The Best 5 Day Workout Split Workout Routines for Building Strength and Muscle

WHAT IS A 5 DAY WORKOUT SPLIT?

A 5 day split is a workout routine that splits your weekly training into 5 days –  5 workouts per week on 5 different days.

A 5 day workout split routine often involves training different muscles groups each workout session, which means you are training each particular muscle group once a week.

The Standard 5 Day Workout Split:

• Day 1: Chest
• Day 2: Back
• Day 3: Arms
• Day 4: Shoulders
• Day 5: Legs
• Day 6 & 7: Rest

1. 5 DAY SPLIT:

• Day 1: Chest
• Day 2: Legs
• Day 3: Back
• Day 4: Shoulder & Arms
• Day 5: Core & Cardio

2. 5 DAY ULPPL SPLIT:

• Day 1: Upper Body
• Day 2: Lower Body
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Push
• Day 5: Pull
• Day 6: Legs
• Day 7: Rest

3. 5 DAY BODY PART SPLIT WITH UPPER BODY EMPHASIS:

• Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
• Day 2: Back, Biceps, Core
• Day 3: Legs
• Day 4: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
• Day 5: Back, Biceps, Core
• Day 6 & 7: Rest

4. 5 DAY BODY PART SPLIT WITH CORE & CARDIO

• Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
• Day 2: Core & Cardio
• Day 3: Back, Biceps
• Day 4: Core & Cardio
• Day 5: Legs
• Day 6 & 7: Rest

ARE 5 DAY WORKOUT SPLITS EFFECTIVE?

Yes, a 5 day workout split is one of the best options available and is highly popular. It does require a significant time commitment, with training sessions scheduled for 5 days a week. Compared to other workout splits like 3 or 4 days, it demands a higher level of dedication.

However, it’s not just about the frequency of workouts. To effectively build muscle, it’s important to prioritize recovery through sufficient sleep and proper nutrition. If you’re willing to invest the time, determine the ideal workout duration for optimal results, and maintain consistency, a 5 day workout split can be highly effective, especially for muscle building.

1) IS A 5 DAY SPLIT GOOD FOR BUILDING MUSCLE?

A 5 day split is considered to be an excellent workout split for building muscle. It allows for maximum training volume and emphasis on each major muscle group, while also providing sufficient rest days each week. This is particularly beneficial for advanced trainees, as one day of rest per week is generally not enough for most individuals.

 

2) IS A 5 DAY SPLIT GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

When it comes to weight loss, any workout split can be effective as long as your diet is in check. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you burn and incorporate cardio or HIIT after your workouts. Implementing a 5 day split with plenty of cardio can be highly advantageous for fat loss, as it helps preserve muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the better your body becomes at burning fat.

3) IS A 5 DAY SPLIT GOOD FOR BEGINNERS?

While 5 day splits may not be ideal for beginners, who would benefit more from 3 or 4 day splits or full-body workouts, they are highly recommended for individuals with at least 6 months of training experience and a solid foundation. However, if you are a strong beginner, it’s worth experimenting with a 5 day split for a couple of months to see how it suits you. Fitness is about trying new things, evaluating results, and making adjustments accordingly.

WHAT IS THE BEST 5 DAY WORKOUT SPLIT? 

The best 5 day training split for bodybuilding is the well-known Standard 5 Day Split or the lesser-known Upper Lower Push Pull Leg Split, Siimilar to a PHAT workout. The choice between the two depends on your fitness goals.

The Standard Split focuses on one major area of the body each training session, allowing for high volume and efficient recovery. It is a popular choice among bodybuilders for building muscle. On the other hand, PHAT style routine (Upper Lower Push Pull Leg Split) targets each muscle group twice a week with slightly less volume per session.

However, the total weekly volume is comparable to the Standard Split. Ultimately, understanding the benefits of each split will help you decide which 5 day workout split is right for you.

THE ULTIMATE 5 DAY WORKOUT SPLIT ROUTINES

Let’s start with the 5 day split that most people think of when it comes to a 5 day workout plan – the Standard 5-Day Split.

