The Best 4-Day Workout Splits for Building Muscle

While research has called into question the effectiveness of bro splits, they are still a tried-and-true method that’s produced great results for countless lifters who swear by them. C. Draw the weights up to chest, as close to torso as possible (not shown). I am such a believer as going into week 1 had not run even the “long run distance” before which I think was around 3.5 miles. But I pushed through and once I crossed the mid way point of the plan I felt strong and progressed quickly.

Is 4 Days of Working Out Enough in a Week?

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Exercise Frequency: How Often Should You Workout Per Week?

A 4-day split provides hours of recovery between sessions targeting the same muscle groups, which aligns perfectly with the body’s adaptation timeline. This comprehensive approach balances training frequency, volume, and recovery to create optimal conditions for hypertrophy. Unlike traditional bodybuilding splits that hit each muscle once per week, this method leverages the science of muscle protein synthesis to accelerate your progress. In my coaching experience, I’ve found it’s important to balance optimal with fun. For instance, when creating a 4-day split for someone, I take their personal preferences into account because it’s hard to have them work out 4 times per week if they don’t enjoy the split. Much better to be consistent with such an approach than to miss workouts on an ‘optimal’ split.

There are no major unimeal review downsides to training 4 days per week other than the extra time investment, especially if you need to commute to a gym. Our connective tissues still get plenty of rest, and most people can recover from them fairly well. It works them quite hard, and they’re certainly the limiting factor, but it’s nothing compared to how a bench press works the chest or how a squat works our quads. As a result, our shoulders can often recover fairly quickly.

Making a 4 Day Workout Split a Long-Term Habit

When your CNS is fresh, your power output is higher, your form is tighter, and your risk of injury decreases significantly. And when you’re training the entire body in each workout, it becomes really hard to get sufficient volume in for each muscle group without running into problems (e.g. insanely long workouts). Studies indicate that your muscles need at least 48 hours to recover after strenuous exercise. This, together with the higher risk of injury that comes with training daily, makes working out 4 times a week safe and effective. It can help you lose extra calories on your rest day without the risk of overtraining.

Some research suggests that performing cardio after weights may enhance fat oxidation, as glycogen stores are depleted from resistance training (33). However, the total weekly training volume and consistency matter more than the specific timing of cardio and weight training. During rest periods, your muscle tissue repairs and adapts to the training stress you’ve imposed (8).

Works for Strength, Muscle Growth, and Fat Loss

Unlike a two-day-a-week full-body plan where you might have to rush through exercises, a four-day split gives you the time to focus. You can dedicate entire sessions to perfecting your squat or increasing your pull-up volume. Essentially, your brain and muscles learn to communicate more efficiently, making every rep count.

• Below is a table illustrating an example of a pull workout B.
• It could be as simple as taking a 20-minute walk during your lunch break or taking just 10 minutes out of your day to intentionally move your body.
• It’s the kind of schedule that makes room for your job, your family, your personal downtime, and your goals.
• This, together with the higher risk of injury that comes with training daily, makes working out 4 times a week safe and effective.
• A 2018 review of 25 studies found that training a muscle weekly is enough to achieve muscle gain.
• Cardio or high-intensity intervals, especially when mixed in with weights, really ramp up this effect.

Bulgarian Split Squats

This split is often criticized for not training your muscles often enough. After all, if you only train each muscle once per week, those muscles will only grow for 2–4 days of the week. However, if you’re clever about it, you can sneak some arm exercises into your push and pull days, and you can sneak some pushing and pulling into your arm day.

Does Zone 4 Heart Rate Burn Fat?

It’s a realistic commitment to your health that actually fits into your life. Whether you’re starting from scratch or just want something that’s more manageable, the 4-day plan gives you structure without sucking the joy out of movement. Next, losing weight is even possible without any exercise. That means exercising 4 times a week can also be enough to see weight loss results if your other lifestyle habits are good enough.

Choosing a 4-day split for your workout program will offer a variety of benefits. Here are the top reasons you should train using a 4-day workout routine. For those who are simply looking to maintain or lose fat, a 4 day full body plan can work just fine, as long as you don’t push yourself too hard.

Day 5 – Friday: Recovery/rest

Upload completed workouts from your favorite tracking app or device. It’s also important to stretch before and after each workout to prevent muscle soreness and injury. As you can, increase the weight you use and the total repetitions you perform. When it comes to exercising, more doesn’t always equal better.

Then, when that soreness abates, you’re ready to train those muscles again. High-frequency training is a new style of training without much research looking into it. At the moment, there’s no evidence that training a muscle every day causes more muscle growth than training it twice per week. People who aren’t in the habit of lifting weights are especially vulnerable and can get sore for a full week after lifting weights. Even with habitual lifters, starting a new training routine can cause quite a lot of muscle damage.

Day Full Body Workout Routine Schedule

Pull-ups develop lat width, rhomboid strength, and grip endurance through vertical pulling motion (16). Pick a plan you enjoy, and don’t be afraid to switch it up after a while if you get bored.

Pull Workout 1

You need to be hitting the weights at least three days per week. The research says that at the very least, training a minimum of two days per week is needed to maximize muscle growth. How you structure your workouts and the amount of days you devote to strength training depends on your current fitness level. As for what your weekly gym workout plan should look like, that answer is really going to vary from person to person. Factors like your baseline fitness level, current health status, exercise goals, and how much room you have in your schedule to exercise will all dictate the best workout schedule for you.

Think of rest days as the “maintenance” your engine needs to keep running at high speeds. To maximize a four-day split, your nutrition must be as structured as your training. You cannot out-train a poor diet, and you certainly cannot recover from heavy lifting without adequate fuel. Protein provides the building blocks (amino acids) for muscle repair.