3 Day Split Workout – The Complete Guide (2025)

What is a 3-Day Workout Split?

A 3-day split is a workout plan where you work out three times a week. The purpose of a 3-day split is to target different muscle groups in each session, do isolation exercises for each, and give each area enough attention to optimize growth.

Given the relatively low frequency and focus on individual muscles, it can be a great balance between results and time efficiency if you don’t want to or can’t make it to the gym five or more times per week.

Such a split can be particularly beneficial for beginners since they don’t need as much training to see great results. Having four days of recovery each week means your muscles are well rested for each workout, and you’re at a lower risk of getting nagging aches from repetitive motions.

There are plenty of 3-day split variations to try. They are arguably some of the most commonly used by gym-goers around the world.

With a traditional beginner 3-day split, you will mostly only be working out a specific muscle group once a week, which leaves seven days of recovery for that muscle group. If you want a more advanced workout plan with high-volume training, we have German volume training, the Arnold split, and 5-day, 6-day, and 7-day workout plans.

That said, don’t automatically assume that a higher training frequency = better results. Often, even a simple, low-volume routine can lead to great results if you stick with it and train hard enough.

Popular 3-Day Workout Splits

Let’s get it into some of the most popular and effective 3-day splits:

Classic 3-Day Bodybuilder Split

This is one of the most popular workout splits where you train two to three muscle groups in each session:

Workout 1: Chest, shoulders & triceps
Workout 2: Back and biceps
Workout 3: Legs and abs

Since these are three workouts for the week, you can take a rest day between the workouts and even take the weekend off to recover and do other things. Here is an example of how you could schedule your week with the classic 3-day bodybuilder split:

Monday: Chest, shoulders & triceps
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: Back and biceps
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Legs and core
Saturday: Rest day
Sunday: Rest day

Let’s jump into a little more detail. The following workouts are an effective group of exercises that you could perform to target the desired muscle groups on each of the days.

Note: These workouts only include the working weight sets. We always recommend you warm up properly for each exercise. To learn more about warm-up sets, find more info here.

Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

• Bench Press (Barbell) – 3 sets (6-8 reps)
• Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Standing Overhead Press (Dumbbell, Barbell) – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Cable Crossover Fly – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Skullcrushers – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Triceps Rope Pushdown – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Back and Biceps

• Seated Cable Row – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Lat Pulldown – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Bent-Over Fly Dumbbell – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Back Hyperextension – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Bicep Barbell Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Hammer Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Legs & Core

• Squat Barbell – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Leg Press Machine – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Leg Extension – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Lying or Seated Leg Curl – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Standing Calf Raises – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Plank – 3 sets (30-60 seconds)
• Crunch – 3 sets (15-20 reps)

Adjust the reps and weights to your capacity and level of fitness. The rest times in between sets will depend on your training objectives and how hard each set was, but as a general rule of thumb, we recommend resting 1:30 – 3 minutes between sets.

The Hevy app has an automatic rest timer that triggers when you mark a set as completed––learn about it here.

If you’re just starting, you’ll want to be careful starting too heavy. Gaining muscle is a marathon, not a sprint, and you won’t be able to make any gains if you’re injured.

Bonus: If you still have energy left on the weekend, get some cardio in your workout split. Aim for at least 30 minutes of low-intensity activity, whether running, rowing, biking, or similar.

Push Pull Legs

Push/pull/legs is another effective way to organize a 3-day split. Unlike the classic 3-day split, it does not split the workout sessions by targeted muscles but rather based on the different types of movements you have to perform.

It generally means workouts look identical, but the method used to program them differs slightly. Neither approach is better or worse; it mostly comes down to preference and how you want to go about organizing your workouts.

If you want to quickly create workouts, we recommend trying Hevy. You can easily create a personalized workout split and track your progress – for free. Need some inspiration? Browse the routine library (Workout tab > Explore) for 25+ training plans for all levels.

In the push workout, you train all the upper body pushing muscles: the chest, triceps, and shoulders. In the pull workout, you train all the upper body pulling muscles: the back and biceps. In the legs workout, you train the entire lower body, such as quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

Many athletes add abs training on leg day as well, so they don’t need to do a fourth workout in the same week.

Here’s an example of a push/pull/legs weekly schedule:

Monday: Push
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: Pull
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Legs
Saturday: Rest day
Sunday: Rest day

As you can see, it’s the same schedule as for a classic 3-day bodybuilding split. You can also train on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, as well as:

• Monday-Tuesday-Thursday
• Monday-Wednesday-Thursday
• Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday

Doing fewer workouts means you have greater scheduling flexibility and can even train on consecutive days when your schedule gets hectic or unpredictable. That said, it’s generally best to get at least a day of recovery between sessions for optimal performance.

