Split translated from English means “to divide.” The essence of split training is that at one time you do not work all the muscles of the body, but only 1-2 or 3 zones. That is, you train muscle groups separately throughout the week. For example, on the first day - biceps and back, on the second - legs, abs and shoulders, on the third - chest and triceps. Other grouping options are also possible.
Who is the split suitable for?
Split training involves detailed work on each part of the body and is designed for advanced athletes. For a beginner, it will simply be too difficult to work on one or two body parts for 30-40 minutes.
For girls who have recently started visiting the gym, a circuit training program is better suited. After a few months, the body will adapt to the stress and it will be possible to move to the next level. Training based on the principle of separating muscle groups requires sufficient preparation and the ability to perform basic exercises.
Split is not suitable for those who often have to skip workouts and are not ready to work out according to a specific schedule. Discipline and strict adherence to frequency are important here.
Regardless of your level of preparation and schedule, you need to choose a specific training program individually. It's better to spend some time experimenting and finding what really suits you. You can try the circuit principle and try splits. This way you will decide which training method is right for you.
Many people find it difficult to choose a training system for themselves. If difficulties arise, you can contact a coach who develops programs for girls. It is quite possible that you will like the program with split elements the most.
Example program
The following program is provided as an example.
You can make changes to it in accordance with your individual characteristics - work schedule, favorite exercises and level of training. Day 1: legs/buttocks and abs
- Squats with a barbell or bodybar (for beginners). Wide stance of the legs, toes pointing diagonally.
- Lunges with dumbbells.
- Romanian style deadlift (Romanian deadlift).
- Calf raises in a machine or with dumbbells.
- Hanging leg raises for abs. Perform as many repetitions per set as you can.
- Twisting the body on an incline bench.
- Plank. Try to increase the time spent in the plank pose from 30 seconds to 2 minutes per approach.
Day 2: back and biceps
- Pull-ups. If you can’t do a single pull-up, use negative reps. That is, you rise to the top point by standing on a pedestal or bench, and from there you slowly lower your body using the muscles of your back and arms. Do as many repetitions as you can.
- Pull of the upper block behind the head.
- Barbell row to the stomach.
- Row a dumbbell to the waist with each hand alternately. We count the number of repetitions and approaches for each hand.
- Hyperextension.
- Curling arms with dumbbells for biceps.
Day 3: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
- Push-ups with wide arms. If you cannot perform the required number of times, simplify the exercise by standing on your knees.
- Dumbbell bench press.
- Dumbbell raises.
- Standing overhead dumbbell press.
- Standing dumbbell lateral raises
- Reverse push-ups.
- Extension of arms for triceps in a block simulator.
Nutritional Features
When split training, as with any other, it is necessary to follow the principles of a healthy diet and use healthy foods as a source of energy. Of course, under the influence of the load, the muscles will become stronger, regardless of your nutrition. But excessive consumption of sweet, fried and fast food will make these changes insignificant and poorly noticeable.
The nutrition program is adjusted depending on the goals of the training, as well as the time of training. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to be especially careful. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the caloric content of the diet and maintain the correct proportions of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Compliance with the principles of proper nutrition is especially important for girls, as their body accumulates fat deposits faster and takes longer to build muscle tissue. A proper nutrition program and regular exercise help adjust your metabolism and set your body up for the desired changes.
We must not forget the importance of water. On training days, your rate increases. If you usually drink 2 liters of water per day, you will need approximately 2.5 liters during exercise.
Frequency of classes
For most girls, going to the gym 3 times a week is enough. The program is designed so that training days alternate with rest. If desired, on rest days you can do swimming, yoga or cardio exercises.
If you can’t structure your week so that there is rest between classes, you can do 2 days in a row, but then one workout should be more difficult and the other easier. Also, you should not do split training 3 days in a row. This load is too serious and is only suitable for professional athletes.
Building a lesson
Any workout can be broken down into components. This is a warm-up, a working part and a post-workout cool-down. Also below is an example of a three-day split program.
Warm-up
Even if you train one or two zones, you need to warm up your whole body before exercise. Warm up for 5-7 minutes. You can work out on a cardio machine or perform a standard joint warm-up, which many remember from school physical education lessons (circular rotations with arms and legs, head turns, mill, squats, etc.).
Main part
To begin with, here are the general principles of doing the exercises.
- To tone muscles and maintain shape for each part of the body, it is enough to do 3-4 exercises of 12-15 repetitions in 3 sets. Choose a medium weight to feel the load. Rest between sets is 40–60 seconds, and between exercises – 1.5 minutes.
