Skip to content
Nutrition 3 min read

Best Workout Splits for Bulking and Cutting

Compare upper-lower and push-pull-legs splits for bulking and cutting, with practical guidance for volume, lifts, cardio, and diet.

Marcus Hale Hypertrophy editor·
Two athletes training with compound lifts in a modern gym
On this page · 3 sections
  1. Choosing a Split for Bulking
  2. Choosing a Split for Cutting
  3. Key Principles for Either Phase

Your workout split should match your current goal. Bulking calls for enough resistance training volume and calorie support to build muscle, while cutting should help you lose fat without sacrificing too much muscle or strength.

Choosing a Split for Bulking

When bulking, decide whether muscle size or additional strength is your main focus. Hypertrophy work supports muscle growth, while heavier resistance training can develop strength, and both approaches can contribute to gaining muscle.

Athlete performing a controlled barbell bench press during a bulking split

Popular bulking splits

  • Upper-lower: Separates upper- and lower-body work into different sessions.
  • Push-pull-legs: Divides training into pushing, pulling, and leg-focused sessions.

Whichever split you choose, give each muscle group movements that challenge it effectively. Compound exercises such as the bench press, deadlift, and pull-up can provide substantial muscular stimulation when programmed with appropriate volume.

Supporting your bulk

Diet is part of the bulking plan. Aim for a calorie surplus rather than an uncontrolled “dirty bulk,” and make sure you consume enough carbohydrates and protein to support your training and muscle growth.

Choosing a Split for Cutting

A cut requires careful balance because losing weight too quickly can cost muscle and reduce strength gains. Keeping your resistance training consistent is central to preserving the muscle and strength you built while losing fat.

Athlete strength training with cardio in the background during a cut

Keep the movements familiar

If you built your physique with compound lifts in a low one-to-five-rep range, continuing with similar movements makes sense during a cut. These exercises also create metabolic stress, which may help you sustain a calorie deficit.

Use cardio strategically

Cardio can increase fat loss, and placing it after lifting may help you preserve your priority sessions for resistance training. Both interval training and steady-state cardio can work, so consider your current activity level and choose the format that fits your routine best.

Protect muscle retention

Avoid an excessively large calorie deficit and prioritize protein intake. Muscle retention matters as much as fat loss for making the cut successful, so judge progress by more than the scale alone.

Key Principles for Either Phase

Stay consistent with the training approach that supported your bulking gains, whether that came from hypertrophy work, powerlifting, or another resistance-training method. Change your core strategy only after evaluating what has worked for your body and goals.

  • Use a split that lets you train each muscle group effectively.
  • Match your training volume and intensity to your goal.
  • Adjust food intake to support muscle gain or fat loss.
  • Add cardio as needed without interfering with lifting.
  • Protect recovery and monitor how your body responds.

Keep the fundamentals in view rather than chasing constant program changes. Train thoughtfully, work hard, and give yourself time to build on consistent results.

All field notes