Trainer: This Popular Workout Split Is Massively Overrated—Here’s What Actually Works originally appeared on Men’s Fitness.
When it comes to structuring your weekly lifting routine, there’s no shortage of options. But which workout split actually delivers the best results?
Trainer and natural bodybuilder Jeff Nippard recently broke them down in a tier list, ranking each based on practicality effectiveness for different experience levels. His rankings range from D-tier (the lowest) to S-tier (the highest).
“All these splits will work as long as you do, and the best split is the one you’ll actually stick to,” he says.
Related: Full-Body Workouts vs. Bro Splits: What Training Style Works Best After 40?
What is the Best Training Split for Men?Push/Pull/Legs
A push/pull/legs split divides workouts by movement pattern: push (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull (back, biceps), and legs. It’s a classic.
“I did this split for years, and I think it’s great. The only downside is it’s a bit too focused on the upper-body muscles, and six days a week can be a bit much for beginners,” Nippard says.
Bro Split
The classic bodybuilding routine—chest, back, legs, arms, delts, with two rest days—lands lowest on his list.
“It still works, but you honestly never need seven whole days to recover each muscle, and it’s a little too focused on the upper body,” he says.
Full Body Splits
Training the whole body two or three times per week is one of Nippard’s top picks, especially for lifters with a busy schedule. For advanced lifters, high frequency full body is even a notch above.
“Just make sure you don’t do too much per session,” Nippard advises.
6-Day Upper/Lower
This upper/lower rotation is solid for advanced lifters chasing volume, but it may overwhelm beginners—especially with three days dedicated to legs.
4-Day Upper/Lower
This is Nippard’s favorite split right now. He’s using it during his current cut and says it balances recovery and training volume perfectly.
UL/PPL
This five-day split combines upper/lower days with a sprinkle of push/pull/legs. It’s another structure Nippard has used and recommends for balanced gains.
Trainer: This Popular Workout Split Is Massively Overrated—Here’s What Actually Works first appeared on Men’s Fitness on Aug 4, 2025
This story was originally reported by Men’s Fitness on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.