5 Day Workout Split: 4 Proven Routines + How to Pick

By James Nolan, NSCA-CPT

TL;DR — What’s the best 5-day workout split?

A 5 day workout split trains a different focus each day across five sessions, letting you add volume for faster muscle gain — if you can recover. The best structure for most lifters is a Push/Pull/Legs + Upper/Lower hybrid (PPLUL or ULPPL), which hits each muscle twice weekly; classic “bro” splits hit each muscle once. Below: 4 full programs and a pick-your-split table.

What is a 5-day workout split?

A 5-day workout split is a weekly training plan that divides your body across five separate gym sessions, each with its own focus — for example chest one day, back the next, or push movements followed by pull. Spreading the work over five days lets you run more total sets per muscle than a 3- or 4-day plan while keeping each session sharp.

That extra room is the whole point. More training days means a higher weekly volume ceiling, and hard-set volume is the strongest lever you have for hypertrophy. Sessions usually run 60–75 minutes of working sets because each day targets a smaller slice of the body, so you go in, hit two or three muscle groups hard, and leave. These are weight training splits (5 day versions specifically) built for people chasing size, not general fitness.

The catch: five sessions only pay off if you recover from them. This is intermediate-and-up territory, not a starting point.

Is a 5-day split right for you?

A 5-day split is right for you if you’re an intermediate or advanced lifter who can reliably train five days a week and recover between sessions — meaning solid sleep, enough protein, and no chronic joint pain. It’s the wrong call for most beginners, who build strength faster and with less injury risk on a 3–4 day plan.

Here’s the honest version most gym content skips: five days is not automatically better than four. More days help only if the extra sessions add quality volume you actually recover from. If your sleep is a mess or your schedule collapses by Thursday, a fifth workout just digs you into fatigue you can’t train out of.

When I’m programming for someone, the deciding question is never “do you want to lift five days?” — everyone says yes. It’s “can you show up on day five as strong as day one?” If the answer is no, the fifth session is stealing recovery from the other four.

Newer lifters should start on a 3- or 4-day plan and earn the fifth day. Our 4-day workout split guide covers the balanced-frequency, better-recovery route that suits most people before they’re ready for this. Train there for a few months, get your sleep and nutrition consistent, then step up.

Does a 5-day split train each muscle twice a week?

It depends entirely on the structure. Classic “bro” splits (chest day, back day, leg day, etc.) train each muscle just once per week. Hybrid splits that mix Push/Pull/Legs with Upper/Lower — PPLUL and ULPPL — train most muscles about twice per week. So the answer to “does a 5-day split hit each muscle twice?” is: only if you pick a hybrid.

This is where a lot of advice contradicts itself. You’ll see the same sources insist a good routine should hit every muscle two to three times a week, then turn around and recommend a once-a-week bro split. Both can’t be the default. The research leans toward higher frequency: in a 2016 meta-analysis, muscles trained twice a week grew more than those trained once at equal volume — effect sizes of 0.49 versus 0.30, p=0.002 (Source: Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger, Sports Medicine, 2016).

The nuance that resolves it: a later review found that once you equate weekly volume, frequency stops being independently important — twice-a-week wins largely because it makes high volume easier to distribute (Source: Schoenfeld, Grgic & Krieger, Journal of Sports Sciences, 2019). In plain terms, a bro split can still grow muscle if you cram enough quality sets into each session. But most people can’t do 20 hard sets for chest in one workout without the last third being junk. Splitting that across two days usually produces better sets. That’s why I favor 2x frequency for hypertrophy.

Split	Chest	Back	Legs	Shoulders	Arms	Avg freq/muscle
Bro split	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x/week
ULPPL	~2x	~2x	2x	~2x	~2x	~2x/week
PPLUL	~2x	~2x	2x	~2x	~2x	~2x/week
Power–Hypertrophy	2x	2x	2x	~1.5x	~1.5x	~2x/week

The 4 best 5-day splits (with full programs)

The four splits worth your time are the body-part “bro” split (one muscle group per day), ULPPL (Upper/Lower/Push/Pull/Legs), PPLUL (Push/Pull/Legs/Upper/Lower), and a Power–Hypertrophy split. For most lifters chasing size, the default pick is ULPPL or PPLUL — twice-weekly frequency plus high volume. Each program below is copy-ready: weekly schedule first, then day-by-day sets and reps, compounds first.

1. Body-part bro split (chest/back/legs/shoulders/arms)

The bro split gives each major muscle its own dedicated day, so you attack it with high volume once a week. It’s the most popular 5 day gym workout routine in commercial gyms, and it works — but at equal volume it’s frequency-suboptimal, since each muscle waits a full week between sessions. Choose it if you love the focused, high-pump feel of hammering one area and can train each session hard.

