What's a Gym Split?
A gym split refers to a workout plan that divides training sessions into different days, each targeting specific muscle groups or types of exercises. This method allows for more focused and intensive workouts, enabling better muscle growth and recovery. By organizing your workouts into a split, you can ensure that each muscle group gets adequate attention and rest, which is crucial for avoiding overtraining and achieving balanced muscle development.
Common Splits
There are several common types of gym splits that cater to different fitness levels and goals. Some of the most popular ones include the full-body split, upper/lower split, and the push/pull/legs (PPL) split. The full-body split involves working out all major muscle groups in each session, typically done 2-3 times a week. The upper/lower split divides workouts into upper body and lower body sessions, usually alternating every other day. The push/pull/legs split, one of the most favored by both beginners and advanced lifters, dedicates each workout to pushing exercises, pulling exercises, and leg exercises on separate days, here at DMNHRS we recommend PPL to get started.
Breaking a Split into Muscle Groups
When creating a gym split, it's essential to understand which muscle groups are involved in each type of movement. For example, pushing exercises typically target the chest, shoulders, and triceps, while pulling exercises focus on the back and biceps. Leg workouts cover the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. By breaking down the split into these muscle groups, you can ensure a comprehensive and balanced workout regimen that promotes overall muscle development and reduces the risk of imbalances or injuries.
Getting Started with a Push/Pull/Legs Split
The push/pull/legs split is an excellent starting point for beginners because it simplifies the workout structure and ensures balanced muscle engagement.
Example Exercises for Push
Push workouts focus on exercises that involve pushing movements. Some beginner push exercises include:
- Bench Press: Targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
- Shoulder Press: Focuses on the shoulders and triceps.
- Tricep Dips: Engages the triceps, chest, and shoulders.
- Incline Dumbbell Press: Emphasizes the upper chest and shoulders.
- Lateral Shoulder Raises: Used to grow the outside head of your shoulder, this exercise can be done with dumbbells or cables.
Example Exercises for Pull
Pull workouts concentrate on exercises that involve pulling movements. Some effective pull exercises include:
- Pull-Ups/Chin-Ups: Target the back and biceps.
- Seated Cable Rows: Focus on the back, particularly the lats and rhomboids.
- Face Pulls: Work the rear delts and upper back.
- Preacher Curls: Isolate and strengthen the biceps.
Example Exercises for Legs
Leg workouts aim to strengthen the lower body. Some effective leg exercises include:
- Squats: Target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
- Deadlifts: While primarily a pull exercise, they also significantly engage the legs and glutes.
- Leg Press: A machine-based exercise that targets the quads and glutes.
- Calf Raises: Isolate and strengthen the calves.
Regardless of what split you choose the most important thing is to get to the gym and start doing something!