Day 1: Chest & Back A
Chest, Back| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 4 | 6–10 | 2 | 3 min |
| Pull-ups | 4 | 6–10 | 2 | 3 min |
| Incline DB Press | 3 | 8–12 | 2 | 2 min |
| Barbell Row | 3 | 8–12 | 2 | 2 min |
| Cable Fly | 3 | 12–15 | 1 | 1 min |
| Straight Arm Pulldown | 3 | 12–15 | 1 | 1 min |
Free program · Advanced
Arnold Split (6 Days)
Chest and back together, shoulders and arms together, then legs, run twice a week. The split was popularized by golden-era bodybuilding and pairs opposing muscles so one recovers while the other works.
- Days per week
- 6
- Frequency
- 2x per muscle/week
- Session length
- ~75 min
- Weekly working sets
- 116
- Level
- Advanced
Run this program in Surpass
On your iPhone with Surpass installed, tap Add to Surpass to copy every day, exercise, rep range, RIR target, and rest time into an editable plan. Each set then shows what you lifted last time and a target to beat.
The workouts
RIR means reps in reserve: how many more clean reps you could have done. Start each lift at the bottom of its rep range.
Day 2: Shoulders & Arms A
Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press | 4 | 6–10 | 2 | 3 min |
| Lateral Raise | 4 | 12–15 | 1 | 1 min |
| Barbell Curl | 3 | 8–12 | 2 | 1:30 |
| Skull Crusher | 3 | 8–12 | 2 | 1:30 |
| Incline Curl | 3 | 10–12 | 1 | 1 min |
| Tricep Pushdown | 3 | 10–15 | 1 | 1 min |
Day 3: Legs A
Quads, Hamstrings, Calves| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squat | 4 | 6–10 | 2 | 3 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 8–12 | 2 | 2 min |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10–15 | 2 | 2 min |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 10–15 | 1 | 1 min |
| Standing Calf Raise | 5 | 10–15 | 1 | 1 min |
Day 4: Chest & Back B
Chest, Back| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Chest Press | 4 | 8–12 | 2 | 2 min |
| Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8–12 | 2 | 1:30 |
| Smith Machine Incline Press | 3 | 8–12 | 2 | 2 min |
| Chest Supported Row | 3 | 10–12 | 2 | 1:30 |
| Cable Fly | 3 | 12–15 | 1 | 1 min |
| Cable Row | 3 | 12–15 | 1 | 1 min |
Day 5: Shoulders & Arms B
Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 8–12 | 2 | 2 min |
| Cable Lateral Raise | 4 | 12–15 | 1 | 1 min |
| Dumbbell Reverse Fly | 3 | 15–20 | 1 | 1 min |
| Hammer Curl | 3 | 10–12 | 1 | 1 min |
| Overhead Extension | 3 | 10–15 | 1 | 1 min |
| Preacher Curl | 2 | 10–12 | 1 | 1 min |
Day 6: Legs B
Quads, Hamstrings, Calves| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Squat | 4 | 6–10 | 2 | 3 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8–12 | 2 | 2 min |
| Hack Squat Machine | 3 | 10–15 | 2 | 2 min |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 12–15 | 1 | 1 min |
| Seated Calf Raise | 5 | 15–20 | 1 | 1 min |
Who it is for
- Advanced lifters with good recovery and six training days available.
- Bodybuilding-focused lifters who want high volume for chest, back, and arms.
- People who enjoy long, high-energy sessions with antagonist pairings.
Weekly schedule
Chest/Back, Shoulders/Arms, Legs, repeat, then rest. Expect sessions of 75 minutes or more.
How to progress
Volume is high, so leave the listed reps in reserve rather than training to failure on every set. Progress reps within the range first and only add load once all sets hit the top.
Direct sets per muscle each week
Counts sets where the muscle is a primary mover. Compound lifts also train secondary muscles.
Questions
Is the Arnold split good for natural lifters?
It can be, but the volume is demanding. If recovery or sleep is limited, run it as a rolling rotation with an extra rest day, or choose PPL instead.
Arnold split vs PPL?
Both train each muscle twice a week. The Arnold split pairs chest with back and gives arms and shoulders their own day; PPL groups by movement and usually has shorter sessions.
Can beginners do the Arnold split?
It is not a good first program. The volume and six-day frequency suit lifters who already recover well from hard training.
Share it with a training partner
The link opens this exact plan. Anyone with Surpass can copy it into their own plan, and anyone without it can still read it.
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