Creating Your Workout “Split”
When you begin going to the gym on a regular basis, you will realize that you’ll have to train different muscles on different days to avoid soreness and overworking those muscles. A “split” is how you split up your workouts through the week by muscle group.
First, you must understand which exercises target each muscle group. Some examples of exercises per muscle group are listed below:
Legs: Leg press, leg extension, squat, lunge, leg curl, etc.
Arms: Bicep curl, shoulder press, tricep pushdown, lat pulldown, etc.
I like to split my workouts into two groups of both legs and arms. This is because often when you are performing exercises for one muscle, it will work another muscle simultaneously. This happens often with chest and shoulders, glutes and hamstrings, and back and bicep. Here is an example of my workout split below, and a video to help you create a routine based on your goals.
Monday: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
- Pushups
- Shoulder Press
- Bench Press
- Lateral Raises
- Tricep Pushdown
- Overhead Tricep Extension
Tuesday: Glutes and Hamstrings
- Abductor Machine
- Hamstring Curl
- RDL
- Hip Thrust
- Leg Press
Wednesday: Abs and Cardio
- Leg Raises
- Crunches
- Plank
- 15 Minutes of Any Cardio
Thursday: Back and Biceps
- Seated Cable Row
- Lat Pulldown
- Chest Supported Back Machine
- Bicep Curl
- Hammer Curl
Friday: Quads and Calves
- Walking Lunges
- Barbell Squat
- Leg Extension
- Leg Press
- Goblet Squat
I split my workouts in this way in order to have ample rest time in between working specific muscle groups. I will also take extra rest days if I am still sore or feel like my body needs it. Rest is essential to prevent injury.
Everyone splits their workouts differently, this is just how I do it! As a beginner, I feel like this was the simplest way to organize my workouts and it is easy to follow and remember which day I am on. As you continue to go to the gym, you will learn more about what works for you and helps you achieve your goals.
