While “Bro-splits” often get bashed as “not optimal”, they can absolutely still be effective. Meaning, you can still absolutely put on muscle training each body part once per week. And while I totally understand the argument for higher frequency, and would overall agree with the reasons why “on paper” it’s superior to lower frequency, it completely ignores the fact that enjoyment and adherence in a program still matter. So I made this split for the “Bro-split lovers”. Allowing you to train the way you love and still be confident in your progression. And while slightly higher frequencies may allow individuals to put on muscle at a faster rate, we really don’t have any long-term research showing the magnitude of the effect. Meaning over the course of one year, five years, etc. how much more muscle would you actually put on training body parts twice a week versus once per week?
You will also notice the use of some more extended sets in this program, and well, I might not typically use extended sets as often with programs that have higher frequency, they have a place in a program like this where we want more stimulus from a given out, also knowing you won’t have to deal with the local fatigue from the extended sets until one week later.
As for every program, feel free to adjust variables slightly as needed. The base metric of “1 REP” is not well established in “research”, and can vary largely from individual to individual. So feel free to make slight adjustments to the program’s prescribed: Rep ranges, Number of working sets, and Proximity to Failure (RIR). Anyone that argues any of these variables down to the single metric of measure as definitively “the best”, has spent too much time on social media, and too little time applying training to actual humans. In addition, every individual brings large differences to the table as far as “outside the gym” variables: nutrition, sleep, stress, etc. So while I’m confident this program provides epic guidelines and a great place to start, you are ultimately your own study of 1. So feel free to experiment a bit.
Also, with exercise selection I always follow one of my main, guiding training principles of: As little as possible to produce maximal results. That said, there is no exact cut off point for the number of exercises per workout. So if you want to add an exercise or even two to any given workout, same as the advice I give above… try it out, measure progress and adjust accordingly. Lastly, exercise selection is based on what I feel has the most evidence for being effective long-term, but for any single exercise on the program, there are always other options that can accomplish the same goal similarly. So feel free to swap exercises based on preference, or if you need a recommendation get in the forums.
Rest: 90 seconds – 3 minutes before working sets
RIR: 0-2
Suggested split structure:
Monday -Legs
Tuesday – Chest/calves/abs
Wednesday – Off
Thursday – Delts/abs
Friday – Back/calves
Saturday – Arms/forearms/abs
Sunday – Off
*These are still just suggestions. There is no right or wrong option here. You can also make this work with any schedule. Whenever you train, just pick right up on the next session. Hypothetically, if you’re ever sick, rundown, excessively busy, stressed or just have a moment of laziness and train less days than the suggested split, no worries at all just pick back up right where you left off. At the same time if you are recovering like a robot, or just absolutely love training more often than the suggested split, have added it. Don’t let anyone, myself included, limit how much you love the train, or make you feel guilty for missing a session. Long-term consistency and adherence are.
Legs
seated leg curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
quad dominant heel elevated squats
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 10-12 reps
Lying Leg Curls
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Leg extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-15 reps
Leg press quad dominant (banded)
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 15-20 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set
Walking lunges
Set 1: 20 steps total
Set 2: 20 steps total
Prowler
Set 1: 45-60 seconds
Set 2: 45-60 seconds
Chest/calves
Incline barbell press
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
roller cable fly
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
high incline neutral grip DB press
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
machine flat press
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Floor press (smith)
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set.
Hip loaded calf raise
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 10-12 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Hanging leg raises
Set 1: BW AMRAP
Set 2: BW AMRAP
Set 3: BW AMRAP
Delts/abs
rack military press
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
lying cuff laterals
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set
cable rear delts
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set
Delt cable y-raise
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
machine shoulder press
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set
Ab mat crunches
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-12 reps
Set 3: 8-12 reps
Back/calves
Machine pulldown (single arm)
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Chest supported tbar rows
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
RDLs
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
wide pull ups (upper back)
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
seated rope pull over
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set
rack chins
Set 1: BW AMRAP
Set 2: BW AMRAP
Seated Calf raise
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set
Arms/forearms
Seated cable cross extension
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Single arm DB preacher curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Smith JM Press (banded)
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Dumbbell hammer curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
seated overhead rope extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Incline DB curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
high supinating cable curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set
D2 cross-cable triceps extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps*
*Extend set with 1 drop set
Wrist Extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Wrist Curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Ab mat crunches
Set 1: BW AMRAP
Set 2: BW AMRAP
