Should I switch from a full-body split to upper/lower for better recovery?

[Grace.S]

I've started writing podcast episode reviews for my favorite shows as a way to engage more deeply with the content. How do you structure your reviews? Do you focus on specific elements like production quality, guest quality, or topic depth? I want my reviews to be helpful for others in this podcast talk forum but also meaningful for my own listening experience.

[CamilaYH]

I’ve been doing a three-day full-body split for about six months, but lately I feel like I’m not recovering fully between sessions. My legs are still heavy when it’s time for squats again, and I’m wondering if switching to an upper/lower split would give each muscle group more time to rest. Has anyone made a similar change and noticed a difference in how fresh you feel for your workouts?

[Elizabeth_R]

I did a switch to upper lower about a year ago after the same feeling. Three days full body left my legs heavy on squats. With an upper lower, I got more time between leg workouts and training felt fresher. It wasn’t a miracle, but I slept better and could push through more reps when the day came around.

[Victoria97]

I kept the three day plan but added a deload every 6 weeks and cut overall weekly volume a bit. That helped a bit, but squats still felt heavy if I was chasing PRs. It wasn’t a clean fix.

[Aaron.J]

I tried an upper/lower four day split last month. Upper on Mon/Wed, lower on Tue/Thu, then rest. The legs did feel less melted on squat day, but the total weekly fatigue stayed high and I had to trim sets again.

[SofiaJ]

I’m not sure switching was worth it for me. Recovery felt similar and I ended up chasing soreness with light days. Maybe it’s sleep, stress, or digestion more than the split.

[EleanorT]

Is it possible the issue isn’t the split at all but something like sleep or nutrition?

[EdwardW]

Drifted a bit: I started biking to work, forgot about the gym for a week, and when I came back I felt like I needed a lighter week. Then I realized the problem wasn’t what I did in the gym but how I recovered outside.

[LoganEL]

Either way, I kept notes and tried small changes one by one. A lot of it came down to listening to my body and not chasing the perfect split.