You give each muscle group its own day, so you train each one once a week with more sets in that workout. For how this split compares with others, see Push pull legs vs upper lower vs full body.
Workout Routine Examples
Chest dayChest, with front shoulders and triceps helping · 5 exercises
Back dayLats and upper back, with biceps and rear shoulders helping · 6 exercises
Leg dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves · 6 exercises
Shoulder dayFront, side and rear shoulders, plus traps · 6 exercises
Arm dayBiceps and triceps · 6 exercises
Track macros and calories
Bro Split Routine Example
An example of a 5-day bro split week, with a full workout for every training day.
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Chest dayChest, with front shoulders and triceps helping |
| Tuesday | Back dayLats and upper back, with biceps and rear shoulders helping |
| Wednesday | Leg dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves |
| Thursday | Shoulder dayFront, side and rear shoulders, plus traps |
| Friday | Arm dayBiceps and triceps |
| Saturday | Rest |
| Sunday | Rest |
This is an example of what a training week can look like, not a prescription or medical advice. Start with weights you can lift with good form, and if you have an injury or a health condition, check with your doctor first.
The workouts
Chest dayChest, with front shoulders and triceps helping · 5 exercises
Back dayLats and upper back, with biceps and rear shoulders helping · 6 exercises
Leg dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves · 6 exercises
Shoulder dayFront, side and rear shoulders, plus traps · 6 exercises
Arm dayBiceps and triceps · 6 exercises
Want to track this routine?
In Somatics, you can save any workout as a template, then log your sets, reps and weight as you go, plus RIR (Reps in Reserve) with Pro.
Who is this for?
This example can work well for you if:
- you enjoy long, focused workouts on one or two muscle groups
- you can train 5 days a week, for about 40 to 60 minutes each time
- you've been lifting for a while and know the main lifts, including the deadlift
- you train at a gym with barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines
If you'd like to train each muscle twice a week instead, see the upper lower example or the push pull legs example.
Common questions
Does training each muscle once a week work?
Yes, as long as your weekly sets add up. When studies match the total number of sets, people grow about the same whether they train a muscle once or twice a week. In this example, chest gets about 15 hard sets a week and back about 12.
Why is it called a bro split?
It's gym slang for a week where each day trains one body part, like chest day or arm day. Bodybuilders made it popular. See bro split in our dictionary.
What if I miss a day?
If you miss leg day, your legs go two weeks between workouts. You can move it to Saturday, or add a couple of leg exercises to another day that week.
Track macros and calories
with Somatics
