Train each muscle group once per week with maximum volume
Discover the 5-day split - train each muscle group once per week with high volume. Perfect for advanced lifters. Get a complete program with exercises, sets, and reps. Track your workouts with Spotwell's AI rep counter.
Track 5-Day Split with Spotwell →Focus entirely on chest - bench press, incline press, flyes, and dips. High volume for maximum growth.
Focus entirely on back - deadlifts, rows, pull-ups, and face pulls. Build width and thickness.
Focus on shoulders - overhead press, lateral raises, rear delt work, and shrugs.
Focus on legs - squats, leg press, Romanian deadlifts, and calf work. High volume leg day.
Focus on biceps and triceps - curls, extensions, and isolation work. Finish the week strong.
Two full rest days to recover from the high-volume week.
Sets: 15-20 total
Reps: 6-15
Rest: 2-3 minutes
Bench press, incline press, flyes, dips, cable crossovers
Sets: 15-20 total
Reps: 6-15
Rest: 2-3 minutes
Deadlifts, rows, pull-ups, face pulls, lat pulldowns
Sets: 12-15 total
Reps: 8-15
Rest: 90 seconds
Overhead press, lateral raises, rear delt flyes, shrugs
Sets: 18-22 total
Reps: 6-15
Rest: 2-4 minutes
Squats, leg press, Romanian deadlifts, leg curls, calf raises
Sets: 12-15 total
Reps: 8-15
Rest: 60-90 seconds
Bicep curls, tricep extensions, hammer curls, overhead extensions
A 5-day split can build muscle, but because it trains each muscle group only once per week, it relies on very high volume in a single session to make up for the lower frequency. Research generally favors training each muscle about twice a week for most people, so higher-frequency splits often edge it out. It works best for advanced lifters who can handle and recover from a lot of volume per session.
The 5-day split suits advanced lifters who have several years of training, strong recovery habits, and time to train five days a week. These lifters can tolerate the high per-session volume and benefit from the extra exercise variety per muscle group. Beginners and intermediates usually progress faster on full-body, upper/lower, or PPL routines that train each muscle more frequently.
A typical 5-day split includes two rest days per week, often placed after several consecutive training days. Because each session is high in volume, those rest days are important for recovery, muscle repair, and performance. If you feel overtrained, moving a rest day earlier in the week or adding one is a smart adjustment.
You can, provided the weekly volume is high enough, but for most people twice-weekly frequency produces slightly better results at the same total volume. The once-per-week approach demands 15 or more hard sets in a single session to drive growth. Tracking each set with Spotwell, which auto-counts reps with the iPhone camera, helps you confirm you are actually hitting that high-volume target.
Neither is strictly better; they suit different lifters. PPL trains each muscle twice a week over six days, while the 5-day split trains each once with more volume per session. If you respond well to frequency, PPL may be the better pick, whereas the 5-day split favors those who prefer focusing on one muscle group per day. Match your choice to your recovery and preferences.
Use Spotwell's AI rep counter and form analysis to perfect this workout. Download now and start tracking.