Let’s now look at some sample workouts:

Push

• Bench Press – 3 sets (6-8 reps)
• Seated Shoulder Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Lateral Raises – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Triceps Dumbbell Extension – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Triceps Rope Pressdown – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Pull

• Lat Pulldown – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Bent Over Row – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Face Pulls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Bicep Barbell Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Hammer Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Legs

• Squat Barbell – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Leg Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Leg Extension – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Seated Leg Curl – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Standing Calf Raises – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Don’t forget that consistency is the secret sauce in the gym. Stick to a routine for at least two months and eat according to your goal (slight surplus with adequate protein intake for growth or a small deficit with enough protein for fat loss) to see results.

Also, take progress photos and circumference measurements regularly and weigh yourself a few times each week to track your average.

The Hevy app allows you to upload all these metrics, display them on graphs, and compare your progress photos to track your body composition.

Upper/Lower

The upper/lower workout split is a little different from the previous approaches. That is because instead of dividing the target muscles into three different sessions, this divides it only into two sessions.

The upper workout includes all the muscles in the upper body (chest, shoulders, triceps, back, biceps, forearms, and midsection), and the lower includes the muscles below the waist: the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, adductors, and calves.

This workout split can still be considered a 3-day one since you can alternate your sessions in the following way.

Week 1: upper/lower/upper
Week 2: lower/upper/lower
… and so on. So your bi-weekly schedule could look like this.

Week 1
Monday: Upper
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: Lower
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Upper
Saturday: Rest day
Sunday: Rest day

Week 2
Monday: Lower
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: Upper
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Lower
Saturday: Rest day
Sunday: Rest day

So, how is the upper/lower workout split different? 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.

Another notable difference compared to the push/pull/legs workout split is instead of dividing the upper body muscles by push and pull, all of the upper body muscles are worked out in the same session.

Below is a sample upper/lower workout split with a great combination of exercises for maximum muscle gain.

Upper

• Bench Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Barbell Bent Over Row – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Lat Pulldown – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Seated Shoulder Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Lateral Raises – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Bicep Barbell Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Hammer Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Triceps Dumbbell Extension – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Triceps Rope Pressdown – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Lower

• Squat Barbell – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Leg Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Leg Extension – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Seated Leg Curl – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Standing Calf Raises – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Like push/pull/legs, many athletes add core exercises in their lower workout sessions. 

The upper/lower workout split can provide advantages over other workout routines. Since you’re always alternating between two workouts, you train all the muscle groups at a higher frequency. With the example from above, you’d train all the major muscles three times every two weeks instead of two times.

Full-Body Training Plan

The full-body workout plan is where you work out every major body part in every session.

Some research suggests athletes gain muscle quicker when training a given muscle group at a higher frequency. Instead of training a given muscle or doing a specific exercise once a week, you can increase the frequency to two, three, or even more workouts.

Even though we’re training full body every session, the 3-day full body workout split will still have three different workouts. A weekly schedule for a full-body training plan could look like this:

Monday: Full Body 1
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: Full Body 2
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Full Body 3
Saturday: Rest day
Sunday: Rest day

Basically, like any other 3-day approach.

If you want to only have two workout routines instead of three, you could also alternate between the two routines and schedule them like the upper/lower split (Week 1: Full Body 1/Full Body 2/Full Body 1, Week 2: Full Body 2/Full Body 1/Full Body 2).

Let’s take a look at a sample 3-day full-body plan:

Full Body 1

• Bench Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Squat – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Barbell Bent Over Row – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Lateral Raises – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Bicep Barbell Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Triceps Dumbbell Extension – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Full Body 2

• Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Deadlift – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Lat Pulldown – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Seated Shoulder Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Preacher Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Triceps Dumbbell Extension – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

Full Body 3

• Chest Cable Crossovers – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Leg Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Seated Cable Pull – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Overhead Shoulder Press – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Dumbbell Hammer Curls – 3 sets (8-12 reps)
• Skullcrusher – 3 sets (8-12 reps)

As you can see, each routine is completely different, yet is still working all the major muscle groups.

Full-body workout splits tend to incorporate compound exercises, where you target multiple muscle groups with a single movement.

In this sample full-body workout plan, we have compound movements like the bench press, deadlift, and squat. While not exactly a 3-day split, a 5×5 workout plan consists of five barbell compound movements and is also a great plan to get results, particularly strength gains. (Learn about training for strength versus muscle growth here.)

One of the advantages of full-body workouts is muscle symmetry. We all know that friend with a huge chest and skinny legs because they skip leg day. Full-body workouts help prevent overcompensation in certain muscle groups.

Instead of having a single big leg day that feels daunting just to think about, you can do one or two leg exercises in each workout and still get the necessary volume to grow.

