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Zuletzt aktualisiert am 21.09.2025
When you’re just getting started with fitness, you often hear about muscle groups and which muscle groups you should train together. But what are these muscle groups anyway, and which muscle groups can you train together?
At Vetain, we don’t just make delicious protein shakes—we also know a thing or two about training. We’ll answer all the key questions so you can hit the gym with confidence.
Your extra in this article: a muscle-group overview so you can see at a glance which muscles there are.
Your knowledge to go: Which muscle groups to train together?
You can categorize your muscle groups by synergistic function, movement pattern, or body region.
The more advanced you are, the more splits you can use: start with full body, then move to a 2-day split, then a 3-day split, etc.
Popular splits include Upper | Lower or Push | Pull | Legs.
Some combinations require caution because they can lead to overuse if volume is too high.
What options are there?
There are different ways to “group” muscle groups:
By synergistic function: Which muscles typically work together in everyday movements?
Example: Back & bicepsBy movement pattern: Which muscles move in similar directions?
Example: Pull (back, biceps & rear delts) or Push (chest, shoulders & triceps)By body region: Which muscles are in the same area?
Example: Upper body (arms, chest, etc.) or lower body (legs, glutes, etc.)
Before we decide which muscle groups to train together, let’s first clarify which groups exist.
Which muscle groups are there?
A simple way to look at this is by 6 muscle groups:
Chest muscles
Back muscles
Arm muscles (biceps, triceps, forearm muscles)
Shoulder muscles
Leg muscles (thighs, calves, and glutes)
Abdominal muscles
All of these areas should be trained—either in one session (full body) or split across sessions.
You can also divide muscles into large and small muscle groups if you want to go deeper—but for now, let’s finally answer which muscle groups to train together.
Overview: How does split training work?
When you divide training into different muscle groups or sessions, that’s called split training. “Split” simply means to divide. It sounds complicated, but it just means you “split” your muscle groups and train them separately. This keeps the focus on a specific area each day so training can be more intense and effective. Day A is one group, Day B is another, and so on.
There are various split types like 2-day or 3-day splits. As a beginner, it’s often advised to start with full body and gradually add more splits—begin with a 2-day split and build from there.
Which muscle groups to train together? | 2-Day Split
There are different ways to structure a 2-day split. Here are two popular ones:
Option 1: Upper | Lower
Day A – Upper body: Chest, back, shoulders, arms (biceps & triceps)
Day B – Lower body: Legs, glutes, abs
→ This one is aptly named the Upper–Lower Split.
Option 2: Push | Pull
Day A – Push (pressing): Chest, shoulders (front & side), triceps, front of thighs
Day B – Pull (pulling): Back, rear delts, biceps, posterior chain (hamstrings & glutes)
Now you’ve got a few ideas for your 2-day split. For matching gym exercises and a ready-to-use Upper–Lower plan, check out our training book!
Which option you choose is up to you—feel free to structure it differently if you prefer. You can also split muscle groups without fancy names:
Day A: Chest, shoulders, triceps
Day B: Back, biceps, legs
Then continue with Day A (or take a rest day)!
Try what feels best for you.
Already more advanced? Then you can add more split days. Which muscle groups are paired then? Let’s find out!
Which muscle groups to train together? | 3-Day Split
A 3-day split gives you three focused sessions so you can train even more precisely.
Option 1: Push | Pull | Legs
Day A – Push: Chest, front & side delts, triceps
Day B – Pull: Back, rear delts, biceps
Day C – Legs: Legs (often with glutes, abs)
→ very popular
Option 2: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps | Back/Biceps | Legs
Day A: Chest, shoulders, triceps
Day B: Back, biceps
Day C: Legs (often with abs, glutes)
→ common in bodybuilding
At first glance they seem identical—and in practice they mostly are. The difference is mainly the naming and focus:
Option 1 follows movement patterns (push, pull, lower body).
Option 2 follows classic muscle-group labels.
You’ll end up training similar muscles either way—it’s just a different framing. If you’re unsure how to stay motivated with a 3-day split plan, read this: Fitness motivation – achieve your goals.
More splits
You can keep going—some even use 5-day splits. Important: you don’t need a 5-day split for great results. You can train effectively with fewer days. Higher-day splits are really for advanced, experienced lifters because the session intensity per muscle gets very high.
Which muscle groups to train together? | 4-Day Split
Option 1: Back | Chest | Legs | Shoulders
Day A: Back
Day B: Chest
Day C: Legs
Day D: Shoulders
Which muscle groups to train together? | 5-Day Split
Option 1: Back | Chest | Legs | Shoulders | Biceps
Day A: Back
Day B: Chest
Day C: Legs
Day D: Shoulders
Day E: Biceps
As the number of days increases, the body is divided into more detail and muscles are increasingly isolated.
Wondering where abs or glutes fit? They’re trained heavily within other sessions already, so they don’t always need their own day. You can still add a couple of focused sets anytime.
Which muscle groups should not be trained together?
Avoid training certain muscle groups too intensely in the same session or on back-to-back days to prevent overuse. It’s not that specific combos are “wrong,” but some splits (like a push day in a push/pull plan) recruit many muscles at once—if you don’t manage volume, that can get excessive quickly.
So the question is less “Which muscle groups should never be trained together?” and more “Which pairings should you approach with caution?”
For full-body or a 2-day split, don’t overthink this—overlaps are normal and even intended. With higher-day splits, intensity per muscle rises, so smart planning matters.
Also important: Don’t train the same muscle groups two days in a row. Your muscles need recovery time—that’s when they actually grow. Overdoing it raises your risk of injury or overuse.
Here’s how often to train each week.
Why full-body training is often recommended for beginners
Especially at the start, full-body training helps your body adapt step by step. Focus on clean technique, solid movement patterns, and building a stable strength base—without feeling overwhelmed. Honestly, a 5-day split can be a lot even for seasoned lifters.
In the beginning, a few basic exercises are enough to hit all major muscle groups effectively—no complex split required. You’ll likely make fast progress in the first months anyway.
By the way: If you’re short on time or still not sure which muscle groups to combine, a full-body session beats skipping the workout entirely.
Conclusion
Now you know exactly which muscle groups you can train together. Time to put it into practice!
Our article Gym training plan might help—and if you’re looking for a tasty protein shake, we’ve got you covered: creamy protein shakes and refreshing clear protein sodas.
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Good luck!
Questions? Send me an email — I’d love to hear from you! :)
The information in this article does not replace individual medical or nutritional advice.
