3 – Day Split Workout Plan | Two alternative methods

Two 3 – Day Split Workout Plans for building lean muscle mass.

• Goal: building muscle
• Technical complexity: medium
• 3-Day Split – two alternative methods
• Duration: 60 minutes
• 3 times a week

In this article, I will present two alternative 3 – day split workout plans for lean muscle building: exact exercises, sets, reps, resting times and video instructions. 

Why 3 – day split workout plan?

If the main reason you work out is to achieve muscle gain, you choice should be 3-, 4-, or 5- day split workout plans. To get your muscles growing, you need to do high volume of sets and reps focussing on one particular muscle group during one exercise session. By splitting your body’s muscles in three to five parts, you can put in a high number of sets and reps per muscle group, enough to give them stimulus to grow.

In this article we focus on the 3 day split plan, assuming that you have time to hit the gym three times a week. If you can workout four or five days a week, check out Super Gains 6 month plan. (In the video below you can see the results I achieved by following this six months plan)

Below there are two alternative methods given, to go about the 3 – day split workout plan. Read the instructions and feel free to choose whichever suits you the best.

Method 1: Pushing muscles / Pulling muscles / Legs

On the first day of training, you train your upper body pushing muscles, i.e. chest, triceps, and shoulders. On the second day of training, you train your upper body pulling muscles, i.e. back and biceps. On the third training day, you train your legs.

In this alternative method, indirect stress between the training days is as minimal as possible. For example, when you do bench press during the first training day as a chest exercise, shoulders and triceps muscles are also working as synergetic muscles. So, on the next training day there is no stress on shoulders or triceps muscles, instead you work with back, biceps, and others.

This method 1 with minimal indirect stress between consecutive training days gives you the option to workout more than 3 days a week if you will, or do two exercises without a resting day in between them (which is not recommended though).

Push / pull / legs workout plan:

Day 1 (Chest, shoulders, triceps):

1. Bench press (Chest, triceps, shoulders) 3 x 10
2. Incline dumbbell chest press (Chest, triceps, shoulders) 3 x 10
3. Dumbbell shoulder press (Shoulders, triceps) 3 x 10
4. Dumbbell front raises (Front delts) 3 x 10
5. Dumbbell side lateral raises (Side delts) 3 x 10
6. Tricep dips (Triceps, shoulders, chest) 3 x 20
7. Tricep pushdown (Triceps) 3 x 10

Day 2 (Back, biceps, abs):

1. Pull ups (Lats, trapezius, biceps) 3 x max
2. Bent over barbell row (Lats, trapezius, biceps) 3 x 10
3. Bent over dumbbell row (Lats, trapezius, biceps) 3 x 12
4. Dumbbell bicep curls (Biceps) 3 x 10
5. Hammer curl (Biceps) 3 x 10
6. Ab exercise of your choice 3 sets

Day 3 (Legs, abs):

1. Barbell squat (Glutes, quads) 3 x 10
2. Quad extensions (Quads) 3 x 10
3. Hamstring curls (Hamstrings) 3 x 10
4. Calves 3 x 15. Alternate straight leg calf exercises (gastrocnemius) and bent-knee calf exercises (soleus)
5. Ab exercise of your choice 3 sets
6. Back extensions 3 x 15 (Erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings)

Rest between sets for 2 minutes.

When you manage to do clean target sets two exercises in a row, add weight. In theory, weights used are 60 – 80% of your one rep maximum.

This is how you calculate your estimated one rep max>>

Remember to do one or two warm up sets before big main exercises (bench press, squat etc.)

Method 2: Opposing muscle groups on the same training day

In this alternative method you train opposing muscle groups within the same training day. i.e first you do Bench press (chest, triceps and shoulders), then the next exercise is Pull-ups (lats, trapezius, biceps). Chest and lats are considered to be opposing muscle groups, same goes with triceps and biceps.

You might think- what are the benefits of this training plan? Biggest benefit of this kind of split is that you can do exercises as Supersets.

Superset is form of training in which you perform one set of one exercise, and then move quickly to another exercise without taking a break. After this, you take a short break to catch a breath and then you do the same again.

Two exercises used in a superset must not include same muscle groups. For example Bench press and Tricep pushdown does not make a good superset, because in Bench press, triceps are already working as a synergists.

Good example of a superset is Bench press and Pull-ups.

Example:

1. Bench press 10 reps
2. Pull ups 10 reps
3. One minute break
4. Bench press 10 reps
5. Pull ups 10 reps
6. One minute break
7. Bench press 10 reps
8. Pull ups 10 reps

Doing exercises in supersets shortens the workout a bit. In addition, it makes it more challenging in terms of your aerobic fitness (tempo is higher, so is your heart rate). So you can also consider it as a helpful tool for burning fat and improving your overall fitness, not just building muscle.

3 – split workout plan as supersets:

Day 1 (Chest, back, rear delts):

1. Bench press (Chest, triceps, shoulders) 3 x 10
2. Bent over barbell row (Lats, trapezius, biceps) 3 x 10
3. Incline dumbbell chest press (Chest, triceps, shoulders) 3 x 10
4. Bent over dumbbell row (Lats, trapezius, biceps) 3 x 12
5. Peck – deck (Chest) 3 x 12
6. Rear delt lateral raises (Rear delts) 3 x 12

Supersets: 1&2, 3&4 and 5&6

Day 2 (Shoulders, arms):

1. Barbell shoulder press (Shoulders, triceps) 3 x 10
2. Barbell bicep curls (Biceps) 3 x 10
3. Dumbbell front raises (Front delts) 3 x 12
4. Dumbbell bicep curls (Biceps) 3 x 12
5. Dumbbell side lateral raises (Side delts) 3 x 12
6. Triceps pushdown (Triceps) 3 x 10 *

Supersets: 1&2, 3&4 and 5&6

*After the last tricep pushdown set, do drop sets. When you have finished your 10 rep set, decrease the weight by one third and do another 10 reps, then decrease it again to half and do last 10 reps.

Day 3 (Legs, abs):

1. Barbell squat (Glutes, quads) 3 x 10. No superset
2. Quad extensions (Quads) 3 x 10
3. Hamstring curls (Hamstrings) 3 x 10
4. Seated calf raises (Calves – soleus) 2 x 15
5. Crunches (Abs) 2 sets
6. Standing calf raises (Calves – gatrocnemius) 2 x 15
7. Twisting crunches (Obliques) 2 sets

Supersets: 2&3, 4&5, 6&7

Rest one minute between supersets.

When you manage to do two clean target sets in a row, add weight. In theory, weights used are 60 – 80% of your one rep maximum.

This is how you calculate your estimated one rep max>>

Don’t forget to do one or two warm-up sets before main major exercises (bench press, squat etc.)

Need a training diary?

If you want to save your time and support this site, you can buy a training diary below (printable image and excel sheet). By using training diary, you can track your progress and maintain your motivation and you don’t need to remember the exercises by heart.

Interested in long term muscle building plan also? Consider the bundle below.

Super Gains 6-Month Plan and all myworkoutplans.net training diaries bundle:

Looking for a different type of workout plan?