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Workout Summary
Build Muscle
Split
Intermediate
8 weeks
5
65 minutes
Barbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells
Male & Female
Download WorkoutWorkout 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.
| 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 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
| 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 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
| Wednesday - Chest, Triceps and Abs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| 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) |
| Triceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| 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 |
| Abs | ||
| Decline Sit Ups | 4 | MAX |
| Notes | ||
| 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 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
| 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 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY - REST DAYS
642 Comments+ Post Comment
Hi there, thanks for the workout! Only in my first 2 days so far, and I noticed that Wednesday is pretty overloaded compared to other days. Is there some sort of meaning behind this? And is there an alternative,( like putting the triceps exercises to Saturday) if I want to balance all days to take up the same amount of time.
Hey Fadz - yes, you can move triceps to Saturday. You could also add them to the bicep day as well.
Hello i am 15 years old, i started lifting last year, i am told to have a very good physique for my age, right now i am 70kg at 8-9% bodyfat, i am 6ft1. I do rugby as a sport. Do you think this workout would help me to gain mass and strength along with aesthetics?
Hey Juan - yes, this workout will help with your goals. Remember, diet plays the largest part in putting on muscle mass.
can you do the workout without taking supplements and still see benefits
Hey Aaron - yes!
I just started this program today and had a couple questions or clarifications:
1) It seems that a rest of about 1:30 between sets seems to work out about right? Is this enough time or should there be more?
2) Is the goal to inclemently increase weights each week or couple weeks?
I look forward to trying this program, thanks.
Hey Morgan - rest for the heavier, compound movements can be 1-2 minutes between sets. For the isolation exercises, you can keep rest between 30 and 60 seconds. For weight, you can increase weight each week/every few weeks as you see fit.
hi, I dont have a decline bench what can i exchange that workout with?
Hey Ibrahim - you can do dumbbell pullovers.
52 years young next week. I am at intermediate level of lifting so would this be a good workout for my age?
Hey Chuck - yes, you can do this program.
I am about the same age and this work out was awesome for me. While everyone is different I think you will like the results as I am going round 2 on it.
Question do we just repeat these work outs every week for the 8 weeks
Hey Howie - yes you'll repeat these workouts each week for 8 weeks.
Creatine makes me bloated, is there sn alternative you would suggest?
Hey Timothy - creatine is a great supplement for some people but not for others. If you're experiencing negative effects from it, you don't have to take it.
I don't have pull up bar and pulldown machine so what alternative for these exercises on day 2 of this workout
Hey Harshit - you can do banded lat pulldowns or wide grip barbell rows.
how much reps and sets
You can either stick with the sets and reps as denoted for the pullups or you can do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
Abigail_M&S, thank you for the great content and all the replies to these comments.
Hi. I’ve started this programme and I am 5 days in today, I do my workout at 6pm every day. I want to jog in the mornings ? How many miles a week would help with belly fat but not lose muscle mass or burn muscle proteins ? Would 1.5 mile run twice a week in the morning suffice ? Thankyou for the workout ! And happy new year :)
Hey Steven - morning jogs will be just fine with this routine. Your miles per week will highly depend on your recovery and diet. The biggest factor in losing fat and gaining muscle is your diet. Use our BMR calculator to determine your daily caloric needs: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-calculator
Almost done with the 8th week and had great results.
Hey Timothy - glad to hear it!!
Hey!
Iam about to finish this program in a week or so. Can u recommend a good PPL workout?
And I have access to the gym.
Thanks!
Hey Tashi - check out this one: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/6-day-powerbuilding-split-mea...
Is there a workout plan that goes like push,pull ,leg,rest ,push, pull, leg ? Because I am almost done with this program and hitting a muscle only once per week just isn’t suited to me
Hey Tashi - check out this workout: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/6-day-powerbuilding-split-mea...
Hi there!
Great workout plan, it looks exactly like what I expected and needed for the current no-gym covid situation.
One question remains, though:
I would really like to continue doing pull-ups like I was used to do at the gym, but I am too heavy (or too less muscular) for regular unassisted pull-ups. In the gym, I could put up compensation weights and do pull-ups just fine. Is there any compensatory exercise I could use for home training?
I was really surprised when I saw all those comments here getting replies from you guys, so I hope for an idea.
Thank you very much for the exercise plan so far!
Cheers, Mike
Hey Mike - check out this article on pull-up progressions: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/pull-up-progressions
please post a workout with dumbell and barbell for push pull leg split
Hi, I’m 6ft 8 and I’ve been doing the programme for over 8 weeks but I’ve only seen a slight change in muscle mass and I’m using the the right diet aswell. I’d like to know how I can see better results efficiently and if I’m doing anything wrong.
Thanks
Hey Luke - what's your diet like?
Mostly beans, eggs, nuts and I only drink water
To put on muscle mass, you have to be eating in a caloric surplus. Use our BMR calculator to determine your daily caloric needs: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-calculator
Says I need to consume 5600 kcal a day
How can I achieve this?
Hey Luke - that number seems very high. If you're willing to share, what are the numbers you're plugging into the calculator?
179 pounds , 203.2cm 18 years old , male and moderately active
I just plugged your numbers and got 3216 which seems a lot more accurate. I think what was going wrong with your initial calculation is you were using pounds and centimeters instead of pounds and inches.
Almost at the end of my 3rd week and notice great progress thus far. Been eating clean, preworkout, protein shake after and maintaining. Look forward to results at week 8.
Hey Timothy - great job! Keep us updated on your progress!
Triceps feel like Sergio but don't look like them yet.. Workout is amazing, now to dial in meal planning.
I’ve been on this programme for about 2 weeks and it’s ok because isn’t it better to have two muscle groups on each day for maximum efficiency rather than only one? Only the 3rd day has multiple muscle groups. Idk I’ve always done 2 muscle groups each day since the beginning to work out.
Hey Tashi - this program is a 5 day body part split workout. We do offer other programs that feature 2 muscle groups per day like this one: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/phul-workout
Hi, there!
Thank you for this programme it is just what I’m looking for.
This has probably been asked before but what do you recommend in terms of diet during this programme? I am trying to burn fat around my waist as well as building the muscle. If you can recommend any targets in terms of macronutrients or any links to a diet plan to burn fat and build muscle I’d be very, very grateful!
Thank you in advance.
Ben
Hey Ben - great questions. You can start with our BMR calculator (https://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-calculator) to determine your daily caloric need. Then check out this article (https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/determine-daily-calorie-macro...) on macronutrients and macronutrient levels. I would recommend staying at your maintenance calories (aka what the BMR calculator gives you) for several weeks. Keep track of your progress. After those first few weeks, you can reassess how your diet is working and tweak as needed.
I can’t normally do the prescribed number of pull-ups on back day, the most I can’t manage is usually 6-10 per set. Is it better to do more reps assisted, or do what I can unassisted?
Hey Tim - do what you can unassisted, and then do the rest assisted.