When it comes to the best training split for size, arguments abound. There are multiple schools of thoughts at play. Some swear by traditional one bodypart once a week routine. With the recent invasion of powerlifting and sports performance training methods into the physique world many coaches and individuals are advocating full body routines with their support being that no muscle works in isolation. Who is right and who is wrong? In my opinion, the best way to figure out what is right for you is to look at all the methods that are out there.

Trying to increase muscular size and definition is not mutually exclusive to body part split, there is a few other ways to get it done. Let us take a short Pro/Con approach. Knowing that the three characteristics to muscle growth are volume, intensity and frequency we see that each split has their own advantages and disadvantages.

Body part splits once a week

Pros
-Highest amount of recovery
-Potential least CNS fatiguing
-Highest volume per body part

Cons
-Infrequent muscle stimulation
-Inability to use greatest total load per session
-Least amount of total muscle recruitment per session
-Lower amount of calorie usage

Body part splits twice a week

Pros
-More frequent muscle stimulation
-Greatest total volume per body part
-Lack of full recovery

Cons
-Greater likelihood of adrenal fatigue
-Potential for wasted energy
-Inability to use greatest total load

Total Body Training

Pros
-Frequent muscle stimulation
-Ability to use more total muscle
-Ability to use greater total loads

Cons
-Inability to significantly improve a specific movement
-Lack of isolation exercises may leave specific bodyparts under stimulated
-Impaired recovery

Upper/Lower Split

Pros
-Increased focus on specific areas
-Appropriate mix of frequency and intensity
-Ability to significantly increase lifts
-Ability to focus on weak areas

Cons
-Lack of significant volume


Upper/Lower Split with body part training

Pros
-Appropriate mix of volume, frequency and intensity
-Mix of recovery and lack of recovery
-Ability to increase lifts while focusing on specific weaknesses

Cons
-Increased risk of fatigue if training is not monitored correctly
-Increased likelihood of wasted exercises on body part days


As you can see, each split has positives and negatives. One is not better then the other and each split is appropriate at certain times. Breaking each split down according to volume, intensity and frequency categories produces the following:

Volume splits: Body part splits once a week, Body part splits twice a week, Total body training, Upper/lower split with body part training.

Intensity splits: Upper/lower splits, Upper/lower splits with body part training

Frequency splits: Body part splits twice a week, total body training, upper/lower splits with body part training

When we look at the breakdown, we see that only one method falls into each category, upper/lower splits with body part training. This method not only allows us to focus on increasing specific lifts but also to have direct work on the areas that we need to improve. In short, we have increased volume with proper intensity and frequent muscle stimulation. That is where my money goes!