Workout Summary
- Main GoalBuild Muscle
- Workout TypeSplit
- Training LevelAdvanced
- Program Duration10 weeks
- Days Per Week4
- Time Per Workout50 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells, Machines
- Target Gender Male
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
This workout is designed to increase your muscle mass as much as possible in 10 weeks. The program works each muscle group hard once per week using mostly heavy compound exercises. You will train on a 4 day split routine, resting on Wednesdays and the weekends. To get the most out of this program you need to be eating BIG. Big meals, at least 5 times a day.
Recommended: Need help building muscle? Take our Free Muscle Building Course
Monday - Chest and Triceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 10, 8, 8, 6 |
| Incline Bench Press | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Decline Bench Press | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Dumbbell Flys | 2 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 2 | 8 |
| Tricep Extension | 4 | 10, 8, 8, 6 adding weight |
| Tricep Dip | 3 | 10 |
| Tricep Bench Dip | 3 | 8 |
Tuesday - Back and Biceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 5 | 10, 8, 8, 6, 4 |
| Chin Up | 2 | 8 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8 |
| Seated Row | 2 | 8 |
| Close Grip Lat Pull Down | 3 | 10, 10, 8 |
| Standing Barbell Curl | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Close Grip Preacher Curl | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 2 | 12-14 |
| Concentration Curl | 2 | 10 |
Wednesday - Rest Day/Cardio
Thursday - Shoulders and Forearms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Shoulder Press | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Reverse Fly | 3 | 8-10 |
| Military Press | 4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 2 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Shrugs | 2 | 10 |
| Upright Row | 2 | 10 |
| Standing Wrist Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Barbell Wrist Curl | 4 | 10 |
Note: Dumbbell shrugs and upright row can be supersetted.
Friday - Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 5 | 10, 8, 8, 6, 4 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 12 |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 12 |
| Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 12 |
| Seated calf Raise | 2 | 12 |
Weekend - Rest
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4.8K Comments
I’m just starting the gym and my goal is to gain weight and build big muscles I’m a bit lean , is this workout the right one for me .
I think this is a great plan for you, Evans. If you choose to take it on, please let us know if you have further questions. We'd also love to get updates on your progress. Thank you for reading M&S!
Just wondering if the workouts with 4-5 sets 10,8,8,6 am I suppose to be upping the weight, lowering it or keeping it the same throughout all sets?
Hi Josh, the goal should be to change weight each set, but if you are reaching failure on a previous set, you should stick with what you're capable of and focus on strategies like time on tension, longer contractions, etc. That way, you can still make the set challenging without going heavier. I hope this helps!
Thanks for the info! One more question, I have had several spinal fusions and deadlifts cause me pain due to an L-5/S-1 fusion. What could I substitute the deadlifts with?
For now, I would say skip that part completely and talk to your physical therapist or doctor to see what would work best for you. Some suggestions could be rack pulls, chest supported rows, and hyperextensions, but clear them with your medical professional first.
Hi MS Team,
I just started this workout plan and I saw it recommends 5 big meals a day. Is there a dieting plan I can find to help me with this?
Thanks,
Aaron
Hi Aaron, this link below may help. I hope it does, and thank you for reading M&S!
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/complete-guide-how-to-increas...
Hi MS Team,
After doing this for 12 weeks I will move to another routine/workout, I currently have a lower back injury so i have not been performing day 4 legs at all during this workout. What workout/routine would you recommend to do after this for another 12 weeks? whether its just upper body or a mix (i just wont do the lower body days since they affect my injury, everything else is okay)
Thanks,
Muz
Hi Muz, thanks for reading M&S! Sorry about your injury, and I hope you recover soon.
This link below has plenty of options for you to choose from. If you don't find one here, let me know what your goals are and I can see what I can find that may serve you well.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
For legs when it comes to squats can i change it to goblet ones instead of barbell?
Hi Chris, you can but may not see the same results. Many people will be able to do more weight with standard squats and the challenges that come with stability are key benefits. That said, if it serves you better to make the swap, go for it.
Hi MS team, Im just curious with day 2 back and biceps, i habe a lower back/SIJ injury and cannot do the deadlifts, what can i replace this excersise with?
Thanks, Muz
Hi Murray, for now I would say skip it completely and talk to your doctor about what you can do in the meantime. Focus on upper back and the rest of the body for the time being.
Hi M&S team,
Just wondering on thusday shoulders and forearms, with the ladt 2 wrist curl excersises are they both a supinated grip or one supinated the other pronated? like curling the palm of my hand toward my elbow instead of curling my knuckles toward my elbow? Just curious which i should be doing.
Thanks heaps, Muz
Solid question, Murray. You can do either, whichever you prefer. Or, you can use both - one for each exercise - and reap the rewards of both.
Should I be increasing weight in-between reps for all exercises.
Hi Mitch, if you don't feel challenged, then yes. You should feel like you are working hard but are able to complete all reps without losing form. It's ok if you're close, but anything beyond two reps below or over rep ranges and you should change accordingly.
Hi, should I do a warm up for this?
If so, what would you recommend?