5 DAY  SPLIT WORKOUT ROUTINE:

Now that you have a good idea of what you’re doing, let’s go over the actual workout.

This program is designed to build muscle & strength, with an emphasis on building muscle. Do this split for 8-12 weeks. 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

• Day 1: Chest
• Day 2: Back
• Day 3: Arms
• Day 4: Legs
• Day 5: Shoulders
• Day 6 & 7: Rest 

You can use your rest day back-to back or you could put one rest day between day 2 and 3 or 3 and 4 to the same effect. This is a good plaxce to ebvaluate your schedule to maximize gym and personal time.

WARM UP: A dynamic warm up should be done before each workout. Focus on the mobility of the muscles and joints that you will be working on that particular workout and get your body temperature up.

WARM UP SETS: The prohrammed sets below do not include warm up sets. Be sure you always do warm up sets before getting into your working weight. Do as many as you need to warm up at any given exercise, but never take warm up sets close to failure. They should be light weight and low reps, gradually increasing the load to your working weight.

DAY 1: CHEST DAY

Flat Bench Press	4 sets	6-10 reps (pyramid)
Flat Bench DB Fly	3 sets	8-10 reps
Incline DB Bench Press	4 sets	8-10 reps
Low to High Cable Fly	3 sets	10 reps
Chest Dips	3 sets	10 reps
Decline Push Ups	3 sets	Max reps

Notes:

• Rest time: 60-90 seconds between sets.
• You can switch between DB and BB for presses, and cable machine and DB for flys.
• You can also switch the order of Incline Bench Press & Flat Bench Press each week.

DAY 2: BACK DAY

Deadlift	4 sets	3-6 reps (increase weight each set)
Pull Ups	4 sets	6-12 reps
Bent Over Rows	4 sets	8-12 reps (2 sets underhand, 2 sets overhand)
Close Grip Lat Pulldown	3 sets	8-12 reps
Machine High Row	3 sets	10-12 reps
Trap Raises	3 sets	10-20 reps

Notes:

• Rest time: 60-90 seconds (90+ seconds for deadlifts)
• You can switch grip variations for lat pulldowns and pull ups each week.
• You can swap trap raises for rack pulls.

DAY 3: ARM DAY

Barbell Curl	3 sets	8-10 reps
Alternating Hammer Curls	3 sets	10 reps each arm
Reverse Cable Curl w/ Straight Bar	3 sets	10-12 reps
Triceps Pressdown w/ Rope	3 sets	10-12 reps
Triceps Kickback	3 sets	10-12 reps
Skull Crushers	3 sets	8-10 reps

Notes:

• Rest time: 60 seconds or less between sets.
• Use an EZ bar instead of a barbell if you have wrist pain.
• Feel free to use a variety of equipment (i.e. DB, cable, machine).
• Swap out exercises with our list of best exercises further above.

DAY 4: LEG DAY

Back Squat	4 sets	6-10 reps (increase weight each set)
Stiff Leg or RDL	3 sets	10 reps
Split Squat	3 sets	8-12 reps each side
Hip Thrust	3 sets	8-12 reps
Leg Curl x Leg Extension (superset)	3 sets	10-15 reps
Standing or Seated Calf Raise	3 sets	Max reps

Notes:

• Rest time: 90 seconds (90+ for back squats)
• You can replace hip thrusts with Good Mornings or even Reverse Hack Squats (although they are not as effective at targeting the glutes).
• Switch from seated to standing calf raises each week.

DAY 5: SHOULDER DAY

Seated or Standing OHP	4 sets	8-12 reps
Arnold Press	3 sets	10-12 reps
Lateral Raise	3 sets	10-15 reps
Cable Y-Raise	3 sets	10-12 reps
Rear Delt Fly	3 sets	10-12 reps
Face Pull	3 sets	10-15 reps

Notes:

• Rest time: 60-90 seconds (longer if needed for OHP).
• You can switch from standing to seated OHP weekly or as you want.
• Dumbbells, cables, and machines can be used for raises. Feel free to switch things up.

