Plan a weekly workout split.
A split is a way of distributing weekly volume across the days you actually have, and the principle that decides it is frequency. Training a muscle group roughly twice a week produces better growth than once for the same total volume, because muscle protein synthesis is elevated for only around forty-eight hours after a session. That is why two days a week means full body, four means upper/lower twice each, and six means push/pull/legs run through twice — all of them land on a frequency near two. Three days is the genuine fork: a beginner does better on full-body sessions three times a week, while a more experienced lifter needing more volume per muscle group is better served by push/pull/legs even though it drops frequency. Session length then caps how many sets fit, and rest intervals dominate that: at three minutes between strength sets you fit barely half the sets of a ninety-second hypertrophy session.
Split selection and session capacity
Split follows training days: 2 days full body, 3 days full body or push/pull/legs by experience, 4 days upper/lower, 6 days push/pull/legs twice; sets per session = floor((session minutes - 10) x 60 / (40 + rest seconds))
General programming guidance rather than individual coaching. Recovery capacity varies with age, sleep, stress, nutrition and injury history. Consult a qualified coach or health professional before beginning or substantially changing a resistance training programme.
Because muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for roughly forty-eight hours after training a muscle. Hitting it again inside that window, rather than waiting a week, produces more growth for the same total volume.
It can work at high volume for advanced lifters, but it trains each muscle only once a week and leaves most of the week's stimulus unused. For anyone with fewer than five training days it is the weakest option available.
Only if you can recover from it. Adding days raises weekly sets, but volume beyond about twenty sets per muscle group per week yields little and increases injury risk. Prioritise sleep and food before adding sessions.