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Three-Day Workout Split: Best Options and a Sample Week

Updated · General information, not medical advice.

Three training days a week is enough for steady progress. The most flexible three-day option is a full-body routine (A/B/A), because each muscle is trained several times a week. Other options are rotating upper and lower days, or one push, pull, and legs day each, which trains each muscle once a week.

Why three days works

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests 2 to 3 training days per week for novices and 3 to 4 for intermediate lifters [1]. U.S. guidelines say adults need muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days each week [2]. Three days clears both bars and leaves four days for rest, walking, or other sport.

Option 1: Full body, three days (A/B/A)

Best for beginners and anyone who wants each muscle trained often. See the full guide to the full-body routine.

Option 2: Upper, lower, full body

Rotate Upper, Lower, and Full. Over a few weeks, most muscles get trained about twice a week on average, and the schedule never repeats exactly the same way. It suits lifters who want a bit more focus per session.

Option 3: Push, pull, legs once each

Each muscle trains once a week. It lets you do plenty of work for each muscle in one session, but it means a missed day leaves a muscle untrained for a full week. See the push/pull/legs guide.

Does once a week work?

A 2016 meta-analysis of ten studies found that training a muscle twice a week produced more growth than once a week, though it did not control for total volume [3]. A 2019 meta-analysis of 25 studies found no meaningful difference between frequencies once weekly volume was equated [4]. So once a week can work if you do enough hard sets, but twice a week makes it easier to spread that work out. For most people on three days, full body or upper/lower/full is the simpler way to get there.

Sample week: Upper / Lower / Full

| Day | Session | |---|---| | Mon | Upper | | Tue | Rest | | Wed | Lower | | Thu | Rest | | Fri | Full body | | Sat and Sun | Rest or easy activity |

Next week, shift the order: Lower, Upper, Full, or any rotation you prefer.

Upper

Lower

Full body

Sets, reps, and rest

The ACSM recommends 8 to 12 RM loads for novices, and for hypertrophy training an emphasis on 6 to 12 RM [1]. A starting layout is 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, the protocol used in a study of resistance-trained men [5]. That is an example, not a prescription.

In that study, longer rests (3 minutes) beat shorter ones (1 minute) for strength and thigh muscle thickness [5]. So on the heavy lifts, do not rush.

More weekly sets per muscle have been linked to more growth across studies [6]. With only three sessions, you cannot add endless sets, so choose exercises that give you the most for your time, and add sets slowly.

Which option should you pick?

  • New to lifting: full body A/B/A.
  • A few months in, want more focus: upper/lower/full.
  • Like longer sessions and a clear theme per day: push/pull/legs once each.
  • Unsure: start with full body and revisit after a few months.

If you can add a fourth day later, see the four-day split or upper/lower split. For help deciding, read how to choose a workout split.

Doing this in Liftrung

Liftrung's workout logger shows what you did last time beside every set. The gem ladder tracks each muscle group against your own baseline.

Key points

  • Three days a week fits ACSM and U.S. activity guidance [1][2].
  • Full body A/B/A is the most flexible option; upper/lower/full is a good next step.
  • Once-a-week training can work when volume is equal [4]. Twice a week can make the work easier to spread out.
  • Use 6 to 12 reps for most lifts and rest longer on heavy compounds [1][5].

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19204579/
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition: Top 10 things to know. https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines/current-guidelines/top-10-things-know
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med, 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172/
  4. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci, 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30558493/
  5. Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res, 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26605807/
  6. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass. J Sports Sci, 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/

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