Workout Summary
- Main GoalLose Fat
- Workout TypeSplit
- Training LevelIntermediate
- Program Duration12 weeks
- Days Per Week5
- Time Per Workout30-45 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells, Machines
- Target Gender Male
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
Doug's 5 day high definition routine is designed to increase muscle definition and burn bodyfat. A thorough cardio warm up at start of each day, stretches and cardio cool down at the end of the training session.
Workout Notes:
- 2 Warm up sets to be completed on 1st exercise per bodypart. 1st warm up set at a very light weight, 2nd warm up set at approx ½ weight to be used in working set.
- Cardio is low intensity for up to an hour twice per day; First thing in the morning before breakfast and evening time, at least 2 hrs before bedtime.
- Abdominals are performed after each training session
- 30 Seconds rest between sets
Abdominal Exercises:
As stated above, in this workout you should train your abs at the end of each session. Use these exercises:
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Decline Crunches | 4 | 20-25 |
| Hanging Leg Raises | 4 | 20-25 |
| Twisting Crunches | 4 | 20-25 |
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5 Day Workout Schedule
You'll be working out 5 days each week and have 2 rest days. This workout is designed to have you hitting the gym Monday - Friday with Saturday and Sunday as your rest days. If you feel like you need a rest day during the week, you can workout Monday-Wednesday, have a rest day on Thursday, workout Friday and Saturday, and take your final rest day on Sunday. Below is the suggested workout schedule:
- Monday - Arms
- Tuesday - Legs
- Wednesday - Chest
- Thursday - Back
- Friday - Shoulders
- Saturday - Rest
- Sunday - Rest
Doug's 5 Day High-Definition Routine
Monday - Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Curl | 4 | 20, 15, 12, 10 |
| Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Lying Tricep Extension | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 10 |
| Rope Pushdown | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Dumbbell Extension | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
Tuesday - Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squats | 4 | 20, 15, 12, 10 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| Leg Curl | 4 | 20, 15, 12, 10 |
| Straight Leg Deadlifts | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
Wednesday - Chest
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 15, 12, 12, 10 |
| Flat Dumbbell Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Decline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Cable Crossovers | 2 | 12 |
| Incline Flys | 2 | 12 |
Thursday - Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Smith Machine Barbell Row | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 10 |
| Bent Over Dumbbell Rows | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Wide Grip Pulldown | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Seated Rowing | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Hyper-Extension | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 10 |
Friday - Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Press | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 10 |
| Side Lateral Raises | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Dumbbell Shrugs | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
1.9K Comments
Hi team,
A quick question!! Can I change the order of the exercises? The gym that i go to is always crowded so sometimes the machines are not available and I don’t wanna wait.
I understand that completely, JT. Keep in mind your strength may be affected by doing some exercises later because you'll be pre-exhausted, but you can do the changes if you like. As long as you're consistent, that is what matters most. Thanks for reading M&S!
I have just completed this program and am now taking a 1 week break from working out to give my body some rest and to recover from some continuously sore body parts. This workout has gone great. I really got into the dumbbell use and feel and I ended up adding at least one other exercise each day of the workout. I have definitely added some lean muscle mass and definition is starting to show all over. I would do 30 minutes on the treadmill at a steady pace after each workout. My diet was clean for the most part and I lost fat and seemed to gain muscle which is hard to do. I am thinking about doing another cycle with this program because I still have some stubborn love handles that I can’t seem to get rid of. Any suggestions as to if this is the right choice to continue with this program or should I look at another to change things up. I am 6ft 2 and now weigh 224 lbs, down from 238 when I started. I would like to add a little bit more muscle but get rid of this fat around the waist and side belly. I am just wondering if I am counteracting myself in the gym by going so all out in my workouts with high intensity, but I don’t eat but twice maybe 3 meals a day with 2 protein shakes in between. Just trying to figure out the right path for my goals and don’t want to work against myself. Thanks for the great workout.
Glad it has worked for you, Davy. If you feel good with it, keep going until your progress stalls. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I see no issues with the diet, either. Just make sure the protein is high.
When it comes to raising weight per set, where should I start at during my first set? Currently I can curl 30lbs, do I start there and go higher, or do I end my last set at 30lbs?
If 30 is the top end, then start with 15 or 20 and work up.
Hey Gang, I’m starting this workout in June. I’m super stoked. It’s making me do all the things I hate to do in the gym! Cardio, abs everyday, and short rest periods(absolute killer). I’ve taken a couple of weeks to fine tune the workout to my schedule and equipment and the workout has been very humbling.
Just wanted to get a seal of approval on my plan of attack and make sure I didn’t make a mess of the workout. I have a home gym and work out first thing in the morning. I normally do a pre-workout shake consisting of coffee and protein. Should I skip this or add anything?
-Going to hit the weights first after a warmup(usually jumping jacks) and a good stretch then follow up the workout with a cardio session right after.
The plan of attack for cardio is to rotate: Walking/Mow the lawn, Jump rope, Punching bag, and Jumping jacks.
Gonna be real with myself and say that a second session of cardio in the evening aint gonna happen. Though I am trying to get the wife on board for some more bedroom cardio during the week! Should I do more intense cardio after my workout or a longer session to compensate?
-Replacement exercises.
Monday: Only changed CONCENTRATION CURLS to EZ-BAR SPIDER CURLS cause I’m just sick of concentration curls. Would you recommend something else? I was thinking of switching to incline db curls once my new db handles arrive.
Tuesday: No leg press or extension machine. Switched LEG PRESS to BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATs and STANDING LEG EXTENSION instead of seated as I do have a pulley system. Might try SISSY SQUATS as well but the standing extensions burn real good so far!
