The Myth of Bro-Splits for Muscle Size with Dr. Mike Israetel | JTSstrength.com

[@Lavabug]

This guy never skips neck day.

[@williambrown7437]

Lavabug Then why doesn't he have one?

[@Knigh7z]

+William Brown - because he doesn't skip traps either

[@a_fuckin_spacemarine7514]

Lavabug Nah, he's just 5'2"

[@Jake-dx8pt]

Being 5'2" doesn't give you a neck thicker than your head along with a big yolk you twit

[@Agnes135]

Is he really 5'2?

[@TravisHenson777]

Best thing about Mike's videos is that he puts 15-30 mins of info into 5-10 minutes. I appreciate that, because I don't have time (like many) to sit and watch hours of KZbin all day. It's nice to get a daily dose and meditate on it a bit while carrying on with my other responsibilities.

[@anabolicdopeboy7413]

Cool story bro now make us a sandwich

[@thedjaccount]

You don’t have time? Or you don’t have the attention span lol

[@mancsy3262]

Fell asleep half way through reading that

[@dennispaps9565]

has time to watch tv tho

[@official_StefanoRomanGunness]

How took my pop corns?

[@iamjonnywick]

this guy always puts out high quality information in my opinion...thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@szotakandrei]

yep... he has a talent for explaining things in a very comprehensive, easy to understand way.

[@DonPascquale]

more like quality bullshit...

[@DragonSlayer-tg5mk]

Age is also a determining factor. I am 62 and have been training since the 1970s. When I was in my 20s I could easily train the same muscles every 3 days. When I got into my 40s I went to the Bro Split and saw the best gains in size and strength of my entire life. When I got into my mid 50s, becaues of joint pain, I went to a push-pull-legs once a week and my joints feel great and I am still one of the stronger people in the gym. I have been natural the whole time and I should point out that all the guys I knew who did steroids back in the 70s and 80s are all either dead or can't workout anymore because they destroyed their bodies.

[@JasonWW2000]

Cool, I'm around 50 and just started lifting about 6 months ago. I came to the conclusion that push-pull-legs once a week works best for me. I can't handle any more than that so this is sustainable. I started taking protein shakes about 3 months ago and my arms grew 1" in just 2 months. I figure I'm doing something right. ;)

[@DragonSlayer-tg5mk]

I think that split could probably work for the rest of your life as long as you change things up occasionally. There are countless ways to keep a routine fresh by changing exercises, sets, reps, weight, rest periods, etc. When you start hitting sticking points is a good indicator that things need to change a bit.

[@JasonWW2000]

@@DragonSlayer-tg5mk I hope to increase my volume as time goes on. Maybe work the bicep and tricep twice a week since they seem to recover pretty fast. I'm shooting for about 2 days of soreness as a general guide of effectiveness. I think this is about right.

[@juniorramirez3858]

U r my sprit animal, sir! Big boss shit right here ! Cheers 🍻

[@gregnixon1296]

Thanks for the detail in your comment. In my 20s, I generally had no plan and just worked whatever group I wanted whenever I wanted, and all was fine. My diet was beer and pizza. Big size followed. In my 50s, I can no longer be an idiot. My joints can’t take it, and I have to eat smarter for my waistline and my cholesterol level. Pre-diabetes doesn’t help either.

[@VeryScaryBiscuits]

his eyes light up when he starts talking about gainz

[@TonyWilliams-um8ez]

I had by far my best results at training each group once per week. Most people actually don't understand how #1 works.

[@barrybarnett731]

If you train hard enough once a week is enough for a body part, the truth is most people dont train hard enough, smash it then recover this has been tried an tested for decades

[@leanderthal2689]

Damn straight. Muscle 'growth' is about more than just the initial 72 hour physical act of tissue repair. Most of these so called 'experiments' only focus on a very short period of time and not the practical, consistent, long haul cumulative effects of the whole training process. I've never seen anyone, other than an 'enhanced' trainer, fully recover from a hardcore session in less than a week. When I used to train 'seasoned' weight trainers who wanted to overcome their plateaus, the first thing I did was stop them from 'over training' with silly splits like this meathead is suggesting. 'Bro Splits' are awesome. Be consistent, keep good form, stay away from any weight you can't do a minimum of 5-6 reps for (preferably 6-8 reps), train each major bodypart once per week, take (and enjoy) a full week off weights every 8 to 12 weeks, don't overdo cardio, train with the seasons (heavier, lower reps sessions in the winter, moving towards lighter, higher rep sessions in the summer), feel good about every single session you complete (treat it like banking an extra day of good health later on in life), eat for taste as well as for fuel, and love yourself however you look in the mirror. Win, win situation.

[@abhinavkhadka7969]

@@leanderthal2689 Well, this "mEaThEaD" has a PhD in Sport Physiology.

[@ashutoshmishra310]

Arms also once per week?

[@TheChab]

Absolutely love hearing Dr. Israetel talk about this stuff. Even if you know it already, it's great to have an educated and well spoken person lay out the specific. I geek out! Thanks

[@andrewoh5917]

I can't get enough of this guy's videos. He's so informative and breaks it down in such an intelligent yet simple way.

[@edgythehedgy6661]

If you’re doing a “bro-split,” you’re not resting something for a week. If you do chest Monday, arms Wednesday and shoulders Friday, you’re hitting the chest, tris, shoulders etc. basically every other day...

