At Home Workout Split 

Working out at home is the best. Especially if you have a garage gym, a backyard, or even a park where you enjoy working out.

Why is working out at home so great?

Most importantly, it saves time. You don’t have to drive to and from a gym. You don’t have to wait around for a machine to open up. You don’t have to wait in line for the front desk person to scan your card.

Here are a few more reasons: You don’t have to worry as much about getting sick from breathing the same recycled air as two hundred people in a confined space. You don’t have to wipe down the sweat-drenched bench because the guy before you didn’t. You don’t have to rack eight 45-pound plates because the same sweaty guy put every plate he could find on the leg press to spend twenty minutes staring at his phone.

Here’s what you do get to do when you workout at home.

You get to save a ton of time. No more long drives to and from the gym. Now, you can walk into your garage or backyard and have a peaceful workout in the comfort of your own home. You can use whatever equipment you have without waiting for someone else to finish. You get to blast your favorite tunes as loud as you want.

The moral of the story is working out at home is awesome. Below we’ll cover all the different workout splits you can use to make your home workout as effective as possible.

At Home Workout Split

In this article, I will go over three different strength training splits you can do at home. These splits can produce strength gains and muscle growth with enough intensity, proper form, and consistency.

Not everyone has access to a full garage gym, and that’s why I put together a few sample workout splits using nothing but a pair of dumbbells.

This program incorporates strength and hypertrophy blocks to ensure you get as strong as possible while building as much muscle as possible.

Note: The National Academy of Sports Medicine (2018) defines Muscle Hypertrophy as “the enlargement of skeletal muscle fibers in response to being recruited to develop increased levels of tension, as seen in resistance training. [It] is characterized by an increase in the cross-sectional area of individual muscle fibers resulting from an increase in myofibril proteins (myofilaments).

If you have more than a pair of dumbbells, you can substitute the dumbbell exercises with a barbell or, in most cases, a kettlebell.

Push, Pull, Legs

The push-pull legs split is an easy way to get three to six days of training every week. The split involves separating all push (or press) movements on one day, pull movements on another, and leg exercises on the last day. 

Depending on your training level and schedule, you can do this split three or six days a week.

Note: When I say 1 week, I mean a training week, not necessarily a calendar week. A training week is the time it takes to complete all workouts in a training cycle. It may be seven days or eight or nine days for others.

Here is a sample of a three-day push-pull legs split

• Day 1: Push Day
• Day 2: Rest Day
• Day 3: Pull Day
• Day 4: Rest Day
• Day 5: Leg Day
• Day 6: Rest Day

A 6-day split with each workout being completed twice would look something like this on

• Day 1: Push Day
• Day 2: Pull Day
• Day 3: Leg Day
• Day 4: Rest Day
• Day 5: Push Day
• Day 6: Pull Day
• Day 7: Leg Day

Now, we need to get into the actual workouts that will be done each day.

One way to organize your push day is to incorporate 1-2 exercises per body part, depending on your schedule and training level.

I also add a core exercise to the push and pull days. I don’t add core exercises to leg days to focus all my energy on my leg exercises, which are the most demanding of the week.

Push Day Example

• Chest: Dumbbell bench press, push-ups
• Chest SubstituteS: Floor press, chest-focused dips
• Shoulders: Standing overhead dumbbell press, lateral raises
• Shoulders Substitutes: Reverse delt raises, upright row
• Triceps: Dumbbell skull crushers, dumbbell kickbacks
• Triceps Substitutes: Overhead dumbbell tricep extension, triceps-focused dips
• Core: Planks
• Core Substitutes: Mountain climbers 

The chest, triceps, and shoulders are your primary push muscles, so most of these movements have the word push or press attached.

Your primary pull muscles are your lats and your biceps.

So, you would repeat the same pattern of 1-2 exercises per body part.

Pull Day Example

• Lats: Pull up, bent over dumbbell row
• Lats Substitutes: Dumbbell pull-over, renegade row
• Biceps: Hammer curls, chin-ups
• Biceps Substitute: Alternating dumbbell curls, concentration curls. 
• Core: Sit-ups, hanging leg raises 
• Core Substitutes: Russian twists, side planks

Legs

For legs, instead of 1-2 exercises you will do 3-5 total. The leg days will encompass all of the lower body exercises for the week. You will want to include a squat, hip hinge, and lunge. I include at least one exercise for the lower legs, such as calf raises.

