Building strength and muscle is not just about working out intensely; it involves smart strategies, tracking your progress, and staying consistent. The secret of acquiring these things often lies in how often you train and how you organize your workouts.
A 5-day workout split allows for a wider range of exercises and more volume, which can boost muscle growth and strength. However, if not well-organized, it might affect your recovery and workout intensity. Training hard every day is challenging, so having a structured plan is crucial.
Fortunately, there are proven 5-day workout plans available. This article will dive into the specifics of a 5-day workout split.
The Basics of A 5-Day Workout Split
Fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders love the five-day workout split, but it needs a lot of commitment and dedication. This workout routine involves exercising five out of seven days, which might seem intense, but the results are worth it. The 5-day workout splits is a highly effective strength training plan.
It focuses on different muscle groups each day, allowing your body to recover before you work on the same muscles again. There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” five-day workout split. Instead, it’s a flexible framework where you can choose the workouts you like to do.
Whether you prefer free weights, resistance bands, weight machines, or just your body weight, each training day of the week should focus on a specific muscle group. Since this training method is flexible, you can easily adjust the workout split to fit your certain training needs and existing fitness goals. Here is an example of what a 5 day split workout might look like:
- Monday: Triceps and Chest
- Tuesday: Biceps and Back
- Wednesday: Rest Day
- Thursday: Triceps and Shoulders
- Friday: Biceps and Legs
- Saturday: Cardio and Core
- Sunday: Rest Day
The Best 5-Day Workout Split
Monday: Triceps and Chest
Below, I will discuss a good 5 day workout split that you can try out this week. Start your week by focusing on your triceps and chest. You can use either weight machines or free weights for this workout.
Perform 3-4 sets for each of the following exercises:
- Chest flys: 12 reps
- Chest press: 8 reps
- Skull crushers: 12 reps
- Triceps pushdown: 10 reps
- Push-ups: Until you can’t do any more
Tuesday: Biceps and Back
Focus on your biceps and back on Tuesday. Aim to do three to four sets of every exercise listed below:
- High Side Pulldowns: 10 reps per side
- Standing Rows: 10 reps
- Standing Row to Bicep Curl: 12 reps
- Lateral Raise: 10 reps per side
- Standing Pullover: 10 reps
Wednesday: Rest day
You might feel some soreness on Wednesday, so take some rest. If you still want to exercise, you can do some ab exercises, light cardio, or stretching.
Thursday: Triceps and Shoulders
Thursday focuses on shoulders, with some tricep exercises included. Although you worked on your triceps on Monday, they recover faster than larger muscles. Therefore, it’s fine to train them more than once each week. Perform 3-4 sets of each of the following exercises:
- Standing Tricep Kickback: 10 reps per side
- Shoulder press: 10 reps
- Dips: 10 reps
- Angel Wings with Overhead Tricep Extension: 12 reps
- Underhand flys: 12 reps
- Reverse flys: 12 reps
Friday: Biceps and Legs
Friday is here, and it’s time for leg day, a favorite for many! I will also add some bicep exercises for a well-rounded workout.
Do three to four sets of each of these exercises:
- Lying Alternating Leg Curls: 12 reps per leg
- Lunges: 10 reps per side
- Seated Calf Raise: 12 reps per leg
- Squats: 12 reps
- Bicep Curls: 12 reps per arm
Saturday: Cardio and Core
Saturday is dedicated to cardio and core exercises. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardio, either before or after your core workout, to get your heart rate up.
Perform 3-4 sets of each of these exercises:
- 30 minutes of cardio (such as aerobics, running, jumping rope, or biking)
- Bicycle Crunches: 12 reps
- Crunches: 15 reps
- Mountain Climbers: 12 reps
- Glute Bridges: 12 reps
- Side Knee Drops: 12 reps
Sunday: Rest day
You have put in a lot of effort. Take today to relax and put your feet up.
Why Should You Follow A 5-Day Workout Split?
When you train just 3-4 days per week using upper/lower or full-body splits, it’s tough to fit in 4 or 5 exercises for every muscle group unless you have lots of hours to spend at the gym. However, if you follow a 5-day split, then you can include multiple exercises to target your muscles from different angles.
This approach also gives you a chance to try advanced exercise techniques such as rest-pause sets, partials, and dropsets. With a training focus on one main muscle group each day, the increased volume leads to more muscle fiber damage. You can also do this training by focusing on a main and a secondary, smaller muscle group.
Therefore, while someone training three times a week might need just one day or two to recover, a five-day routine causes more muscle damage, requiring longer recovery. Keep in mind that exercise starts your muscle damage, but repair and growth occur during the recovery phase.
Some criticize the 5 day split workout program because a muscle group might only be exercised once a week. Critics say this isn’t frequent enough for the best muscle growth, and some studies seem to support this. However, A major research from 2019, supported the effectiveness of the five-day workout split.
The study found that there was “no significant difference between higher and lower frequency on a volume-equated basis.”
This might suggest it’s fine to train a muscle like the chest once per week, but there is a catch: the volume must be equal. In straightforward terms, you can’t afford to have half-hearted workouts. You need to train smart and hard, aiming to accomplish one week’s worth of work in one session.
Some Tips for A 5-Day Workout Split
Take A Brief Rest
Resting between sets is crucial for effective training. Without breaks, your body gets tired out too fast. The proper rest period depends on your goals. It’s considered that 1-2 minutes is ideal for increasing endurance and muscle growth, while 3-5 minutes of rest is better for increasing strength. If you rest for over 5 minutes, you might cool down too much.
Also, ensure you get sufficient rest between exercises, as muscles grow during rest, not while exercising. In the best 5 day workout split for women and men, you also should include enough rest intervals to avoid overstraining your body.
Progressive Overload
Understanding progressive overload is key to building muscle effectively. Many people stick to the same exercise routine for several months and wonder why they stop seeing results. The issue is clear—over time, your muscles grow, making it easier to perform the same number of repetitions with the same weight.
This means your muscles won’t continue to grow. To keep making progress, you have to slowly increase the workout load. You can do this by adding more weight, doing more reps, reducing rest time, or training more often.
If you find doing 8-12 repetitions too easy, focus on adding resistance instead of adding more reps. This approach helps you build more muscle instead of just boosting endurance.
Consume Sufficient Protein
Proteins play a crucial role in building muscle. So, meeting your personal protein needs is critical to developing strong biceps and defined pecs. Good natural protein sources include seafood, nuts, lean meats, legumes, dairy, and eggs. Furthermore, you can explore protein shakes and protein powders as options.
The Bottom Line
The five-day workout split is often seen as the top choice for building muscle with precision and control. However, it requires a lot of time and might not be ideal for most newbies. To succeed with this workout plan, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet that includes enough protein, water, and carbohydrates. If you have any health issues, it’s wise to talk to a doctor before starting any exercise routine.