These are just a few of the most popularly used 3-day split workouts available. You can customize these workouts to the fullest extent and ensure you use the gym to your advantage for your goals. 

Download the Hevy app and navigate to the library (Workout tab > Explore) if you want a full-body workout plan. We have nine options (along with 15+ other programs) for all levels.

Comment below what type of 3-day workout split you chose and why.

Equipment

Gym

The equipment used in the above 3-day workout routines is pretty standard. You can do most exercises with a barbell and dumbbells, so most gyms with basic equipment should be enough to do your workout routine effectively.

Home Gym

When planning on creating your home gym you must consider you’ll need a few essentials.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells can be an incredibly useful and flexible piece of equipment. You have two options:

1. Get old-school fixed-weight dumbbells. You can also find these second-hand at a discount.
   
2. Get more advanced adjustable dumbbells like the Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Weights. If you’ve never used those, they are incredible.

Some advantages of adjustable dumbbells include:

• They take up less space because you have two dumbbells, weights, and weight trays.
• They are cheaper than buying a whole set of different weights.
• With their advanced mechanisms, you can quickly change the weights and even do supersets.

Some traditional dumbbells are also widely available, as seen below. These will also do the job, although they will take up more space. We recommend you check out these Rubber Hex Dumbbells.

Hevy’s program library offers 25+ programs, some dumbbell-only and some equipment-free.

An Adjustable Bench

Pairing dumbbells with an adjustable bench allows you to do even more exercises to keep your workouts more varied and interesting. Some cool dumbbell + bench exercises include:

• Flat/Incline Dumbbell Press
• Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Arnold Press
• Seated Lateral and Front Raises
• Incline Bench Rear Delt Fly
• Incline Bench (Chest-Supported) Dumbbell Row
• Dumbbell Pullover
• Dumbbell Preacher Curl
• Seated Overhead Tricep Extension
• Bulgarian Split Squat

A basic flat bench would be cheaper, but having the option to adjust the angle of the back support gives you more training options.

Pull-Up Bar

A pull-up bar is another excellent tool to get for home training. The most practical option is a doorway pull-up bar since you don’t have to drill holes and whatnot.

You can also get a wall-mounted pull-up bar, which is generally sturdier. However, you may need to call a professional to install it. The third option is a dip stand with a pull-up bar, similar to a Captain’s chair.

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.

Resistance Band Set

Similar to adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands are compact, affordable, and highly versatile. You can use them to do alternatives to popular gym exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, and lat pulldowns.

They are also useful for warm-ups since you can start with the lightest band that offers the least resistance and gradually work up to the toughest one as your muscles warm up.

Bands are also useful for modifying exercises and increasing or decreasing their difficulty. For instance, you can wrap a loop band behind your back and over your hands to make regular push-ups more challenging; alternatively, wrap the same band over your pull-up bar, step on it, and make pull-ups easier.

Other Equipment

So long as you have the budget and space, you can gradually expand your home gym with equipment like a squat rack, a barbell, an EZ bar, weight plates, and accessories like a weight stand, kettlebells, an ab wheel, and even plyo boxes.

That said, the equipment discussed previously is enough for most people, so it comes down to priorities, preferences, and how much you’re willing to spend.

Is a 3-day Split For Me?

When someone asks us whether the 3-day split is for them, the first thing we consider is their training goals. So, which of the following goals do you feel best describes you?

I am looking to gain muscle

Muscle gain is straightforward. Go to the gym consistently, lift weights to stress your muscles and create micro-tears, and recover well. Gradually increase your training’s difficulty (don’t do the same thing repeatedly), and your muscles will grow.

We also can’t forget about nutrition, which is part of the recovery process. While it’s possible to gain muscle on fewer calories, optimal growth occurs when you eat more calories than you burn. This provides your body with the energy it needs to carry out its processes and build new muscle tissue. Research also recommends 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram or roughly 0.7-1 gram per lb.

I want to get stronger

Most people who want to build muscle also generally want to get stronger, which means the training plan they follow must help them get closer to both goals.

That said, while any 3-day split will bring some strength gains, especially for beginners, you may need a different approach. One option is a full-body 3-day program similar to the ones discussed above.

Doing so would allow you to do the core lifts like squats and the bench press more often. This helps you build the necessary skills and movement proficiency and generally leads to quicker strength gains.

A daily undulated approach can work quite well. For example, you can bench press three times per week and do a different set and rep structure for each session, such as:

• Monday – 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Wednesday – 4 sets of 6-8 reps
• Friday – 4 sets of 4-6 reps

The beginner 5×5 plan is also a great option that gets you to do the core barbell lifts more frequently and with heavy enough weights to optimize strength gain. You can also explore 4-day splits if you want to do slightly more training.

