Total Body vs. Upper/Lower: Which One Fits Best?
#34 – Strength & Speed Coaching – Pursuing Your Best ⚡
Your training split shapes everything.
How often your athletes train key lifts/movements.
How well they recover between sessions.
How seamlessly strength, speed, and sport work together.
But with multiple options—and limited time in schools—it’s easy to wonder:
Should we train total body every session… or split things up into upper and lower?
That’s what this issue is all about.
We’ll break down:
The key differences between Total Body and Upper/Lower splits
Pros and cons of each in a school-based setting
How to align your choice with the season, schedule, and training age
A simple decision guide to help you pick what works best
We’ll also include exclusive subscriber resources:
Downloadable sample Total Body and Upper/Lower outlines
A side-by-side comparison grid to help you choose the right fit
Let’s make the split decision clearer.
Why This Split Matters
A great split does more than check boxes. It:
Matches your priorities to your calendar
Aligns training with sprinting and practice demands
Reduces logistical chaos (and burnout)
Keeps progress consistent—no matter the time of year
But not every split works in every setting. Let’s break them down.
Total Body Split
What It Is:
Each training session hits both upper and lower movement patterns, typically with one primary lift per category.
Common Formats:
2x/week (e.g. Tues/Thurs)
3x/week (e.g. Mon/Wed/Fri)
Why It Works:
Efficient—every session feels like it matters
High frequency with lower per-session volume
Easy to plug in sprint, jump, or mobility work
Great for in-season training or multi-sport athletes
What to Watch Out For:
Can feel rushed if not well planned
Harder to load maximally for strength without good structure
May require more prep from the coach to rotate emphasis and hit the movements with the right amounts (e.g., upper push vs. pull, lower knee vs. hip)
When It Shines:
You’re training ≤3x/week
You want consistent exposure across lifts
You need flexibility across the year
Upper / Lower Split
What It Is:
Training days are split by major movement patterns:
Upper Body Days (Push/Pull/Accessory)
Lower Body Days (Squat/Hinge/Single-Leg/Jump)
Common Format:
4x/week (Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri)
Occasionally used in 3x/week rotating setups
Why It Works:
Allows greater focus and volume per session
Easier to load primary lifts heavily
Ideal for higher training age athletes
What to Watch Out For:
Requires a consistent 4-day/week schedule to stay balanced
Missed days can throw off exposure (which happens a ton in the school schedule)
May clash with sport/PE logistics
When It Shines:
Off-season blocks with higher lift frequency
Athletes with established movement patterns
Teams with dedicated lift windows and strong accountability
Choosing What Fits Your Program
Here’s a quick guide:
Bottom line:
- Total Body gives you flexibility.
- Upper/Lower gives you focus.
Both can work when you program them with intention.
Why We Use a 3-Day Total Body Split at Mustang Strength & Speed
At Mustang Strength & Speed, we’ve chosen a 3-day total body training split as the backbone of our program. Why?
Because it gives us:
Three high-speed, high-output days per week (instead of just two)
More Built-in recovery between sessions to protect the nervous system
More chances to train full-body athletic movements, not isolated muscles
We’re heavily influenced by Michael Boyle, Zach Dechant, Joe Kenn, and Tony Holler. The premise is simple: train hard, then recover hard.
In our model:
High-CNS work (max strength, max velocity sprinting, jumps, med balls, deceleration work) happens on our three training days
Athletes get more time to recover before repeating high-intensity work (training, practices, games, etc.)
The split gives us more consistency, more quality, and more transfer to sport
We don’t train for the pump. We train for power, speed, and movement efficiency. And that shows up in how our athletes perform, not just in how they look.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to reinvent your program.
You just need to align your structure with what your athletes actually need (…and you don’t have to choose the way that we chose…).
If you build your training split around:
Your school schedule
Your program’s goals
Your athletes’ readiness
And your own coaching bandwidth...
You’ll not only see better results—you’ll enjoy the process more.
Remember: your split shapes everything. Choose the one that moves your athletes forward.
What’s Next?
In Part 3 of the Training Split series:
Why Bodybuilding Splits Don’t Work for Athletes
We’ll explore the major disconnect between traditional “body part” training and athletic development—and why smart coaches steer clear. If you’ve ever had an athlete ask, “When are we hitting arms?” this one’s for you.
Want Help Choosing the Right Split?
I offer consulting for PE teachers and Strength & Speed coaches looking to:
Map out the school year for athlete development
Build split-based templates for teams or classes
Align lifting, sprinting, and sport in one cohesive plan
Just reply or shoot me a message and let’s build a system that fits your school—not someone else’s.
Until then, keep pursuing excellence.
— Preston ⚡️
Previous 4-Part Series Topics:
Paid Subscriber Resources Preview:
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Sample Total Body & Upper/Lower Split Outlines
This cheat sheet helps coaches fine-tune their programming based on the training split they use. It includes weekly volume guidelines, sprint and jump pairings, and real-world fixes to common mistakes.
Training Split Comparison Grid
This tool is designed to help coaches evaluate and compare common strength training splits for school-based settings. Use it to weigh the pros and cons of Total Body vs. Upper/Lower formats across different contexts—off-season, in-season, beginner vs. advanced, and more.
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