The 4 Best Workout Splits for Women (According to Science)

Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

Here’s a ground truth about getting in shape:

The same principles that drive muscle growth in men also work just as well for women.

In fact, if you look at the differences between most men’s and women’s workout programs, you’ll find they’re mainly due to men’s women’s preferences, not physiological differences between the sexes. (There are a few small exceptions, which you’ll learn about in this podcast).

For example, if you want to build muscle, you have to make your muscles work harder over time by forcing them to lift heavier and heavier weights, and this is just as true for women as it is for men.

The reason men and women typically follow different workout splits, though, is that most women want to get a bigger butt and more defined legs, and most men want bigger arms, shoulders, and pecs.

Thus, the best workout split for (most) women really just boils down to training the same way guys do while focusing on a different set of muscles.

Of course, this opens the door to more questions:

What muscles should you focus on?

How many times per week should you train them?

What exercises should you use to train them?

And how should you work cardio into your workout split, if at all?

All good questions, and you’re going to learn the answers to all of them in this podcast.

Keep listening and you’ll learn . . .

  • What a workout split is
  • How to choose the best workout split for your goals
  • How often you should change your workout split
  • And more . . .

5:35 - What is a workout split?

12:56 - The body split

26:51 - The upper lower split

31:43 - The push pull legs split

38:35 - The full body split

Mentioned on The Show:

Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

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