I am looking to get leaner 

Weight loss is not always about working out or doing a specific routine. The most important factor is creating and sustaining a calorie deficit – in other words, eating fewer calories than you burn. For instance, if you expend 3,000 calories daily but only eat 2,500 calories, that creates a 500-calorie deficit.

The best way to create and sustain a deficit is to be more disciplined with what you eat. This is because it’s easier to not eat 100 calories than to spend 10 minutes jogging to burn the same number of calories.

That said, losing weight is a bit different from getting leaner. To get lean means to lose body fat while maintaining as much muscle as possible. Doing so requires more attention to details like:

• Your workout routine
• Your protein intake
• Your recovery (nutrition, sleep, how you structure your training, and whether you do other physical activity)

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.

A 3-day split is fantastic if you’re looking to lose fat because it allows you to do enough training volume to maintain muscle and burn some calories without causing recovery issues. Remember that being in a calorie deficit affects recovery, so a more moderate approach could be better, even for more advanced trainees.

Warm-Up Sets

The workout splits above all have routines with the number of working sets we recommend. However, we suggest warming up properly for your workout and for at least the first exercise, especially if you go heavy (70-75%+ of 1RM).

Warm-up sets help prepare your body and central nervous system for heavy lifting to ensure optimal performance and limit the risk of injuries. They also allow you to practice proper form with a lighter load and can help you identify potential aches early on.

We recommend warming up with at least one or two light sets with little weight and working your way up. For example, if you’re warming up for squats, you could start your warm-up by squatting just the bar and then increasing weights until you reach your working weight.

Let’s say your working weight is 225 lbs. Your warm-up sets could look like this:

• Set 1 – 45 lbs x 10-20 reps
• Set 2 – 135 lbs x 3-5 reps
• Set 3 – 185 lbs x 1-2 reps
• Set 4 – 225 lbs (the first working set)

Don’t be too conservative with the weight increases because you don’t want to end up doing too many warm-up sets. That could waste unnecessary energy and time and affect your overall training quality.

On that note, the Hevy app has warm-up sets you can customize and add to any exercise with a single tap. Learn about the feature here.

If your working weight is lower than a normal-sized barbell, you could take a couple of dumbbells to warm up.

Naturally, warming up will make your workouts a bit longer, but that’s totally okay. Think of it as an investment in your longevity, well-being, and optimal performance. Sure, you could save a few minutes by not warming up as diligently, but that can affect your performance and possibly lead to nagging aches.

Also, remember that your workouts start when you begin the warm-up, not when you start doing the working sets. Simply think of them as a necessary part of a safe and productive workout.

The Benefits of Doing a 3-Day Split Workout

If you look at people at the top level (think professional bodybuilders who step on stage), you’d struggle to find someone following a 3-day split. This is because such a split would not align with their training requirements to optimize growth and maintain as much muscle as possible during contest prep.

IFBB pros will, at times, even train twice a day and eat enormous amounts of food to optimize their recovery and see the best growth possible.

So what’s so special about a 3-day split?

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 full body while resting properly. It is extremely effective for those who stick to it and have proper consistency (learn about Hevy’s workout calendar and how it helps you track your consistency at the gym). 

Is it the best possible solution? Maybe not for everyone. But it works well enough and provides a perfect balance between time efficiency and results.

What is the Best App For a 3-Day Split?

To answer this question, let’s look at some requirements you might have:

• Being able to store your routines
• Logging workouts effortlessly
• Having the ability to change some variables when you’re pressed for time, or the gym is particularly busy
• Tracking your progress and knowing what you did the last time around

Just as a 3-day split brings results without a huge time commitment, the app you use should cover your needs without feeling like a burden.

To that end, we recommend the Hevy workout tracker because it has built-in analytics that allow you to track your performance on each lift you log, see how many sets you do per muscle, and how your training volume is distributed between body parts.

It also allows you to compare your performance to other app users, see their workouts, and compete on the leaderboards.

These and other Hevy features help create a completely different gym environment where you feel motivated and accountable. Learn how you can get stronger with Hevy.

If you’re tired of your gym routine, try our 25+ recommended programs, and just like Arnold says, “ Shock the body!” 

MacroFactor is another useful app we recommend to athletes and gym-goers. It does a fantastic job of tracking your intake and can even provide nutritional recommendations based on your goals, preferences, and progress from week to week. You can also scan barcodes for quick and convenient food logging.

Whether looking to build muscle or lose fat, monitoring your calorie intake and maintaining the necessary calorie surplus or deficit is essential.

The more control you have over variables essential to your training, like diet, consistency and tracking in your training, the better results you will see in the short and long term. 

