A 3-day split workout divides your weekly training into 3 sessions, each targeting different muscle groups. Typically, these workouts isolate muscle groups, allowing them to rest and recover between sessions. This plan is excellent for building strength, muscle mass, and endurance, all without the burnout of more frequent workout regimens.
Here’s an example of a 3-day split plan with the Push, Pull, Legs routine, using Dumbbells.
| Exercise | Muscle Group |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell Incline Bench Press | Chest - Upper chest |
| Dumbbell Chest Fly | Chest - Mid chest |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | Shoulders - Front delt |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | Shoulders - Side delt |
| Dumbbell Tricep Extension | Triceps |
| Exercise | Muscle Group |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell Squat | Legs - Quads |
| Dumbbell Lunge | Legs - Hamstrings |
| Dumbbell Calf Raise | Legs - Calf |
| Dumbbell Hip Thrust | Glutes |
| Dumbbell Crunch | Abs |
| Exercise | Muscle Group |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell Pull-Over | Back - Lats |
| Dumbbell Bent Over Row | Back - Mid back |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | Back - Lower back |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | Biceps |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | Biceps |
Unsure about reps and weight to choose? Create plans, learn exercises, and track progress with Legend, on iOS and Android.
Also, read our article on how to pick number of sets, reps, and weight for your workouts: The Complete Guide to Picking Sets, Reps, and Weight.
If you want to build muscle and strength without living in the gym, a 3-day split workout routine is the way to go. It’s efficient, and adaptable to different goals — whether you want to bulk up, lean down, or simply maintain a fit lifestyle. It provides enough intensity while allowing for ample recovery time.
This guide will walk you through the basics of the 3-day split plan, offer sample routines for both home and gym, suggest exercises to maximize results, provide tips on progressive overload, and more. By the end, you will have everything you need to build the perfect plan tailored to your goals.
A 3-day split workout divides your weekly training into three sessions, each targeting different muscle groups. Typically, these workouts isolate muscle groups, allowing them to rest and recover between sessions. This plan is excellent for building strength, muscle mass, and endurance, all without the burnout of more frequent workout regimens.
One of the most significant advantages of a 3-day split is that it allows for sufficient recovery time. With at least 48 hours between working the same muscle groups, your muscles has time to repair and grow.
Unlike full-body workouts, where multiple muscles are engaged in each session, the 3-day split allows you to target individual muscle groups more intensely, leading to boosted specific muscle development over time, unless you opt for full body exercises in each session.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced lifter, this workout structure can be adapted to your fitness level. Beginners can start with lower weights and fewer sets, while advanced lifters can increase intensity with heavier weights, more sets, and different exercise variations.
The 3-day split can be adjusted depending on your goals and fitness level. Here are the most popular variations.
This split focuses on hypertrophy (muscle growth) and divides your workout into pushing, pulling, and leg movements. Similar to the Push, Pull, Legs routine, but a staple for old-school bodybuilders.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Dumbbell Incline Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Overhead Press | 3 | 6-8 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Skull Crusher | 3 | 8-10 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Deadlift | 4 | 6-8 |
| Bodyweight Pull-Up | 3 | 6-8 |
| Barbell Bent Over | 3 | 8-10 |
| Barbell Bicep Curl | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squat | 4 | 6-8 |
| Machine Leg Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Machine Leg Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Hand Plank | 3 | 60 seconds |
| Crunch | 3 | 20 |
A popular option for intermediate lifters, the Push, Pull, Legs routine groups exercises based on movement patterns rather than muscle groups.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Cable Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-12 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Deadlift | 4 | 6-8 |
| Barbell Bent Over Row | 3 | 8-10 |
| Cable Lat Pull-Down | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 3 | 8-10 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squat | 4 | 6-8 |
| Machine Leg Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 6-8 |
| Machine Calf Raise | 3 | 12-15 |
The full-body 3-day split is perfect for beginners or those looking to maintain overall fitness.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squat | 4 | 6-8 |
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Barbell Bent Over Row | 3 | 8-10 |
| Hand Plank | 3 | 60 seconds |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Deadlift | 4 | 6-8 |
| Dumbbell Overhead Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Cable Lat Pull-Down | 3 | 8-12 |
| Crunch | 3 | 20 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Leg Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Incline Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Barbell Good Morning | 3 | 8-10 |
| Russian Twist | 3 | 20 |
Not everyone has access to a fully equipped gym, and that’s okay. You can still make gains with a 3-day split workout at home. Here’s how to adapt your routine based on only body weight exercises.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Push Up | 3 | 8 |
| Pike Push Up | 3 | 8 |
| Bench Dip (On a chair) | 3 | 10 |
| Standing Y Raise | 3 | 15 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pull Up | 3 | 8 |
| Chin Up | 3 | 8 |
| Supine Push Up | 3 | 8 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 3 | 12 |
| Lunge | 3 | 12 |
| Calf Raise | 3 | 12 |
While slightly different from the traditional 3-day split, an upper-lower split divides your body into upper and lower sections. You alternate between them throughout the week, hitting each section more frequently.