• Squat: Goblet squat, Bulgarian split squat
• Lunge: Reverse lunge
• Glutes/Hamstrings: Single-leg dumbbell deadlift, single-leg dumbbell hip thrust
• Calves: Dumbbell calf raises

Upper Lower Split

This involves doing upper body and lower body work on different days. It can be completed on a 2-day workout split, 4-day workout split, or 6-day workout split. This training split is advantageous because it gives the upper body muscles time to recover while training the lower body muscles and vice versa.

The most common upper-lower split is the 4-day variation. This variation includes two upper-body days and two lower-body days, with heavy work in the first two training sessions and lighter work in the latter sessions. 

4-Day Split:

• Day 1: Lower Heavy
• Day 2: Upper Geavy
• Rest Day
• Day 3: Lower Light
• Day 4: Upper Light

Lower Day Example

• Dumbbell Goblet Squat
• Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift
• Dumbell Walking Lunges
• Bodyweight Jump Squats
• Dumbbell Single-leg Calf Raises

Upper Day Example

• Dumbbell Bench Press
• Dumbbell Pull Over
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Dumbbell Hammer Curls
• Dumbbell Skull Crushers

This split can be advantageous for training for strength on the heavy days with lower rep ranges (e.g., 3-5 per set) and training for hypertrophy on the lighter days with higher rep ranges (muscle mass) (e.g., 10-12).

If you are a busy parent or professional and don’t have enough time to devote 4-6 days to the gym, the 2-day split may be a better option.

Here are some other articles you will love!

The Best Dumbbell Exercises for Chest (+ Sample Workouts)

Top 5 Upper Body Exercises at Home (+ 5 Sample Workouts)

The Ultimate Back and Bicep Dumbbell Workout

2-Day Split Example

• Day 1: Lower
• Day 2: Rest Day
• Day 3: Rest Day
• Day 4: Upper

Since there will only be two days per week, increasing the training volume with additional sets and reps could be advantageous.

For those of you looking to hit each muscle group three times per week, a six-day split is a good option.

6-Day Split Example

• Day 1: Lower
• Day 2: Upper
• Day 3: Lower
• Day 4: Upper
• Day 5: Lower
• Day 6: Upper
• Day 7: Rest Day

Six consecutive days is a very demanding schedule. To avoid overtraining with a higher frequency split like this, you should reduce the volume and intensity of each training session to allow for adequate recovery between sessions.

Lastly, the three days per week full body split.

Full Body Split

This full-body workout routine involves training all the major muscle groups in the same session. For full-body workouts, I like to start with the multi-joint compound movements early in the workout and finish up with single muscle isolation exercises. You can do different exercises for each body part each day of the week or repeat the same exercises.

3 Day Full Body Workout Split

• Day 1: Full Body Workout A
• Day 2: Rest
• Day 3: Full Body Workout B
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: Full Body Workout C
• Days 6-7: Rest

Workout A Example

• Dumbbell Squats
• Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
• Dumbbell Chest Flys
• Bodyweight Dips
• Dumbbell Concentration Curls

Workout B Example

• Dumbbell Overhead Lunge
• Dumbbell Floor Press
• Dumbbell Reverse Flys
• Chin Ups
• Bodyweight Low to High Plank

Workout C Example

• Box/Bench Step up to Calf Raise
• Push Ups
• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
• Dumbbell Kickbacks
• Dumbbell Seated Alternating Curls

The three-day split is one of the best options for busy people. It’s the only split that allows you to train the different muscle groups three times per week without having to work out six days per week. The workouts will be longer than the other splits because you train the entire body in the same workout session. But you will have more recovery days.

Bodybuilding Split

The last split we’ll cover is the traditional bodybuilding split, sometimes called the “bro split.” Bodybuilding splits usually pair two groups of muscles. The most common examples are chest and triceps, back and biceps, and legs and shoulders. Another split is chest and shoulders, back and legs, and biceps and triceps.

