When I chat with new clients and ask what their training looks like, I almost always hear some version of this:
“I train three or four times a week. Day one is chest and triceps, day two is back and biceps, day three is legs, and day four is shoulders.”
Sound familiar?
This “bro split” is one of the first things I flag. It’s an easy fix — and changing it can seriously improve your results.
The Problem with the Bro Split
Despite being massively popular, body part splits — bro splits, push/pull/legs, even upper/lower — aren’t great for most people.
They got popular because they worked for elite bodybuilders. Guys with elite genetics, on performance enhancing drugs, and with the luxury of training 5–6 days a week. They were built for people who needed insane amounts of training volume in a single session to get any adaptation at all. That’s not most people.
If you’re not on steroids, with a job, a life, and limited training time, these splits give you a pretty poor return on effort.
They assume you can handle high volume in a single session without your performance tanking. You probably can’t — and that’s normal.
Why Full-Body Training Wins
If you train 4 times per week or fewer, full-body routines win. Research backs it. Real-world results do too.
1. More Chances to Grow
Training works in cycles: stress → recovery → adaptation.
Hitting a muscle once a week with 20 sets? Not ideal.
Hitting it 2–3 times a week with fewer sets each time? Way better.
Think of it like this:
- Full-body = watering a plant a few times a week
- Bro split = drenching a plant in water for an hour every 7 days
And this isn’t just gym lore — studies show higher frequency leads to more muscle growth, especially if you’re past the beginner stage.
“A training frequency of ≥2x/week per muscle group is generally superior for hypertrophy and strength.” – Schoenfeld et al., 2016
2. Less Junk Volume, More Quality Work
Doing 12 sets for chest in one workout? By set 8, your reps are trash. You’re just going through the motions.
Spread that volume out, and suddenly:
- You lift heavier
- Your form’s better
- You’re not half-asleep during your last sets
Big difference. Less garbage volume, more effective reps.
3. Better Recovery, Faster Gains
When you stop trying to annihilate a muscle in one session, your body bounces back faster.
That means you can train it again in 48–72 hours — and get another chance to grow without feeling wrecked.
Perfect for natural lifters.
4. Way More Efficient
Full-body workouts let you hit everything without wasting time.
Superset smartly (like squats and chin-ups), and you’re training hard the whole time.
You’ll cover:
- Squats
- Hinges
- Pushes (horizontal + vertical)
- Pulls (same)
- Core + accessories
All in about 45–70 minutes. Way better than a 90-minute bro split where you end up doing five variations of curls and staring at your phone between sets.
What About PPL or Upper/Lower?
Push/pull/legs and upper/lower splits can work — but only if you’re training 5–6 times a week consistently, managing fatigue, and recovering well.
Most people don’t.
If you’re training 2–4 days a week, these splits usually mean:
- Uneven volume
- Missed sessions = skipped muscle groups
- Lower frequency = slower progress
“But More Exercises = More Gains, Right?”
Not really.
“More productive work over time = more growth. Not more junk crammed into one workout.”
Adding more lifts when you’re already fried doesn’t help — it just becomes empty volume.
A 2022 review backs this up: intensity and frequency matter more than sheer volume (as long as you hit the minimum effective dose).
Final Thoughts
If your training split looks like it came from a 1980s bodybuilding mag, it’s probably holding you back.
Unless you’re genetically blessed, on gear, and training nearly every day, the bro split isn’t helping.
Want better gains with less burnout?
👉 Switch to a full-body or high-frequency split that matches your life and recovery.
Train smart. You’ll grow faster — and feel better doing it.
And if you want help training smarter with a program that really works, click the button below to book a consultation:
[button url=”https://londonbodycoach.com/consultation” text=”Book Your Free Consultation”]
References
- Schoenfeld, B. J., et al. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Grgic, J., et al. (2022). Resistance Training Frequency and Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Review of Available Evidence.