DAY 6 & 7: REST OR ACTIVE RECOVERY:

On your rest days, feel free to…REST. But if you are the type of person who has to move, do some light activities that won’t affect your recovery, such as mobility training, some forms of Yoga, walk, easy hike, etc.

WHAT ABOUT AB/CORE EXERCISES?

You probably noticed there are no core-specific exercises in the 5-day split above.

It’s important to note that your core will be worked with the big compound lifts. However, doing a little extra core work is great and often undervalued.

For core workouts, try to do 1-2 per week. They can be done after any training day or whenever you feel like it during the day. We prefer that you rest on your rest days, but if you feel that it won’t hurt your workouts the coming week, you can also do your core workouts on your rest days. Remember though, if your core is sore, your lifts will suffer, as your core is a huge element to any big compound movement.

Here are some examples of effective and efficient core workouts…

CORE WORKOUT EXAMPLE #1: 

1. Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets x 10 reps
2. Plank: 3 sets x 30-60 seconds
3. Pallof Press: 3 sets x 20 seconds

Rest 30-45 seconds per set.

CORE WORKOUT EXAMPLE #2:

1. Side Plank: 3 sets x 30 seconds (each side)
2. Oblique Side Bends: 3 sets x 15 reps (each side)
3. Woodchoppers (high-to-low or low-to-high): 3 sets x 10 reps (each side)

Rest 30-45 seconds per set.

CORE WORKOUT EXAMPLE #3:

1. V-Ups: 3 sets x 10 reps
2. Russian Twists: 3 sets x 20 reps (10 each side)
3. Mountain Climbers: 3 sets x 20-30 seconds

Rest 30-45 seconds per set.

FINAL NOTE FOR THIS CLASSIC SPLIT: 

The above 5-Day Workout routine is designed to targets all of your primary muscles in full and from all angles. However, if you find yourself more comfortable with different exercises or variation (i.e. Barbell Exercises), then choose whatever works for your fitness level, mobility, preferences or weak areas, and the equipment available to you.

5 DAY UPPER/LOWER/PUSH/PULL/LEGS WORKOUT SPLIT ROUTINE:

This 5 day workout split is designed to build muscle and strength while keeping lean. The workouts are going to provide a higher calorie burn than the standard split and you are going to be doing slightly more volume each workout. This also commonly referred to a PHAT Workout.  Check out that workout here.

Like any workout routine and split, you should stick with this plan for a minimum of 8 weeks if you want noticeable results. 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

• Day 1: Upper Body
• Day 2: Lower Body
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Push
• Day 5: Pull
• Day 6: Legs
• Day 7: Rest

The upper and lower body workout sessions will prioritize strength training, resulting in lower reps and a focus on compound exercises. On the other hand, the PPL routine during the week will highlight hypertrophy. It is important to note that progress in both strength and muscle size will be evident across all rep ranges utilized, as research indicates that muscle growth can occur with any rep range given the appropriate weight load. 

WARM UP: A dynamic warm up should be done before each workout. Focus on the mobility of the muscles and joints that you will be working on that particular workout and get your body temperature up.

WARM UP SETS: The sets listed do not contain warm up sets. Prior to reaching your working weight, always perform warm up sets. Perform as many warm up sets as necessary for each exercise, ensuring they are not taken to failure. Start with light weights and low reps, gradually progressing to your initial working weight for the first sets.

DAY 1: UPPER BODY (STRENGTH FOCUSED)

Bench Press	4 sets	4-8 reps
Bent Over Row	3 sets	4-8 reps
Seated OHP	4 sets	6-10 reps
Pull Ups or Chin Ups (weighted if needed)	4 sets	6-10 reps
Barbell Curl x Chest Dips (superset)	3 sets	10 reps
Hanging Leg Raises or Lying Leg Raises	3 sets	6-12 reps

Notes:

• Rest time: 90-120 seconds between sets.
• Increase the weight load each set for the first three exercises, which will likely cause a decrease in reps. Aim to work at an RPE8, which means you have 1-2 reps left in the tank (or 80-85% max effort).

