Why CNS Splits Make the Most Sense for Athletes

Rethinking Your Training Schedule for Performance and Recovery

Most people follow traditional workout splits like:

• Push/Pull/Legs
• Body Part (Chest Day, Back Day, etc.)
• Upper/Lower
• Full Body 3x/week

These can work — especially for general fitness or hypertrophy — but when we're talking about athletes (and even high-performing adults), we need to consider more than just muscle groups.

We need to consider the nervous system.

Why Traditional Splits Fall Short for Athletes

Athletes don't train to get sore. They train to:

• Move faster
• Hit harder
• Recover quicker
• Compete more consistently

And the nervous system plays a massive role in all of that. The issue with traditional splits is they often overlook CNS (central nervous system) demand — which affects recovery, performance, and adaptation.

You can't train max effort sprints, heavy squats, and plyos back-to-back on consecutive days and expect high output. Your body might still "go through the motions," but the quality suffers and fatigue builds.

So What is a CNS Split?

A CNS split organizes training based on the neural demand of each session — not just the muscles being used. It clusters high-intensity, explosive, and neural-heavy activities on the same day, followed by lower-demand sessions to allow for recovery.

Think of it like this:

High CNS Days

• Sprinting
• Max strength work
• Jumps/Plyometrics
• Change of direction

Low CNS Days / Recovery Days

• Aerobic conditioning
• Mobility work
• Isolated hypertrophy/lifts
• Tempo running, sled pushes

Why Is This Beneficial for Athletes?

Because CNS splits allow athletes to express power at a high level — and actually recover from it.

Benefits include:

• Improved performance in speed, power, and strength
• Better recovery due to balanced stress across the week
• Reduced risk of overtraining
• More consistency in outputs across the training cycle

Instead of draining yourself Monday–Wednesday and limping through the rest of the week, you now have a structure that respects intensity and recovery.

Why It's Also Great for Active Adults

Even if you're not competing, you're still managing life stress, sleep, and responsibilities.

A CNS split gives you:

• Higher quality training sessions
• A better balance between intensity and capacity
• Structure that keeps you pushing hard, without burning out

It's not just about training more — it's about training better.

Example of a 5-Day CNS Split Week

You could also condense this to 4 days by combining Friday's lift with Tuesday or spreading the week over longer rest.

Final Thoughts

If you're an athlete — or someone training like one — the CNS split just makes sense. It respects the true nature of performance training: high output, high skill, and smart recovery.

Whether you're trying to sprint faster, jump higher, or just train hard without burning out, organizing your week around your nervous system can be a game-changer.

Ready to start training smarter?

Let's talk — or check out one of my programs designed with this exact framework.