3-Day Split vs. 5-Day Split

Deciding between a 3-day split and a 5-day one can be challenging, but it mostly depends on your availability, willingness to train, and experience level.

A 3-day split is a comfortable start for beginners to work out their full body in 3 sessions – for instance, by doing push/pull/legs or chest, shoulders & triceps/back & biceps/legs and abs.

A 5-day split will allow you to give each area more attention and do more volume. Alternatively, you can spread your 3-day split across five days to do less training and finish each workout quicker. This is a good way to feel fresher during each session and possibly perform better across the board.

You could do something like:

• Monday – Chest
• Tuesday – Back
• Wednesday – Legs
• Thursday – Shoulders
• Friday – Arms
• Saturday & Sunday – Off

That said, a 3-day split might make more sense if you’re not sure whether you can commit to training five times per week. The problem is that you might need to miss certain sessions, which would mean specific muscles might not get trained as much as necessary and lag behind the others.

For example, if you’re constantly busy on Wednesday and skip leg workouts, your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves will not develop as well as your upper body.

Additionally, 5-day splits are more demanding and don’t leave much recovery time between workouts. The fatigue can add up if you’re not used to it and may increase the risk of overtraining. Plus, it can be mentally demanding to dedicate yourself to daily training, with only Saturday and Sunday being recovery days.

Bodybuilders often go for 5- or even 6-day splits to get more opportunities to do different exercises and hit each muscle more frequently. But as discussed above, the average person could get almost optimal results from a lower frequency. Plus, you can train each muscle more frequently by doing a 3-day full-body program.

Download the Hevy app and explore 3-day full-body programs in the library (Workout tab > Explore).

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

We recommend following a 3-day split (or any plan for that matter) for at least eight weeks to start seeing improvements before changing your approach. Jumping from program to program and constantly trying to optimize things is more likely to keep you stuck.

This is because your body needs time to adapt to a certain amount and type of physical stress. Plus, sticking to the same training plan allows you to more effectively track your performance and see if you’re moving in the right direction.

It’s much easier to compare your week-to-week performance on the same exercise than to figure out if you’re doing better when it’s a new exercise each week.

Plus, if you’re a beginner or someone returning to the gym after a long layoff, your body will be more responsive, and any training will feel like a shock to the system. As such, you’re likely to see better growth and strength gain (so long as you also eat well and recover between workouts) even with three weekly sessions.

The ‘shock’ provided by your training will gradually decrease the longer you go to the gym, and gaining muscle will become more of a task. The same is true for someone who is overweight.

Someone who is overweight and doesn’t do any exercise will see significant changes in their physique and strength once they start going to the gym. The initial months will drastically change because the body is not used to all the activity. 

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. 

Should I Be Taking Supplements for My 3-Day Split? 

The question of supplements is often tied with the question of the athletes’ diet, or, at least, that’s how it should be. How much protein is the athlete consuming? Are they in a caloric surplus? Are they looking to gain or lose weight?

There are several variables you need to consider before you buy protein powder, creatine, a pre-workout, or another supplement.

For people who are starting to get into their gym routine and are looking for muscle gains and strength gains, we always recommend first prioritizing their diet. Are you eating enough? Is your diet already naturally rich in protein? Ask those questions first. 

If you have trouble eating enough calories to be in a caloric surplus, switching to drinking your calories can always be beneficial. That means adding something like a mass gainer or a protein shake to your meals for extra calories. 

Here are some supplements to consider if you’ve taken care of your diet and eat enough protein and calories for your goals:

Pre-workout

A pre-workout supplement is meant to give you an extra boost during a workout. For example, going to the gym after a long day of work or first thing in the morning can be challenging. Getting extra energy from a supplement can help you push harder, stay more focused, and provide the necessary stimulus to grow and get stronger.

Commercial pre-workout can include ingredients like:

• Caffeine
• Beta-alanine
• Citrulline malate
• Creatine (which we’ll talk about in a bit)
• Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
• Betaine
• Sodium bicarbonate

Some people also buy raw ingredients and mix them into effective pre-workouts at a lower cost. Good pre-workout ingredients you can buy separately and mix into a formula include beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and creatine. Omar Isuf has an excellent video demonstrating how to make your pre-workout.

Pre-workouts without stimulants, also known as stim-free pre-workouts, lack caffeine and instead rely on other common ingredients for the performance boost. Such a pre-workout might be a good option if you train in the evening. The reason is that having caffeine as part of a pre-workout can interfere with your sleep.

Protein Powder 

Protein powder is not mandatory for muscle growth, but it can be a nice way to supplement your diet and ensure you get the recommended 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram (or 0.7-1 gram per lb).