DAY 2: LOWER BODY (STRENGTH FOCUSED)

Deadlift	4 sets	1-5 reps
Front Squat (or Hack Squat)	4 sets	4-8 reps
Hip Thrust (or Reverse Hack Squat)	4 sets	6-10 reps
Split Squat	3 sets	10 reps each side
Leg Press (wide foot placement)	3 sets	10 reps
Standing Calf Raise	3 sets	10-15 reps

Notes:

• Rest time: 120+ seconds for deadlifts & squats, and 90-120 seconds for the others.
• Increase the weight load each set for the first three exercises, which will likely cause a decrease in reps. Aim to work at an RPE8, which means you have 1-2 reps left in the tank (or 80-85% max effort).

DAY 3: REST

DAY 4: PUSH (HYPERTROPHY FOCUSED)

Incline Bench	4 sets	8-15 reps
Incline Fly or Cable Fly	3 sets	10-12 reps
Arnold Press	3 sets	10-15 reps
Lateral Raise x Front Raise (superset)	3 sets	10-12 reps
Triceps Kickback x Rope Pushdown (superset)	3 sets	12-15 reps
Up Down Planks	3 sets	30 seconds

Notes:

• Rest time: 60-90 seconds.
• Work at an RPE of 6 or 7, which essentially is about 60-70% your 1RM (or several reps left in the tank).
• Work through a full range of motion to really maximize contraction and stretching.

DAY 5: PULL (HYPERTROPHY FOCUSED)

Lat Pulldown	4 sets	8-12 reps
Seated Row	4 sets	10-12 reps
Straight Arm Lat Pulldown	3 sets	10-12 reps
Rear Delt Fly or Face Pull	3 sets	10-15 reps
Concentration Curl x Hammer Curl (superset)	3 sets	10 reps
Side Plank	3 sets	30-45 sec/side

Notes:

• Rest time: 60-90 seconds.
• Work at an RPE of 6 or 7, which essentially is about 60-70% your 1RM (or several reps left in the tank).
• Work through a full range of motion to really maximize contraction and stretching.

DAY 6: LEGS (HYPERTROPHY FOCUSED)

Back Squat	4 sets	8-12 reps
Bulgarian Split Squat	3 sets	10-12 reps
Stiff-Leg or RDL	3 sets	10-12 reps
Good Mornings	3 sets	8-12 reps
Leg Curl x Leg Extension (superset)	3 sets	10-15 reps
Seated Calf Raise	3 sets	10-20 reps (pyramid)

Notes:

• Rest time: 60-90 seconds.
• Work at an RPE of 6 or 7, which essentially is about 60-70% your 1RM (or several reps left in the tank).
• Work through a full range of motion to really maximize contraction and stretching.

DAY 7: REST

FINAL NOTE FOR THIS ULPPL SPLIT:

The above workout plan is designed to targets all of your primary muscles in full and from all angles. The first part of the week focuses on strength using heavier loads and the second part of the week on hypertrophy using medium loads.

If you find yourself more comfortable with different exercises or variation, then choose whatever works for your fitness level, mobility, preferences or weak areas, and the equipment available to you.

Do this routine for 8-12 weeks and then assess and change things up as needed.

TRAINING RULES & TIPS FOR BUILDING MUSCLE AND STRENGTH

Here are some important rules and tips to follow when creating or following a workout plan with the goal of building muscle and/or strength. 

1. SEPARATE THE MUSCLE GROUPS STRATEGICALLY:

Avoid doing pushing muscle groups and pulling muscle groups back to back. For example, you don’t want to do Chest on Day 1 and then Shoulders on Day 2. Separate the days by opposing muscle groups. This is why we’ve structured the weekly routine as we did.

2. CHOOSE EXERCISES STRATEGICALLY:

It is not necessary to perform all exercises you are familiar with everyday. Select 5-6 exercises that work well together (without duplicating movements), focusing on the same muscle group or body area but in a unique manner. The key lies in varying angles and training variables. For instance, performing a flat barbell bench press followed by a flat dumbbell bench press is redundant; instead, opt for a flat bench press followed by an incline press to change the body position and target your chest differently.

3. USE MULTIPLE REP RANGES:

You’ll notice that we have various rep ranges depending on the exercise at hand. Reps can range anywhere from 1-15 for building muscle and strength, and it really depends on the exercise and how far you are into your workout.