Like the other split variations, you can do this workout program on a three-day-per-week schedule, hitting each muscle group once with more exercises. Or, you can do a six-day split, hitting each muscle group twice with fewer exercises per session.

3-Day Bodybuilding Split Example

• Day 1: Chest/Triceps
• Day 2: Rest Day
• Day 3: Back/Biceps
• Day 4: Rest Day
• Day 5: Legs/Shoulders
• Days 6-7: Rest Days

6-Day Bodybuilding Split

• Day 1: Chest/Triceps
• Day 2: Back/Biceps
• Day 3: Legs/ Shoulders
• Day 4: Rest Day
• Day 5: Chest/Triceps
• Day 6: Back/Biceps
• Day 7: Legs/Shoulders

Chest/Triceps Example

• Diamond Push-Ups
• Dumbbell Flys
• Dumbbell Bench Press
• Dumbbell Skull Crushers
• Bench Dips

Back/Biceps Example

• Single Leg Deadlift
• One-Arm Rows
• Pull-Ups
• Dumbbell Hammer Curls
• Dumbbell Standing Wide Grip Curls

Legs/Shoulders Example

• Dumbbell Reverse Lunges
• Box/Bench Step Up to Calf Raise
• Goblet Squat
• Standing Shoulder Press
• Lateral Raises
• Bent Over Lateral Raises

Reps and Sets

The reps/sets scheme depends on your fitness goal. If you are fortunate enough to have a couple of pairs of dumbbells or some heavier weights, a lower rep/heavier load is a great way to develop strength.

If hypertrophy is your goal, a moderate set of dumbbells in the higher rep range of 10-15 reps per set is an excellent place to start. For both strength and hypertrophy, 3-5 sets is good.

Start at the lower end of the rep range and have fewer sets. As the weeks progress, add more reps, then add more sets. Every four or five weeks, give yourself a deload, where you spend a week decreasing either the load or reps and sets. 

Supersets, GiantSets, and Dropsets

Supersets

A superset is when you immediately follow a set working on one muscle group with a set of different muscle groups. This works really well for the bodybuilding style of training. For example, on a Legs/Shoulders day, you could superset goblet squats with a standing shoulder press.

This type of superset allows your lower body to recover while you work your upper body. The superset enables the muscle fibers of one muscle group to rest, but it doesn’t give your body’s energy systems time to replenish. Therefore, it is best to use supersets at the end of a workout.

Giant Sets

Giant sets are a workout technique that performs multiple consecutive exercises for the same muscle group. An example would be a dumbbell bench press, push-ups, and chest flys one after the other, only resting after the last exercise.

Giant sets are a good option when working with limited loads (like a single set of dumbbells), as they can help overload the muscle without heavy weight.

Drop Sets

Drop sets are a method of increasing the volume of an exercise. Drop sets require you to have multiple loads available (e.g., a full set of dumbbells). An example of a drop set would be performing a set of 10 hammer curls with 35-pound dumbbells. Immediately after finishing the set, you would pick up a pair of 25 lb dumbbells and perform another 8-10 reps.

You can also do multiple drop sets, dropping the weight 10-20% and repeating it for equal or slightly fewer reps than the set before.

The best way to reap the benefit of advanced training techniques like drop sets is to use them on your final set of an exercise. If you start doing drop sets too early in a set, you will decrease your performance for the remaining sets.

Rest Days

No matter what split you choose, you want to give your body enough time to recover. I like to take a day off after each session for a three-day per week program. If there is a session where I’m still sore or wake up with a lot of fatigue, I will take two days off after that session.

That’s why I don’t like trying to stick to a Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine. Sometimes, I need two days after a hard push day to recover. Don’t force yourself to workout if you aren’t recovered. The gains come outside the gym with a good diet, sleep, and rest.

Also, feel free to go over seven days if you need to. Your body doesn’t know the difference between seven days and nine days. It just knows if you did the work and you properly recovered from it.

Forcing yourself to stick to regimented workout routines can be a recipe for disaster for many busy people. Just focus on getting in the workout when you’re recovered.

Rest Between Sets

Rest between sets is important. You want to ensure you rest enough to allow your body’s energy systems to recover so you can best perform the next set. But you also don’t want to spend three hours working out because you’re resting ten minutes after each set.