[@Golden2Talon]

yeah, same thoughts. Maybe he considered it already in the studies he talked in point #1 ? maybe even with this in consideration, they still gained less?

[@klw3786]

I agree...triceps/front delts still get used on chest day, biceps/rear delts on back day, etc etc...bro splits work and one thing that is never mentioned is age. I find the older I get the more recovery is needed. Doing a PPL right now but after a few months will go back to bro again. Bottom line is if something is working for you no study in the world should sway you

[@kartiksaini4828]

Chest day - tricep activation Back day - bicep activation arms day got arms, Dudes like these won't agree but bro splits are best for recovery and progressive overload. Re: Just here to correct myself. I think bro split is fine for when you just want to enjoy the pump for a period of time. However you should dedicate Arms day to progresaively overload on the isolation lifts too without solely depending on compounds for assisting muscle groups like arms.

[@houseoffirebellytoads1439]

I agree

[@radiogeek89]

I legit run a bro split one month every year out of pure nostalgia lol! For some reason it’s just fun for me 😂

[@geraldfriend256]

Fun is a very overlooked aspect.Keeps you going.

[@8000860]

Exactly! I do the same. Had it in January, just for fun.

[@juniorramirez3858]

I like how u keep it fun .. and consistent . 👌 #KeysToYourGoals

[@blakerwalk]

Mate, you have a real talent for explaining things clearly. Thanks for posting these videos. Amazing quality of information, especially considering that it is free !

[@kabeerdiddan8601]

I've been doing this for 11 years. But still get to learn things every month/ year. That's what I love about working out- The Process!

[@Al.j.Vasquez]

This video didn't even talk about training exercises or routines, but it has helped me more to understand how to make the most balanced training plan for me, than doing what other KZbinrs (specially fitness icons) do for their own body. Knowing the science behind the recovery, i can set up something that will help to train more efficiently. Thanks Dr!!

[@nelacostabianco]

I found that my system '93' works wonders using a 'push/pull' high frequency for 9 months and then switching to a 'bro split' high volume for 3 months. Great results!

[@TrayCaddyyy]

It's ridiculous to me when people talk about "leg day" when they smash themselves with so much volume they can't train legs again in like 4 days.

[@misterkeebler]

120 'working' reps in one session on squats means two things: 1. a decent amount of them were probably not truly working reps. By your own description of 'working up to 4 plates', what good is it to do 4 sets with 2 plates and 4 sets with 3 plates along the way? 8 warm-up sets? If anything, you could have cut like 80% of that filler out and just increased the weight of your actual work sets. 2. If they were somehow magically working sets, that type of output is not sustainable for anyone on a normal hypertrophy program with any reasonable frequency without the use of PEDs , unless you are sacrificing volume in multiple other bodyparts. And even then, it wouldn't be optimal for either hypertrophy or strength unless it was some random day you just felt like shocking your system

[@jjwp-ql5rv]

@Aaron Jacobson 120 reps of squats on one day? Either you were doing them far far too light, or lifting with shit form, or both.. That's not how you train. If you really did 120 hard reps, I mean why would you. You'd have to sit down for a week, therfore sacrificing any other training.

[@puppy8125]

Chris A you’re doing something wrong then, you will ALWAYS get better results Training each muscle 2-3 times a week, it’s not possible to get better results once a week unless you’re training incorrectly.

[@strengtheats6399]

Aaron Jacobson “Deficient Deadlifts 😂”

[@kurrie3280]

@Aaron Jacobson, it really reads like you have trained your mouth to expel loads of hot air more than anything.

[@brendon2462]

Doesn't matter what the science has to say. It comes down to the individual and how their body responds to certain styles of workout. You can take two people have them eat, workout, and get the same amount of sleep. But get completely different results.

[@asswhole4195]

That's not what the science says

[@ThePainkiller9995]

Not really though. You're not as much of a special snowflake as you think you are. Most people's bodies operate pretty much the same way

[@brendon2462]

@@ThePainkiller9995 no, because you have to take into account genetics. Trainers mention how people get varying results. Even though their training, diet, and quality of sleep and hours are the same. Also some men just have more testosterone.

[@jessemurray1757]

Wow, throwback of Dr. Mike here. His videos have come a long way in 5 years. This info is still extremely relevant though.

[@JAWsFitness]

So true. They taught us in my intro kinesiology class that MINOR atrophy can occur within 72 hours post training. So you definitely need to hit the same muscle group more than once per week. I've experimented with your exact recommendations of varying intensities on the same muscle groups multiple times per week and I feel like I've "exploded" Good stuff man.

[@TheJacali]

Joseph Williams -JAWs Fitness really interesting dude!

[@ccmkoho]

Joseph Williams -JAWs Fitness , tell that to platz

[@bigconan]

the only way I'd be able to train a body part more than 1x per week, would be to decrease the intensity for that 2nd bodypart workout...though I do train with low volume, I also train to failure...there is no way you can train to failure and still work a muscle more than 1x per week...so maybe I'll try the 2x per week per bodypart, but lighten up on the intensity. that's the only way i could do it, without over training...

[@CC-yq5bw]

Bro splits work because you hit your unfocused muscle groups quite hard indirectly during each workout with the exception of legs.

