Pros and Cons of different Split Routines! Pt. 2

Hello and welcome to another informational fitness post. A day ago I posted about Workout Split Routines and explained what they are and who are they good for. If you are interested in that you can check it out here.  Today I wan't to focus on examples and the advantages and disadvantages each split has. Keep in mind there are plenty more out there but don't just go picking one blindly. I've seen some completely unbalanced ones that tend to work some muscles a lot more than others which is a subject I covered in my previous post. Unbalanced programs may lead to disproportions in the muscles which can look bad aesthetically and even cause serious injuries. 

Most of the Split Routines I've included today, I've done myself with some exceptions. If you want to try one, you can easily pick it up, but keep in mind no exercises will be involved, just the weekly routine.

  

1) 2 day split
chest, back,shoulders/ legs, arms, core

What this routine is designed is mainly for people splitting their workout session for the first time. It can be done twice a week, leaving you with 4 sessions in total. A lot of people put the shoulders on day 2, with legs and arms. It can be done this way but the shoulders play a lot bigger roll in most chest exercises and if done in two consecutive days by a beginner, they may be soar from that training. By working your shoulders on day one, you do it all in one training.

Example: 

MONDAY: chest/back/shoulders
TUESDAY: Legs/arms/core
WEDNESDAY: rest
THURSDAY: rest
FRIDAY: Chest/back/shoulders
SATURDAY:legs/arms/core
SUNDAY:rest

Repeat

Advantages: Good for someone that recently started training but needs a bit more out of the training sessions. They can do more exercises for each muscle in a session and do an extra session that way per week. 

Disadvantages: Can get really long for someone more advanced since the amount of exercises and sets can get a bit too much. That is when he should progress to a three-day split. 

 

2) Three-day split - Push/Pull

This is the routine I’ve probably done the most since it involves a lot more compound exercises (using more than one joint, like press ups, chin-ups etc). It is called push-pull because you train chest, shoulders and triceps on day one (pushing exercises: press-ups, bench press, shoulder press, Triceps push-downs etc.) and back and biceps on day 2 (pulling exercises: pull-ups, rows, biceps curls etc.). On day three you would hit the legs and the core. This can be done with 3 or 6 sessions per week. 

   Source

Example:

MONDAY:Chest/Triceps/Shoulders
TUESDAY:Back/Biceps
WEDNESDAY:Legs/Core
THURSDAY:Rest
FRIDAY:Chest/Triceps/Shoulders
SATURDAY:Back/Biceps
SUNDAY:Legs/Core

Advantages: Can use a lot of compound movements to make the sessions shorter and work on the smaller muscle groups as shoulders, triceps, biceps as a secondary group in exercises like the bench press, press-ups etc. Also compound or multi joint exercises use more energy, hence burn more calories. Being on this routine on a weight loss plan or someone that is simply cutting may be more beneficial. These sorts of exercises tend to be more functional as well. (To sports or in everyday activities)

Disadvantages: Doing this routine for long will most likely bring you to a plateau where you can’t work the secondary muscle groups as the triceps, biceps and shoulders efficiently since they get tired from the exercises done for chest and back. Putting them before the big muscle groups is a bad idea because then you don’t have the strength to do the harder compound exercises like the bench press or back rows (which can be dangerous too)

  

3) 5-day split
Chets//Back//Legs//Arms//Shoulders

People love this one since they can focus on one muscle group at a time and sessions are a lot faster. Training for strength for example takes longer time because the resting periods between sets can get up to 5 minutes. By doing this split you are able to get the session done quite fast, working on only one muscle at a time. You can have two days rest or work every day since each muscle rests for four full days. This becomes a bit much though in my opinion. You can put core and CV training twice or three times a week, after the resistance sessions, depending on goals.

Source

Example:

MONDAY: Chest
TUESDAY: Back
WEDNESDAY: Legs
THURSDAY: Arms
FRIDAY: Shoulders
SATURDAY: Rest
SUNDAY: Rest

Advantages: It Isolates muscle groups making training sessions shorter and more focused. It allows each body part to have plenty of rest. Can do more aerobic activities(cardio) each days since training sessions are shorter. 

Disadvantages: You can train each muscle group once a week, or just two of them can be done twice a week if you don't take a rest day. (that isn't recommended) Since it tends to isolate muscles, less compound movements are used. That lowers the effectiveness in regard to general fitness. Training each muscle only once a week will bring you to a plateau quite fast and there won't be any significant strength or muscle (hypertrophy) gains.

  

6-Day Split
Chest, Back//Legs, Core//Arms//Shoulders//Chest, Back//Legs, Core

This one was one of my favourites. I'd probably jump on it again soon. It allows you to work your big muscle groups (Chest,Back and Legs) twice a week and your secondary muscles once isolating them. Since we use compound movements for the big muscles we do train the smaller ones as a secondary throughout the Chest and Back days. I've found this one to be working best for me and had my all time best form following this program. 

Example:

MONDAY: Legs/Core
TUESDAY: Chest/Back
WEDNESDAY: Shoulders
THURSDAY: Triceps/Biceps
FRIDAY: Legs/Core
SATURDAY: Chest/Back
SUNDAY: Rest

Repeat

Advantages: Great for people that want to build muscles. It gives sufficient time of rest for each muscle group and works all the major muscle groups twice a week, while leaving a day for the arms and shoulders to be isolated in. It is great for someone advanced and looking for a way to progress.

Disadvantages: The thing that put me off from this one was the time that it consumes on the Chest and Back sessions. They simply take too long and since they are big muscle groups finishing just one is tiring. The more weights and exercises you add to it, the longer it takes and you feel smashed on these two sessions.

You can put the shoulders and arms session together and take an extra day of rest in between. Works fine this way too, extends one of the sessions but the shoulder one is pretty fast anyways. Used to do a bit more cardio and stretches on it. 

Source