Day	Focus
Monday	Chest
Tuesday	Back
Wednesday	Legs
Thursday	Shoulders
Friday	Arms
Sat–Sun	Rest

Monday — Chest

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Bench Press	4	6–8
Incline DB Press	3	8–10
Weighted Dip	3	8–10
Cable Fly	3	12–15
Push-up (finisher)	2	AMRAP

Tuesday — Back

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Deadlift	3	5
Weighted Pull-up	4	6–10
Barbell Row	4	8–10
Seated Cable Row	3	10–12
Lat Pulldown	3	12–15

Wednesday — Legs

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Back Squat	4	6–8
Romanian Deadlift	3	8–10
Leg Press	3	10–12
Leg Curl	3	10–12
Standing Calf Raise	4	12–15

Short on free weights? Several of these swap cleanly for leg workout machines without losing much.

Thursday — Shoulders

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Overhead Press	4	6–8
Seated DB Press	3	8–10
Lateral Raise	4	12–15
Rear-Delt Fly	3	15
Cable Upright Row	3	12

Friday — Arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Curl	4	8–10
Close-Grip Bench	4	8–10
Incline DB Curl	3	10–12
Overhead Cable Extension	3	12
Hammer Curl + Rope Pushdown (superset)	3	12–15

2. Upper/Lower/Push/Pull/Legs (ULPPL)

ULPPL opens with a full upper and lower day, then finishes the week with push, pull, and legs. That structure hits most muscles about twice a week, which is why it’s my default recommendation and the modern go-to for size. It front-loads heavy compound work while you’re fresh and cleans up any lagging areas across the back half of the week.

Day	Focus
Monday	Upper
Tuesday	Lower
Wednesday	Push
Thursday	Pull
Friday	Legs
Sat–Sun	Rest

Upper

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bench Press	4	6–8
Barbell Row	4	6–8
Incline DB Press	3	10
Lat Pulldown	3	10–12
Lateral Raise	3	15
EZ-Bar Curl	3	12

Lower

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Back Squat	4	6–8
Romanian Deadlift	3	8–10
Leg Press	3	12
Leg Curl	3	12
Standing Calf Raise	4	15

Push

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Overhead Press	4	6–8
Incline Bench Press	3	8–10
Weighted Dip	3	10
Lateral Raise	3	15
Cable Triceps Pushdown	3	12–15

Pull

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Weighted Pull-up	4	6–10
Seated Cable Row	4	10
Chest-Supported Row	3	12
Face Pull	3	15
Incline DB Curl	3	12

Legs

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Front Squat	4	8
Hip Thrust	3	10
Bulgarian Split Squat	3	10/leg
Leg Extension	3	15
Seated Calf Raise	4	15

The upper and push days translate well to an upper body machine workout if your gym gets crowded at the free-weight racks.

3. Push/Pull/Legs + Upper/Lower (PPLUL)

PPLUL front-loads a full Push/Pull/Legs rotation, then closes with an upper and lower day. Like ULPPL it lands most muscles around twice a week, but the early PPL block suits pump-first lifters who like organizing training by movement pattern. The back-end upper/lower days are your chance to add volume wherever you’re lagging.

Day	Focus
Monday	Push
Tuesday	Pull
Wednesday	Legs
Thursday	Upper
Friday	Lower
Sat–Sun	Rest

Push

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bench Press	4	6–8
Overhead Press	3	8–10
Incline DB Press	3	10
Lateral Raise	4	15
Overhead Triceps Extension	3	12

Pull

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Deadlift	3	5
Pull-up	4	8–10
Barbell Row	3	10
Face Pull	3	15
Hammer Curl	3	12

Legs

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Back Squat	4	6–8
Romanian Deadlift	3	10
Leg Press	3	12
Leg Curl	3	12
Standing Calf Raise	4	15

Upper

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Incline Bench Press	4	8
Chest-Supported Row	4	10
Lat Pulldown	3	12
Lateral Raise	3	15
EZ-Bar Curl + Pushdown (superset)	3	12

Lower

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Front Squat	4	8
Hip Thrust	3	10
Walking Lunge	3	12/leg
Leg Extension	3	15
Seated Calf Raise	4	15

4. Power–Hypertrophy 5-day

The power–hypertrophy split pairs heavy, low-rep strength work with higher-rep size work — the best 5 day workout split for muscle gain when you also care about getting stronger. You open the week with two heavy “power” days in the 3–6 rep range, then chase hypertrophy with higher reps across push, pull, and legs. Strength is driven by volume more than frequency, so the heavy days build the base and the hypertrophy days pile on quality sets (Source: Colquhoun et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2018).