[@DonPascquale]

biggest bullshit i ever heard, 72 hours hahaha, i can train a muscle part once in 14 days and would not lose any strenght, but i train it every 7 days and make the best strengh and size gains funny enough iam alot stronger then all those upper lower push pull leg guys...

[@charliecheswick8210]

I've been training with the "bro split" for years without even knowing there was a name for it and been getting bigger and stronger well into my 40s but there is some overlap there like doing flat benches and inclines for chest Mondays, barbell shoulder presses Wednesday and close grip benches on Fridays, both lower and upper back get hit with back on Tuesday and with legs on thursdays

[@rockyevans1584]

Yeah, legs and side delts are probably worst affected by this split. Anecdotal evidence contradicts science on the frequency per week idea anyways, everyone did bro splits only up until recently

[@JohnProph]

@@rockyevans1584 bro splits were never really heard of until the 90s. 70s was almost all each bodypart 3x per week. 80s was 2x per week or the 3on1off a'la Haney.

[@adam-lt8iy]

@@rockyevans1584 They didn't lol brosplits only became a thing when every bodybuilder started doing a huge amount of steroids. The silver era bodybuilders all did fullbody and early golden era bodybuilders did 3-way splits training 6 times per week. The more steroids they did, the less frequency they needed. Hitting the muscles 2-3 times per week is the only way as a natural.

[@rockyevans1584]

@@JohnProph fair enough, but I never trained prior to 08 or so, and then the gyms were teeming with old guys giving shitty bro science advice, no knees over toes, wider grip wider back, low reps to bulk and high reps to tone, etc. I didn't start researching stuff until at least 2015 and finally at least had enough info to start tracking and making programs. Never did a lot of research on the history or strength and hypertrophy training

[@JohnProph]

@@rockyevans1584 its all good. a lot of the "correct advice" given today will be laughed at tomorrow. cest la vie

[@samir84]

should n't you also take to concideration that for example your triceps don't only get activated when you do specifik training for triceps but also when you train your chest and shoulders?

[@bosox4l]

I look at it differently, bro split works, you are actually hitting more than once, when I do chest day my triceps are getting work, they just are. When I do back day my biceps are also getting work and so on. So really your using your muscles more than once a week.

[@angryjohn0017]

This makes so much sense! I am 19 and I have been in the gym steady 5 days a week for a year. Approximately 4 months ago I weighed 200 lbs had a max bench of 250 lbs, which is nothing massive, but then someones in my gym suggested I train one body part a week. Ever sense then I have grown weaker and I can barely bench 200 lbs. I am still very green to working out, but hopefully I can change this very soon.

[@improvementology4011]

What split do you use bro?

[@grantbaker7062]

My split works very well for me. Mondays chest and triceps, Tuesdays back and biceps, Wednesdays legs and shoulders (abs scattered between those 3 days with no particular order), Thursday rest, and start again. That way I'm hitting every muscle group twice a week with 4 days of rest between them. All my workouts are quite intense (follow a lot of tips from Dorian Yates' training methods), but I'm taking advantage of the fact I'm still young (25), can't do this forever because it would just be detrimental to my body and gains. Also recently followed Mike's advise and started hitting smaller muscles more often (only muscles where I'm lacking size for proportion), so a bit of side delts and rear delts on Mondays.

[@ivantoxie]

I also do the 3 one 4th day off split, it is a good one. Except mine is day 1 push - chest, triceps, delts. Day 2 pull - back, biceps, rear delts. Day 3 legs and deads. I know deadlifts go with pull day but it's also a lot of hams and ass so I just went with it. Issue though for me is I want a 5 day a wk split so I can have time on my weekends off for hiking, relaxing or who knows what.

[@ukguy]

I have always found that I get the most gains from bro splits, I have tried ppl, full body, upper lower etc and none gave me the results that bro splits do.

[@BGeezy4sheezy]

The effectiveness of a training method depends entirely on your fitness goals and where you’re at in life. Based on work, family stuff, other physical stuff I might I do throughout the day, and really just how my body feels, I have to switch up my routine accordingly: so lab studies, while useful, are never really gonna be able to proscribe a perfect regimen. To me, the most important thing is to have a workout intense enough that I feel good but has almost no chance to cause injury, and for that I really go by “feel”.

[@hvafaenskaljeghete1800]

By training back you also work biceps, by training chest you also work shoulders and triceps. All upper body muscles are worked 3 times per week, legs will be worked 6 days a week through morning and afternoon cardio to get the blood flowing. Remember that you must not do too many sets weekly, preform minimum 15 maximum 20 sets weekly for back and chest. Day 1 - back (5 sets) Day 2 - chest (5 sets) Day 3 - back (5 sets) Day 4 - chest (5 sets) Day 5 - back (5 to 10 sets) Day 6 - chest (5 to 10 sets) Train legs with steady pace cardio 10-20 minutes (before breakfast) and 10-20 minutes (after dinner) eat minimum 2000 calories maximum 3500 calories and drink a glass of milk to breakfast, lunch and the last meal of the day.

[@infiniteg7852]

This split is Atrocious

[@waderace4084]

The Frequency Bro-Split 1. Push (Chest & Triceps focus) 2. Pull (Back & Biceps with Trap Bar Deadlifts for Legs) 3. Shoulders 4. Off 5. Upper Body (Arms focus) 6. Legs 7. Off I feel like this split bridges the gap between the bro-split and higher frequency training. Just my 2 cents. Dr. Israetel is the real expert.

