Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
So you have three days a week to train; what workout split are you going to use? Choosing the right training split for your goals is crucial to optimizing your time in the gym by making the most progress without losing any time. In this article, we’ll go over the best training splits to make the most out of your three days in the gym.
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What Is A Workout Training Split?
A workout training split lays the foundation of your training; it’s a map for you to follow to ensure you train all your muscles and train them evenly.
A training split will tell you how to divide and pair different muscle groups together to be trained.
For example, some common training splits are;
- Upper/Lower—This split would involve training your entire upper body during one session and your entire lower body during another session.
- Push/Pull- This split dividends your muscles up by function. In one session, you’ll train your pushing muscles (i.e., chest, quadriceps), and in another, you’ll train your pulling muscles (i.e. back, hamstrings)
- Full Body- This split has you train every muscle group, every session
The above training splits are valid and have unique benefits best suited for specific situations. Either way, a training split lays out the general framework for your program, which you can then build on.
One situation that can affect the best training split is your training frequency—how many times you train a week. Therefore, the rest of the article will look at the best workout split routine for training three days a week.
Training Variables Of A 3 Day Training Split
Being in the gym three days a week has some benefits and drawbacks. We’ll discuss some of these and how various training variables can be integrated into this program.
After, we’ll go over 2 training splits that could fit these needs.
Train A Muscle Twice A Week
One of the first things you want to do when writing a program is to ensure you hit each muscle group twice a week. Research has shown this is probably the ideal training frequency to optimize the training and recovery cycle.¹
This means you will train a muscle and then let it recover. Once it’s fully recovered, you train it again and repeat the process.
Theoretically, this gets rid of any lag time between training sessions. For example, if you only trained a muscle once a week, it would be recovered in about 3 days meaning it would just “sit” for 3 days until the next session.
Cut Out The Fluff
Focusing on your compound movements and having limited time in the gym means you need to cut out the fluff.
Every movement needs to have a specific purpose and need. If you don’t have a specific reason to train it, you need to cut it out of your program to leave room for more efficient exercises.
Ultimately, this builds a more efficient training program, as no movement is wasted.
Focus On Compound Movements
The best way to ensure you build the most effective training program on a 3-day split is to focus on your compound movements. This means;
- Squats
- Bench Press
- Chin-Ups
- Lunges
Compound movements will give you the most “bang for your buck” in the gym as they train multiple muscles simultaneously.
Further, you can move a lot more weight, making them superior for strength gains. This means you get to;
- Train multiple muscle groups
- Build muscle
- Build strength
All that in just one exercise!
Super Sets
One of the best ways to use limited time in the gym is with supersets. Supersets are when you pair two exercises together that train different muscles. This allows you to train one muscle while the other recovers, minimizing the time spent training.
For example, under normal conditions, you might rest at 2:00 between sets. However, using supersets, you could decrease this rest time to 1:00 between exercises and get in more work.
This will immediately decrease your time in the gym or increase the amount of work you can do in the gym. At the same time, this will provide a bit higher caloric burn and conditioning aspect.
Most importantly, research studies show they work!²
What’s The Best 3-Day Training Routine?
Since you’re only in the gym three days a week, you have only a few options. We’ll go over those and then give you a sample workout for each.
3-Day Full Body Training Split
The first option is a full-body training split. This means you’re going to train every muscle group during every session meaning each muscle will get hit 3 times a week.
This is fine, as the total volume for that exercise per session will be low. Because you’re hitting all your muscle groups, you’ll only use 1-2 exercises per muscle group.
Here’s how a 3-day full-body training split could look. Note that supersets will be used at the end of the session. Further, some isolation exercises will use supersets and just 2 sets of higher reps, 12-15.
Session 1
- Back Squat 4X6
- Chin-Up 3X8
- Romanian Deadlift 3X8-10
- Seated Row + Pushups 3X8-10 + Failure
- Cable Curl + Tricep Pushdown 3X8-12/both
- Calf Raise 2X12-15
Session 2
- Bench Press 4X6
- Hack Squat (Machine) 3X6
- Bent Over Row 3X6-8
- Barbell Hip Thrust 3X6-8
- Chest Fly + Reverse Fly 2X12-15/both
- Back Extension + Cable Crunch 2-3X12-15
Session 3
- Deadlift 4X4
- Overhead Press 3X6
- Bulgarian Split Squat 3X6-8/leg
- Lat Pulldown + Dips 3X8-10 + Failure
- Leg Extension + Leg Curl 2X12-15/both
- Rope High Pull + Rope Face Pull 2X12-15/both
Full Body, Push, Pull
Many people assume the full-body option is all there is. However, there is another choice: using a full body, push and pull.
