Best split for intermediate bodybuilder wanting to gain mass and work on smaller muscles too?

Asked by: Amy Locascio

What is the best workout split for gaining muscle mass?

push/pull/legs split

The push/pull/legs split is probably the most efficient workout split there is because all related muscle groups are trained together in the same workout. This means that you get the maximum overlap of movements within the same workout, and the muscle groups being trained get an overall benefit from this overlap.

What split is best for intermediate lifters?

In this intermediate level split, an Upper/Lower split; muscle groups will be worked twice a week, with at least 2 days rest for Upper and Lower muscle groups. This split will have adequate frequency, while simultaneously allowing greater intensity and recovery.

What training split do bodybuilders use?

1 The Body Part Split

Body part splits are your typical “bodybuilder” split. In most cases, lifters attack each muscle group throughout the week in 5 or 6 training sessions.

Is it better to do full body workouts or split for muscle gain?

“When programmed properly, the split workout routine results in considerably less overall fatigue since the focus is only on one or two body parts—max,” Krajewski says. Full-body routines torch more calories and tire your body out faster, which can compromise your strength-specific training focus.

What muscle groups should I work together?

Major Muscle Groups to Workout Together

• Chest and Back.
• Quads and Hamstrings.
• Biceps, Triceps, and Shoulders.
• Glutes and Abdominals.

Is Upper Lower split good for building muscle?

An Upper/Lower split can effectively target each major muscle group and can provide enough stimulus to elicit muscle growth. A recent study found that an appropriately designed Upper/Lower can lead to muscle growth in as little as 8 weeks.

Is upper Lower split good for intermediate lifters?

The upper/lower split, on the other hand, is typically used for a 4-day program and is better suited for intermediate lifters. Advanced lifters can also use the upper/lower split, and they can train five or six times per week for the sake of adding more volume.

Is upper Lower split good for intermediate?

An upper/lower workout split can be the perfect option for intermediate lifters. While beginners usually do best on a full body program, intermediates may need more volume to keep progressing, but a lower frequency for optimal recovery from that volume.

Is Push pull legs good for intermediate?

Jeff Nippard’s Intermediate-Advanced PUSH PULL LEGS Program is a solid option for advanced and highly skilled intermediate lifters who are looking for a long-term training program that will specifically attack the barbell strength lifts (back squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, close grip bench press, etc) …

Is full body workout good for intermediate?

Non-Beginners With The Goal Of Building Muscle. If you’re an intermediate or advanced trainee whose primary goal is to build muscle, a full body routine can certainly be an effective option.

How many times a week should you do a full body workout?

While a full-body workout training split has its advantages, it’s best not to do it every day. It’s important that your muscles have adequate rest and recovery time to prevent overtraining. So, if you prefer a full-body workout training split, keep it to 2-3 workouts per week for the best results.

How many exercises should I do per muscle group?

In general, a range of 1 to 3 sets of an exercise can provide benefits based on your goals, and even just one exercise per muscle group can give you results. To gain strength, it’s best to stick with a few foundational exercises and concentrate your reps and sets there.

How many sets should an intermediate do?

All in all, the sum total of the research suggests that novice trainees should perform 10-15 sets per week, intermediate trainees should perform 15-20, and the most advanced athletes and bodybuilders may even benefit from going up to 20-30.

Is 4 exercises per muscle group enough?

A safe bet is to aim for 10–15 total sets per muscle group and week and work in a rep range from low reps (~5) with heavy weights up to high reps (20–30) with lighter weights.

How many reps should I do to gain muscle?

Reps for muscle growth

Generally, between 6-12 reps for 3-6 sets will help to build overall muscle size. Your 1-repetition maximum (1RM) is the most weight you can lift at one time. It is used to identify how much weight you should lift for each exercise.

Will 5×5 build mass?

5×5 training is one of the original and most popular muscle mass building programs being used by elite bodybuilders and athletes. It’s designed to hit a muscle group hard 2-3 times per week, while still providing enough recovery time to promote significant muscle growth.

Is it better to lift heavy or more reps?

Generally, exercises with higher reps are used to improve muscular endurance, while higher weights with fewer reps are used to increase muscle size and strength.

Can you build muscle with low weight high reps?

Low Weight, High Reps

Using lighter weight with a higher number of reps won’t necessarily grow your muscles, but it will make them strong in a different sense. Exercising with lighter weights triggers a different set of muscles, known as Type 1, or “slow twitch” muscle fibers.

Should I lift heavy or light to gain muscle?

So, in general, low reps with heavy weight tends to increase muscle mass, while high reps with light weight increases muscle endurance.

Do I need to lift heavy to gain muscle?

A loaded barbell isn’t the only path to building muscle. According to a new study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, you don’t have to lift super heavy in order to boost strength and gain muscle. As long as you go to failure, it doesn’t matter how much weight you lift.

Will higher reps make me bigger?

High reps and light weights might improve your endurance, these people argue, but they’re not going to make your muscles any bigger. In fact, the latest science shows that training with lighter weights and higher reps is a surprisingly effective way to make your muscles grow.

What rep range is best for hypertrophy?

For hypertrophy (building muscle), the sweet spot is 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps. And if your objective is muscular endurance, shoot for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps. In each case, the key is to use the heaviest resistance that will allow you to complete all of your reps and sets with good form.

Is 20 reps good for hypertrophy?

Sets of 1–5 stimulate less muscle growth than sets of 6+ reps, making them less efficient. And sets of 20+ reps are more painful, making it difficult to push ourselves hard enough to stimulate growth. That’s why 6–20 reps is often dubbed the “hypertrophy rep range.”

How many reps is considered high reps?

For general fitness and strength training, something is considered to be high reps when 15 or more reps are performed. Performing 8-15 reps is considered to be moderate reps, whereas anything below 8 is lower rep training.

Do biceps respond better to high reps?

Biceps are best suited for intermediate reps. High reps tend to make them look flatter once the pump subsides, but very low reps aren’t effective at stimulating maximum growth.

Which muscles respond better to high reps?

There are two types of muscle fibers in your muscle; slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers. Slow twitch muscle fibers respond to high rep ranges (higher than 8 reps) using lighter weight and fast twitch respond to higher weights and low rep ranges (less than 8 reps) or fast, powerful reps using lighter weight.