[@hariszukic5910]

I do 5 sets for Biceps and Triceps every day for example. Mo:Triceps Tue:Biceps..... And so on. And i have one full Arm day because i focus my arms atm. Calves 3 Times per week with 8 Sets side delts 3 Times per week 2 days as a „bonus“ and on my shoulder day with more of a focus. Good Video Sir! I learn a lot from you

[@erikec67]

Muscles recover faster than the CNS. Because of this people tend to train muscles too infrequently or train their CNS too often. You can squat and deadlift once a week but still train legs and back twice a week.

[@Mylada]

The cns is a difficult concept. It is possible to train squat 7 times a week just like many bulgarians. They still made progress. My best strength gains are made by training the movement at least 3 times a week. I would argue that cns recovers even faster than muscle. At least for me. In many cases I've been able to hit new pr with sore muscles when I was squatting every day. Many people claim the contrary.

[@trickspk3r]

You can squat 3x and deadlift 3x a week (and even more) without worrying about CNS fatigue if you manage other variables like volume and intensity. Ppl rarely go into real CNS fatigue.

[@erikec67]

In my experience, Bulgarian type squatting and benching 5-7 times heavy each week works for a while, then it doesn't. There are a lot of variables involved but for me training a movement or body part 2-3 times a week works best.

[@erikec67]

Every body, situation and goal is different. If you are single and going to school 3 hours a day, you probably have a better ability to recover. If you are married with small children not sleeping through the night and you have a demanding career, you might not be able to recover as well. If your goal is only strength, you probably don't need to do the same volume as a person focused more on building muscle. Volume wears down you CNS and movements like heavy squats and deadlifts wear down your CNS. Sometimes you can't do both at the same time. Your frequency, intensity and volume have to stay within your ability to recover.

[@trickspk3r]

Erik Carlson Agreed but I'd chose higher frequency with lower volume/day over lower frequency with high volume/day (If you get the same volume 3 days vs 2 days). You'd recover better and the extra frequency helps a lot to grease the groove.

[@Nick2kay8]

Did a bro split for almost 4 years.It works very well. I was 71kg and Im now 104kg but my heaviest was 109kg. Yes I have used anabolic's for about the last year and a half. For competition purposes but i did get to 93kg natural. I have completely changed my routine to a 4x day a week upper lower split hitting everything 2-3 times P/W and my whole physique has changed dramatically. I'm down to 8% BF from 12% in the past 3 months and it is down to diet as I'm a big fan of carb cycling but it seems doing this split has fired up my metabolism and is leading to a much faster rate of muscle growth and fat loss. So in general the bro split works well but not near as effective for myself as the upper and lower splits.Juice or no juice hitting everything twice a week should prove more effective to most lifters. Thanks guys for reading. Hope this helps.

[@cecilwarren4587]

Nicholas Morgan how many total sets per day are you getting in

[@Alienspecies635]

Nicholas Morgan how do you carb cycle? I have been liftimg on and off for years and just got back into it 4 months ago. muscle memory is a beautiful thing because I have had incredibly fast results but I'm still uneducated on dieting other than vitamims proteins and potassium amd creatine

[@JobBouwman]

And now you heard you could have done a lot better.

[@Tropicocitwo]

Simple carb cycling would involve having a higher percentage of total calories coming from carbs on the days that you train the most intense/lift heaviest, while cutting back on them on rest/cardio/conditioning/recovery days (there's so many alternatives to an all-out heavy day haha)

[@Mversluis93]

Used steroids tho, so your opinion doesn’t really matter for us naturals.

[@mariocamarena]

Instant suscriber here... You have the ability to keep people interested 👍

[@mayukhsen8195]

My theory on that... Do 6-10 total sets per session... And a session every 48-72 hours. First set amrap. Following sets 1 or two reps in reserve. Rest adequately between sets. 5 minutes is plenty. Don't go over 10 sets, don't do below 5 sets. On off days you can do GTG training but be very careful about staying away from fatigue on each sets. I would do push up variation and pull ups. That way you benefit from ultra high frequency training while ACTUALLY SPEEDING UP RECOVERY BY KEEPING MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS ELEVATED. And keep doing it for 5 years straight. I say train hard twice a week, in between do easy GTG stuff. This will also allow you to guess how recovered you are for another hard session. And that's it.

[@rockyevans1584]

So many arbitrary numbers, this read quite well from a comedic standpoint!

[@cjd1377]

I like the Push-Pull-Legs x2 per week split

[@zip34ut]

So you like going to the gym 6x a week?

[@Jkwanfit]

that's pretty common though

[@SkillaTronGaming]

Roberto Barra dont think of it as going to the gym 6 times out of a week (7 days) but more as going to the gym 6 out of 8 days.

