5-Day Split Workout to Build Muscles (Guide for Beginners)
Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova
Taisiia Dobrozorova is a nutrition and fitness writer at Unimeal and a healthy lifestyle devotee. She has accomplished several courses on health, nutrition, dietology.
Fact checked by Davi Santana, M.Sc.
Davi Santana is a fact checker at Unimeal. He has been a personal trainer for more than 5 years. He is well-versed in strength training, HIIT, running, functional training, and CrossFit.
Every exercise is a unique piece of magic to your body. The 5-day workout split routine, indeed, accumulates all the magic tricks of pumping up in one training system.
Every exercise is a unique piece of magic to your body. The 5-day workout split routine accumulates all the magic tricks of pumping up in one training system.
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Once a year, almost all of us have a desire to tighten our bodies and gain some muscle. While some people just want to get back in good shape by the summer, others go to a more professional level of sports.
In any case, building lean and fit bodies makes us look for new training options.
You can meet people training 2 or 3 times a week, but more experienced athletes usually adopt higher training frequencies.
Low-frequency strength training is a valid method, but increasing training days is an opportunity to work out certain muscle groups more adequately. A 5-day split provides even more possibilities. Now we’ll try to analyze it.
Disclaimer: 5-day split workouts take less time than full-body training, but require adequate physical condition.
What is split-system training?
Generally, a split routine involves training some muscle groups in each workout session, which means you train each muscle group once or twice a week. In a 5-day split workout, it is possible to work out different muscle groups each day.
Split workouts may not increase strength and endurance in the same extension as full-body routines1A. L. Evangelista, T. V. Braz, C. V. L. S. Teixeira, et al. (2021, August). Split or full-body workout routine: which is best to increase muscle strength and hypertrophy? Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 19, eAO5781. DOI:10.31744/einstein_journal/2021AO5781 but can lead to greater muscle gains in experienced people2S. Bartolomei, F. Nigro, I. M. Lanzoni, et al. (2021, June). A Comparison Between Total Body and Split Routine Resistance Training Programs in Trained Men. Journal of strength and conditioning research. DOI:10.1519/jsc.0000000000003573.
Regardless of the split routine adopted, do not forget to add a resting day between two or three training days.
Are 5-day splits effective?
Briefly: yes
If you're wondering why splits are so good, there is a one-sentence answer. 5-day splits allow you to dramatically increase the volume and intensity of training because they concentrate on each muscle group as much as possible.The 5-day split workout program is a valid method to make your frame look bigger and harder.
Very convenient you may say. And you'll be right! Still, for some people, 5 days a week may be too much, while for others it may be too little, but for most athletes looking to gain muscle mass, 5-day splits are much better than 3-day splits, for example.
Lower training frequencies are primarily adopted to promote strength gains. In this case, an athlete needs ample time to fully recover their muscular and nervous systems. Instead, a 5-day split allows the athlete to work consistently on each muscle group with greater intensity. Plus, training five days a week definitely burns more calories.
Can you build muscle with a 5-day split?
Briefly: yes
A five-day split is likely the finest workout split for muscle growth in people experienced in strength training since it allows optimizing training load while focusing on each muscle group3M. Wernbom, J. Augustsson, R. Thomeé. (2007). The influence of frequency, intensity, volume and mode of strength training on whole muscle cross-sectional area in humans. Sports medicine. DOI:10.2165/00007256-200737030-00004. It also divides your training schedule, so you will always have enough resting days for a muscle group each week.
Is it okay to work out 5 days straight?
Briefly: it depends on your body's capabilities
Of course, if you are a jock person, then it won’t be hard to switch from the basic training schedule to splits. But let's suppose you’re not. And if you’re trying this technique for the first time, then get ready for immediate feedback from your body.
In order to keep your muscles safe, try to follow these tips.
- Do not put days in a row when you pump the same muscle groups. Typical examples are the back and arms, chest and deltas, and the like.
- Don't use too many basic exercises in one day. Two basic exercises are already a lot, more than two are overkill. This rule especially applies to large muscle groups.
- Try to train the working muscle to the maximum, loading each of its muscle bundles. Periodically change the order of your chosen exercises.
Types of 5-day split workout routine
Coaches distinguish different types of 5-day splits, and they all have their own goals and benefits. You can use this program to build muscle mass, work out strength indicators, or to improve muscle quality, that is, to reduce the level of subcutaneous fat.
