Are you having difficulty finding a training routine that works for you? Read this guide to full body workouts and splits to see if a 3, 4 or even a 5 day split might be the muscle building routine that you need!
The Top Three Muscle Building Routines To Follow For Maximum Muscle Gains

There is often a lot of confusion about just what routine to follow when trying to build muscle. There are several options that people can choose from and just about all of them will work.

The real question is which one will work best for you and your starting point. Let's cover the most common routines out there today and describe the category requirements so that you can make an informed decision on which program will suit you best.


3 Day Full Body Routine


This routine is a 3 day a week workout routine. Each workout day is followed by 1 rest day and the third workout is followed by 1 or 2 rest days (as most people will take the weekend off entirely).

This routine is typically used by beginners and involves full body workouts.

It is great for beginners because of many reasons:

It allows you to get familiar with the exercises by repeating them many times throughout the week.
Since most beginners do not possess the same strength levels as more advanced lifters, it is good to trigger the muscle more often because the amount of weight lifted is significantly lighter and you will not need as much time to recover and repair before their next workout.
As a beginner, your body will actually experience greater gains training less rather than training more. Take advantage of this time in your training as you will experience the 'beginner gains' that you may never experience again. You need to allow your body to adapt to exercises and recover in order to grow. 3 days is a good start for beginners and it will allow you to eventually progress to more volume and more frequency if desired.

Sample 3 Day Full Body Routine


Day 1:
Squats: 4 sets of 8 reps
Bench Press: 4 sets of 8 reps
Pullups: 4 sets of 8 reps
Military Press: 4 sets of 8 reps
Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 8 reps
Ab Roller: 4 sets of 8 reps

Day 2: Off

Day 3:

Deadlifts: 5 sets of 5 reps
Bent Over Rows: 5 sets of 5 reps
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press: 5 sets of 5 reps
Lateral Raises: 5 sets of 5 reps
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions: 5 sets of 5 reps
Hammer Curls: 5 sets of 5 reps


Day 4: Off

Day 5:

Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps
Dips: 3 sets of 12 reps
Chin-ups: 3 sets of 12 reps
Push Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 12 reps
Plate Twists: 3 sets of 12 reps


Day 6 And 7: Off


4 Day Split


This is the next step from the 3 day full body workouts.

This routine is typically performed by intermediate trainers.

There are many variations that are floating around but the most common template to follow is performing upper body then lower body on the following day, then a rest day, then repeat (upper body/lower body).

The reason why this routine is categorized as intermediate is because now that you have been training longer and you have become stronger in your lifts, you will need more rest to allow proper recuperation between body parts you've trained in your workouts. You will back off the frequency you train each muscle but you will increase your training by one day.


Sample 4 Day Split Routine


Day 1: Upper Body
Bench Press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Bent Over Row: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Rope Tricep Pull-downs: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Get A Printable Log Of The Day 1 Upper Body Workout.
Printable Page PDF Document

Day 2: Lower Body
Front Squat: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Deadlift: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Lunges: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Hamstring Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps


Day 3: Cardio/Off
Day 4: Upper Body

Incline Bench Press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Lat Pull-down: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Barbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Front Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Dips: 3 sets of 10-12 reps


Day 5: Lower Body
Back Squat: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
One-Legged Squats/Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Hamstring Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps


Day 6 And 7: Cardio/Off