[@Bozkurt-si9cz]

Roberto Barra lol i train 6 days a week, I also feel the itch of training twice a day because its soo fun

[@Tropicocitwo]

what the f XD

[@travisstilwell9183]

Great info. Thanks for these videos

[@VSPhotfries]

I think I'll give this a try, but just a thought: My personal experience is that I have a very high instance of DOMS post workout that lasts basically the whole week - and yes, I mean even without 'really smashing' anything with comically high intensity workouts. Legs or chest in particular get really grouchy even if I come in and have a wimpy 'at least I showed up' workout (hey, it happens), so that's why I personally go with the 'bro split,' not because it's convention (though that was a factor too). I hope the soreness will be significantly less intense with half-the-volume-per-workout after getting used to it, but from past experience I'll bet it's more like a 25% reduction, so I will probably end up back on bro splits after a while - after all, I'm not trying to be the next Mr. O, just trying to be less likely to die of a heart attack at 40...

[@TheLockon00]

The way bro-splits sneak around a lot of this is with the use of compound movements. You may only train each muscle group "once a week" but a compound movement like the bench press is working triceps, chest, shoulders and lats. Which day of the bro-split does that fall in, exactly? See as well people doing deadlifts on "back day," while also doing squats on "leg day."

[@andycardenas7346]

It doesn't matter what you do,as long as you're consistent and having fun,there is no wrong way to workout,these guys have all the time in the world and can do all the routines they want,I'm a working,family man and to me the bro split is fun and I love the volume and pounding the shit out of a muscle group 5 days a week

[@seal9454]

1:42 "You're needlessly sacrificing gains because you're waiting too long." Is this guy for real? Does he actually think you lose muscle in a specific area after just a week? If you hit biceps on Monday, and Back on Thursday, you're still stimulating your biceps twice in the week. You won't lose muscle like this. This guy calls himself a Dr.....?

[@stevenlikescricket]

Push/Pull/Legs split is a good way to go for hypertrophy.

[@barrybarnett731]

Been training 35yrs always used bro splits, after the uk lockdown I tried push pull legs for 12 weeks, trained hard but done nothing for me training shoulders with chest just too much fatigue on one or the either, missed one back workout one week so when I trained it again 7 days later guess what? I felt stronger, so back to bro splits for me, so they arnt a myth !, they work for me that's more important than what these science based nerds who think they know best

[@barrybarnett731]

@@primal4219 what a horrible reply you vile piece of shit , how about posting a pic of your shit physique !, as for volume I train 25 to 30 sets per body part per week even at the age of 60, i train to failure, I've probably forgotten more than a dickhead like you will ever know about training , bottom line is there is no such thing as the best way to train , as through experience you find out what works for you ,

[@davincibz1]

You need to let the muscle recover enough so you can hit it harder next time. Training frequency depends on how fast you recover. Know your own body!

[@bcubed72]

_"You need to let the muscle recover enough so you can hit it harder next time."_ Window for hypertrophy is 48hrs, max. At which point your gainz turn into a pumpkin. So, no reason (other than CNS overtraining) not to hit a muscle group 3X weekly. Hell, look at routines like Smolov and the Bulgarian method...DAILY workouts (or at least 4x/wk); high volume! Tolerance of volume/frequency is trainable, just like everything else. If you can adapt your body to withstand high frequency, you can make correspondingly greater gainz.

[@DonPascquale]

@@bcubed72 you have no clue what you are talking about dumbass i could train 1 bodypart once in 14 days and stil make strengh gains if i destroy it every 14 days...48 hours hahaha what a fucking bs

[@8000860]

@@DonPascquale BS? Or science?

[@wingman358]

High quality info in an easily understood format. Dr Israetel, your videos are unparalleled. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@ae746890]

Nice, succinct tutorial on frequency / volume principles...we'll done Doc Mike

[@matcoddy6097]

what the fuck does succinct mean lol

[@ae746890]

Ha....sorry, I'll keep the verbiage to "meathead" comprehensible language. Me like!! Me think good!!

[@reftu1489]

This channel is a pure gold. So many informative videos.

[@herpderp2457]

Would this same data/training principle apply to connective tissue growth as it does to general hypertrophy despite the lower blood flow to that tissue? Just found this channel a few days ago and I absolutely love how you guys present your information and discoveries. Very concise, zero bullshit and most importantly zero bro science. Please keep it up!

[@CraigSmith-ob9lp]

With all due respect to Dr Mike, if “bro splits” didn’t work, you wouldn’t have this thing known as competitive bodybuilding. As a big guy who competes, I do agree with his stance that you can (and often should) train a body part multiple times per week - especially if it’s weak and/or you’re working on a specific movement for motor recruitment/force production or health/rehabilitation. For example, I’ve been working on improving pull-ups and train them on chest/boob day, but still have a dedicated back workout earlier or later in the week with much greater volume using lat pull downs (hell, sometimes I do pull-ups again if I’m feeling froggy)... I guess my point is that BOTH approaches can and do illicit results. I think the best approach to this thorny topic is saying that there are multiple paths to the kingdom of meathead heaven and the path you choose to walk should be dictated first and foremost by your specific goals. Just my 2 cents

[@rlburton]

As I like to say, even a bad lifting program that someone sticks with and applies themselves to with good form will have better results than a good lifting program with mediocre effort. Goals and also specific lifestyle are important. I used to do 1-1.5 hour full upper body sessions, but recently split that up into multiple 0.5-hour sessions of alternating groups just like he says here, and that's giving better results, but I did it largely just because carving out 1.5 hours at once was simply too hard to schedule. Also, I do bike commuting, so every day is leg day.

