A good workout plan fits your days: full body on 2 to 3 days, upper/lower on 4, push, pull, legs on 5 to 6. More important than the split is that every muscle gets enough sets per week [1].
1. Which split fits your days?
With the same number of sets, it doesn’t matter for growth how often per week you train a muscle [1]. Two sessions per muscle do spread the sets so no workout gets out of hand [2]. That gives you the split:
| Days per week | Plan | Workouts in rotation |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 | Full Body | 2 |
| 4 | Upper and Lower Body | 4 |
| 5–6 | Push, Pull, Legs | 3 |
| up to 3, goal strength | Compound Lifts | 2 |
If you mainly want strength and have 3 days or fewer, the compound lifts plan fits: few exercises, heavy sets.
2. Which exercises, in what order?
Start each workout with compound lifts that move many muscles at once, like squats, bench presses or rows. Then medium exercises, and small exercises for single muscles last. That way you have the most strength for the heavy lifts.
Tarvo’s plans have 3 to 6 exercises per workout.
3. How many reps?
Muscles grow equally with light and heavy loads as long as the set gets close to failure; for maximal strength, heavy loads matter [3, 4]. So small exercises can go high, and compound lifts for strength stay low:
| Goal | Compound | Medium | Isolation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle building | 6–10 | 8–12 | 12–20 |
| Strength | 3–6 | 6–8 | 10–15 |
| Both | 5–8 | 6–10 | 10–15 |
The rep ranges Tarvo plans with. Beginners never go below 5 reps on compound lifts.
4. How many sets?
Tarvo plans 2 sets per exercise if you’re new, 3 with some experience and 4 if you’re experienced. That gives each muscle about 8, 12 or 16 hard sets per week, in the range that works well [5]. More in Sets per muscle.
5. How long to rest?
Compound lifts 2:30 min, 3:00 min with a strength goal, medium exercises 2:00 min, small ones 1:30 min. Above 90 seconds, rest makes no visible difference for growth [6]; for strength, more than 2 minutes helps on compound lifts [7]. More in Rest between sets.
And then?
A plan only works if it grows with you. How to progress week after week is covered in Progressive overload.
Sources
- [1]Schoenfeld, Grgic, Krieger (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy?. J Sports Sci. doi 10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906Meta-analysis of 25 studies. With the same number of sets, muscles grew equally regardless of weekly frequency.
- [2]Helms, Fitschen, Aragon, Cronin, Schoenfeld (2015). Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: resistance and cardiovascular training. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govReview for natural bodybuilding. Most reps between 6 and 12, each muscle at least twice a week.
- [3]Schoenfeld, Grgic, Ogborn, Krieger (2017). Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training. J Strength Cond Res. doi 10.1519/jsc.0000000000002200Meta-analysis of 21 studies. Muscles grew equally with light and heavy loads; strength grew more with heavy loads.
- [4]Lopez et al. (2021). Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. doi 10.1249/mss.0000000000002585Network meta-analysis of 28 studies. No difference in growth between light, moderate and heavy loads; heavy loads win for strength.
- [5]Pelland, Remmert, Robinson, Hinson, Zourdos (2024). The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain. SportRxiv (Vorabfassung). sportrxiv.orgMeta-regression of 67 studies. More sets bring more growth with diminishing returns; secondary muscles fit best counted as half.
- [6]Singer, Wolf et al. (2024). Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy. Front Sports Act Living. doi 10.3389/fspor.2024.1429789Meta-analysis of 9 studies. A small edge above 60 seconds, no visible difference for growth above 90 seconds.
- [7]Grgic et al. (2018). Effects of Rest Interval Duration in Resistance Training on Measures of Muscular Strength. Sports Med. doi 10.1007/s40279-017-0788-xReview of 23 studies. More than 2 minutes of rest for maximal strength in trained lifters.