Hi John, yes you should do a warm-up, and this link can take you to one that should work well.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/the-best-15-minute-warm-up
Hey MS Team,
With progressive overload is it better to increase weight once you've hit the rep goals for example on dumbell incline (reps 8, 8, 6):
17.5 x 8
17.5 x 8
20 x 6
and then next week try 20, 20, 22.5?
or with 17.5 + 20 example just hit 8 reps of 17.5 twice and then go to failure for 20? and if it lands 6+ increase weight the week after? and if that is the case should i be going to failure on the last set of every excersise?
Thanks heaps, Muz.
Hey Murray, solid question. Either approach would work, but I recommend the first option you shared with the goal of trying to get stronger the next week. You should feel challenged on each set, and it is ok to fail within a rep of the recommended number. Just try to get that last one next time. I hope this helps!
Hello Roger,
I dont have a barbell available, is it fairly easy to substitute with dumbells and a smith machine?
Yes, Geoffrey. You can swap dumbbells and a Smith Machine for the barbell movements and still see comparable results. Best of luck, and thank you for reading M&S!
Hi there, i was wondering some of the sets on the programe are only 2 sets or 3 sets... could i change them all to 4 sets and still be gaining muscle mass? Sorry if silly question
Hey Chris, not a silly question at all. If you did four sets of everything, that is a lot of volume that may be unnecessary. For example, it would be over 20 sets that involved shoulders, which isn't needed to achieve hypertrophy. Remember that you grow from recovery from training, not from the training itself. The training is when you break down the muscle and recovery/food is when you actually grow.
Now, if you were to do add more sets on legs, I think that would be ok because they are larger muscle groups and can handle the extra volume, I believe.
How long should I rest between each exercise? I normally rest between 2.30 and 3 minutes.
That is the best rest period for mass building, David. Stick with it.
I know that this is targeted toward men, but could a woman do it too? I looked at the training plan meant for woman and the goal was to 'lose weight'. I do not want to lose weight, if anything I want to gain it with muscle
Hi Liv, yes women can certainly do this program as well. Feel free to take it on, and check back in if you have questions along the way. I can't wait to read about your progress!
Hello Roger,
Never done a routine like this so I had a question. Do you do one workout and all of its reps before switching to another exercise or do you jump from exercise to exercise doing one set of each and then going back to the top of the list to start the next set? Again my apologies just really interested in the proper way to go about this workout.
No need to apologize! I appreciate the question and am glad you're here on M&S. For this program, you do the first set of reps, rest, then do the next set, and so on. You only move on to the next exercise after you complete all sets of the previous movement. I hope this helps, but please let me know if you have other questions. That's why we're here to help.
Awesome, again I can’t thank you enough for the quick response and helping everyone get into this program, I’m super excited to try it out. I did have one other question. Do you guys have a page that maybe suggests other workouts incase one doesn’t have the equipment or do to injury that one can’t perform a certain movement?
The closest we have would be this link below. It could possibly help with the equipment issues. It would be nearly impossible to do one for injuries because of the nature of how they are caused and limitations various people may have. Those are so specific that we generally recommend talking to your doctor. Hopefully the link below helps with equipment options though.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
I see there is no cardio sessions included in this program. How would you suggest cardio sessions in this program without losing muscle gains?
Hi, SA. I would suggest 2-3 sessions of Zone 2 cardio for 20-30 minutes each. This could be done in the morning or after training, whichever suits your schedule best. Thanks for reading M&S, and I hope this helps!
Hello MS team and thank you for this workout! I will start using it next week.
A couple of questions if you can clarify please:
1. What should be the best timer to rest between sets?
2. Is it ok to change the order of the exercises or does the specific sequence matter?
Thank you in advance
Hi Stelios, thanks for reading M&S!
1. 2 minutes between sets.
2. I think as long as the first exercises are first, you should be fine changing the order of the rest.
What's the recommendation for after the 10 weeks? Deload? Repeat the program? Some other program?
Thanks! Can't wait to get started.
Hi LD, thanks for reading M&S!
That is ultimately up to you. I definitely think a deload could be beneficial. From there, you can either find a new program based on if your goals changed or run this one back if you feel it is still serving you well. We're excited for you and hope you'll keep us updated on your progress!
Thank you, Roger. M&S is such a great resource! Appreciate all you do.
Is there any variation for the next week or it just the same thing every week
Same routine every week, Chase. The goal is to do either more weight or more reps than the previous week, depending on the exercises and your goals. I hope this helps!
For the Dumbbell Reverse Fly, you wrote 3 sets and 8–10 reps!
Did you mean 3 sets of 8–10 reps? or 2 sets 8–10 reps?
3 sets, 8-10 reps each set, Karam. I hope this helps!
Hi
For the Incline Dumbbell Curl, when you wrote 12 reps for the first set and 14 reps for the second set, do you mean 12 reps per arm and 14 reps per arm, or 12 total reps (6 per arm) and 14 total reps (7 per arm)?
Thanks!
Hi, Karam. That would be for each arm. I hope this helps!
This looks like a great workout plan. To make sure I am following, are we supposed to keep it the same weight through all the sets other than tricep extensions? I’ve been adding heavier weight each time the reps go down. I jait want to be sure if I need to change it up. Thanks!
You don't need to change a thing, Steev. When reps go down, weight goes up. Go forward with confidence, and thank you for reading M&S!
I first found this workout program in 2013 while training at Sheppard AFB. I gained 30lbs of muscle in 4 months using this program and eating as much as possible. It is now 2026 and I will easily recommend this program to anyone looking for size. It stands the test of time.