Doing a full-body workout 3 times a week involves working out every major body part in each session (upper and lower body). To begin with, it’s simpler because you are always alternating between two workouts. If you like to keep things simple, this might be the workout split for you. Also, take progress photos and circumference measurements regularly and weigh yourself a few times each week to track your average. The Hevy app lets you upload all these metrics, display them in graphs, and compare your progress photos to track your body composition.

This workout split can still be considered a 3-day one, since you can alternate your sessions as follows. Bodyweight training can be great for fat loss, as long as you have your nutrition dialed in. An alternative, more advanced approach is to complete timed rounds. For instance, complete 1 minute of each exercise and repeat the circuit twice. Body weight squats could improve the strength and function of your muscles, tendons, and bones, which can help reduce your risk of injury and make everyday movements easier. Discover 30 body weight moves that can be scaled for beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercisers.

Knee pushup

A pull-up bar would allow you to do various effective bodyweight exercises, including pull-ups, chin-ups, hanging knee/leg raises, and L-sits. You can exercise at home without any equipment by practicing yoga poses and strength training exercises that use your body weight for resistance. Once again, it depends on your goals, preferences, and training availability.

What are Popular 3-Day Workout Splits for Muscle Gain?

• Write down how you did, and try to do just 1 more rep or exercise next time through.
• Some people also buy raw ingredients and mix them into effective pre-workouts at a lower cost.
• A 3-day split can be a bro split, but it can also be a push/pull/legs, full-body program, or even an upper/lower split (on a two-week rotation, as discussed above).
• Planks are a full-body exercise that can improve overall strength, stability, and athletic performance while reducing your risk of injury.
• The barbell and dumbbell bench press are proper and effective exercises for targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps during push workouts.
• See your training volume for each muscle to know if you’re within the optimal range.

World class personal trainer software for you to build and assign workout programs for your clients, and track their progress. Log your workouts and track your progress on Hevy app while being part of an amazing community of 11+ million gym athletes. You’ll likely come across many recommendations, ranging from 5 to 6 sets per muscle per week to 20+ sets. Yes, more sets generally lead to better growth, but there is a point of diminishing returns where each additional set brings less and less value. That said, cardio can also be demanding, so be careful of the amount, type, and intensity. For instance, interval running would be more taxing than leisurely cycling.

Day Split vs. 5-Day Split

The Hevy app has an automatic rest timer that triggers when you mark a set as completed––learn about it here. To help people get stronger, healthier, and more confident – all with a fun, best weight loss apps no-nonsense approach. That’s because a good workout and the wrong dietary strategy won’t help you lose weight.

Intermediate routine

However, if your goal is weight loss or muscle gain, more factors like diet may play a role. Alternatively, perform 1 set of each exercise, rest for 1 to 2 minutes, and repeat. Perform 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps for each exercise, resting for 30 seconds to 1 minute between exercises. Complete 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps of each exercise, with 30 seconds to 1 minute of rest between each move. For example, avoid intense cardio activities like pick-up football games before difficult workouts, such as leg day.

Wall Pilates Exercises to Bookmark

Lift one leg up, hold it for 5 seconds, and return it to the ground. A standard pushup is the more challenging version of a knee pushup.

Elevated pike pushups

Never wonder where you should put your limited time, energy, and effort. You could also do an easier variation of each exercise in your workout for one round, slow and controlled, to prep your body for the harder workout to come. Before you start, it can be helpful to do a Dynamic Warm-Up – “warming up” simply means preparing your muscles to move, and getting your heart rate elevated. In a circuit routine, you’ll do each exercise in succession without a break in between (if you’re able). And if you’re getting started, the Beginner Bodyweight Workout is a great place to begin. Extending your arms overhead can challenge your mobility and range of motion in your upper body, as well as give your lower body the benefits of a squat.

Overtraining is a common concern, especially for newbies who experience intense delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) following their first few gym sessions. But the reality is, there’s a small risk of overtraining at this moderate frequency, unless each workout is super long (well over 20 working sets) and you push each set to failure. Once you reach a point where bodyweight squats feel too easy, start with an empty barbell weighing 20 kilograms (45 pounds). Then, gradually add weight as you build strength and get more confident with a weight on your back.

Is Bodyweight Training Effective for Weight Loss?

The benefit of a 3-day split workout is that it works for most people. It will work for those who aren’t aiming to compete professionally in bodybuilding events and simply want to stay active and gain muscle. The 3-day workout split lets you work out your entire body and get proper rest. It is extremely effective for those who stick to it and are consistent. The upper/lower workout split can provide advantages over other workout routines.

However, as the pounds keep shedding off, the weight loss momentum will decrease as the body gets used to the level of movement and strenuous exercise. Bodybuilders often go for 5- or even 6-day splits to get more opportunities to do different exercises and hit each muscle more frequently. However, as discussed above, the average person can achieve almost optimal results with a lower frequency. The workout splits above all have routines with the recommended number of working sets. However, we suggest warming up properly for your workout, especially for the first exercise, and if you go heavy (70-75%+ of 1RM). Fine-tuning these things allows you to train hard enough to maintain muscle, diet effectively to see steady fat loss, and recover well so you’re not at risk of overtraining.

How Long Should I Follow a 3-Day Split to See Results?

You never have to wonder if you’re eating enough, lifting heavy enough, or progressing fast enough. This guide connects the dots between nutrition, training, and recovery so everything works together. With clear benchmarks, a checklist to help you monitor your progress, and guidance on how to adjust as you go, you’ll know exactly what to do next—and why it actually works. As a busy, go-getter woman, you probably don’t have the time or energy for hours-long gym sessions and complicated macro-tracking apps. Any type of movement will benefit your body, health, and well-being.

Your Simple Travel Workout Plan to Build Muscle

Write down how you did, and try to do just 1 more rep or exercise next time through. This means if you don’t ALSO fix your relationship with food, then all the exercise you do won’t help you get in shape. Jump to the “Best Bodyweight Exercises” section for a full breakdown of each movement. You just need to make sure you have the right program to follow. It’s the most efficient route to transforming your strength and overall health. Lifting one leg and holding it there will elevate a forearm plank.