Having a steak for breakfast or a salmon filet isn’t always practical or appetizing. So, having a simple protein shake and adding other tasty things like fruits and oats for the extra calories and milk for the fat will be an easy way to add calories to your diet. 

The type of protein powder you get is also up to you. Whey protein is the go-to option for many, and you can largely pick between concentrate and isolate.

Concentrate is the slightly less refined option with around 80% protein content––a 30-gram scoop would provide roughly 24 grams of pure protein. Isolate is the more refined but also more expensive product with up to 90% protein, or roughly 27 grams per scoop.

Casein protein is also a good option, particularly before bed, as it digests more slowly and provides a steady release of amino acids to support muscle recovery after a long day.

That said, not everyone tolerates dairy protein well. Beef and egg powders are good alternatives that provide high-quality animal protein.

Vegans can consider plant-based proteins or blends like hemp or hemp with pea and pumpkin seeds. Remember that plant protein is sometimes incomplete (lacking one or more of the nine essential amino acids your body needs) and may not provide the same growth stimulus as animal protein.

Creatine

As mentioned above, creatine could be part of a good pre-workout formula. But what exactly is it?

Creatine is an organic compound formed from three amino acids: L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine. It’s naturally found in muscle cells, but there are also trace amounts found in the brain and other organs.

Your body naturally produces creatine but additional supplementation of three to five grams daily can help improve performance, gym recovery, and even muscle growth.

This is because creatine helps your body produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules – the primary energy currency for your cells and muscles. ATP is essential for muscle contractions and demands for the molecule can increase 1,000-fold during intense training.

By lending a phosphate group, creatine can help boost the production of ATP molecules, which is shown to increase time to exhaustion, improve performance, and positively impact long-term gym results. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, creatine can also help your muscles look slightly fuller because it helps intra-muscular water retention.

This is not the same as subcutaneous (under the skin) water retention that may make you look puffy.

For this reason, it is recommended to increase your water intake once taking creatine. A good target to aim for is up to 3.7 liters for men and up to 2.7 liters for women.

Always consult with a medical professional before taking a supplement like creatine, as these products aren’t as strictly controlled by the FDA.

FAQs

What is a 3-day split workout?

A 3-day split is one where you do three weekly workouts and typically target a specific area in each session. The goal is to cover all body parts, train each muscle enough, and recover well before the next session.

One of the most popular 3-day splits is push/pull/legs, where you do workouts based on movement types: push (chest, shoulders, and triceps), pull (back and biceps), and legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves).

The magic of the 3-day split is that you can customize it to your liking, as shown above. 

How much rest should I get for growth? 

Recovery is strongly individual and depends on your experience level, genetics, nutrition, stress outside the gym, and how much training you do in each session.

As such, you should decide how much recovery you need by looking at your soreness post-workout, how you feel during the day, and how well you sleep at night.

For example, someone who is starting with a 3-day split workout will have a hard time coming back to the gym the day after training. That person might take between two and four days off to rest between sessions.

That applies even if you train different muscles in each session. For example, even after a heavy push workout where you’ve trained your chest, shoulders, and triceps, training your legs the next day could be a significant challenge because you’d need more time to recover.

As a rule of thumb, try to get 48 hours of recovery between workouts as a beginner. For instance, if you work out on Monday, train on Wednesday, then Friday.

We have plenty of athletes on our app who work out six or more times weekly, but it takes years of consistent training to get to that point.

Should I do a 3-day workout split as a beginner? 

Yes, a 3-day split is a great starting point for beginners, especially those busy with work, school, taking care of their family, or other obligations.

Training three times per week might not seem like much, but it’s much better to be consistent with that than to dedicate yourself to a high-frequency split and constantly miss workouts because you’re too tired, unmotivated, or don’t have enough time.

Develop a routine, stay consistent, and aim for small and steady improvements. The results will come.

Should I do cardio on a 3-day split?

Most splits don’t list cardio as essential unless they target hybrid athletes. However, that doesn’t mean you should never do it.

Cardio can be a great way to warm up before training and could also be a nice way to stimulate active recovery on your days off the gym. Plus, it helps boost work capacity, allowing you to handle, recover from, and adapt to more training in the future.

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. As a rule, start with less cardio and at a lower intensity to see how it affects recovery, especially around your leg workouts.

How is a 3-day split different from a “bro split”?

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).

There isn’t that big of a difference; it’s mostly just a tool to organize your training. For example, a 3-day bro split could be essentially the same as a 3-day push/pull/legs; it’s just a different name with perhaps a slightly different approach to organizing the workouts.

