, where each session trains all major muscle groups. |
| Upper/lower | A rotation of 4 upper‑ and lower‑body sessions per week, where each session trains either upper or lower body. |
| Torso/Limbs | A rotation of 4 torso‑ and limb‑focused sessions per week, where each session trains either the torso (chest, back, shoulders) or the limbs (arms, legs). |
| Anterior/Posterior | A rotation of 4 anterior‑ and posterior‑focused sessions per week, where each session trains either the anterior (chest, shoulders, quads, biceps) or posterior (back, hamstrings, triceps) chain. |
| Push/Pull/Legs/Upper/Lower | A rotation of 5 sessions per week, where each session trains either push (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull (back, biceps), legs, upper body, or lower body. |
| Push/pull/Legs/Push/Pull/Legs | A rotation of 6 sessions per week, where each session trains either push (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull (back, biceps), or legs, with each session repeated twice per week. |
There are multiple ways to run these splits:
- Synchronous: the split matches the 7 day physical week, effectively creating a 7 day microcycle
- Asynchronous: the split matches an 8–9–10 day block, effectively creating an 8-9-10 day microcycle
- Does not follow a pattern: 2 days on, 1 day off, or 3 days on, 1 day off or every other day, etc.
As to which is best, it doesn’t matter. All of these splits can be programmed in a synchronous or asynchronous manner, and all of these splits can be programmed with a regular pattern or an irregular pattern. The best split is the one that fits your schedule and preferences, and that allows you to consistently hit your volume targets. I will show a practical example of how to organise PPL (Push/Pull/Legs) in a synchronous or asynchronous manner in the next section, but the same principles apply to all splits.
| Day | Synchronous | Asynchronous |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Push | Push |
| 2 | Pull | Pull |
| 3 | Legs | Legs |
| 4 | Push | Rest |
| 5 | Pull | Push |
| 6 | Legs | Pull |
| 7 | Rest | Legs |
| 8 | Push (Day 1 of next week) | Rest |
As you can see, the synchronous split follows a regular pattern over 7 days, while the asynchronous split follows a regular pattern over 8 days. Both splits allow for 2 sessions per week for each muscle group, and both splits allow for a rest day after every 2-3 sessions. The choice between synchronous and asynchronous is a matter of personal preference and lifestyle, as long as you can consistently hit your volume targets.
The following guidelines can be used to match your volume to your split, based on the number of sessions per week and the number of sets per session. These are general guidelines, and can be adjusted based on individual preferences and recovery capacity. The key is to ensure that you are hitting your total weekly volume targets, while also allowing for sufficient recovery between sessions:
| Split | Session/week | Volume/session |
|---|---|---|
| Full‑body | 2-3 | Not more than 20 sets per session |
| Upper/lower | 4 | 10-15 sets per session |
| Torso/Limbs | 4 | 10-15 sets per session |
| Anterior/Posterior | 4 | 10-15 sets per session |
| Push/Pull/Legs/Upper/Lower | 5 | 8-12 sets per session |
| Push/pull/Legs/Push/Pull/Legs | 6 | 8-12 sets per session |