[@CraigSmith-ob9lp]

I’m happy to hear it’s working for you! I agree that effort and execution trump many things, but I still think it’s personal opinion as to what constitutes a ‘bad training’ system, and you start to fall into the ‘black & white world’ camp when in fact, life is a million shades of grey. Ps biking is great, but don’t forget to give your glutes/hams some love 👍🏻

[@Abakaschi]

Respectfully, the science and experience(!) is on your side but I still disagree as an _individual_ in my age (41). I worked out over 20 years and went through all kinds of programs and systems and I can attest that there are vast(!) differences in recovery in your 20's, 30's and now 40's!! I easily could handle 3x per week a full body workout and made excellent gains in my 20's. In my 30's, a full body workout was off the charts in terms of injury and recovery. Back then, it took me a while to recognize (and acknowledge :)) that my decrease(!) in strength along with aches in elbows, shoulders and knees all was related to my poor recovery. Now, in my 40's, I can't hit any muscle more than 1x per week without stagnating and developing severe joint pain. I'm not on a TRT (yet), but my free test is on the lower end of the scale for the past 5 years. And respectfully, looking at your physics (also wrist size, skull size and shape), I highly(!) assume that your natural test levels are very high up. That, too makes a huge impact on recovery...

[@Bodyknowledge77]

Good info. I've been training consistently hard since 93'. I'm lifetime drug and pro hormone free. I've also been a WNBF drug-free pro for reference. I find what I'm doing to work well. 3 lifting days(most other days upon waking I do 10-15 minutes mobility and stretching session) An upper body day(pressing emphasis) Lower body day(with one back movement included, typically pull-ups) and a total body (with typically back emphasis)

[@TheBlooRayChannel]

Interesting. Can I ask what your program currently looks like? How do you accommodate the compounds into the 3 days?

[@JfaJosephR9]

^

[@soldasis00]

I am assuming thats why you look like you just maintain with no muscle growth 3 day workout plan is horseshit. You cannot work out 3 days a week and expect to have any monumental gains. By the time you start your 3 day routine again.your.muacles are healed and wasting. A circle of waste

[@bakters]

+Freedom1 - Everybody is in the same boat. After about 5 years of training gains come hard. The law of diminishing returns is a bitch. Is it worth it to run your life around daily workout schedule in exchange for a minor improvement? For how long? Can your joints even take the long term load? You see, it's not even obvious that twice more load will net you better results in the long run. You have one set of knees, elbows and shoulders. It's possible to wear them out quickly. Then the turtle overtakes the hare. (With that said, I exercise at home, so I do short daily workouts. But I wouldn't if I had to go to the gym.)

[@soldasis00]

bakters. For some of the majority. Myself i could not see myself not training it is literally.my enjoyment i dont so it because i have to its because i love to do it. I am consistently put on muscle albeit sometimes a pound some years its all about intensity. Started when i was 15 now i am 41 competing for the first time this year. It comes down to anything we do in life your going to get out only what you put it into it.

[@gironda11]

Holy crap he looks super young here

[@toshsimpkin4386]

Bro splits don't really train a muscle per day though. They might have a dedicated shoulder day, but they'll also be hit on chest day through bench press and on back day with any pull. Same goes with legs; squats on leg day, but deadlifts on back day. There's muscle overlap to a bro split.

[@Jeffthedude15]

If you're losing your gains before the end of the week then its not really gained anyway

[@johnrobinson4445]

Very valuable, especially about upping the frequency for the smaller muscles (which are, in fact, often stimulated on multiple days because they are involved in many big movements, including antagonistic ones). Good stuff.

[@noibarspanish]

I'm growing best with 1 a week. when you train back hard you're hitting bicep as well, when you do deadlift you're hitting your legs. I find it hard to get the volume neded with training 3 mucels groups at a training session. at least for me...

[@Mversluis93]

noi bar that’s bs. High frequency is proven to be superior over anything. And you are no different than any other, or are you some kind of superhuman?

[@rminitials]

M you sound like you're in a cult. People are different.

[@DanTejedaFit]

You might gain a bit of mass but nowhere close the amount needed for full spectrum hypertrophy. You're basically maintaining your biceps when training back and probably not training your back adequately if you're getting a full bicep workout from it. Plus, deadlifts are more of a hamstring workout so you're quads are suffering.

[@kibe1146]

@@Mversluis93 Low and high frequency both suck keep it in the the middle like Mike and pretty much anyone has previously said twice a week seems to be best all round training frequency for most people. Intensity is not sacrificed due to too much frequency or muscle growth isn't sacrificed due to low frequency that being said total volume matters too.

[@mags3797]

Noi bar I agree. Funny how most people that praise high frequency can’t show their physique or even a profile picture.

[@sayanchakraborty4137]

Please stop I follow bro split and Ihave got more size than what I was getting in push pull legs split twice a wk #without supplement and steroids

[@BarryDonegan]

Thousands of hours into fitness videos in my life this is the first one I've ever seen to recommend a way to do volume when you are increasing frequency.

[@Scot-t]

Chad Wesley Smith Didn’t see him in the description, but for others looking to expand point #2, there’s his name. Excellent content, as always. Thank you, Dr. Gains.

[@marcorodriguez7694]

It's great to see that little by little, as time goes by, were pulling away from the "bro splits" these days. Higher frequency training is something I wish I knew about when I first started training, instead of following all the bullshit "bodybuilder" splits I read on muscle mags! DEATH TO BRO SCIENCE!!!