This plan ensures you train every major muscle group at least twice over two weeks, increasing training frequency while still allowing recovery.
Legend Feature: Find these plans and routine in Legend, ready for you to use, track your workouts, measure progress, and stay consistent.
Progressive overload is one of the most critical principles in any workout plan, especially for those aiming to build strength and muscle. It refers to gradually increasing the demand on your muscles by either lifting more weight, doing more reps, or shortening rest times.
Progressive overload ensures that your muscles are consistently challenged, which forces them to adapt and grow. Without it, your muscles will plateau, and you’ll stop seeing gains.
Legend Feature: Legend shows you your progressive overload in real-time as you train. You can see your previous weights and reps for each exercise, helping you push yourself to progress.
The mind-muscle connection is a technique used to improve the effectiveness of each exercise by focusing your mental attention on the muscle you’re working. This section could explain how to use the mind-muscle connection to optimize a 3-day split workout and boost results.
Key Points:
Every workout routine has its pitfalls, and beginners (and even advanced lifters) can make some common mistakes that hinder progress.
Key Mistakes:
To keep readers motivated, a section on how to measure success over time would be helpful. This could cover different methods, such as tracking body fat percentage, muscle mass, and personal bests in strength.
Key Metrics:
Legend Feature: Track your reps, weight lifted, and total volume. See your progress in charts over time, and percentage increase over time.
You should commit to at least 8–12 weeks on a 3-day split workout to see noticeable improvements in muscle mass and strength. However, this depends on your intensity, diet, and consistency.
Yes, a 3-day split can be highly effective for fat loss, especially when combined with a calorie deficit and regular cardio sessions on rest days. Strength training also helps maintain muscle mass, which boosts metabolism.
Absolutely! A 3-day split is ideal for beginners because it provides enough rest between sessions while still offering enough volume to build strength and muscle.
A 5-day split offers more focus on individual muscle groups (e.g., dedicating an entire day to arms), while a 3-day split is more time-efficient and allows for more recovery time. If you have the time and can manage recovery, a 5-day split can lead to more specialized muscle growth, but a 3-day split is excellent for overall balance.
Yes, you can incorporate cardio on rest days. However, be mindful of how it impacts your recovery. Keep cardio sessions moderate to avoid interfering with your strength training performance.
A 5–10 minute general warm-up, such as light jogging or jumping jacks, followed by dynamic stretches, is a great way to prepare your muscles for lifting. You can also perform lighter sets of your first exercise to warm up that specific muscle group.
Progressive overload means gradually increasing the demands on your muscles to encourage growth and strength. You can apply it by adding weight, increasing reps, or decreasing rest time each week.
A 3-day split workout is an excellent choice for building muscle, strength, and fitness without overwhelming your schedule. Whether you’re training at home with minimal equipment or crushing it in the gym, this plan provides the flexibility and efficiency you need to succeed.
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