The Ultimate Bro Split Routine for Beginners

TL;DR
The bro split is a popular bodybuilding routine that isolates specific muscle groups each session, promoting hypertrophy through focused, high-volume workouts. While it allows ample recovery and supports muscle growth, it may not suit everyone, especially those looking for more frequent muscle activation. Balancing intensity, volume, and recovery is crucial to maximising gains and avoiding potential drawbacks like muscle imbalances or suboptimal progress.

Table of Contents

The bro split, a bodybuilding gospel, is your map to these storied gains. It breaks down your training to focus on specific muscle groups each session, allowing for intensity and recovery.

While some herald it as the epitome of bodybuilding routines, others critique its singular focus. A perfect bro split can arm a beginner with muscle mass and confidence, yet it is often debated against full-body workouts for efficiency.

What is a bro split?

A bro split is a type of workout routine heavily popularised in bodybuilding circles for its focused approach to muscle gains and aesthetics.

Split-body routines were found to significantly increase bench press and leg press 1RM, as well as DXA lean mass, in both young and middle-aged men.

C. Kerksick et al. (2009)

It adheres to hypertrophy training principles, which are designed to increase muscle size and definition. In a bro split, training sessions are dedicated to isolating specific major muscle groups, typically following a pattern such as chest on one day, back on another, followed by legs, arms, and shoulders each assigned their own exclusive days.

This method usually spans five consecutive training days, allowing two days for rest and recovery. The form accommodates diverse training frequencies based on individual schedules and preferences, providing a customisable framework for those aiming to sculpt and enhance each muscle group methodically.

How does a bro split differ from other workout splits?

When compared to other workout splits, the traditional bro split stands out due to its single muscle group focus per training session.

While full-body splits might target several muscle groups throughout multiple days per week, and upper-lower splits divide the body into two broad categories, the bro split dives deeper into specificity.

By doing so, it permits a high training volume and intense workload for each muscle, with entire workout sessions revolving around meticulously tailored exercises for that group alone. Compound exercises may be incorporated, but the hallmark of a bro split is the emphasis on isolation movements, such as lateral raises for shoulders or cable rows for the back, aiming for muscle hypertrophy in distinct areas more than overall strength gains.

Pros and cons of a bro split

Like any training regimen, the bro split comes with its advantages and potential drawbacks.

Pros

• The concentrated nature of each session increases the potential for muscle stimulation by emphasising focus on one major muscle group, helping in achieving progressive overload.
• There’s a substantial recovery period before the same muscle group is targeted again, reducing the risk of overtraining and supporting muscle repair and growth.
• Advanced lifters can leverage specialised techniques like drop sets or supersets, benefiting from the extended recovery time between training the same muscle groups.

Cons

• Some argue that a muscle group might recover before the week is over, and training it only once per week might not be optimal for muscle gains for all individuals, particularly those who are natural or less experienced lifters.
• The traditional bro split often leans towards a higher volume of upper-body exercises, potentially creating an imbalance if not carefully structured.
• Training frequency is lower than some other splits; for instance, hitting a single muscle group just once per week may not be as effective for strength or muscle mass gains as training each group two or more times per week.

In summary, the bro split workout programme offers a unique and highly-focused training approach suitable particularly for advanced lifters aiming for muscle size and aesthetic improvements. However, it may require customisation to ensure balance and optimal training frequencies for achieving specific fitness goals.

A split-body training routine may be more optimal in stimulating muscle growth in experienced, resistance-trained men compared to a total-body routine.

S. Bartolomei et al. (2020)

Sample 5-day bro split routine

The Bro Split workout is a favourite among many gym-goers who aim to maximise their muscle gains by focusing on one or two major muscle groups each day of the week.

This type of workout split allows individuals to distribute training for each major muscle group across multiple training sessions to ensure ample recovery time. Generally speaking, a 5-day Bro Split routine is structured to engage each significant muscle area once per week, with a robust amount of sets and repetitions per workout. Typically, each workout day is designed to leave the target muscle groups completely pumped and exhausted, primed for a full week of recovery before being worked again.

A classic example would be training the chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, shoulders on Wednesday, arms on Thursday, and legs on Friday. This breakdown ensures that each session can be intense and purposeful, with muscles being worked to fatigue under a high training volume.

Throughout a 5-day Bro Split, a blend of isolation and compound exercises are easily incorporated into the routine, striking a balance between muscle growth and strength development. It’s also worth noting that such splits are adaptable, with some people preferring anywhere from three to six days per week depending on their individual fitness goals and capacity for recovery.

Day 1: Chest and triceps

Day 1 of the Bro Split traditionally targets the chest and triceps. This combination works synergistically since many chest movements inherently engage the triceps as well.

A typical Day 1 routine may include heavy hitters like the barbell bench press and incline dumbbell press to target the chest, accompanied by cable flys that help sculpt and define.

Moving on to tricep movements, a set of push-ups followed by dips can effectively exhaust these muscles. The volume on a bench press would often see 4 sets of 8-12 reps, which is a common rep range to stimulate both muscle growth and strength gains.

For the best results, the intermingling of compound moves for overall chest size, such as presses, with isolation exercises like flys and tricep extensions, ensures a thorough workout.

Day 2: Back and biceps

The second day of a Bro Split focuses on the back and biceps, employing pulling movements that engage a wide array of muscles including the lats, rhomboids, traps, rear delts, and spinal erectors.

An optimal routine for Day 2 might incorporate compound pulling exercises like pull-ups, dumbbell rows, and lat pull-downs to extend and bulk the lats. This is usually followed by isolation work for the biceps, which can include a variety of curls—hammer, dumbbell, ez bar, and cable curls.