Wednesday: No pully system for fly movements BUT I did secure some calisthenic rings so I switched CABLE CROSSOVER to CALISTHENIC CHEST FLY. I also do not have a decline bench. I’m trying to do chest dips but it doesn’t feel great at this rep range. I’m already using two of my resistance bands. Anything else you can recommend?
Thursday: Only switched HYPER EXTENSION to DEALIFTs. Don’t feel comfortable doing good mornings.
Friday: Only added cable upright rows to the workout before the shrugs. That cool or overdoing it?
-Cheers, all!
Cheers and best of luck, Walter! Do cardio as best as you can. Don't force anything yet.
Other adjustments look ok. No other additions based on what you said. Keep us posted, and thanks for reading M&S!
Hello, I am starting off this workout plan in a few days. What light cardio would the team suggest to do everyday in the morning and evening?
Yoga, walking, bodyweight exercises at a moderate pace, or using a cardio machine at a steady state speed would all serve you well, JT.
Hi,
I would like to add 1 light exercise on last day-shoulders day, because my arms are lagging.
Would that be ok, or it will overwork my arms?
I am intermediate lifter, used with high volume training, like 8X8 . I am doing this program after finishing 21 days fat burning program.
Hi, Paul. Thanks for reading M&S! It should be fine for you to add one. What do you have in mind?
Hi, I am an injured runner looking to shift a few lbs.
4’11, 107lbs, and not happy with my larger arms (10”) and general flabbiness. What plan would you recommend? I was doing no the three day hypertrophy but now I am not sure. Thank you!
Hard to make any recommendations without knowing the extent of the injury and if a doctor has given you clearance to move forward with other forms of training. Let me know, and I'll do my best to help.
So just to clarify we do the same exercises and rep schemes for all 12 weeks?
Yes, Eric. That is correct.
What should my calorie,carb, and fat intake be while on this plan? I am 5'10 and weigh around 19. Also what is rest time between exercises?
Can't offer an answer for that unless I know what your goal is, Nick. Also, is 19 in stones or did you miss a digit?
I work out in the mornings. Should I do the cardio after my workout in the AM or before?
Go with cardio after the AM workout, RJ!
Are the warm-up sets accounted for on the list or do we need to add them? For example, you show 4 sets of barbell curls, will it make it six with warm-up sets? Also, do you do this for every workout on the program?
Thank you
Six sets, Jose. You do the first two warmup sets on the first exercise of each workout. Every exercise after, you can jump into work sets since you'll be warmed up. Hope this helps!
The reps are high.. here is the question.. the last set of any exercise it is written as 10reps., lets say with 22kgs i can do 10reps, but with 24kgs i can do 8 reps.
which one i must prefer ???
thank you
Great question, Tolga. If it is only one or two reps difference, go with the heavier weight. This way, you can focus on improving so you eventually get 10.
Walking on a treadmill at a decent pace on high incline is that good Cardio in your opinion, also is it better to do Cardio before or after weightlifting?
John -
Definitely a good option but ultimately depends on your goals. You'll want to knock it out after your weightlifting session.
Hi is this plan any good for building general mass and muscle??or do you have any plans for that??
Hey Lee - yes, this program will help build muscle mass.
Any routines that help with shredding that I can do at home with a bench, barbell, and dumbbells only. Thank you for all the info!
Hey Ahmad - check out this one: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-barbell-mass-workout.... You can make it a "shredding" routine by adding in additional cardio and eating in a caloric deficit.
HI Doug
there is typo, Wednesday and Thursday is showing as chest
Thursday you have listed back workout, header shows chest
regards
paul
so a total of 2 hours cardio?
Hey luke - it can be up to 2 hours of cardio. I would recommend 30-45 minutes in the morning and 30-45 minutes in the evening.
would this workout increase performance also such as speed?
Hey Kevin - can you clarify what you mean by speed?
like help increase stemena
Kevin - Keep your rest times short, and this workout will help with that.
Are you increasing weight each set or same weight for all sets
Hey Nahoa
You'll be increasing the weight each set.
I’m currently on week 8 of this program. When I’ve completed week 12, what is a good follow up routine? I’ve enjoyed this one, can I continue on for another 12 weeks or so I need to change it up?
Hey Jay
If you're enjoying it and still seeing results then you can definitely continue with it. Just be sure to keep progressively overloading!
Just to clarify... do you do all 4 of those reps and that counts as on set or do you do 15 take 30 sex break then do 12
Hey Doug, I have always been advised that training one body part a day is a waste of time vs someone who trains a body part twice a week.
Not necessarily. True it only takes about 2-3 days for lost body parts to recover. But a traditional bro split can help you really dial down on body parts that might otherwise be lacking. Also the downside to hitting workouts twice a week is that you can end up over working your body faster. Not necessarily overtraining but you’ll definitely end up hitting a wall. Hope this helps.
Hello,
Is the first set weight supposed to be the rep max for that set...ie Barbell Curl 20RM for the first set and then that same weight for the remaining sets?
Thanks
Hi Mike,
Yes, pick a weight that is going to be challenging for the prescribed rep range on each exercise.
Hello Doug,
Just wondered if this plan is suitable for women. I'm looking to cut around 8% body fat as I'm currently at 28% body fat. I like that this programme would allow me to hit one muscle part per day. What are your thoughts?
Hi Kristy,
Yes, women can use this program to help them accomplish their goals.
Hope this helps!
Hello
I'm 16
weight 80.63 kg
and I want to define I do not want to have so much volume on my back, arms and chest
Does this program help me? and the repetitions start for example bench press starts with 15 and decreases of repetitions?
and the weight is used the same in all repetitions?
Uncle lary is gonna do abs for me on Sundays