[@johnfedorov8089]

It's going to take you several years either way to look like you lift, might as well enjoy the journey. The gains from higher frequency routines are highly exaggerated, if you enjoy bro splits, then do them. If you enjoy frequency routines, then do them. All that matters is consistency, it's simple.

[@capoman1]

Bro science is not all bad. The BB's are figuring these things out long before scientific studies confirm them. And we have to be prepared to self experiment. I appreciate the science, I like knowing what methods are optimal. But I don't go to the gym to satisfy scientists. So if I go there and love the pump I get from a bro split, love just annihilating one muscle group, love that simplicity; to hell with the scientists. Personal enjoyment is a *huge variable* in this game.

[@capoman1]

+Klitsko: _It's going to take you several years either way... if you enjoy bro splits, then do them..._

[@ianbrown5955]

"It's going to take you several years either way"..... I've tried both ways, and I have made good gains both ways. My weekly volume was the same. But I don't think it should take several years to look like you lift.

[@Mversluis93]

Bro...this guy is still advocating a bodybuilding style of training. Only body builders, and maybe only drug users, will train biceps or shoulders 4 times a week. Imagine how your pull or push sessions are gonna suffer from that.

[@apotheodaimon]

This is the best info ever. Thank you. This makes more sense than any bro crap I've ever heard.

[@lovelyjubbly87]

excellent video. crammed in so much info in short time.thank you

[@ramirolopez3029]

This video was actually helpful, great job

[@jessenicholls1845]

Probably the best training vid I've seen yet! Thanks mate!!

[@Srobinson102]

Solid information as always. RP need a bodybuilding template!

[@barbarahammersley7012]

I know biceps and triceps are small muscles. but training them 4 or 5 times a week seems bad science for natural lifters. How intensely should you train them with this ideology, 1 set each and stopping short of failure with 3 or 4 reps still in the tank?! Muscles, especially for natural lifters who are close to their genetic potential, need extreme intensity to create new stimuli, which, in turn, will trigger new growth; so training them 4, or even 5 times a week will ultimately lead to overtraining and muscular atrophy - especially when you throw in chest and back day, where AGAIN these smaller muscles of the arms are called in to play. Even small muscles have to recover from the exercise (and recovery takes a lot longer than 24-36 hours) adapt to the stimuli of training, lay down new protein for new muscle fibre, compensate, hypercompensate and replenish the endocrinology of the internal systems, as well as regenerate the neural pathways and connections. I'd like to see a weekly workout schedule that includes training the smaller muscles 4 or 5 time a week and the larger muscles twice.

[@Exodus26.13Pi]

Audio is even more important.

[@theroyalbacon2294]

Really interesting video. But if possible, maybe use a mic for the audio or a smaller room. Sometimes it was a bit hard to clearly understand him, wich is a shame considering the value of his words.

[@justvibing2497]

You'll grow with any split. Crazy he has a degree and got it wrong

[@michaelholland6533]

Stumbled on this by accident. Awesome information. Thank you.

[@fmboxing117]

Mike, your videos have transformed my training, and I'm seeing significantly faster results! Keep up the excellent work 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

[@markjaidii6493]

Pressing on a shoulder day hits pecks and triceps, close grip bench on the arm day hits pecks an shoulders... Even chin-ups on a back day hit pecks a little and triceps perhaps significantly. The bro-split guys who do only the silliest smallest isolation movements probably don't grow due to the facts presented in the video. But... when you do the big exercises you can't really isolate, you'll get stimulus everywhere even you are doing a "bro-split" and that's why they work even they are not supposed to "according to the science".

[@ItsTheMunz]

Thing is I feel like the science on muscle growth is still more open than people think when you look at the variables in the studies. I think volume and intensity are the keys to good growth. I feel like however you achieve that is close to irrelevant. I’ve done high frequency and low frequency. Now I do more of a bro split but still try to hit muscles 2x/week. I can assure you nothing changes when you go 1x/week vs 3X/week for a muscle as long as intensity and volume are accounted for. Just my 2 cents. I think frequency, though not irrelevant, is the most overblown idea. That said this guy is still smart as hell.

[@shrexyboi1850]

So bro splits can work?

[@zhdfzfjvzrtuztuzt]

Wow, that was sweet. We love you Dr Mike.

[@patrickdionne1199]

Thanks Mike for dropping some good science for us bros

[@HBManPon]

You work triceps when you bench, you work biceps when you exercise back rowing movements (especially chin ups), and you work legs when you deadlift on "back day". There is no such thing as a pure "bro split" unless you are solely using isolation machines.

[@ArticleReaderRandy]

KoRn Boi say hello to 14 inch arms for the rest if your life if you believe this

[@thedistordedbadger]

ArticleReader Randy I think he is saying that you cannot hit each muscle individually once per week, and that with compound movements you get more frequency than is being stated.

[@ordinaryguy815]

ArticleReader Randy But I have 16" lean arms @ 5'10 doing mostly bro stuff

[@Mversluis93]

stoned ape you could be making much more gains way faster by higher frequency training tho. You don’t wanna do that?