That said, a bro split can also be a 4-, 5-, or even 6-day. For instance, here is a 5-day bro split:

Monday – Chest
Tuesday – Back
Wednesday – Legs
Thursday – Shoulders
Friday – Arms

Is working out 3 days a week enough? 

It depends on your effort, goals, and available time to train. As discussed above, a 3-day split balances time efficiency and results, which makes it an attractive option for beginners and everyday people who can’t make it to the gym more often.

Plus, beginners don’t generally need to train more than three times per week. That’s enough to provide a good stimulus and grow without feeling overwhelmed or overtrained.

More advanced trainees can also train three times per week, but each session might need to be longer to do enough exercises and sets for optimal growth. Alternatively, trainees can add a fourth, fifth, or even sixth workout if they don’t feel like a 3-day split challenges them enough.

Madcow 5×5 is a great 3-day program that helps you get stronger. For more training plans, download Hevy and explore 25+ complete programs in the library (Workout tab > Explore).

Can I do a bodyweight 3-day split? 

There are plenty of equipment-free and bodyweight alternatives to traditional gym exercises, so why not start with those if you’re new or unable to get to the gym regularly?

For example, you can substitute the bench press with push-ups or barbell squats with the simple bodyweight squat and easily incorporate pull-ups or ring rows for back workouts.

Starting with bodyweight exercises to gain proper strength is always recommended before adding weight to build muscle. You will struggle to bench significant weight if you cannot do ten bodyweight push-ups in a row.  

The same goes for weighted squats. Developing a proper squat technique with good mobility is essential for a gym-goer. When you’ve already developed enough strength for bodyweight squats, try doing goblet squats to prepare for barbell squats.

In Hevy’s routine library, you can set the equipment filter (Workout tab > Explore > filters at the top) to None to access plans you can do without equipment, even at home.

What are the main 3-day split exercises?

It’s hard to answer this question, as it depends on your preferences, goals, available equipment, and anatomical limitations. For the average gym goer who is trying to gain strength and muscle on а 3-day split, the following would be good exercises:

The barbell and dumbbell bench press are proper and effective exercises to hit the chest, shoulders, and triceps on push workouts. Both movements have a good overloading potential and help develop strength for other upper-body lifts.

The pull-up is an excellent compound bodyweight exercise to hit the back and biceps on pull workouts. Being good at pull-ups and comfortably doing sets of 10-12 reps will mean you can perform quite well in other back exercises.

Pull-ups also offer good progression, as you can work up to 10-12+ reps per set and transition to weighted pull-ups and chin-ups, where you typically use a weight belt to attach plates to yourself for additional resistance.

For more complete back development (particularly developing the lower back), you could also consider deadlifts. As always, proper form is key for optimal growth and safety.

Barbell squats are the obvious go-to for effective leg workouts. Focus on proper mobility and depth, aiming to get your thighs to parallel or slightly lower. This means your hips reach knee level or slightly lower on each rep. Doing so helps maximally load the quadriceps and leads to better glute activation.

Once you get to a point where bodyweight squats feel too easy, start with an empty barbell, which weighs 20 kilograms (45 lbs). Then, gradually add weight as you build strength and get more confident with a weight on your back.

I am worried about overtraining with a 3-day split workout. 

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 that putting your muscles under stress and forcing them to work hard will inevitably develop microtears. The more unused you are to the type and magnitude of the stress, the more soreness you’re likely to experience.

But these things are not bad. Sure, soreness can feel uncomfortable, and temporary muscle weakness is not fun. But it’s through the recovery process that your body repairs muscle damage and strengthens the tissue, allowing it to handle the same stress better in the future.

Of course, there is a point where someone might do too much and struggle to recover between workouts, so it’s important to gauge your recovery and how you feel outside the gym. If you’re constantly sore, weak, and feeling run down, you might need to pull back on your training and slowly build your capacity.

You shouldn’t be in a situation where you have to train while you’re extremely sore or tired that your warm-up sets feel like working sets.

Aside from impacting progress, this can affect your technique and cause you to use compensatory movement patterns, such as excessively rounding your back during deadlifts, to do your programmed sets and reps.

What is the best warm-up for a 3-day split? 

Warm-ups for any type of split or workout at the gym should be conscientious of the movements you are about to do. 

A full-body dynamic warm-up is generally best, but what you do beyond that should depend on the workout’s focus. For example, if you’re about to do a leg day, you should spend more time warming up your lower back, hips, knees, and ankles.

Similarly, if you’re about to do a push workout, spend more time on your upper back, shoulders, neck, elbows, and wrists.

Once done with that, you can do warm-up sets for your first exercise of the workout to further prepare your body for that specific activity. We discussed warm-up sets above, but the gist is to gradually increase the weight over two to four sets until you reach your working weight.

