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Programming
Programming

Body-Part Split Program

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Program example
In one line

A 5–6 day "bro split" that dedicates each session to one or two muscle groups at high per-session volume and once-weekly frequency — for advanced bodybuilders with the recovery to use it.

Detail

The body-part split assigns each training day to one or two muscle groups, hit hard once per week with high per-session volume. A classic 5-day layout: Chest / Back / Shoulders / Legs / Arms.

Acute variables: high volume per muscle in the one session (often 15–25+ sets packed in), ~8–15 reps, frequent use of isolation and intensity techniques (supersets, drop sets). This is the structure of the manual's FSU Hypertrophy / Bodybuilding Program.

The key trade-off: once-weekly frequency means all of a muscle's weekly volume lands in one session, which only works if you can recover from and productively use that much in one shot — i.e., advanced lifters with high MRV and good recovery (Training Age & Experience Levels). For most trainees, the same weekly volume split across ~2 sessions (upper/lower or 6-day PPL) is at least as effective and more recoverable (Training Frequency Considerations). Best used by experienced bodybuilders who tolerate high single-session volume and want maximal per-muscle focus.

Key facts

  • 5–6 days, one or two muscle groups per session, ~1×/week frequency.
  • Classic split: Chest / Back / Shoulders / Legs / Arms.
  • High per-session volume (often 15–25+ sets), 8–15 reps, isolation + intensity techniques.
  • Once-weekly frequency dumps all weekly volume into one session.
  • Best for advanced lifters with high MRV; most others do better splitting volume across ~2 sessions.

Connections

Sources

Cited in text — not yet linked
Established bodybuilding split-design consensus; NSCA volume/frequency literature.

Exercise guides

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Atlas Connections

Back Squats
The high-bar back squat: the bar sits across the upper back, and the three vasti, gluteus maximus and adductor magnus drive you up from as deep as you can control.
Bicep Curls (Barbell)
The basic barbell (or cable) biceps curl — the major-muscle-balance biceps exercise in the FSU strength-conditioning program.
Bench Press
Flat horizontal-adduction press driven by the sternal pectoralis major, with anterior deltoid, triceps and serratus anterior assisting; the chest mass exercise and one of the three powerlifts.
Bent-Over Barbell Row
Hinge forward with a neutral back and pull the bar to your lower ribs. The lats and teres major drive the pull, the rear delts and mid-back finish it, and your back muscles hold the hinge the whole time, so it is a heavy row with a real low-back demand.
Cross Over Cables
Standing cable crossover flye for the sternal pectoralis major; trunk angle changes the emphasis and the secondary muscles.
Dumbbell Flyes
The fly trains the chest by bringing the arms together in a wide arc with the elbows held slightly bent and still. It uses far less weight than a press because of the long lever, and it builds chest size on its own. Use it beside a press, and lower only to a stretch you can control.
Front Arm Raises
Front (forward-flexion) raise isolating the anterior deltoid, with trapezius, clavicular pec and serratus anterior assisting.
Incline Bench Press
Inclined press biasing the upper (clavicular) pectoralis major, with anterior deltoid, triceps and serratus anterior assisting.
Lat Pulldown
Pull the bar to your upper chest in front of your face, with your shoulder blades drawn down. An overhand grip one to two times shoulder width works the lats about equally well, so pick the width that lets you use full range, and skip behind-the-neck pulls.
Lateral Raises
Standing/seated arm abduction raise emphasizing the medial deltoid (true abduction involving all three heads plus supraspinatus).
Leg Curl (Hamstring Curl)
Machine knee-flexion exercise isolating the hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus), with the hip stabilized.
Leg Presses (45 degree)
45-degree leg press working the quads and adductors; a supplementary substitute for the squat with no spinal compression.
Strict Overhead Press (Military Press)
Stand tall, brace, and press the bar from your collarbones to straight arms overhead with no leg drive, moving your head out of the way and back under the bar. The front deltoid leads, the side deltoid, triceps and the muscles that rotate the shoulder blade upward help, and your trunk holds you rigid.
Bent Over One Arm Rows (Dumbbell, Neutral Grip)
Single-arm dumbbell row (neutral grip) working the latissimus dorsi (lower lats).
Overhead Tricep Extension (Dumbbell)
Overhead dumbbell triceps extension working all three heads via elbow extension.
Preacher Curls
Biceps curl performed over a preacher (Scott) bench, listed in the "stretch" position of the Positions-of-Flexion biceps chart.
Seated Rows
Seated cable row; a neutral grip emphasizes the lats (shoulder extension), while a pronated grip emphasizes the traps, rhomboids and posterior delts.
Shoulder Shrugs
Scapular-elevation shrug isolating the upper trapezius, with rhomboid assistance.
Standing Calf Raises
Straight-knee calf raise that loads the gastrocnemius (which becomes ineffective when the knee is flexed) via plantar flexion.
Tricep Pushdowns
Cable triceps pushdown working all three heads; the basic/major-muscle triceps exercise and a novice selection.
Training Frequency Considerations
How often to train each muscle or movement per week — driven by how weekly volume is distributed and how long each muscle needs to recover, not by a magic number.
Muscle Hypertrophy ProgramClosely related
Train each muscle with about 10–20 hard sets a week, split over roughly two sessions. Use mostly 6–15 reps stopped 1–3 reps short of failure, rest at least 1.5–2 minutes, add reps or load as you get stronger, and eat enough protein and energy to grow.
Push / Pull / Legs (PPL) ProgramClosely related
A split that groups the body by function — pushing muscles, pulling muscles, legs — run 3 or 6 days a week, giving balanced coverage and (at 6 days) ~2× frequency.
Training Age & Experience Levels
How long and how seriously someone has trained — which determines how fast they can progress, how much variation they need, and how complex their program should be.
Training Splits Compared
How the main ways of dividing the body across the week — full-body, upper/lower, push-pull-legs, body-part — trade off per-muscle frequency, session length, and weekly availability.
Upper / Lower Split ProgramClosely related
A four-day split alternating upper-body and lower-body sessions, giving each muscle ~2× weekly frequency — the balanced default for intermediates with four days.
Volume Landmarks (MV / MEV / MAV / MRV)
A set of weekly-volume reference points — minimum, minimum-effective, maximum-adaptive, maximum-recoverable — that frame how many sets per muscle to do for growth without over-reaching.
FSU Hypertrophy / Bodybuilding Program
The Florida State University Fitness Center bodybuilding template, with 8-12 RM loads, high volume, and high training frequency.
Split Routine System
Different body parts are trained on alternate days so each can be worked thoroughly at high intensity without overtraining.