Workout Summary
- Main GoalBuild Muscle
- Workout TypeSplit
- Training LevelIntermediate
- Program Duration8 weeks
- Days Per Week5
- Time Per Workout65 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells
- Target Gender Male & Female
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
Looking to add muscle mass? Maybe this is the right workout for you. Using only dumbbells and barbells, this workout hits each muscle group hard once a week over a 5 day schedule. This workout is intense, so you will get the best results if you supplement with creatine and protein. Remember to get plenty of rest and minimize cardio while you're trying to bulk up. Good luck.
Workout Schedule
- Monday - Shoulders
- Tuesday - Back
- Wednesday - Chest, Triceps, and Abs
- Thursday - Biceps
- Friday - Legs
- Saturday - Rest
- Sunday - Rest
Dumbbell & Barbell Mass Workout
Monday - Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Military Press | 4 | 10-14 |
| Seated Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8 |
| Dumbbell Front Raise | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 8, 6 |
| Dumbbell Reverse Fly | 3 | 10 |
Tuesday - Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Wide Grip Pull Up | 7 | 12 down to 6 |
| Bent Over Barbell Row | 4 | 12 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10 |
| Deadlifts | 4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Shrugs | 4 | 8-12 |
Wednesday - Chest, Triceps and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 10 |
| Decline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8 |
| Dumbbell Flys | 4 | 12 |
| Chest Dip | 4 | MAX (weighted) |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 5 | 5 |
| Tricep Kickback | 3 | 12-15 light |
| One Arm Dumbbell Extension | 3 | 8-10 |
| Lying Tricep Extension | 4 | 12 strict |
| Decline Sit Ups | 4 | MAX |
Thursday - Biceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Standing Barbell Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Preacher Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Standing Hammer Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 12 |
| Reverse Barbell Curl | 3 | 7-8 |
Friday - Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Lunge | 4 | 5 each leg |
| Squat | 6 | 10 |
| Stiff Leg Deadlifts | 4 | 10 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 8 | 15-20 |
800 Comments
Are these supersets or am I doing set by set
Hi, Derek, set by set, but if you've been training a while, you could pair them up as supersets to save time and make it more intense.
Hello.
Can I split the Chest, Triceps and Abs workout into a 2 day workout? One day chest and another day triceps and abs. Of course, this would make it a 6 day workout. Would this be ok?
Thanks.
That would be fine, Hector. Let us know how it works for you. Thanks for reading M&S!
Perfect, thanks.
I started this week with this workout.
Btw, I'm coming from the dumbbell only workouts and manege to lose around 80lb with them and healthier eating habits.
Many thanks to the M&S team for providing these workouts and been available to provide support for them.
That is why we are here and so glad to have been a small part of your success, Hector. Congrats on your progress, and here's to more to come! Thanks for reading M&S!
Would this plan be good to follow if trying to do a body recomposition?
Absolutely, Shaun. As long as your nutrition and recovery support your goals, this program would be worth taking on.
Thank you, I also have a leg developer attached to my bench so I can add leg curls and extensions to the leg day, any tip on sets and reps to add on? Thanks
That's great, I would say 3-4 sets in the 12-15 rep range would work nicely here. If you have the time, then go high on sets. If not, three or even two working sets could suffice if you train hard enough. I hope this helps!
That helps a lot thank you, I've only just got my own little setup at home, a power rack cage with high and low cable pulley for pull downs and seated rows along with an olympic barbell and weights set and adjustable dumbbells to get started so this plan will come in very handy to get started, just need to make sure my nutrition is on point as well now
Hello, I'm swimming 5-6 times per week (3 km each time) and running 2 times per week (5 km non stop each time). Can I combine this programm with my current workout routine, with the sessions spread throughout the day?
Hi Mohamed, if your goal is to maximize fitness or fat loss, then you can do that. If you are looking to build muscle, then that may be a little too much work for that.
Hey is this program good for weight gaining and muscle building ?
Sure is, Samuel. Just make sure you are eating big and recovering big in order to get big.
Does it make sense to switch from chest+triceps in one day to biceps+triceps and if that is the case, how should this be arranged in terms of avoiding fatigue of certain muscle groups (should there be a rest day between back day, biceps+triceps day and chest day)?
Hey Goran, if it was me doing this, I would keep it as simple as possible and simply add triceps with the biceps work. I don't think extra rest in between would be needed unless you completely exhausted yourself on the chest day.
Is it ok to switch leg and bicep days around or is the order important?
Hey Jacob, I think that would be fine to do. Let us know how it works for you if you try it.
Thanks for reading M&S!
I'm coming into all this again. Right now my focus is def weight loss as im 6'2'' 315lbs. I'm doing cardio most days (walking 3ish miles) on the treadmill usually takes an hour. I always wanted to incorporate some lifting that would hopefully assist in losing weight but also build some strength in the process. Is there a recommendation for the combo of lifting and walking or just keep on keepin on?
Hi Braden, as long as you lift first, you can do both and still see results.
