What are your hypertrophy training splits?

Lift_Eat_Repeat

It’s time to change up my training programme. I’m currently lifting 6 days a week with one day of rest. A typical push pull legs.

I’m a natural lifter so I’m trying to take advantage of my muscles anabolic window and hit each muscle twice a week.

What am I not liking about my current routine:
1. I’m not hitting abs and core
2. I feel I’m not getting enough concentration on each muscle group
3. Time, I struggle to fit all exercises into my training time

There’s not enough days in the week for me to hit each muscle group separately. So what are you guys training and what do your splits look like.

Here’s my breakdown:

PUSH 1
Barbell bench press
Dumbbell squeeze press
Standing dumbbell press
Seated lateral raise
Triceps press down
Static dumbbell hold (bench press position)
Rope face pull

PULL 1
Single arm lat pull down (for activation)
Pull-up
T-bar row
Omni-grip lat pulldown
Bent over fly
Band pull-apart
Barbell bicep curl
Incline dumbbell bicep curl
Rack pull

LEGS 1
Barbell back squat
Romanian deadlifts
Barbell hip thrusts
Standing calf raise
Seated calf raise

PUSH 2
Standing barbell press
Close grip bench press
Dumbbell fly
Band front raise
Band lateral raise
Power bombs
Medicine ball push-up

PULL 2
Lat pull down (eccentric focus)
Bent over row
Rope face full
Kneeling cable pullover
Snatch grip barbell shrug
Bent over fly
EZ bar bicep curl
Dumbbell bicep curl (3 grips)

LEGS 2
Deadlift
Deficit Bulgarian split squat
Goblet squat
Banded seated hip abduction
Standing calf raise

CowboySar

This is a loaded question and you are going to get a lot of different opinions. You have to figure out what works best for you, your time, and your goals.

You can look at any multitude of programs and see how they fit for you. Or you can try to design your own.

I did the traditional bro splits for a few years, and have tried some different programs as well. I really liked PHAT, tried John Meadows Program X, and have his Gamma Bomb as well. Right now though I put together my own based on Renaissance Periodization. I am only a month in on it and like it so far. I work out 2 on, 1 off, 3 on, 1 off, then repeat as this fits my schedule better. I make sure I am within my MAV for each body part per week, and progress either by upping weight, reps, or sets every week.

steveko89

I tried to do a six-day PPL and it had a little too much volume and was taking up too much time to execute fully with a newborn at home where sleep isn't nearly easy enough to come by.

I've been doing PHUL for a while and adding a fifth day where I work on anything lagging or upper body because I'm a bro at heart. Working in the different rep ranges each week seems to make a big impact.

JBanx256

CowboySar wrote: »

Right now though I put together my own based on Renaissance Periodization.

YAY! Another RP'er!!! *fist bump*

Lift_Eat_Repeat

steveko89 wrote: »

I tried to do a six-day PPL and it had a little too much volume and was taking up too much time to execute fully with a newborn at home where sleep isn't nearly easy enough to come by.

I've been doing PHUL for a while and adding a fifth day where I work on anything lagging or upper body because I'm a bro at heart. Working in the different rep ranges each week seems to make a big impact.

That’s precisely how I find 6 days PPL. To get through it all I’m not focusing enough on each exercise.

I like the sound of PHUL and hadn’t thought of using the spare day for a lagging body part.

Thanks.

Lift_Eat_Repeat

CowboySar wrote: »

This is a loaded question and you are going to get a lot of different opinions. You have to figure out what works best for you, your time, and your goals.

You can look at any multitude of programs and see how they fit for you. Or you can try to design your own.

I did the traditional bro splits for a few years, and have tried some different programs as well. I really liked PHAT, tried John Meadows Program X, and have his Gamma Bomb as well. Right now though I put together my own based on Renaissance Periodization. I am only a month in on it and like it so far. I work out 2 on, 1 off, 3 on, 1 off, then repeat as this fits my schedule better. I make sure I am within my MAV for each body part per week, and progress either by upping weight, reps, or sets every week.

Thanks Cowboy. Lots of food for thought here.

nick9909f

Do you track reps, sets, and weight each workout? I use a spreadsheet on my phone so that I ensure progress every single workout or week. This practice has allowed me to cut out the *kitten* exercises.

On abs, I have gotten cut in the past by modifying staple exercises. For example, I see you do rope pushdowns. Try taking a step back from the cable, then bend at the waste and hold. Now perform the set. You will find that your abs are braced throughout and you've just turned a tricep exercise into a tricep + abs exercise. Also, when benching, lift your legs into the air and hold through the set. In order to stabilize your body, your abs do some work. On dumbell rows, set up two parallel benches. Suspend your body in a push up (plank) position between the two benches so that your feet are on one bench and your hands are on the other one. The dumbell is waiting for you on the floor. Pick it up and do your rows while in the plank position.

Let me know how it goes if you decide to give these a shot. Good luck!

jdog022

I run a mix between PHUL and PPL. So upper lower rest push pull leg rest. Two “heavy” days and 3 Hypertrophy days. A lot of this has to do with my work schedule too. I only have 45 min Thurs Friday and Saturday to get in and out. I’ve ran just standard PHUL 4 days and enjoyed that too

Keto_Vampire

Triceps could use an overhead/longhead movement (cable overhead extension/french curl, etc.)
Front raises usually not worth doing (you've got plenty of presses already)
Drop the static dumbbell hold bench press position (not sure why you include this if you want more concentric unless you are just doing as a final set)

You have a pretty diverse exercise selection overall though other than triceps (knit-picking)
You could always sub out your leg exercises for more quad dominant moves (barbell back squat to front squat or hack squat...again, knit picking)

Lift_Eat_Repeat

Thanks guys. I think I’m going to switch to PHUL as a few have mentioned that now and see how it goes.

And nick9909f I love a spreadsheet!

_SoundWave_

I do PHUL and am old school with a paper book I take into the gym !

My split is 2 legs , 2 push and 2 pulls sessions which I rotate every 12 weeks. I don’t do core but I’d argue that some of the compound moments hit your core anyways so I don’t worry too much about it

ijsantos2005

No full body 3 days a week love?

dave_in_ni

I guess we're all different for me I started a bro split this year, I like it and am making better progress than I ever did on ppl or UL.

jbruhno

I’m on PHUL with a couple substitutions after only ever knowing a bro split. I’m not loving the UP day, so I’ve added to it. When I switched I realized how much my lifts were struggling on say the #3 or 4 isolation exercise in a given day.

I hit cardio and abs on Wednesday whenever I can and am also looking to add the optional lagging parts + abs on Saturday. I focus on flexing my TVA prior to all movements for core strength. I also just started goblet squats on the HL day and I feel like they crush abs as well.

I have the time atm and like being at the gym and are similar to you in wanting to hit every part. I honestly don’t think that is practical though due to the volume needed. I’m trying to get on board by making changes to routine from one cycle to the next on areas of focus. It is working in progression, despite the fact I feel like I’ve gone lite often.