Goal program

Golden-Era Split

The classic six-day bodybuilding split: chest and back, shoulders and arms, legs, twice a week.

6 days a week
12 weeks
Intermediate
For everyone
Gym

About this program

The high-volume split of 1970s bodybuilding, widely known as the “Arnold split”: chest and back together, then shoulders and arms, then legs, and the whole cycle twice a week, with antagonist supersets and abs three times a week. Each muscle gets about 16–20 hard sets a week, the top of what research shows still pays off, so it suits lifters with at least a year of steady training. The key rule: stop 1–2 reps short of failure on the big lifts, add a rep or a little weight every week, and take the easy weeks. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any athlete.

Who it’s for

You already train regularly and want more volume and intensity.
For everyone.
A gym with machines, cables and free weights.
6 sessions a week, about 75 minutes each.
7–10k steps a day on top of the workouts.

The week

Warm up for 5–7 minutes first. Rest is the pause between sets. A1 and A2 (B1 and B2) are supersets: do one set of each back to back, then rest. Rest days: walk and recover.

Monday Chest & Back: Heavy

Chest · back · abs · about 75 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Bench PressMain lift: 2 lighter warm-up sets first, then keep 1–2 reps in reserve on every work set. Use the safety bars or a spotter. When every set reaches 8 reps, add 5 lb (2.5 kg).	4 × 6–⁠8	3 min
Assisted Pull-UpPull-ups: use the least assistance that still gives you 6 clean reps from a dead hang. Can you do 10 strict pull-ups? Do those instead.	4 × 6–⁠10	2.5 min
Incline Dumbbell PressBench at about 30°. Lower the dumbbells for 2–3 seconds to a deep stretch.	3 × 8–⁠10	2 min
Seated Cable RowChest up, pull to your belly and squeeze your shoulder blades together for a second.	3 × 8–⁠12	2 min
A1 Cable Chest FlyGolden-era superset: go straight to the rows after each set.	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 One-Arm Dumbbell Row	3 × 10–⁠12 per arm	90 s
Captain's Chair Knee RaiseCurl your pelvis up at the top; no swinging.	3 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Tuesday Shoulders & Arms: Heavy

Shoulders · biceps · triceps · abs · about 75 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder PressMain lift: 2 lighter warm-up sets first, then keep 1–2 reps in reserve on every work set. Sit on a bench with back support.	4 × 6–⁠10	2.5 min
Lateral RaiseLead with your elbows up to shoulder height: light and strict beats heavy and swinging.	4 × 12–⁠15	60 s
Reverse Dumbbell Fly	3 × 12–⁠15	60 s
A1 Dumbbell Biceps CurlSuperset: curls, then straight to dips.	3 × 8–⁠10	—
A2 Dip (assisted if needed)Stay fairly upright for the triceps and only go as deep as your shoulders allow. If they complain, do cable pushdowns instead.	3 × 6–⁠10	2 min
B1 Hammer Curl	3 × 10–⁠12	—
B2 Rope Triceps Pushdown	3 × 10–⁠12	75 s
Cable Crunch	3 × 12–⁠15	60 s

Wednesday Legs: Heavy

Quads · hamstrings · glutes · calves · about 75 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Back SquatMain lift: 2 lighter warm-up sets first, then keep 1–2 reps in reserve on every work set. Squat in a rack with the safety pins set. When every set reaches 8 reps, add 5–10 lb (2.5–5 kg).	4 × 6–⁠8	3 min
Romanian DeadliftSoft knees, hips back, flat back. Lower until your hamstrings are fully stretched.	3 × 6–⁠10	2.5 min
Leg Press	3 × 10–⁠12	2 min
A1 Leg Extension	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 Lying Leg Curl	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Standing Calf RaisePause for a second in the bottom stretch and at the top.	4 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Thursday Chest & Back: Volume

Upper chest · lats · abs · about 70 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Incline Dumbbell PressToday the incline press leads. When every set reaches 12 reps, take heavier dumbbells.	4 × 8–⁠12	2 min
Lat PulldownWide grip: pull the bar to your upper chest, elbows down toward your back pockets.	4 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Dumbbell Bench Press	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
One-Arm Dumbbell Row	3 × 10–⁠12 per arm	90 s
A1 Cable Chest Fly	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 Seated Cable RowClose grip, and a full stretch forward on every rep.	3 × 12–⁠15	75 s
Forearm Plank	3 × 30–⁠60 s	45 s

Friday Shoulders & Arms: Volume

Side delts · rear delts · arms · about 70 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
A1 Lateral RaiseShoulder superset: lateral raises, then face pulls.	4 × 15–⁠20	—
A2 Face Pull	4 × 15	60 s
B1 Cable Biceps Curl	3 × 10–⁠12	—
B2 Overhead Cable Triceps ExtensionLet your hands travel behind your head for a deep triceps stretch.	3 × 10–⁠12	75 s
C1 Hammer Curl	3 × 12	—
C2 Rope Triceps Pushdown	3 × 12–⁠15	60 s
Side Plank	3 × 20–⁠30 s	30 s

Saturday Legs: Volume

Glutes · quads · hamstrings · calves · about 70 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Hip ThrustPause for a second at the top: chin tucked, ribs down.	4 × 8–⁠10	2 min
Bulgarian Split SquatHold dumbbells once bodyweight gets easy.	3 × 8–⁠12 per leg	90 s
Leg PressFeet a little lower on the platform for more quads.	3 × 12–⁠15	90 s
A1 Leg Extension	3 × 15	—
A2 Lying Leg Curl	3 × 12–⁠15	75 s
Standing Calf Raise	4 × 12–⁠20	45 s

How to progress

Double progression: add reps within the range first. When every set reaches the top of the range with clean form, add a little weight (about 5–10 lb on lower-body lifts, 2.5–5 lb on upper-body lifts) and start again at the bottom.
Stop most sets 1–2 reps short of failure. Beginners stop 2–3 reps short for the first weeks.
Every 6–8 weeks, or when you feel run down, take an easier week: half the sets, same weights.

Food

To grow, eat in a small surplus of about 250–350 kcal a day with 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight (0.7–1 g per lb), most of your carbs around training, and 7–9 hours of sleep. Six days of lifting only works with the food and the sleep.

Find your numbers with the free TDEE calculator, the macro calculator and the protein calculator.