For most lifters, 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions are adequate to promote muscle hypertrophy and ensuring that the targeted muscle groups are thoroughly worked and ready for their scheduled recovery.

Day 3: Legs

Leg Day comes mid-week in the Bro Split routine, targeting the quads, hamstrings, calves, and potentially the abs.

The sequence for Leg Day is all about balance and typically looks to hit the quads first with high-bar or front squats followed by leg press. For hamstring and posterior chain engagement, lying leg curls are a popular choice.

Calf raises round out the leg workout, targeting the lower leg muscles. For those looking to incorporate core work on this day, cable crunches or hanging leg raises could be ideal options.

It’s crucial that Leg Day includes an adequate mix of sets and reps across these exercises—often high volume with moderate to heavy weights—to ensure all lower body muscle groups are effectively taxed.

Day 4: Shoulders and traps

On Day 4, the focus pivots to the shoulders and traps. The primary movement for shoulder development within the Bro Split is usually a compound exercise like the Barbell Overhead Press, recruiting all three heads of the deltoids. This is complemented with isolation exercises like lateral raises, front raises, and face pulls to sculpt and define the shoulder muscles.

To target the upper back and complete the shoulder workout, dumbbell shrugs can be performed, directly engaging the trapezius muscles. A common rep scheme for the Barbell Overhead Press might entail 4 sets of 8-10 reps, and for the isolation movements, 3-4 sets with 12-15 reps are typical to foster both muscle endurance and hypertrophy.

Day 5: Rest day

Finally, after four consecutive days of intense training, the 5-day Bro Split dedicates Day 5 to rest. This break is key for muscle recovery and growth, allowing the body to repair itself after being subjected to high-intensity workouts.

While the traditional Bro Split follows the structure of training for five straight days, there is flexibility to adjust this based on personal schedules, recovery abilities, and specific training needs.

In some cases, Day 5 might not be a complete rest but rather an active recovery day, with a focus on mobility work or light cardiovascular exercises.

The strategic inclusion of rest days is critical for optimising performance and ensuring that muscle groups are fully recuperated and ready for the next round of training sessions in the upcoming week.

Tips for progression, training volume, and recovery

To maximise the effectiveness of a bro split workout, it’s essential to consider progression, training volume, and recovery as key factors in your programme.

Tailoring these elements will help you make consistent muscle and strength gains while managing injury risk and ensuring sustainability in your fitness journey.

Progression strategies

Progressive overload remains the cornerstone for progression in any workout routine, including bro splits. To ensure continual growth, listen to your body and adjust loads accordingly rather than sticking to an inflexible scheme.

Begin by incrementally increasing training volume during the initial three weeks of your workout programme, focusing on performing more sets or reps. As you progress, shift the emphasis toward intensifying your workouts, either by increasing the resistance or incorporating advanced lifting techniques that promote muscle failure.

When maintaining a consistent number of reps across sessions, challenge yourself by incrementally adding weight. Remember that recovery is just as important as the workout itself; hence, allowing for a 2-minute rest interval between sets of compound exercises can help you maintain the intensity needed for dense workouts with abbreviated rest periods.

Training volume and frequency

Though recent research suggests training muscle groups more than once a week could lead to optimal hypertrophy, bro splits effectively leverage training volume by dedicating an entire workout to a single muscle group. This focus allows for an intense session that can stimulate muscle growth with an appropriate volume.

Significant increases in fat-free mass and muscular strength were observed in bodybuilders regardless of whether they trained 4 or 6 times per week using split routines.

A. Ribeiro et al. (2015)

While higher-volume programmes can be part of a bro split, it’s crucial to recognise that there’s a point where additional sets may not result in additional growth and could in fact impede recovery.

Training volume has a substantial impact on muscle hypertrophy, and to maximise it within the bro split framework, consider the intensity and volume of individual sessions. While the frequency of training each muscle group is generally lower than in full-body or upper-lower splits, the bro split can still catalyse significant hypertrophy when each session is optimised for a targeted, quality workout.

Recovery strategies

Recovery is an integral component of any training regimen and is particularly pertinent to bro splits. Training each muscle group intensely once per week allows sufficient time for recovery, minimising the risk of overtraining and enabling full muscular repair ahead of the next session. However, it’s important to note that muscles don’t necessarily require a full week to recover. Evidence points out that muscular recovery can be achieved within 24-72 hours, suggesting that twice-weekly training could be beneficial for hypertrophy.

Incorporating recovery strategies into your bro split ensures that your muscles are adequately rested and repaired, providing a foundation for optimal performance and growth. These can include nutritional support, adequate sleep, active recovery days, and utilising recovery modalities such as foam rolling or massage. Striking a balance between intense workouts and thorough recovery can prevent injury and foster sustainable muscle gains.

Remember to listen to your body and adjust your recovery days based on how you feel after your training sessions. Optimal muscle hypertrophy leverages a continuous cycle of damage and recovery; thus, recovery should be tailored to the individual’s needs and the intensity of their training sessions.

References

C. Kerksick et al. "Early-Phase Adaptations to a Split-Body, Linear Periodization Resistance Training Program in College-Aged and Middle-Aged Men." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23 (2009): 962-971.

S. Bartolomei et al. "A Comparison Between Total Body and Split Routine Resistance Training Programs in Trained Men." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35 (2020): 1520 - 1526.

A. Ribeiro et al. "Effect of Two- Versus Three-Way Split Resistance Training Routines on Body Composition and Muscular Strength in Bodybuilders: A Pilot Study.." International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 25 6 (2015): 559-65.