[@ordinaryguy815]

M No I just do PPL 1x week. Dont have any higher ambitions. If I was trying to get as big as possible I would go lower volume PPL 2x/wk tho

[@HulkyTrapz]

Just found this channel and subscribed immediately... Awesome training advice and science behind them thanks Dr Mike

[@christophergomez2584]

All depends on what you do for a job. I work at a steel Foundry moving weight 8 to 10 hrs a day 6 days a week. I could train chest 2 to 3 days a week or arms. Bro for me works best

[@trancemadmaz]

I've noticed a big flaw in Mike's reasoning. Training tricep 4 x a week will have a fatigueing effect on training your chest and shoulders. The same with biceps if you want to optimally train your back.

[@romeoradin12]

this is what it really means to be a doctor, not just a bro giving you advice. he's in a good place at temple university spreading the word about the good type of gains.

[@TheYgds]

I'll come back once I track down the resources he has cited, so long as they aren't behind a pay wall. But, I am a bit sceptical of the idea that a so called "bro-split" does not sufficiently stimulate the small peripheral muscles as often as recommended. Anyone who does a high volume and intensive so-called "back day" would realize quite quickly that the biceps, forearms, rear delts, and hamstrings (in some cases) are well used and exhausted. Same goes for chest work outs and leg workouts, the number of auxiliary muscles used during well balanced high volume and intensity work outs well makes up for the lack of added dedicated sets. I can see the logic in training legs twice a week, as few other exercises do a good job of spurring stimulation of them, deadlifts do have some minor benefits. However, I won't dismiss a man with science behind him, not to mention the patterns of Golden Age bodybuilders who trained similarly. I will start implementing this advice, and see how it goes.

[@joonkoon6765]

how did it go?

[@carnivorebytes1109]

Lots of no bullshit info , love watching vids that want to help ,good man ,great content, 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.

[@moresalesoryourmoneyback]

Really awesome content. Thank you so much. It would be great if you purchased a podcasting microphone, because the background noise is pretty significant.

[@DragonSlayer-tg5mk]

High frequency training will destroy your joints, I know from experience. Went back to hitting everything once a week and they are MUCH better.

[@DefineStrength]

these r so cool!! STAY HEALTHY STRONG AND FIT Mike!!

[@christophercolossus6179]

Grateful for knowledge, especially when it comes to exercise physiology

[@ronki23]

Full body is better imo. I'm not on steroids so I need to train body parts 2-3x a week instead of just once a week. But my overall volume is low so I prefer low volume with high frequency i.e. 5x5

[@manimal9871]

Frequency isn’t that important for hypertrophy, it’s more important for strength. What’s most important for hypertrophy is volume and progressive overload. You can still grow very well as a natural even on a Bro split if you program it correctly. IE doing Deadlifts on back day, doing Closegrip Bench & Chins on arm day etc this way you are hitting everything 2-3 times a week anyway while accumulating large amounts of volume as well.

[@debaronAZK]

but it's easier to overload when you can put more weight on the bar, thus strength is important too

[@linguafranca7115]

I like that the title says for muscle growth because not everyone’s goals priorities physique gains. There is no wsy I would do biceps & triceps directly let alone more than once a week. Your program depends highly on your goals. Not everyone is mainly after bodybuilding. Not a hater though. Cheers!

[@raptorpie100]

Thank you. You made it so crystal clear. Thank you so much.

[@juniorramirez3858]

Yo imma say this ... and I watch u RELIGEOUSLY and love the vids brother.. but unless ur competing.. what's the rush? Make it a liveable lifestyle and just be consistent. It's a marathon not a sprint ;)

[@mikepellettiere8541]

Why do most of the top pros still do bro splits

[@MennoWielenga]

I do push, pull, legs, rest, rest, push, pull. Train legs once a week. Gained 24 pound in a year. A perfect split does not exist. Consistency is the key.

[@Timothy_Himothy1]

Best video I've ever seen in my life.

[@ghettobeats]

Awesome information Dr. Mike! I've been wondering about this for a while and started doing biceps and legs more often ever since I started following you on ig.

[@krisroberts444]

Really awesome and informative video. Totally agree with what was said and wrote about it on my site. Thanks for sharing 💪🏼

[@Ehcundiff]

Mike Israetel, you’re the man!

[@mothernature1755]

Push/pull/legs is king. Plus abs every session.

[@johnjohntv1195]

Many people find their arms lag on PPL. I’m thinking of trying a hybrid of PPL and the Arnold split (Chest&Back, Shoulders&Arms, Legs)

[@ahnoldshort5500]

The % diff after lifting 2-3 years esp isn't much but if you are very serious about min and maxing then def take this advice

[@bluecollariron9326]

Excellent points all around. Good info here.

[@ryughoul]

I just discovered your channel. What a phenominal video! Have you considered reviewing/breaking down T-Nation's 'Best damn workout plan for natural lifters' program? i feel it supports your philosophy on high frequency and the optimisation of it, for your typical natural lifter (who might be struggling to settle into any other program than brosplits). I myself, would find your knowledge and perspective on this invaluable, as might the rest of your community! The routine's an interesting protocal to say the least! Subbed to the channel, thanks again, Mike!

[@goreds551]

Have you tried Thibaudeau's program and if so did you like it? What kind of results did you get?

[@MultiShiznit]

This is similar to what Mark rippetoe says in his Practical Programming book. This is why the Texas method and variations of it are so effective.

[@MuEnViFitness]

Great video Mike! Your information is top notch