The Most Popular Workout Split, Ranked

Choose the workout split you think is the most popular!

Author: Gregor Krambs
Updated on May 9, 2024 06:55
Finding an effective workout split can be challenging given the number of diverse opinions and strategies available. A list highlighting the most popular choices can serve as a useful resource for those looking to optimize their fitness regime. People benefit from seeing which methods are getting the best results across a broad audience, helping them make informed decisions about their own exercise plans. This website allows you to contribute to the ranking by voting for the workout split that you find most effective. As votes accumulate, the rankings update in real-time, reflecting current trends and preferences in the fitness community. Your participation not only informs others but also helps you stay updated with the most favored workout strategies.

What Is the Most Popular Workout Split?

  1. 1
    51
    votes
    This split is popular because it allows for a balanced workout of all muscle groups, with push exercises targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps, pull exercises targeting the back and biceps, and leg exercises targeting the lower body. It also allows for ample rest and recovery time between workouts.
    The Push-Pull-Legs (PPL) workout split is a popular training routine in which exercises are grouped based on the muscle groups they target. It involves dividing the workout sessions into three main categories: push exercises, pull exercises, and leg exercises. This split allows for efficient training, as it focuses on specific muscle groups and movement patterns in each session.
    • Training Frequency: Usually performed as a 6-day split, with two days dedicated to each category (push, pull, legs).
    • Muscle Groups Targeted: Push exercises target muscles such as chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull exercises target muscles like back and biceps. Leg exercises focus on the lower body, including quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
    • Exercise Selection: The split allows for a wide variety of exercises, including compound movements like bench presses, squats, and deadlifts, as well as isolation exercises such as lateral raises and bicep curls.
    • Training Intensity: The PPL split can be tailored for both strength-focused and hypertrophy-focused training, depending on the weights, reps, and sets used.
    • Progression: Progression can be implemented by gradually increasing weights, reps, or sets over time to continuously challenge the muscles.
  2. 2
    28
    votes
    This split is popular because it allows for a focused and intense workout of the upper and lower body separately, allowing for greater muscle activation and growth. It also allows for variation in exercises and intensity levels.
    The Upper/Lower Split is a popular workout split that divides training sessions into upper body and lower body workouts. It aims to provide balanced and effective training for different muscle groups.
    • Number of training days: 4-6 days per week
    • Training frequency: Each muscle group trained twice per week
    • Workout duration: 60-90 minutes per session
    • Split structure: Alternating upper body and lower body workouts
    • Upper body session: Includes exercises targeting chest, back, shoulders, and arms
  3. 3
    17
    votes
    This split is popular because it allows for a comprehensive workout of all muscle groups in one session, maximizing efficiency and time management. It also allows for frequent workouts and quicker progress.
    The Full-Body Split is a workout split that focuses on training all major muscle groups in a single workout session.
    • Training Frequency: Usually performed two to three times per week.
    • Muscle Groups: All major muscle groups (e.g., chest, back, legs, shoulders, arms) are targeted in each session.
    • Exercise Variety: A wide variety of exercises can be incorporated for each muscle group.
    • Time Efficiency: Suitable for individuals with limited time as the workouts can be completed in a shorter time frame compared to other splits.
    • Beginner-Friendliness: Great for beginners as it provides a balanced full-body workout and allows for frequent practice of movement patterns.
  4. 4
    5
    votes

    Body Part Split

    Vince Gironda
    This split is popular because it allows for targeted and specific workouts of individual muscle groups, allowing for greater muscle growth and definition. However, it may not be ideal for those with limited time or resources.
    The Body Part Split is a popular workout split that focuses on training specific muscle groups on different days of the week. It is designed to provide targeted stimulus to each body part, allowing for greater muscle growth and development.
    • Training Frequency: Usually 5-6 days per week
    • Number of Workouts: Each body part is typically trained once per week
    • Muscle Group Targeting: Different days dedicated to specific body parts (e.g., chest, back, legs)
    • Exercise Variety: Multiple exercises targeting the same muscle group
    • Volume: Moderate to high volume per muscle group
  5. 5
    17
    votes