Generally speaking, you should put the big compound lifts at the beginning of your workout when your strength levels are highest. This means you will be doing lower reps with a heavier load. Then, towards the middle and end of your workout, you focus on the “accessory” exercises, using a higher rep range with lighter weight.

• Primary Big Lifts: Your strength training movements will consist of your big compound movements working in a rep range of 1-8 with 3-5 sets and using loads of about 80-90% of your 1RM. 
• Accessory Movements: These are going to consist of your “smaller” compound movements as well as some isolation exercises. These will work in a rep range of 8-12+ with 2-3 sets using loads of about 65-80% of your 1RM.
• Rep Ranges For Building Muscle: While studies show that all rep ranges can build pure size if the weight load you use brings you to near failure, the best rep range to be in is 6-15 reps. Lower than 6 reps and you risk injury because you’ll be using such heavy weights, and higher than 15 reps is really taxing on your body. 

If you are not near-advanced or advanced, it is recommended to stick to the 6-15 rep range. The big three exercises – bench press, squats, and deadlifts – are suitable for 1-5 reps. When lifting heavy weights, exercise caution. If your workout plan includes 1-5 reps but you feel unprepared, consider working in the 5-6 rep range with a weight that challenges you but is still comfortable enough to bring you close to failure (leaving a few reps in reserve). Having a spotter present is a safety precaution.

4. REST TIME:

It is advised to take about 60-90 seconds of rest between working sets. This duration allows your muscles to recover adequately for the next set without cooling down. In case you are performing intense weightlifting or compound exercises, you might require slightly more rest between sets, which is completely acceptable. Ensure that you do not rest excessively to the extent that your muscles cool down. Your heart rate will indicate when you are prepared for the next set. However, challenge yourself as there may be instances where you prolong the rest period more than necessary.

5. PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD:

Progressive overload involves gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts over the course of your training period. Without doing this, you won’t be able to continue to build muscle or strength because your muscles will no longer be adequately stressed to continue adapting.

Progressive Overload Methods Include:

• Increase weight load
• Increasing reps
• Increasing sets
• Decreasing rest
• Increasing Intensity (i.e. slower tempo or greater range of motion)
• Progression exercises

While there are several ways to progress, for our 5 day split workout routines, all you need to focus on is increasing the weight load and increasing the reps (to the top of the given rep range). 

We provided a rep range for most exercises, so if you start on the low end, you can progress to the top of the range. Once you reach the top of the range, you should increase the weight load and drop the reps down to the lower end as needed. 

i.e., If the rep range is 10-15 for 3 sets, work up to 3 sets of 15, then increase the weight load slightly.

Conversely, if the plan we have for you involves too much volume, you can adjust by making it 3 sets instead of 4, or 2 sets instead of 3, then you can progress by adding sets to the exercises.

The rep ranges in our 5 day workout split programs can also be slightly altered. For example, if it says 8-12 reps for any given exercise, but you prefer 10-15 reps, that’s fine. Once you decide on the change you want, just keep the same rep range over the course of the training period so you can focus on the aforementioned progressive overload method. 

Be sure to keep track of your workouts. Make an excel or diary of your training. It helps! It allows you to clearly see and work towards your progressive overload goals. If you do this properly, you will build muscle and strength without fail.

Note: Progress is NEVER linear. It’s perfectly normal to have days where you don’t outperform the previous weeks. In fact, it’ll happen quite often. But as long as you progress over time, you are doing well. 

No matter what split you do, you should always be implementing progressive overload if your goal is strength & mass building.

6. PERIODIZATION:

Follow a program closely for 4-12 weeks so you can actually make progress, but after that training cycle is up, change up your routine. For most people, the point of diminishing returns is around 8 weeks, so to avoid that, you need to use periodization.

Essentially, after every training cycle, you take a week or so to take a break or completely rest and then start up a new training plan. It can be the same split with changes to the exercises and structure or it can be a completely different split. 

This will help you avoid plateaus and injury or overtraining.

