There are almost endless training programs and ways to split training routines – that is, to divide them into different muscle groups. It is easy to get lost in all the options, and it is not always easy to decide. To figure this out, you first need to be clear about your goals and realistically assess external circumstances such as time management and motivation.
The right training plan is primarily determined by your goal
First of all, you should always ask yourself what goals you want to achieve with your training. Is it mainly about losing weight or losing body fat? Do you mainly want to build a lot of muscle mass? Do you want to become stronger for a specific sport? Is the goal to get rid of physical discomfort such as back or knee pain or to prevent it with strength training?
Once you have clearly answered this question for yourself, you need to decide how much time you will spend training. Is it once or twice a week, three to four times, or five to six times? You should think realistically and, especially if you are new to strength training, not start with too much. It will ultimately lead nowhere if you wish to be in the gym four times a week but end up only making it once or twice because other priorities call.Once these two questions have been clearly answered, you can also decide which type of training program makes sense. In this blog post and the following article, the two goals of fat loss – colloquially known as losing weight – and muscle building are described. When pursued smartly, these go hand in hand with the goals of health and performance.
Training frequency ultimately determines whether you train one or more training plans in the same training phase, that is, whether you split your training. Your goal determines the form of the split and which training methods are used.
What exactly does a training plan split mean?
Within a training phase, you have the option of training the entire phase with the same training plan or performing two or even six different plans. You split the exercises so that you have, for example, a lower body day and an upper body day. Further examples follow below in the text.
The system, or training method, should generally remain the same within a training phase. For example, the repetition range, the total time the muscles are under tension, as well as the rest periods and number of sets, should be the same. Splitting is therefore simply about performing different exercises on different days so that the respective muscle group can recover for longer. If strength training takes place more than twice a week, it makes sense to split.
How long should a training plan be used?
For maximum progress in training, you should change the training program every three to four weeks. The body adapts during this time, making it difficult or impossible to increase your progress afterward.
Variation is the key to success. A good coach can often quickly recognize what is limiting you from increasing your progress in a basic exercise and thus select the right exercises for the next training phase. Therefore, it is better to leave creating a training plan to a professional with expertise. In addition, the nervous system needs new stimuli, and the metabolism sometimes needs to recover from a training phase of high volume or intensity.
Fat loss goal: Which training plan is best for losing weight?
First of all, it must be emphasized here that nutrition is always the foundation, especially when it comes to aesthetic goals. An important point here is the breakfast.
From a purely training perspective, two things should be strongly focused on if the primary goal is body fat reduction: volume and global training stimulus:
There are different definitions of volume within a training session. In this article, it refers to the total time the target muscles are under active tension. Accordingly, it is calculated by the total number of exercise sets, repetitions per set, and exercise tempo. Volume should be kept relatively high. One way to achieve this is through the number of repetitions. For example, 10–12 or 12–15 repetitions are well suited here. Especially for beginners, a controlled tempo should be used; lowering the weight for four seconds and then moving it fairly quickly in the other direction (pressing/pulling) is a sensible tempo.
Global training stimulus means that the largest muscle groups and, above all, the entire body must work during the session. This creates a highly metabolic stimulus, which prompts the body to switch to fat burning. Therefore, full-body plans are best suited for fat loss training plans. For example, alternating two exercises, one for the upper body and one for the lower body, is one way to work globally.
So, for example, a deep squat with 12 repetitions could be alternated with 12 repetitions of bench presses. One minute of rest in between will be sufficient, as the respective body part can recover during the other exercise. Women tend to cope well with shorter rest periods and higher volume. This means they can train well in the high repetition range, while men often fatigue more quickly here.
How should you split a full-body plan?
If someone who primarily wants to lose weight should train more than twice a week, then – as already described above – more than one training plan should be used per training phase. However, since the global stimulus should still remain, the body parts must be divided differently.
There are, of course, different systems, such as push-and-pull days. One proposed option here would be to focus more on the front of the thighs as well as the upper back and chest in one plan, while integrating the back of the legs, glutes, lower back, and arms more into the second full-body plan. Of course, certain muscle groups will still be recruited in both plans, but often more for stabilization. Abs, or abdominal muscles, can theoretically always be trained alongside other exercises, as they have different functions than, for example, the biceps.
Splitting a full-body plan into more than two sessions is not very sensible, so you should generally stick to strength training four times a week in a fat loss program. However, an advanced person could additionally complete functional conditioning training, for example in interval form. Cyclic cardio such as running for hours is less recommended, as this creates hormonal stimuli that can be counterproductive, especially in people who are already under stress.
For example, the cortisol level, or stress hormone level, is driven up too long and constantly, which leads to more fat being stored in the belly and hips. In fact, appearances can often be deceiving here, because many people think that if they lose a few kilos on the scale because they were regularly on the elliptical or treadmill, they have actually lost body fat. Most of the time, however, a large part of that is muscle, which makes the glutes and legs look flabby and the belly pooch still remains.
Example plan: Body fat reduction training plan 1–2x training per week
1. Always perform two exercises alternately ; the respective letters belong together accordingly.
2. Take a 60-second rest between the exercises. The goal is to increase the repetitions or the weight in every training session.
3. For all exercises, perform 3 sets of 10–12 repetitions. If you can only manage 10 repetitions with the respective weight, do not increase the weight in the next training session, but aim for 12 repetitions.
This is merely an example program that should definitely be adapted individually to different factors in practice. Mobility (active flexibility), strength, stability, and any weak or painful points should always be taken into account.
A1 Deep squat
A2 Lat pulldown, shoulder-width
B1 45⁰ Back extension
B2 35⁰ Dumbbell bench press
C1 Cable row to the belly
C2 Lunges (6–8 repetitions per leg)
D1 Forearm plank, hold for 45 seconds (instead of 12 repetitions)
D2 Sit-ups