Athletes of different levels of training can use the power-split option. The mass-gaining cycle is mostly in use by advanced level athletes, and practicing such a program will only be able to “dry out” when using sports nutrition since otherwise, it will be very difficult to maintain muscle mass.
Workouts for shredding are the most common reason for switching to a 5-day split. The more often and longer people exercise during the “drying” period, the more they accelerate their metabolism.
However, such a schedule requires high-quality physical training, so do not try to "dry out" without a preliminary course of workouts.
Warm-up and stretching
Warm-up is the way to prepare your body for intense exercising. Start with 8-12 minutes of running / jumping rope, basic exercises - squats, push-ups, pull-ups, etc.
For women who want a toned and slender body, the final stretch is also important. It helps to relax muscles and calm breathing. Skipping a stretch leads to severe muscle soreness the next day.
Best 5-day workout schedule
The principle of building a 5-day split routine is to work out each large muscle group on a separate day. When drawing up a training plan, you should correctly distribute the loads so as not to overtrain4M. Kellmann. (2010, October). Preventing overtraining in athletes in high-intensity sports and stress/recovery monitoring. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01192.x any part of the body.
For example, we do not recommend pumping your shoulders the next day after working on the chest, since the front and middle deltoids are actively involved in all kinds of presses for the pectoral muscles.
Day 1: back
Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps
Incline dumbbell rows: 3 sets of 12 reps
T-bar row: 3 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell shrugs: 3 sets of 12 reps
Weighted hyperextensions: 3 sets of 12 reps
Day 2: chest
Classic bench press: 3 sets of 8 reps
Dips from the bars: 3 sets of 12 reps
Incline dumbbell press: 3 sets of 12 reps
Bench press 3 sets of 12 reps
Wide push-ups: 3 sets of 12 reps
Day 3: legs
Barbell squat: 3 sets of 8 reps
Bending legs in the simulator: 3 sets of 10 reps
Small bar lunges on the shoulders: 3 sets of 12 reps
Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 10 reps
Standing calf raises: 3 sets of 20 reps
Day 4: shoulders
Standing straight-bar military: 3 sets of 10 reps
Behind head shoulder press: 3 sets of 12 reps
Dumbell front raise 3 sets of 12 reps
Cable Oblique Twists: 3 sets of 12 reps
Front Incline Dumbbell Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Day 5: arms
Close-grip bench press: 3 sets of 12 reps
The biceps curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
French bench press: 3 sets of 12 reps
Crossover curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Push-up bars exercises: 3 sets of 12 reps
Exercise your abdominal muscles 3-4 times a week. To facilitate the split, Saturday rest can be moved to Wednesday.
Rest between exercises
For instance, researches prove that women whose main goal is to lose weight, need a rest of 30-60 seconds between sets and 90 seconds between exercises. To build muscle mass, the optimal rest time will be 60-90 seconds between sets and 2-2.5 minutes between exercises.
Rules of the 5-day split
- Make sure your body is ready enough to stress
- Exercise different types of muscles on adjacent days
- Combine patterns of reps
- Mix it up sometimes
- Don't try to increase the load by simply raising the volume
Do I need to follow a diet?
Briefly: surely yes
Be sure to pay attention to nutrition. If you are overweight - eat right, reduce the number of calories. If, on the contrary, you need to build muscle, increase calories. In any case, choose a healthy meal plan as a source of proteins, fats, and carbs.
For women, this is especially true, since the female body stores fat easier than the male body and build muscle more difficult. This is due to the different levels of hormones - testosterone and estrogen.
In order to achieve muscle definition (i.e., the minimum content of subcutaneous fat), you must first of all monitor your diet.
Summing up
- 5-day splits are the training routine that day by day activates different muscle groups each training session.
- Almost all athletes looking to gain muscle mass can have pros from this type of training. However, 5-day splits are more likely to benefit the more experienced athlete than the beginner.
- A split technique is extremely effective for "drying" the body and shedding calories by accelerating metabolism.
- You can individualize a 5-day split plan for yourself based on your body type and physical characteristics. It is also vital to remember about nutrition aspects, which account for 70-80% of the total effect of splits.
Unimeal does not diagnose or suggest treatments. Any description of the diet, training plan or supplement should be discussed with your current physician or nutritionist. This article does not address specific conditions and is simply meant to provide general information on healthcare topics. Following any advice is at your own initiative and does not impose any responsibility on the blog authors for your health and safety.
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