For example, if you’ll be squatting 225 lbs, you could lift 45 lbs on the first set, 135 lbs on the second set, 185 lbs on the third set, and then start your working sets with 225 lbs.

The Hevy app has a warm-up set calculator you can configure. Once you choose a structure (you can also stick with our default recommendations), you can easily add multiple warm-up sets to any exercise with a single tap. Learn about the feature here.

How long should my workouts be in a 3-day split workout?

As with other things, this is somewhat individual and will largely depend on your available time to train and experience level.

For example, more experienced trainees might need to train longer (say, 75+ minutes) to do enough exercises and sets to create the necessary disruption for growth. In contrast, a beginner might be able to do enough training in as little as 45 minutes and see great progress.

That said, keep in mind that there’s no strict time limit. Some workouts might be shorter or longer depending on how well you recover between sets, how easy it is to access different machines at the gym, and how quickly you do individual reps.

The most important thing is to leave the gym feeling tired and accomplished but not completely exhausted.

Can I do other exercises during my rest days (play sports and such)?

Your typical 3-day split won’t be that challenging, but you may want to limit other activities, at least for the first few weeks. Doing so is important to gauge the overall difficulty and how well you recover between workouts.

After that, you can introduce other activities like sports and cardio but don’t do exercises that are too strenuous and affect your performance at the gym. Consider the timing, as well. For example, avoid intense cardio activities like pick-up football games before difficult workouts like leg day.

Also, keep activities outside the gym into consideration when deciding how many calories to eat. If you burn many calories through sports like basketball or weekend activities like hiking, consider increasing your calorie intake to a degree, regardless of whether you’re trying to lose fat or gain muscle.

In both cases, eating too few calories can affect your outcomes, so be careful and monitor your body weight to be sure you’re on the right track.

Finally, take an extra day or two to recover if you feel like you need it. Remember that you are building a lifestyle, and you shouldn’t feel forced to exercise every day. Flexibility can go a long way in keeping you motivated and consistent in the long run.

How many sets should I do per muscle group?

You’ll likely come across many recommendations, from as few as 5-6 sets per muscle per week to as much as 20+ sets. Yes, it’s true that more sets generally lead to better growth, but there is a point of diminishing returns where each additional set brings less and less value.

We recommend aiming for something in the middle:

• For larger muscle groups like your chest, back, and quads, you should do between ten and fifteen sets for optimal growth. Do different variations and exercises to hit your muscles from multiple angles. 

• Smaller muscle groups like the biceps, triceps, shoulders, calves, and hamstrings can grow well with as few as six to ten weekly sets.

Once again, it depends on your goals, preferences, and training availability. You can always increase or decrease your volume depending on how much you’re willing to endure and whether a certain amount of volume leads to the desired progress.

Speaking of sets per muscle, the Hevy app allows you to track and display that data on a customizable graph. Simply log your exercises, and the app will calculate everything for you. See your training volume for each muscle to know if you’re within the optimal range.

A final note.

We want everyone to be healthy and active. Any type of movement will benefit your body, health, and well-being.

Going to the gym is just one of the ways to stay active, and we hope that you take this complete 3-day split guide as a good introduction to the theory and understanding of what it takes to be successful at the gym, depending on your goals.

These are the top 5 ideas that we think summarize this complete guide of 3-day lifting for everybody who goes to the gym:

1. Start slow, and make sure your form is correct. Don’t get to the gym expecting to lift the same as everybody else. Especially don’t feel ashamed about starting with less weight than everybody else, everyone was there at some point or another.
2. Be consistent. Consistency is the name of the game and significant results won’t be seen without it. Track your routines and make sure that you see results over time to stay motivated. Get on Hevy for easy workout logging, in-depth analytics, and socializing with others.
3. Take care of all of the variables outside the gym. That includes diet and recovery. Take care of your body and listen to it. Be responsible with your warm-ups and consider cool-down stretches. Your body will thank you when you’re older. 
4. Bring intensity to your workout. You will not see proper results without consistency and, more importantly if you’re inconsistent with your intensity. Make sure you’re leaving the gym feeling content about your intensity as you’re working towards your goals. 
5. Set realistic goals. Be honest about how much your body can take and how much you can push it. Don’t lift with your ego. Lift to become a better athlete and to be in better shape.

We hope this 3-day split guide has been informative and motivational for you and that you will soon be headed to the gym with more confidence than ever.

As always, don’t forget to download our app, and we wish you the best of luck with your 3-day split workout routine. Hevy has a rich library with multiple 3-day splits for all levels. To access them, open the app, head to the Workout tab, and tap Explore. The programs and routines are free for everyone.

If you want to learn how we built our app, check out this post.

We’ll see you on Hevy.