How to split my 3 gym sessions a week?

[popplego]

Hello

I tend to go to the gym Tuesday, Thursday, Friday to weight train. At the moment I'm pretty much making each session up as I go along but would like to have a more structured plan for each day. My goal I would say is body recomposition, generally feeling stronger. Any suggestions appreciated!

Just to add, I used a PT last year so I'm confident RE: form, but I don't really have the funds to use one again to make a plan for me at the moment.

Placemaking

Totally interested in this! I need to make more of an effort. I admire your consistency!

I go 3 times a week and a beginner. Can’t afford a PT. I read stuff on internet to make a routine. No idea if it is useful. I don’t use free weights as it’s always full of muscle men 😂😂 and I am not confident.

every visit I fast walk on an incline 10 on treadmill for 30 mins. machine says I burn 200 calories. My calves feel worked. Or recently Started running following cough to 5k method. But mostly fast walk.

every visit use the abs machine to do crunches. 15 each rep of 5.

then alternate one day upper body using the machines to work each muscle group. and other day legs and stair master.

i don’t really have a plan. Just use weights that I feel strain when towards end of rep. Aiming to increase after 5 weeks. I feel achy next day and lost weight.

as you can tell I made up my own routine, most via reading and watching others.

Session 1: legs
Session 2: arms
Session 3: glutes and back

You could look up exercises that target each area that you enjoy then write out a plan. Record your sets / reps / weights and record when you think you can go up in weight so you see progress.

For endurance aim for 3 sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise
For strength you're aiming for 2 sets of slightly heavier weights
For building aesthetic muscle it's even lower reps on even heavier weights.

YouTube also has loads of sessions you could pinch!

Download the Gymshark training app, it’s all free and they have plans on there dependant on your needs and equipment. You can select either 3/4/5/6/7 days

I understand the best split for 3 days is push/pull/legs

When I did 3 days I did Push, pull and legs.

Thank you all for the suggestions, I have some research to do over the weekend it seems!

Just do 3 days full body, with push/pull/legs in every session. You really don't need a split if it's 3 days a week. I've heard good things about the stronger by the day app.

I'm just starting with weights. I've been looking at training plans but if I were to do 3 sessions a week and focus on one.or two areas per session, say legs and gluten one day, arms the other, back thr other day, that would be one day per week for each area. Is that enough to make much of a difference?

@MmmMmmWentTheLittleGreenFrog depends what you mean by difference. What difference do you want to see? If that approach appeals, and you're just starting out, it might make a difference to your motivation and consistency, which is the biggest thing that will lead to other differences, as you'll show up and train. I really think the focus on splits over complicates things for people starting out, when the biggest thing that's needed is getting in the gym, getting started and enjoying it so you stick at it. I'd just do full body, push/pull/legs movements each time. Unless you have a particular thing you like that will motivate you to get there, then add that in.

I do weights 3x a week. Used to do push/pull/legs but now I do upper body/upper body/legs. Which I think is better. Otherwise you’re only working everything once a week and i don’t think that’s enough. 🤷‍♀️ I also do 2-3 spin classes a week which I think helps with legs.

You could do push / pull / legs or upper body / lower body / full body

the most important thing is though - you should follow a proper plan. You should do something that works the same muscles every week but works them a little bit harder - increased weights, reps, time under tension etc. 3 sets of 10 reps with the last 2 reps being really difficult is a good weight in general.

there is no point in just wondering around the gym trying to different machines

id also really focus on weight lifting at the gym then get your steps in by doing walks outside the gym

follow a structured plan - joe wicks or Kim french are good

The only reason split routines exist is so that people who are training for bodybuilding can have enough volume without injury. That's it. If you're training 5 days a week you need to split your routine so you're not overtraining any particular body part.

If you're not training 5 days a week you don't need to split. Splits are usually detrimental for beginners because if you miss a workout - which most people do, not due to motivation, just life, illness etc - then you miss a whole area of your body

Full body 3 times a week is fine. Dividing exercises into push or pull works too, as the movements you would do in it still tend to be full body. Another option if you want to separate out the days to feel more focused would be one day full body, one upper body one lower body. That overall is likely to give you a bit more volume on the lower half (as deadlifts or squats would usually be on the full body day and the lower body day) and seems quite popular at the moment given the fashion for bigger bums/legs

Thanks. When I say difference, I mean I want to see a difference in my body composition- so see muscle tone. I'm not sure if training an area one day a week will make a difference in that respect.

I think I will just do full body to begin with.

Thank you all for the advice. I've just contacted a PT and think I'll get a training plan devised for me. I really don't have a clue what kind of exercises to do, how many reps of each....well anything really!

I'd do a full body on the Tuesday, then an upper body and lower body day on each of Thursday and Friday.

Full body 3 times a week so you can hit everything 3x a week works best. This is currently my training plan (boyfriend is a coach/gym owner).
Tuesday- front squats, bench,rdl, pendlay row, roll outs.
Friday- sumo deadlifts, dumbbell bench, ghd, cable rows, cable flys, cable tri push downs
Sunday— back squats, bench, pause conventional dead lifts, clean & press, pull ups, leg ext, leg curls.

Theres way more that goes into this then just the exercises but it’s a good start. My rep range on these is anything from 1-12 depending on the exercise but aiming for 6-8 is a good start. Make sure you progressively overload adding weight/more reps each week. I prob could add in more bicep work but it’s not a focus at the minute and I only do abs once a week as they’re getting hit by the compounds all the time.

A good way to do three gym sessions a week is push/pull/legs, or an upper/lower split with an extra focus on a weaker area. I’ve had great results mixing progressive overload with enough recovery time. If you’re looking for solid training advice, deuspower.to has some useful insights on structuring workouts effectively with a good mix of strength and hypertrophy work.

I try and aim for 5 x sessions a week as follows:

M - 30 min run / 20 min spin / 10 min row
Tu - Lower body
Th - PT (so whatever he chooses to put me through that day!) & 30 min walk
F - Upper body
S - 30 min spin / 15 min row / 15 min walk

I agree with @Proteinpud and @RayKray - you don't need splits. And you are more likely to get DOMS I think if you only hit something once a week (or realistically after a two week gap sometimes given hols, illnesses etc), as well as making less progress.

So I would use something like SBTD for a weekly programme and tweak a bit if need be given two of your sessions are consecutive days (for me, that might mean grouping the heavier more compound exercises together for Thursday and doing more accessory/supplemental Friday, but still a mix of muscle groups each day).

I have heard people have had good success feeding in their gym wants and needs , their age, height , weight, activity level, anything they wish to avoid into chat GPT and receive decent plans, basically the more you tell it the better the workout plan

I use a PT so just do what he says, 2 or 3 times a week. When I'm away or in between PT sessions, I use Stronger by the Day, to fill in the stuff I haven't done with my PT (our focus isn't exclusively weight training). It's cheap ($US90 a year) and very good. Lots of resources.

But there are hundreds of free programmes from online fitness trainers - apart from MegSquats (SBTD) I rate Rachel Henley HenleyFitness on Instagram. She does a variety of types of programmes, but there are free ones in there.

Main thing is: progressive overload! And balance.

I have been using ice cream fitness. It's a 5x5 routine and has an A day and a B day which I just alternate.