Hyperthrophy Splits Discussion

[Davy]

We all know the standard cookie-cutter advice given to natties: "Hit every muscle group twice a week, keep volume low-to-moderate, focus on progressive overload." While that’s fine for the average gymbro, the game changes entirely when you introduce an enhanced chemical profile.

The old-school 90s response was the High Concentrated Volume bro split (annihilating a muscle once a week with 25+ sets). The modern science-based response leans heavily toward high-frequency PPL or Upper/Lower variations.

But what actually yields the absolute best? Let's break down the most popular splits:

1. The Modern Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) – 6-Day Rotation​

• The Blueprint: Push / Pull / Legs / Rest / Repeat (or a straight 6 days on, 1 day off).
• The Logic: Keeps frequency high. You capitalise on constant protein synthesis by hitting everything every 4 to 5 days.

2. The Arnold Split (Chest/Back, Shoulders/Arms, Legs)​

• The Blueprint: Chest & Back / Shoulders & Arms / Legs / Repeat.
• The Logic: Massive, skin-splitting pumps due to agonist/antagonist training. It allows you to dedicate an entire day to arms and shoulders, which often get left with the scraps at the end of a PPL session.

3. The Upper/Lower Split (Torso/Limbs)​

• The Blueprint: Torso (Chest/Back/Shoulders) / Limbs (Biceps/Triceps/Legs) / Rest.
• The Logic: Incredible for arm and leg specialization. It balances out the recovery demands beautifully by separating the heavy trunk movements from the peripheral limbs.

4. The High-Intensity, Low-Frequency Dorian's Style​

• The Blueprint: Lower frequency (training 3–4 days a week), extreme low volume (1–2 working sets to absolute failure), max rest (sometimes even 4-5 minutes).
• The Logic: Forces massive mechanical tension and lets the chemistry handle the rest during deep recovery windows.

Which is your favourite?​

The "best" split is the one you can progress on without your joints screaming, but everyone's unique biomechanics and recovery thresholds dictate a different path.

• How do you structure your microcycle? Are you a 7-day calendar planner, or do you let your split rotate freely based on how you feel?
• How do you adjust volume vs. frequency? When you are pushing, do you scale up the volume per session, or do you increase the frequency of the stimulus?
• What does your current split look like right now?

 

[Davy]

Arnold Split Hypertrophy Focused (With Anterior/Posterior rotation)

Split (6 days on 1 off):
Day 1 — Chest & Back
Day 2 — Shoulders & Arms
Day 3 — Legs (Quads focus)
Day 4 — Chest & Back
Day 5 — Shoulders & Arms
Day 6 — Legs (Hams focus)
Day 7 — Cardio (30 mins x 2 machines)

Principles I follow:
Hypertrophy-first: compounds 4 to 8 reps for tension, accessories 12 to 15 for volume, finishers 15 to 25 for abs and calves usually.
Weekly volume target: 20 to 25 sets per muscle, adjust by recovery and feedback.
Prioritize mind-muscle, short rests (60 to 90s) on accessories and finishers, longer on heavy sets.
Manage joints with mobility (I hate doing it but i do 3 mins pre lift)

Observed effects with this split:

-Faster recovery between sessions, permitting slightly higher weekly volume.
-Enhanced muscle fullness and quicker strength increases.
-Still required programmed deloads and joint-management to avoid overuse.

Results: clearer striations and greater muscle definition in chest and hamstrings, really improved training frequency tolerance.

 

[Falcon]

I usually do a variation of upper-lower because this seems most balanced for me. One upper day is usually push focused, the other is pull focused, and the lower days are also usually one with quad focus and one with glute and hamstring focus, calves added to whichever, and abs also added to 2-3 days. I've been training this way since I to switched to the Fierce 4 which has a similar structure about 8-9 years ago, and just switch the exercises up whenever I feel burnt out and can't progress anymore. Sometimes even small changes return my energy.

I usually have to modify the pre-made programs to work around my injuries. There are some great exercises that I can't do because they really hurt my joints, especially knees, so I have to replace them with less effective ones while building up knee strength. I can painlessly do some things now that always used to hurt, but I still have to avoid others.

Then cardio, of course, I try to cram in a short session after my lifting, and have a day or two per week for a longer one. This is all I can fit into my days now.

 

[Davy]

I usually do a variation of upper-lower because this seems most balanced for me. One upper day is usually push focused, the other is pull focused, and the lower days are also usually one with quad focus and one with glute and hamstring focus, calves added to whichever, and abs also added to 2-3 days. I've been training this way since I to switched to the Fierce 4 which has a similar structure about 8-9 years ago, and just switch the exercises up whenever I feel burnt out and can't progress anymore. Sometimes even small changes return my energy.

I usually have to modify the pre-made programs to work around my injuries. There are some great exercises that I can't do because they really hurt my joints, especially knees, so I have to replace them with less effective ones while building up knee strength. I can painlessly do some things now that always used to hurt, but I still have to avoid others.

Then cardio, of course, I try to cram in a short session after my lifting, and have a day or two per week for a longer one. This is all I can fit into my days now.

Yeah of course you can't just follow a pre-made program, you need to adapt it to your needs. Also, not everyone needs to do "fundamentals" exercises for building muscle, in fact i support that anyone can build a Pro-physique just with machines if the intensity is adequate and the intention of the effort is there.

 

[Davy]

Let's talk about the details that actually complete a physique: CALVES and ABS. Everyone seems to have a completely different philosophy on how to train those...

Personally, I treat them with high density at the end of my sessions. For abs, I only train them on chest and back or shoulders and arms days, doing just one single exercise for five sets with very short rest periods to chase that burn. For calves, I keep them strictly on leg days but alternate the stimulus. On my first leg day, I run three heavy, high-intensity sets with standard recovery. On the following leg day, I switch to three lighter sets with high repetitions and minimal rest to force as much blood into the muscle as possible.

I would love to hear how the rest of you structure this. Do you just throw them in at the end of a workout as I do, or do you prioritize them at the very beginning when you are fresh? Let me know if you believe calves require heavy progressive overload or high-rep work, and whether you prefer weighted movements or high-density bodyweight training for abs.