The 5-day bro split workout plan gives each muscle group its own day: chest, back, shoulders, arms and legs. It is the most common plan in any commercial gym, and the most argued about. Here is the full plan with sets and reps, and a straight answer on when training a muscle once a week works and when it does not.
Does the bro split work?
Yes, if the weekly volume is there and the sets are hard. Each muscle gets one hard session, then 6 days off. Every session is short and focused, and you can throw everything at one muscle without worrying about the rest of the week.
The criticism is fair too. Studies on training frequency generally favour training a muscle about twice a week over once, when the weekly number of sets is the same. But total volume, the number of hard sets per muscle each week, matters more than frequency. A plan you enjoy and finish beats a better plan you drop by March. If one muscle a day is what gets you to the gym 5 times a week, run it and make the sets count.
If you want the same volume spread over more frequent sessions, look at the upper/lower split or push pull legs.
How the week looks
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Monday | Chest |
| Tuesday | Back |
| Wednesday | Shoulders |
| Thursday | Arms |
| Friday | Legs |
| Saturday | Rest |
| Sunday | Rest |
Legs on Friday is a choice, not a rule. If leg day is the one you skip, move it to Monday, when you have the most energy.
The workouts
Chest
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 4 | 8-12 |
| Chest press machine or dip | 3 | 8-12 |
| Cable fly | 3 | 12-15 |
Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-up or lat pulldown | 4 | 6-10 |
| Barbell row | 4 | 6-8 |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 10-12 |
| Single-arm dumbbell row | 3 | 10-12 |
| Face pull | 3 | 15-20 |
Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Dumbbell shoulder press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Lateral raise | 4 | 12-15 |
| Rear delt fly | 3 | 15-20 |
Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Close-grip bench press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Barbell curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Cable triceps pushdown | 3 | 10-12 |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Overhead triceps extension | 3 | 12-15 |
| Hammer curl | 2 | 10-15 |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 4 | 6-8 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8-10 |
| Leg press or walking lunge | 3 | 10-12 |
| Leg curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 | 12-15 |
How to add weight
With one session per muscle a week, you get fewer chances to practise each lift, so every session has to count. Two rules follow.
First, take most working sets close to failure, with 1 to 3 reps in reserve. Reps in reserve means how many more clean reps you could have done. A week is a long wait for your next attempt.
Second, add weight in small steps with double progression. Hit the top of the rep range on every set, then next week add 1 to 2.5 kg on upper-body lifts or 2.5 to 5 kg on lower-body lifts.
What to do when a week goes badly
A bad session costs more here than on a plan that trains each muscle twice, because the next chance is 7 days away. So log what you lifted, and compare numbers instead of memories. If Monday’s bench was 80 kg for 8, 8, 7 and 7, you know exactly what to beat next Monday. The progressive overload guide covers the other ways to progress, in order.
Run this split in Trackist
Trackist writes the plan from 14 answers about your goal, experience, equipment, joints, schedule, session length and age. Ask for 5 days and a muscle-building goal, and the sets, rep targets and rest come already decided.
Then it keeps up with you. Last session’s numbers sit under each field, and a line above each exercise suggests today’s weight from what you lifted and how hard it felt. When a session goes wrong, say so. Trackist notes the first report, and if it keeps coming back, Trackist rewrites the day or rebuilds the rest of the plan. If a joint hurts, Trackist swaps the exercise for one that trains the same muscle and keeps the limitation on your profile.
More on frequency and volume is on the Trackist blog.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Does the bro split actually build muscle?
Yes, if the weekly volume is there and the sets are hard. Studies on training frequency generally favour training a muscle twice a week when the number of sets is the same, but the gap is smaller than the internet suggests. Turning up and working hard matter more than the schedule.
How many sets per muscle should a bro split have?
Aim for about 10 to 20 hard sets per muscle group across the week. On a bro split they all land in one session. That is why the plan above gives the larger groups 14 to 17 sets and the smaller ones fewer.
Is a bro split good for beginners?
Usually not. Beginners improve fastest by practising the main lifts 2 or 3 times a week, which is what a full-body plan gives them. Move to a 5-day split once the lifts feel automatic and you want more work per muscle.
Can Trackist build a bro split?
Yes. Ask for 5 training days and a muscle-building goal, and Trackist writes the plan. You can edit every exercise, so you can give each muscle its own day. The suggested weight follows what you log, and the coach changes the plan when a problem you report keeps coming back.
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Let Trackist write your plan
Answer 14 questions and Trackist writes a plan around your gym and your week. Log every set, and the next session shows the weight to lift. On the App Store now. Android is coming.