    5x5 Split

    Bill Starr
    This split is popular because it focuses on heavy lifting and progressive overload, leading to greater strength gains and muscle growth. It involves performing 5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise, with a focus on compound movements.
    The 5x5 Split is a popular workout split that focuses on compound exercises and strength building. It was popularized by Bill Starr, a strength and conditioning coach.
    • Exercise focus: Compound exercises
    • Rep scheme: Performing 5 sets of 5 reps per exercise
    • Intensity: Heavy weights
    • Frequency: 3 workouts per week
    • Rest periods: 2-3 minutes between sets
  6. 6
    14
    votes
    This split is popular because it allows for a more varied and balanced workout of all muscle groups, with a focus on compound movements and progressive overload. It involves splitting the upper body into push and pull exercises, and including leg exercises in each session.
    The Upper/Lower/Push/Pull/Legs (ULPPL) workout split is a popular training program designed to target all major muscle groups effectively and efficiently. It incorporates a combination of upper body, lower body, pushing, pulling, and leg exercises, providing a well-rounded approach to strength and muscle development.
    • Number of days per week: 4-6
    • Training frequency: 4-6 days per week, with rest days in between
    • Training duration: 60-90 minutes per session
    • Split organization: Upper body, lower body, push, pull and legs exercises are distributed across different training days
    • Upper body exercises: Target muscles in the chest, back, shoulders, and arms
  7. 7
    9
    votes
    This split is popular because it allows for a balanced and comprehensive workout of all muscle groups, with a focus on progressive overload and high volume. It involves splitting the workouts into chest/triceps, back/biceps, shoulders/traps, and legs.
    The 4-Day Split is a popular workout split that divides the week into four training sessions, targeting different muscle groups in each session. It is a widely followed routine for intermediate to advanced level individuals who want to focus on specific muscle groups and allow ample time for recovery.
    • Training Days: 4 days per week
    • Muscle Groups: Different muscle groups targeted on each training day
    • Training Split: Dedicated workouts for upper body, lower body, and specific muscle groups
    • Rest Days: 3 rest days to allow for recovery
    • Flexibility: Can be adapted for different individual goals and preferences
  8. 8
    3
    votes
    This split is popular because it allows for a focused and efficient workout of all muscle groups, with a focus on compound movements and high intensity. It involves splitting the workouts into chest/triceps, back/biceps, and legs/shoulders.
    The 3-Day Split is a popular workout split that focuses on training different muscle groups on three separate days of the week, allowing for adequate rest and recovery. Each day of the split targets specific muscle groups to optimize gains and overall muscle development.
    • Training Days: 3 days per week
    • Muscle Groups: Chest, shoulders, triceps (Day 1) Back, biceps (Day 2) Legs, abs (Day 3)
    • Rest Days: 4 days per week
    • Workout Duration: 45-60 minutes per session
    • Exercise Selection: Compound and isolation exercises for each muscle group
  9. 9
    11
    votes
    This split is popular because it allows for a balanced and varied workout of all muscle groups, with a focus on compound movements and progressive overload. It involves splitting the upper body into push and pull exercises, and including leg exercises in each session.
    The Upper/Lower/Push/Pull (ULPP) workout split is a training routine that focuses on dividing your workouts into four main categories: upper body, lower body, pushing movements, and pulling movements. This split is designed to provide a balanced approach to strength training and target all major muscle groups.
    • Training Frequency: Typically performed four times per week, alternating between upper body and lower body workouts.
    • Upper Body: Dedicated training sessions for the upper body, targeting muscles like chest, back, shoulders, and arms.
    • Lower Body: Dedicated training sessions for the lower body, targeting muscles like quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
    • Push Movements: Focuses on exercises that involve pushing movements, such as bench press, overhead press, and push-ups.
    • Pull Movements: Focuses on exercises that involve pulling movements, such as pull-ups, rows, and lat pull-downs.
  10. 10
    4
    votes
    This split is popular among powerlifters because it focuses on the three main lifts (squat, bench press, and deadlift), with additional exercises to support those lifts and improve overall strength. It involves heavy lifting and progressive overload, with a focus on compound movements.
    The Powerlifting Split is a workout routine that focuses on developing maximum strength in the three main powerlifting exercises: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. It is designed to optimize strength gains and improve overall powerlifting performance.
    • Exercise Focus: Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift
    • Training Frequency: 3-4 days per week
    • Training Duration: 8-12 weeks
    • Intensity: High
    • Volume: Low to moderate

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Ranking factors for popular workout split

  1. Effectiveness
    The split should be effective in achieving the desired fitness goals.
  2. Time commitment
    The amount of time required for each workout and the frequency of the workouts.
  3. Versatility
    The ability to adapt the split to individual needs and preferences.
  4. Recovery time
    The amount of rest and recovery time needed in between workouts to avoid injury and exhaustion.
  5. Expertise level
    The difficulty and complexity of the split should be appropriate for the user's skill level.
  6. Accessibility
    The availability of necessary equipment and resources.
  7. Consistency
    The ability to maintain the split over a period of time.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most popular workout split. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or split is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

  • 1300 views
  • 157 votes
  • 10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each split once every 24 hours. The rank of each split is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

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More information on most popular workout split

When it comes to fitness, choosing the right workout split can be a game-changer. A workout split refers to how you divide your workouts throughout the week, targeting different muscle groups on different days. There are many different types of workout splits, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Some popular options include full-body workouts, upper/lower splits, push/pull splits, and body part splits. With so many options available, it can be tough to know which split is right for you. That's why we've gathered data from our community of fitness enthusiasts to determine the most popular workout split. Read on to discover which split comes out on top!

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