Sculpted Strength: The Ultimate 12 Week Bodybuilding Program

A lot of our readers are passionate about bodybuilding and want to find a program that will help them positively change their physique. They simply want to look and feel better.

If that describes you, then stick around because we have a three-month program here that will help you do just that.

Workout Overview

This program includes six days of workouts with a focus on each muscle group. The workouts will take about 60-90 minutes including the time you take to warm up and prepare.

You should rest anywhere from 60-90 seconds between sets and keep transition time from one exercise to the other to a minimum.

Your goal is to progressively get stronger on each exercise and develop the individual components of each muscle group. This is a bodybuilding program, so we’re focusing on shape, size, and definition.

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Cardio and Nutrition

For this program, do cardio first thing in the morning or after your weight training. Whatever time you choose, schedule 30 minutes of steady-state cardio. That can be a walk, work on a machine, or activities like hiking or riding a bike.

Some of you may be ambitious and want to do more than the time prescribed. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose and have the time, go for it. However, if you are trying to drop a few pounds or even build on size, then stick to one session.

If you want to incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT), complete it after your strength training session and keep the sessions to 20 minutes. Yes, burning calories is important, but we want to protect that muscle we have or are trying to build. Do not do HIIT first thing in the morning. 

As for nutrition, we have overall guides here to help you build muscle or lose fat, depending on your goal. One of the best things about this workout is that with the right nutrition plan, you can use this program to help you get sliced and diced, or swole and jacked.

Some of you are likely thinking you want to do both at the same time. You may add a few pounds of muscle while trying to get ripped, but you’re very likely not going to build significant size if you are restricting calories. Picking a lane and going all out would be the best suggestion.

Related: How to Successfully Gain Muscle and Lose Fat

Training Schedule

You can set this six-day schedule up however you like with one rule – you can only do two upper-body days in a row before doing a lower-body day. You don’t have to follow a strict seven-day schedule, either. You can do part or most of this during a week, then finish the rest at the start of the next week before starting the rotation over. Below are a couple of schedule examples:

Example 1

• Monday: Workout 1
• Tuesday: Workout 2
• Wednesday: Workout 3
• Thursday: Workout 4
• Friday: Workout 5
• Saturday: Workout 6
• Sunday: Rest

Example 2

• Monday: Workout 1
• Tuesday: Workout 2
• Wednesday: Workout 3
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: Workout 4
• Saturday: Workout 5
• Sunday: Workout 6

If you are unsure whether your split would work, leave a comment and we will do our best to help. Remember, the best schedule is one you can follow. So make this workout work for you.

Regardless of your split, you should take one full day off a week for a complete recovery. On your recovery day, you can do extra stretching, get a massage, or simply chill out. If you treat this program right, you will need every hour of that day.

Related: 3 Active Recovery Workouts for Your Next Rest Day

Progression 

You might be wondering where the strength component comes into this. Each exercise in this program will have three sets. The first rep can be with moderate weight. The second set should be slightly more challenging. When you see reps decrease, that means you should add weight to each set. 

The final set is the heaviest one, and you should go to failure on that set. I mean failure; there is no way you could do another rep with good form. This is where the strength factor and progression come in.

I also want you to track that last set on every exercise with no exception – even the smaller isolation movements. Your goal is to either add one rep or more weight to that set every week throughout the 12 weeks.

As an example, we will use the seated lateral raise. You may start with 20-pound dumbbells for the 8 reps. Next week, go for 9 reps, and then 10 reps the week after that. Once you get more than two reps over your intended target, go heavier. When you compare all those numbers in the beginning to those after the 12 weeks, you should see that you made significant progress over that time.

Sculpted Strength: The Ultimate 12 Week Bodybuilding Program

Each day has at least two different body parts. We even covered the calves and forearms. This guide should be used for all 12 weeks, but you can make small adjustments to help you cater to your individual needs such as focusing on a specific area or changing the training schedule every few weeks. 

Workout 1: Shoulders and Abs

Workout 2: Back and Traps

*Editor's Note: The demo video shows a trap bar, but this exercise can be performed with a barbell. 

Workout 3: Quadriceps and Calves

Workout 4: Chest and Abs

Workout 5: Triceps, Biceps, and Forearms

Workout 6: Hamstrings and Calves

FAQ’s

Can I train six days in a row?

For most of you reading this, that answer is going to be no. Three days of training in a row is going to be a lot, and some of you may feel that you need to take some rest after two days. That said, if you’ve been in the iron game for an extended period and are aware of what you’re capable of, then you could try to do all six, but make sure you take the seventh day off. If you’re questioning if that applies to you or not, then it does not.

Can I change the order or the exercises?

Yes, and for some of you, you should. If you know your physique well enough to know that you need to focus on having wider shoulders, then start with lateral raises. If you feel your biceps are weaker than your triceps, then start with the biceps on arm day. You should follow a consistent schedule for all 12 weeks, but don’t be afraid to change the order of movements.

Can I do this while training or doing other sports (karate, baseball, etc.)?

For this one, I believe you need to commit to doing this as a stand-alone program. If you need a program to help you excel in other endeavors, we have other options for you to check out here on M&S. But since this is a bodybuilding-focused program, that should be the main focus.

Can I use this to build muscle or lose fat?

You can use this program for either goal. It could be a plan to help you get bigger, or you can implement it to get shredded. The nutrition, supplementation, and recovery are going to dictate how the physique will look in the end. Let the food take that responsibility. When you’re in the weight room, the goal should be to give it all you got.

Related: 5 Fat Loss Supplements Backed by Science

What if I only have access to free weights?

You can swap out the machine exercises listed for free weight versions by checking out our Exercises section. We have them broken down by body parts. Just make sure you swap them for movements that perform similar functions. A row should be replaced with a row, a press for a press, etc. 

We also have a couple of articles that help with upper-body movement substitutions and lower-body substitutions.

Final Thoughts

Make sure you are tracking your progress by doing things like weight checks, photos, and body composition tests weekly. That progress will help you stay pumped up and motivated to keep going on those days when the ambition may not be there. If you go for this program, share your feedback and results in the comments as well so we can educate and inspire others to do the same.