Here are some general recommendations for rest periods:

• Lightweight higher rep sets (15/25) require a minimum of 30-60 seconds of rest after each set.
• Moderate weight moderate reps (8-12) sets require 60-90 seconds of rest after each set.
• Heavy weight low reps (1-6) require 2-4 minutes seconds of rest after each set.

Training Cycles

A training split is usually completed as part of a larger training cycle. Training cycles vary in duration and intensity based on the athlete’s goal.

Training cycles occur in three periods:

Microcycles: Microcycles are usually planned for days or weeks. This is typically a one-to-four-week workout plan.

Mesocycles: Mesocycles incorporate the microcycles into several weeks or months. This is most commonly seen as a 12-week workout plan.

Macrocycles: Macrocycles incorporate microcycles and mesocycles to achieve a long-term training program. This is usually a 6-month to years-long plan.

I recommend sticking with any weight training program for at least 8 weeks.

The best way to ensure you get the most out of your training split is to include a balance of progressive overload and deload periods.

Progressive overload is the gradual increase of load, frequency, or volume to allow the body to adapt to an increased training demand. This can lead to enhanced strength and musculature.

Deload is the removal of that stimulus at the opportune time to allow the body to recover from the period of progressive overload training. Deload periods are then followed by another period of progressive overload.

Most progressive overload periods last about three weeks and are followed by a week-long deload period. The deload period can be an entire week off if you feel your body needs that to recover. Or, you can do the same workouts with less weight or fewer sets or reps.

One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started lifting weights was never incorporating a deload period into my strength training program. It’s not surprising that I was constantly overtrained.

It can feel like taking the foot off the gas when you deload. That’s because, technically, you are, but only so you can go faster down the road.

FAQs

What if I don’t have a set of dumbbells 

If you don’t have a set of dumbbells and don’t want a set of dumbbells, then I recommend giving kettlebells a try. Kettlebells are a great tool for at home workouts because of their versatility. They can do most things dumbbells can do and a whole lot more. You can do a lot with just your body weight as well. Eventually, as you become more advanced, you will need to work with heavy weights. 

Here are a few kettlebell-focused articles you might enjoy:

I Did a Kettlebell Workout Everyday for 15 Days

Full Body 22 Minute Kettlebell Workout for Strength

Best Kettlebell Chest Workout to Build Bigger Pecs

What if my set of dumbbells are too light?

No matter how heavy your dumbbells are, there are a few ways to maximize your lifts.

Focus on each portion of the movement.

Concentric Muscle Action: A muscle action in which the muscle can overcome the resistance, leading to the muscle shortening. Example: Lifting your body during a pull-up. That means focusing on maintaining proper form to accentuate the concentric portion of the lift. The concentric portion should be explosive. You want to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible to generate maximum force.

Then, at the end of the range of motion, squeeze the muscle to facilitate the mind-muscle connection. For example, squeezing your bicep during dumbbell curls before lowering the dumbbell back to the starting position.

Eccentric Muscle Action: A muscle action occurs when a muscle cannot develop sufficient tension. It is overcome by an external load and thus progressively lengthens. Example: lowering your body during a pull-up.

To accentuate the eccentric muscle action, you need to control the weight as you lower it. Don’t let it fall to the ground. In a dumbbell curl, the weight is reduced slowly, focusing on fighting against gravity and the force of the dumbbell.

Isometric Muscle Action: A muscle action that occurs when a muscle generates a force against resistance but does not overcome it so that no movement takes place. An example is performing a plank.

For our dumbbell example, pausing a rep halfway when your elbow is at a 90-degree angle and holding the weight there for 10 seconds or more. Again, you will be fighting gravity and the force of the dumbbell. This is called an “isohold.”

Putting it All Together

There is a lot of information in this article. We talked about workout splits, training techniques, and rest and recovery. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s okay. There is a lot more to strength and conditioning than most people realize.

Designing your own workout splits can be a lot. It is a lot of planning weeks and months in advance. It’s a lot of determining what exercises you should do, the number of reps and sets you need to achieve your goals, and learning how to perform each exercise to get the best results. At the end of the day, the best workout split is the one you’re most likely to stick to.

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