It’s important to organize your training based on your goals. Key things to consider when planning your training split are:
• Your training experience
• Your goals
• Your time availability
• Your rest & recovery
• Your weaknesses
If you are brand new to training or have taken an extended hiatus, you probably want to start with a full-body plan. Most beginners should dedicate 3 days per week (alternating days) to weight training. Your muscles don’t require as much volume and intensity as a seasoned lifter. You would want to pick compound exercises that would train your entire body as efficiently as possible. 3-4 sets for each bodypart would be sufficient for most beginners. Squats, deadlifts, presses & rows would be the majority of your training.
Once you have a little more experience you can organize your training a little differently and add some volume. Intermediate programs are often split into push, pull & leg days; training 3-4 days per week. You would want to continue to use compound exercises & add in some isolation exercises.
When you are ready to take your training to the next level, you can try a more advance split based on your goals. You can pick your weak areas & train them more often or with more intensity, but be sure to train all body parts every week while allowing for recovery. For example, if you are looking to increase the size & strength of your arms, you could organize the following training split:
Day 1 Chest/Arms
Day 2 Back
Day 3 Shoulders/Abs
Day 4 Legs
Day 5 Arms/Calves
Day 6 Active Rest
Day 7 Active Rest
Important things to remember:
• Always dedicate 1 day every week to complete rest. You grow while you are resting!
• Stick to a training plan for a minimum of 4-6 weeks before changing so you can gauge your progress.
• Keep a training log. It’s always great to look back at where you started.
• Challenge yourself during your training to get the results you want.