- Session 1- Full Body
- Session 2- Pushing Muscles
- Session 3- Pulling Muscles
Using this split for a 3-day training program can benefit some lifters.
The primary benefit is that it allows you to train each muscle twice a week but concentrate on a smaller group of muscles during the push and pull days.
This may be more attractive to lifters who are used to, or prefer, targeting a smaller group or muscles. Here’s how it might look.
Full Body Session
- Rack Pull (Knees) 5X5
- Bench Press 3X6
- Hack Squat 3X6-8
- Bent Over Row 3X8-10
- Romanian Deadlift 3X8-10
- Chest Fly + Reverse Fly 2X8-12/both
Push Session
- Back Squat 4X6
- Overhead Press 3X6
- Bulgarian Split Squat + Dips 3X8-10/Leg + Failure
- Push-Ups + Calf Raise 3XMax +12-15
- Lateral Rise + Triceps Pushdown 2X8-12/both
Pull Session
- Deadlift 4X4
- Chin-Ups 3XFailure
- Hip Thrust 3X6-8
- Seated Row + Step-Ups 3X8-10 + 50
- Face Pull + Upright Row 2X8-12/both
- Leg Curl + Bicep Curl 2X8-12
Progressing Through These Workout Routines
Progressing through these workout routines will follow the same principles of progressive overload. Progressive overload is the fundamental training principle that says you need to continually place a greater load or stressor on your muscles to see continual growth.
There are two main ways you could do this.³
Increase the load
Increasing the load is the most obvious way to implement progressive overload. The general rule is to increase your upper body movements by 5 lbs per week and your lower body movements by 10 lbs. For example;
- Week 1: 3X6 - 100lbs
- Week 2: 3X6 - 105lbs
- Week 3: 3X6 - 105lbs
This should be your primary method for your first few exercises. It’s the most direct and simplest method.
However, as you progress through your session, you will become more fatigued, making it more difficult to increase the load for each exercise.
Increase the number of reps you perform
Another method for progressive overload, which can be useful for exercises later in the session, is to increase the number of reps. This might look like this;
- Week 1: 3X8 - 100lbs
- Week 2: 3X9 - 105lbs
- Week 3: 3X10 - 105lbs
This method is better used for exercise with more reps, ideally 8+. This is because it’s very hard to increase reps when used with higher loads and fewer reps, i.e., jumping from 4 to 6 reps.
Use Ladders
Obviously, you won’t be able to increase reps forever. Therefore, you can use ladders that systematically increase both the load and the number of reps.
Above, you’ll see some exercises have a range of reps. Start on the lower end then work and gradually increase reps. Once you reach the upper end, you increase the load and go back down to the lower end of the reps. You then work back up and repeat.
For example, let’s say you’re using a rep range of 8-10 reps.
- Week 1: 3X8 - 100lbs
- Week 2- 3X9 - 100lbs
- Week 3- 3X10 - 100bs
- Week 4- 3X8 - 105lbs
- Week 5- 3x9 - 105lbs
3 Day Gym Split For Consistent Growth
While some may erroneously believe that the three-day split workout isn’t intense enough, they most definitely are. In fact, as you get more recovery, your actual training days will likely be more intense. As they optimize the balance between intensity and recovery, they will provide you with long-term consistent growth so long as you train hard! Therefore, when you get in the gym, keep in mind you’re only there for 3 days, so make it worth it!
Prepare to maximize your gains with our exclusive 12-week hypertrophy training program. Have the program customized to your personal needs with one of our expert...
References
- Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. “Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, vol. 46, no. 11, 21 Apr. 2016, pp. 1689–1697, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172/, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8.
- Krzysztofik, Michal, et al. “Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 16, no. 24, 4 Dec. 2019, p. E4897, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950543/, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244897.
- Plotkin, Daniel, et al. “Progressive Overload without Progressing Load? The Effects of Load or Repetition Progression on Muscular Adaptations.” PeerJ, vol. 10, no. 10, 30 Sept. 2022, p. e14142, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14142.
Garett Reid
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