Day	Focus
Monday	Upper Power
Tuesday	Lower Power
Wednesday	Push (Hypertrophy)
Thursday	Pull (Hypertrophy)
Friday	Legs (Hypertrophy)
Sat–Sun	Rest

Upper Power

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bench Press	4	3–5
Weighted Pull-up	4	4–6
Overhead Press	3	5
Barbell Row	3	5
Weighted Dip	3	6

Lower Power

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Back Squat	5	3–5
Deadlift	3	3
Leg Press	3	6
Standing Calf Raise	4	8

Push (Hypertrophy)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Incline DB Press	4	10
Machine Chest Press	3	12
Lateral Raise	4	15
Cable Fly	3	15
Triceps Pushdown	3	15

Pull (Hypertrophy)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Lat Pulldown	4	12
Seated Cable Row	4	12
Chest-Supported Row	3	12
Face Pull	3	20
Incline DB Curl	3	12

Legs (Hypertrophy)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Front Squat	4	10
Romanian Deadlift	3	12
Leg Extension	3	15
Leg Curl	3	15
Seated Calf Raise	4	20

Which 5-day split should you choose?

For most people chasing muscle, choose ULPPL or PPLUL — twice-weekly frequency plus high volume is the safest bet for growth. Pick the bro split if you genuinely enjoy high per-session volume and train each muscle hard. Go power–hypertrophy if strength matters as much as size. If your recovery or schedule is shaky, drop to a 4-day plan instead.

If your priority is…	Experience	Recovery capacity	Recommended split
Balanced muscle gain	Intermediate+	Good	ULPPL or PPLUL
Max per-session pump / bodybuilding feel	Intermediate+	High	Bro split
Strength + size	Intermediate–Advanced	Good	Power–Hypertrophy
Lagging body parts / high work capacity	Advanced	High	PPLUL (add arm/weak-point volume)
Limited recovery or fewer than 5 solid days	Any	Limited	Do a 4-day split instead

5-day vs 4-day vs 3-day split

More training days don’t produce more muscle if your weekly volume is the same — the research is consistent on this. Once you equate volume, higher frequency doesn’t independently add growth (Schoenfeld & Grgic, 2019) or strength (Colquhoun et al., 2018). So the real question isn’t “how many days grows the most?” — it’s “how many quality days can you recover from?” Choose by your recoverable schedule, not by the assumption that five beats four.

Factor	3-day	4-day	5-day
Best for	Beginners / busy	Intermediate / balance	Intermediate+ / dedicated
Weekly volume ceiling	Low–moderate	Moderate–high	High
Per-muscle frequency	1.5–2x (full-body/UL)	~2x (upper/lower)	1x (bro) to 2x (hybrid)
Recovery demand	Low	Moderate	High
Time per week	~3–4 h	~4–5 h	~5–6 h
Guide	—	4-day workout split	this guide

If five days feels like a stretch — long commutes, inconsistent sleep, a job that drains you — the 4-day plan gives you nearly all the growth for less time and better recovery. That’s not a downgrade; for most lifters it’s the smarter default. Step up to five only when you can fill the extra session with volume you actually recover from.

How to progress, deload, and avoid overtraining

Add a little each week (more weight, a rep, or a set), take a deload roughly every 4–8 weeks, give each muscle about 48 hours before you hit it hard again, and keep working sets to 60–75 minutes per session. Watch for the red flags of doing too much: stalled or dropping lifts, wrecked sleep, nagging joints, and a mood that tanks. Those mean back off, not push harder.

Progressive overload is the engine. Each week, aim to beat the previous session by a small margin — one more rep on your top set, five more pounds when the reps come easily. Log it, because “I think I did more” is not overload.

Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for roughly 48 hours after a hard session, which is the practical reason to keep about two days between heavy work for the same muscle. Hybrid splits already build that spacing in; on a bro split, the week of rest per muscle is more than enough recovery but less frequent growth stimulus — the trade-off we covered above.

Deload before you’re forced to. Every 4–8 weeks, cut volume or intensity for a week and let accumulated fatigue clear. Beginners can often go longer between deloads; advanced lifters pushing high volume usually need them sooner.

On session length: if your workouts routinely run past 90 minutes of lifting, you’re probably resting too long or padding with junk volume. Tighten the rest periods before you add exercises.

If travel or a closed gym breaks your week, don’t skip — improvise. A couple of home gym workouts with minimal equipment will hold your progress far better than missing three days.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 2016. Twice-weekly training produced greater hypertrophy than once-weekly at equal volume (ES 0.49 vs 0.30, p=0.002). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172
2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? Journal of Sports Sciences, 2019. Frequency is not independently important once weekly volume is equated. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30558493
3. Colquhoun RJ, et al. Training Volume, Not Frequency, Indicative of Maximal Strength Adaptations. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2018. Equated 3x vs 6x/week produced no extra strength or hypertrophy from higher frequency. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29324578
4. Stronger By Science. Training Frequency for Muscle Growth: What the Data Say. Practical synthesis of the frequency literature. strongerbyscience.com/frequency-muscle