Full body vs push pull legs: which split suits you?
Both work. The right split is the one that fits how many days you can train and how you recover. Here’s how to choose.
Full body
Every session trains the whole body, usually two or three times a week. Each muscle gets hit often, missing a day costs little, and sessions are efficient. The trade-off: you can only do a few exercises per muscle each time, and heavy squats and deadlifts in the same week as everything else can be tiring.
Push pull legs
Sessions are grouped by movement: pushing (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling (back, biceps) and legs. Three days a week gives each muscle one big session; six days gives it two. Sessions are focused and leave room for more exercises per muscle.
How to choose
- 2 days a week: full body, so every muscle still gets trained twice.
- 3 days: full body or push pull legs both work. Full body hits each muscle more often; push pull legs gives longer focus per muscle.
- 4 days: upper / lower is the sweet spot for most people.
- 5–6 days: a body part split or 6-day push pull legs, if you can recover from it.
Training each muscle about twice a week tends to beat once a week for building muscle, as long as the total number of hard sets is similar. Pick the split you’ll actually stick to, and give it at least two or three months before judging it.