Plan your week: routines for the days you actually have
Full body, upper/lower and push-pull-legs compared, with complete templates for 2, 3, 4 and 5 days.
The structure of your week is not a matter of identity: it is arithmetic. You have a target weekly volume per muscle and a number of available days; the split falls out of that. Pick the structure that lets you train each group twice a week without endless sessions.
Structures compared
| Structure | Days | Frequency per muscle | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full body | 2–3 | 2–3× | Beginners, tight schedules, coming back from a break |
| Upper / Lower | 4 | 2× | Intermediates: the best all-round balance |
| Push / Pull / Legs | 6 (or 3) | 2× (or 1×) | Advanced with time; at 3 days it drops to 1× |
| Hybrid (full body + upper/lower) | 3 | 2× | Three days with volume spread properly |
No structure is superior if weekly volume is the same
With volume matched, frequency shows no relevant effect on hypertrophy; structure matters for logistics and execution quality, not through physiological magic. For strength there is a slight advantage to spreading across more sessions, with diminishing returns.
2-day template (full body)
| Day A | Day B |
|---|---|
| Squat or leg press 3×6–10 | Romanian deadlift 3×8–12 |
| Bench press 3×6–10 | Overhead or dumbbell press 3×8–12 |
| Barbell or machine row 3×8–12 | Pulldown or pull-ups 3×6–12 |
| Leg curl 2×10–15 | Lunges or leg extension 2×10–15 |
| Lateral raises 2×12–20 | Biceps curl 2×10–15 |
| Plank 3×30–45 s | Triceps extension 2×10–15 |
3-day template (alternating full body)
- Monday: knee dominant + horizontal push + vertical pull + accessories.
- Wednesday: hip dominant + vertical push + horizontal pull + accessories.
- Friday: repeat day A with the secondary exercises swapped (variants, not a different plan).
- Resulting volume: 10–14 weekly sets per large muscle group.
4-day template (upper / lower)
| Upper A | Lower A | Upper B | Lower B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press 4×5–8 | Squat 4×5–8 | Incline dumbbell press 3×8–12 | Romanian deadlift 3×6–10 |
| Barbell row 4×6–10 | Romanian deadlift 3×8–12 | Pulldown or pull-ups 4×8–12 | Leg press 3×10–15 |
| Overhead press 3×6–10 | Leg curl 3×10–15 | Cable row 3×10–15 | Seated leg curl 3×10–15 |
| Lateral raises 3×12–20 | Leg extension 3×10–15 | Flyes 3×10–15 | Lunges 3×10–12 |
| Curls 3×8–12 | Calves 4×8–15 | Triceps 3×10–15 | Calves 4×8–15 |
Rules for splitting volume
- 1
Set the weekly volume per muscle
Start at 10 direct sets and adjust based on recovery and progression.
- 2
Divide it across the sessions that hit that muscle
More than 8–10 sets per muscle in one session pays off less: the last ones are done tired.
- 3
Put the demanding exercises at the start of each session
And the muscle you want to prioritise first in the week.
- 4
Leave 48 h between sessions repeating the same heavy pattern
Not because of an anabolic window, but because strength takes time to come back.
When days fall through
Before writing off the week, cut it down: the minimum viable session is one push, one pull and one leg exercise, 2–3 sets each. Keeping the habit is worth more than the perfect session you never do.
Takeaways
- Two sessions per muscle per week as the splitting criterion.
- 2–3 days: full body. 4 days: upper/lower. 6 days: push-pull-legs.
- A maximum of 8–10 sets per muscle per session.
- The best structure is the one you actually follow.
Sources for this chapter
- [1]Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences. meta-analysis
- [2]Pelland JC, Robinson ZP, Remmert JF, et al. (2025). The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains. Sports Medicine. meta-analysis
- [3]Organización Mundial de la Salud (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. OMS. official guideline