Best of luck!
Hello, is this sufficient for a muscle growth, or should I choose a different workout that would work each body part twice a week?
Hi Goran, if you are new to training, then this will be plenty. If you've been training for a while and can handle more volume, then you might need to find another program.
Can you recommend any other leg exercises for a home gym. I have a leg curl on my bench but I can't do lunges due to an ankle injury
Hey Sean, let me know everything you have in your home gym, and I will see what I can come up with. I train at home as well, and have had to get creative, but I don't want to share exercises that you may not be able to do if you don't have the equipment.
Hi, just found this good program. I have only question on what is your opinion about the idea that a muscle must be trained 2 times a week? because i found this program that you will only train per muscle once week. which is more effective one? thank you.
Hi Pat, thanks for reading M&S!
The answer depends on how hard and how much you intend to put the muscle through. If you're going to go all-out with several sets, then once a week is sufficient. If you were to do less volume and intensity, then you can get away with twice a week. For this one, once a week will be plenty!
Hi is this also applicable for basketball players?
Sure is, JP. Just don't train too hard before a game. Take it on as is, and please let us know how it goes for you!
Hi, is there a weight we should be aiming to use for these exercises e.g. % of 1 rep max?
Not necessarily, Tom. As long as you feel challenged but are able to maintain form, you should be good.
It is ok if i do the program more than 8 weeks??
Sure is. How is the program working for you so far?
I dread reaching complete failure on the reps because i work out at home alone. How best should i manage this so i can achieve maximum results?
I train at home alone as well, Doug. Here is what I do.
If you are using a barbell on a bench, then when you approach failure, stop on the last positive rep and hold it in that static position for as long as you can before racking it. Don't do any negatives and risk getting stuck.
If you are using a barbell without a bench and not doing a squat (curl, row, etc.), then you can do cheat reps where you use a little momentum to keep it going, then do a negative. Once you feel you have to use a lot of momentum, just stop. If you are doing squats, just rack it when you think you are approaching failure. Not worth it to push it beyond that.
With dumbbells, end the set with a static hold followed by a negative. You should be able to let the weights go without breaking them. I hope these tips help.
I am a runner that currently lifts heavy 3 times a week. I want to continue running roughly 25 miles a week, but do a bit more strength and muscle building. Is that doable with a 5-day program like this if I keep up my calorie intake and rest? Will this be overkill?
Hi Nick, my question on this would be how hard is that 25 miles? If it isn't that great of a challenge for you, then this is doable. If that 25 miles is a big challenge, then you may be compromised. If it isn't that difficult for you, then up the calories and maximize the rest. If it is very intense to do that 25 miles, then knock it down to 20 or even 15. Hope this makes sense.
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I think to be safe I'll cut my mileage down a tad and then slowly work it back up to avoid burnout. Thanks!
Why is the training on Wednesday so long and difficult? Other days are still manageable, but Wednesday is overkill for me. Can I remove the close grip bench press from Wednesday? I've already moved the decline sit-ups to Thursday.
Hi Igor, you can take those out if you like. Let us know how you like the program after that change!
I like the program, although it is quite exhausting. I've been using it for over a year now, I think. My strength is increasing slowly but steadily. When I recently took a deload week, my strength noticeably increased. I wanted to ask if such intense training for such a long period is good for me? Maybe I should change something in this plan or take deload weeks more often? Thank you in advance for your response.
Absolutely take deload weeks more often. That will be a big help. Every three months, take a week off. You could also change the plan slightly if you like. If it was me in your position, I could see taking out the decline presses and kickbacks.
Just wondering, why are deadlifts put into the middle of back day?
I can't speak for this one specifically, but generally when the deadlift is later in the session, the focus is on working the muscles more than lifting the most weight. Doing the other movements first will pre-exhaust them so you have to concentrate on form and use less weight. This helps with maximizing muscle contractions.
How much rest time would you recommend in between sets/workouts for this plan?
What's good, Anthony? If you want to focus on fat loss or hustle to get in and out of the gym, then 60 seconds rest. If you got time and want to work on strength, up it to 2 minutes.
I am currently working out with my partner and brother in law who chose this work out plan, I have been happy doing this with them (obviously with lower weights than them) however although their aim is to build muscle mass, mine is to lose weight and tone. I know there are other plans on here specific to losing weight, however it’s far easier for me to follow the same plan as the boys when working out together. Will I still be able to achieve my goals following this workout or do I really need to look to swap to a different one?
TIA!
What's good, Sara? Glad you enjoy the workout and pass my thanks on to your people as well.
You can do this as long as your diet and cardio is supporting fat loss. This program will help you just as it would them. If you need some diet and cardio advice, let me know. Thanks!
I have been doing this for over a year and plan to keep doing it. I have upped the weight and sets on each exercise/day Will I continue building muscle?
first time ever ive seen such a great plan anybody made...completely justifies the purpose and no clickbait...aslo straight forward too...found it very helpful ....excited for making it my workout routine asap...