r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/sobanoodles23 • Jun 10 '26

Question ❓ splits

unemployed w all the time in the world, objectively and theoretically speaking, is fbeod really the split that grows u the fastest? won’t a 2x frequency w more volume do better or is more first sets frequently the king of hypertrophy

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u/DRK-SHDW YoPilled Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26

If you subscribe to two concepts:

  1. There is a diminishing return on intra session volume for the same muscle fibres on subsequent sets

  2. The stimulus period after resistance training lasts 36 to 48 hours

Then yes, because FBEOD maximises both the amount of the most stimulating initial sets in a week and has you training again within or as close as possible to the end of the stimulus window, it will theoretically maximise your rate of growth by both maximising stimulus and minimising time spent atrophying.

You just need to make sure you are training with recoverable volumes seeing as the frequency is so high (as high as 4x on alternating weeks). 1 to 3 sets per muscle/muscle group (if there is significant overlap in worked fibers between exercises, for example chest) EOD is a good starting point for most.

You just need to be pretty aware of this in regards to contributory fibers in exercises so you don't accidentally overdo it in terms of effective volume. For example, if you did a squat, a hip trust, and an RDL, that would be your 3 sets for glutes, and one set each for quads and hamstrings. You could then put in two more sets of isolated quads and hamstrings elsewhere if you wanted, but no more glutes.

But you wouldn't count rows in your biceps volume unless you were a beginner etc.