Don't just throw weights around, plan out your workouts

When it comes to structuring a workout routine, fitness enthusiasts often find themselves at a crossroads: Should they focus on specific muscle groups throughout the week or opt for a multiple muscle group workout each session? Both approaches have their merits, and the choice ultimately depends on your goals, schedule, and personal preferences. In this post, we’ll break down the differences between these two workout strategies to help you decide which might be best for you.

What do you mean by "Targeting Specific Muscle Groups?"

This approach, often referred to as a "split routine," involves dedicating specific days to specific muscle groups. An example of this training method would look like:

What are the benefits to working out in this pattern? For starters it allows for better muscle fatigue as you are targeting one muscle group for a longer period of time, helping get to that muscle hypertrophy and in turn better muscle growth. This method also gives your muscles ample time to recover before their next workout, avoiding injury or over training.

Training multiple muscle groups at a time also has its benefits; let's look at the PPL strategy

The Push-Pull-Legs strategy involves breaking down your routine into 3 major groups; Push Day focusing on Chest, Triceps and Anterior Delts; Pull Day focusing on Back, Biceps and Posterior Delts; Legs focusing on lower body. This strategy can be broken down into two different options depending on how much time you have throughout the week to work out.

Option 1:

This option allows for ample time for each muscle group to recover while still ensuring each muscle group gets adequate focus. This method has been seen to promote muscle growth quickly while still allowing balanced growth across all muscle groups. This strategy also allows you to be able to skip a day and pick back up in the routine without feeling like you missed a day of training by adjusting the "rest day" location in the week.

Option 2:

While not as intense, this option does work better for novice lifters and individuals with heavy schedules that may not be able to spend as much time in the gym. With only a 4 day workout week it is easy to adjust rest days and feel better about missed days throughout the week.

Another Popular split option: Upper/Lower Splits

This is another workout plan that is good for individuals that have sporadic schedules as you can pick up where you left off easily. In this workout plan you are workout out 4 days a week going back and forth between upper and lower body workouts. This method is ideal for lifters looking for a more balanced approach to lifting, however you need to be cognizant not to work the same exercises multiple times a week, adding variety to your upper and lower body workouts each week is going to provide more balanced results in muscle growth.

Choosing which is right for you

Personal Goals: If your goal is hypertrophy (muscle growth), the PPL method can provide an efficient way to hit each muscle group multiple times a week. However, if you're focusing on specific aesthetic goals or are a beginner, a more traditional approach might work better initially.

Time Commitment: Evaluate how many days you can realistically dedicate to working out. If you can manage six days, PPL is a fantastic option. If your schedule is tighter, consider a simplified version with fewer days.

Enjoyment and Motivation: Ultimately, the best workout routine is one that you enjoy and can stick to. Experimenting with the PPL structure can keep your workouts fresh and exciting, helping you stay motivated on your fitness journey.