With each training cycle, you should stay consistent with your routine, only making changes in weight load, reps, sets, volume, intensity, rest time, etc., which is what we call progressive overload…

RECOVERY METHODS FOR TRAINING 5 DAYS A WEEK

The concept of recovery is simple and straightforward, but for a lot of people, it’s hard to follow through.

The three pillars of recovery are nutrition, hydrations, and sleep.

Remember, muscle growth occurs outside of the gym!

1. NUTRITION:

If you want to build muscle, you need an ample amount of protein and high quality carbs. You should be eating around .75 gram of protein for every lb of bodyweight. So, if you weight 180lbs, you need at least 135g of protein each day (yes, even on days you are not working out). Carbs should be around 2-3.5 grams per lb of bodyweight. Avoid cards before bed and always consume carbs after your workout.

If you are looking to lose weight while keeping on muscle, then you should up the protein and lower the carbs. For a fat loss diet, your protein needs to be at around 1 gram per lb of bodyweight. Your carbs should be cut in half, only consuming them in the mornings, a little an hour or so before your workout, and just after a workout. 

2. HYDRATION:

Water is essential for building muscle. It helps energize your muscles and keeps them performing at the highest level. It also helps you keep off fat. 

You should be drinking about half your bodyweight in ounces of water. So, if you weight 200lbs, you need 100 ounces of water per day (or 3 liters). 

3. SLEEP: 

Make sure you are getting 8+ hours a night. If you are training hard, you body needs more sleep than those who are not. If not, your immune system will suffer, as will your workouts.

When we say 8+ hours of sleep, we mean good sleep. If you are constantly waking up in the night, you are affecting your deep sleep, which is the sleep that aids in recovery and boosts the good hormones. So, if you have any issues with your sleep, work on fixing them. Good quality sleep is vital.

WHAT SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD YOU TAKE? 

There are many supplements out there, but there are really only a few supplements that you need to consider for your 5 day gym workout routine:

1. Protein Powder: Protein powder is nothing but real protein that has been processed into a powder. You will need to consume more protein than people who don’t train so protein powder is a very efficient and economical way to consume the protein you need to recovery. The best time to use protein powder is post-workout but can also be used for a healthy snack. Note: Don’t let all of your protein come from protein powder, it’s to help supplement your daily protein intake, not make up all of it.

2. Creatine:  Is one of the most researched supplement there is. Studies show that it is one of few supplements that actually supports sports performance. It can help you improve strength, intra-workout recovery, and lean muscle mass.

3. Caffeine: Caffeine is similar to creatine in that it has an overwhelming amount of studies to support its use. This is why it is usually the primary ingredient in many pre-workouts, as it gives you increased energy and can help you train hard throughout a session. So, if you need a boost before your workout, caffeine in the form of coffee or energy drinks will surely help.

FAQS ABOUT 5 DAY WORKOUT PLANS:

 

1. IS WORKING OUT 5 DAYS A WEEK TOO MUCH?

Working out 5 days a week is perfectly fine as long as you are not training each muscle group every day or too close together. If you want to train 5 days a week, then you should follow one of the 5 day workout split options because they are structured in a way that allows you to workout at this weekly frequency without burning out or overtraining. A systematic approach is important to ensure good recovery. By separating your body parts into different days, you can train more frequently. 

Most people do perfectly fine with a 5 day workout because the workouts are so focused on one area of your body and there’s plenty of recovery, so it is hard to overtrain. 

WORD OF CAUTION FOR BEGINNERS: 

If you are a beginner, 5 days a week may be unnecessary. Your body as a whole may need more time to recover. It’s not even about your muscles, because you are training specific muscle groups each day with a split. It’s about your nervous system. As a complete beginner, a workout with 16-20+ sets per muscle group can be too taxing, especially if you still haven’t dialed in on good nutritional practices or aren’t getting enough sleep. This could be a recipe for failure or some serious DOMS. So, we recommend most beginners to go for a 3 day split or 4 day split that trains 2-3 different muscle groups per workout with 6-10 sets each muscle group. As you become more experienced and in better shape, you can gradually increase your training volume and eventually do a 5 day split.

