Full body 3x a week vs upper/lower 4x - which actually built more for you?

[NewbieGains]

Intermediate-ish now and deciding between full body 3x and an upper/lower 4x. Both look good on paper. For those who've run both for a real block, which built more muscle and why?

[StrengthGeek]

They're closer than the internet pretends. Equated for weekly volume they grow you about the same. The real question is which fits your schedule and recovery so you stay consistent.

[DeadliftKing]

Full body 3x was better for my strength on the big lifts - hitting squat and pull-style movements 3x a week did wonders for technique and the numbers. Upper/lower was better when I wanted more arm and detail work.

[NewbieGains]

That's a useful distinction, strength vs detail.

[DeadliftKing]

Right. If you care most about the big lifts going up, full body's frequency is great. If you want to add isolation volume for aesthetics, upper/lower gives you the room.

[GainsGuru]

Upper/lower 4x won for me purely because 3 full body sessions left me gassed by the last exercise. Splitting it meant every muscle got hit when I was fresh, not fried at the end of a long session.

[GymNoob22]

As a relative newbie I found full body 3x easier to stay consistent with - only 3 days to plan around. Consistency beat the 'optimal' 4-day plan I kept skipping.

[MindMuscle]

That's the honest answer for most people. The best split is the one you'll run for 6 months without missing. Both build muscle; adherence builds the physique.

[NewbieGains]

Makes sense. I'll start full body 3x for consistency and move to upper/lower when I want more volume. Thanks all.

[StrengthGeek]

Solid plan. Run it hard for a few months, progress the loads, and you can't go wrong either way.