- For girls who are working on body definition and losing weight, it is recommended to work with small weights with a higher number of repetitions (15–20, in some exercises can be increased to 20–25). In this case, the pace should be kept slightly above average, and the rest between exercises should be reduced if possible.
- When working on mass, on the contrary, you need to increase the working weight to close to the maximum (for beginners to slightly above average), reducing the number of repetitions to 8–12. You should rest 60–90 seconds between sets and 2.5 minutes when changing exercises.
Whatever your training goals, proper technique plays a huge role. Improper execution of movements is not only ineffective, but also dangerous, especially when working with weights.
The cycle phase is important in girls’ training. At the beginning of the month, you can increase the load, try new exercises and devote more time to aerobic exercise. In the second half of the cycle, it is worth giving the body a rest from intense exercise and, if you feel unwell, reduce weight or reduce repetitions.
Example program
The following program is provided as an example. You can make changes to it in accordance with your individual characteristics - work schedule, favorite exercises and level of training.
Day 1: legs/buttocks and abs
- Squats with a barbell or bodybar (for beginners). Wide stance of the legs, toes pointing diagonally.
- Lunges with dumbbells.
- Romanian style deadlift (Romanian deadlift).
- Calf raises in a machine or with dumbbells.
- Hanging leg raises for abs. Perform as many repetitions per set as you can.
- Twisting the body on an incline bench.
- Plank. Try to increase the time spent in the plank pose from 30 seconds to 2 minutes per approach.
Day 2: back and biceps
- Pull-ups. If you can’t do a single pull-up, use negative reps. That is, you rise to the top point by standing on a pedestal or bench, and from there you slowly lower your body using the muscles of your back and arms. Do as many repetitions as you can.
- Pull of the upper block behind the head.
- Barbell row to the stomach.
- Row a dumbbell to the waist with each hand alternately. We count the number of repetitions and approaches for each hand.
- Hyperextension.
- Curling arms with dumbbells for biceps.
Day 3: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
- Push-ups with wide arms. If you cannot perform the required number of times, simplify the exercise by standing on your knees.
- Dumbbell bench press.
- Dumbbell raises.
- Standing overhead dumbbell press.
- Standing dumbbell lateral raises
- Reverse push-ups.
- Extension of arms for triceps in a block simulator.
Finishing the session and stretching
For girls who want a toned and slender body, final stretching is very important. It helps relax muscles and calm breathing. Skipping stretches will lead to severe muscle pain the next day. If you sabotage stretching regularly, the muscles will become stiff and the likelihood of injury will increase. You can use a short yoga routine or classic stretching movements.
Focus on the muscles you worked on, but don't forget about the rest of your body. Your session also involved a lot of stabilizer muscles. You need a comprehensive stretching program that you can repeat after each session.
On average, each split workout takes from 30–40 minutes to an hour. The duration depends on how long you rested between reps and exercises.
Split is ideal for those girls for whom circuit training is not enough to get the desired results. The program can be compiled independently or with the help of a trainer. Due to the fact that only certain muscle groups are worked out in one session, the workout will not take much time and will be very intense.
Split training for girls at home
It is not at all necessary to visit the gym to emphasize some of the advantages of your figure or lose excess weight. There is a split workout for girls at home. For more variety, professionals recommend purchasing dumbbells. However, at the initial stage you can cope without them. Three-day split training for girls at home:
- First day. At the very beginning, the lady should pay attention to the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps. To do this, you need to perform push-ups from the floor with various inclinations. Place your feet on a bed or other ledge. You can also bend your knees. You should perform 12-15 repetitions in four sets. It is recommended to add reverse push-ups to the program. You need to perform them 10 times with 3-4 approaches.
- Second lesson. Pumping the legs and buttocks. The best exercises that target these muscle groups are Burpees, squats, and lunges. Athletes recommend performing 15-20 repetitions over five sets. There should be no more than 60 seconds of rest between exercises. You can't sit down at the very end of your workout. A person needs to move and restore breathing for 10-15 minutes.
- The third day. Working out the biceps and abdominal muscles. To train your biceps you will need dumbbells. You can buy them at any sports store. You need to do simple biceps curls. It's best to do 12 reps in 3-4 sets. After this, you should start pumping the press. You need to perform 12 chest raises to the knees. The number of approaches is selected individually. You also need to do 15 leg raises in four sets.
You should train every other day so that your muscles have time to rest. In some cases, the rest time can be increased. The muscles must recover completely. Training at home should be done responsibly. To make it interesting, the girl can turn on music.