If you decide to go for a 5 day split and you are feeling fatigued after a couple weeks, place a rest day in-between every 2 workout sessions. It’s fine if you complete your split routine in 8 or 9 days rather than 7. Recovery is vital. 

2. IS 5 DAYS A WEEK ENOUGH TO BUILD MUSCLE?

Working out 5 days a week is more than enough to build muscle. You can spread out the volume of your training throughout the week, which a lot of people find easier to manage than 3-4 days of high volume training.

If you are a beginner, you will build muscle with just 3 days a week, at low volume per workout. It’s the newbie gain phenomenon – people new to training will see gains quickly and easily, usually in their first three months, then things start to slow down as you reach an intermediate level. By 6 months in, you will need to start ramping things up.

3. HOW LONG SHOULD I FOLLOW A 5 DAY SPLIT TO SEE RESULTS?

Follow the training plan for at least 8 weeks and at most 12 weeks. If you are a beginner, you should start seeing physical results around 4 weeks in. If you an experienced lifter, you will see some good results by the time the training cycle is over (especially if you do some before and after pics). What you will noticeably see throughout the training cycle are improvements in your strength and overall fitness. Also, if you eat right, you should be able to build muscle while keeping lean. 

4. HOW LONG SHOULD MY WORKOUTS LAST IN A 5 DAY SPLIT WORKOUT? 

We can’t give you an exact length of time for each workout for a 5 day split as it depends on your training goals, your schedule, the muscle groups you are targeting, and your fitness level. However, generally speaking, your workouts should last no longer than 60 minutes (including warm up but excluding cardio). The average time for workout sessions for a 5 day split is usually around 45-60 minutes. Remember, you are training 5 days a week, so the volume is spread out more over the week, which means you can do slightly less total volume each workout than you would with a 3 or 4 day split.

Now, to give you some ideas why your workout may be longer or shorter:

Let’s say your training goal is strength, then you would be doing heavy sets of approx. 5 reps. In this case, you’d need at least 2 minutes of rest between each set, so your workout may last longer.

On the flip side, maybe you are doing a standard split for muscle hypertrophy, using just 30-60 seconds rest sets and aiming to do a total of 20 sets per workout. This workout shouldn’t take you any longer than 45 minutes – 30 seconds working time + 45 seconds rest = 75 seconds per set x 20 sets = 1,500 seconds, which is 25 minutes, but it would be very hard to maintain 45 seconds every set especially with setting up for new exercises. So, it would really be like 40 minutes or so. This is the perfect workout time for metabolic training, which focuses on burning a lot of calories while building muscle.

Another example of why workout times will vary is your schedule. If you only have 30 minutes, then you can make that work! It’s as simple as that. Anyway, 30 minutes 5 times a week is perfectly adequate.

As for fitness level, obviously the more experienced you are and the better shape you are in, the more your muscles can handle. So, it may take a beginner just 10 sets to reach fatigue for a specific muscle group, whereas an advanced lifter takes 20 sets, which is why beginners usually do better with splits that train 2 muscle groups per workout.

So, as you can see, it all depends. But the general rule of thumb is 45-60 minutes for a 5 day split. Just make those minutes count by not lollygagging around – a 30 minute workout that’s intense is far better than a half-ass workout that takes 90 minutes. Plus cortisol (the fat producing hormone) starts to increase after 60 minutes or so, especially for people over 40, which is obviously something you want to avoid.

5. WHEN SHOULD I DO CARDIO WITH A 5 DAY WORKOUT SPLIT?

If you want to lose fat or simply keep lean, cardio is a must. Calories burned when weightlifting, especially with a bodybuilding or powerlifting split, simply can’t compare to traditional cardio. So, if cardio is important to you, we recommend that you do 20-40 minutes of cardio 3-4 days a week, although even 2 days is ok.

You can do cardio after your workout, on your rest days, or in the morning or evening separated from your weightlifting sessions. If it was up to us, we’d say do cardio in the morning and weightlifting in the evening. Your muscles are strongest in the evening because your body is warmer. For most people, they will get the best strength workouts in later on in the day.