Training Splits Compared
The four main ways to organise your training week — with exercise-by-exercise breakdowns, form cues, and video walkthroughs.
3-Day Full Body
The best split if you are just starting or returning after a break.
Frequency
3 days/week
Best for
Beginners and those returning from injury
Weekly Schedule
Seb's Take
This is where I started and where I tell everyone else to start. Three sessions per week means each muscle gets trained twice — that frequency is where beginners grow fastest. Don't let the simplicity fool you.
Session A
Full Body — Squat Dominant
Back Squat
Sets
3 sets
Reps
5 reps
Form cues
- Bar sits on upper traps, not the neck
- Feet shoulder-width, toes 15–30° out
- Push knees out over toes throughout
- Hip crease below parallel — no half squats
Common mistakes
- Heels rising — means tight calves or ankles, elevate heels temporarily
- Knees caving in — cue yourself to "spread the floor" with your feet
Seb's tip
Film yourself from the side on your first session. Most men think they are squatting deep. Most are not.
Bench Press
Sets
3 sets
Reps
5 reps
Form cues
- Retract and depress your shoulder blades — "pinch a pencil between them"
- Bar path: touch chest at nipple line, press toward your face
- Feet flat on floor, drive into the bench
- Grip just outside shoulder width — not too wide
Common mistakes
- Flared elbows (45–75° is correct, not 90°)
- Bouncing bar off chest — touch, pause, press
Seb's tip
Arch your lower back slightly — this shortens the range and protects the shoulder joint. Not a competition arch, just natural tension.
Barbell Row
Sets
3 sets
Reps
5 reps
Form cues
- Hinge to 45° — spine neutral, not rounded
- Pull bar into lower chest/upper abs, not the neck
- Lead with the elbow, not the hands
- Pause at the top and squeeze the lats
Common mistakes
- Using momentum — control the eccentric, take 2 seconds to lower
- Bar drifting forward — keep it close to the body throughout
Seb's tip
This is arguably more important than the deadlift for building a thick back. Most men skip it.
Overhead Press
Sets
3 sets
Reps
5 reps
Form cues
- Bar starts at collarbone, grip just outside shoulders
- Brace core hard before initiating — this is a full-body lift
- Press bar slightly back as it passes the forehead
- Lock out fully at the top — biceps by ears
Common mistakes
- Excessive lower-back arch — squeeze glutes to prevent this
- Pressing straight up — the bar should move in a slight S-curve path
Seb's tip
The OHP is the slowest progressor of the big lifts. Add 2.5kg when you can, not 5kg.
Romanian Deadlift
Sets
3 sets
Reps
8 reps
Form cues
- Soft knee bend throughout — this is NOT a leg exercise, it is a hip hinge
- Push hips back, lower bar along shins
- Feel stretch in hamstrings at the bottom — that is your range
- Drive hips forward to stand, not your lower back
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back at the bottom — stop 5cm before this happens
- Treating it like a squat — the RDL is a hip hinge, knees barely bend
Seb's tip
Go lighter than you think. Form breaks down fast on RDLs when the weight is too heavy.
