Workout Summary
Main Goal:
Build Muscle
Workout Type:
Single Muscle Group
Training Level:
Intermediate
Days Per Week:
4
Equipment Required:
Barbell, Cables, Dumbbells, Machines
Target Gender:
Male & Female
Author:
Workout Description
This 4 day split was designed for someone who's been training for a while and wants to step up their training. The workout has a days on, one day off, one day on, one day off schedule. This workout was designed specifically for pure muscle size.
Each muscle group should be warmed up for 5 minutes. Abdominals should be trained on Mondays and Thursdays with 2-3 exercises, 20 reps per set.
Daily Workout Schedule:
| Monday - Chest and Biceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Bench Presses (2 x warmup sets) | 2 | 15 |
| Bench Presses | 3 | 8 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Presses | 3 | 8 |
| Incline Flys | 3 | 8 |
| Biceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell Curls | 3 | 8 |
| Dumbbell Curls | 3 | 8 |
| Concentration Curls | 3 | 8 |
| Tuesday - Legs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hamstrings | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Stiff-Leg Deadlifts | 3 | 8 |
| One-Leg Leg Curls | 3 | 8 |
| Quads | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Squats | 3 | 10 |
| Leg Presses | 3 | 8 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 8 |
| Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 15,12,10,8 |
Wednesday: Rest Day
| Thurday - Back | ||
|---|---|---|
| Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Pullups | 2 | Warmup |
| Barbell Row | 3 | 8 |
| Seated Row | 3 | 8 |
| One-Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8 |
| Deadlifts | 3 | 6 |
Friday: Rest Day
| Saturday - Shoulders and Triceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Press | 2 | Warmup |
| Military Press | 3 | 8 |
| Front Raise | 3 | 8 |
| Bent Over Dumbbell Laterals | 3 | 8 |
| Triceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Cable Pushdowns ("V" Bar) | 3 | 8 |
| Close-Grip Bench Presses | 3 | 8 |
| Overhead Dumbbell Extensions | 3 | 8 |
Sunday: Rest Day
Comments (101)
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Posted Wed, 05/19/2010 - 22:43
Hi, I have a questions about rest. What should be the rest time between reps and sets? And as for weight, how much should I lift as compared to 1RM?
Posted Thu, 05/20/2010 - 08:02
Rest no more then 2 minutes for most sets. For larger exercises such as squats you may nee to rest 3 to 5 minutes between sets. And lift as much weight as you can, always pushing yourself for more.
Posted Sun, 12/12/2010 - 13:19
quick question can i do the work outs 4 days in a row and rest 3 in a row.
Posted Mon, 12/20/2010 - 17:10
Hi Martin,
That should work ok.
Posted Fri, 05/21/2010 - 16:30
Ok thank you! So the rest between reps should be 45-60 Seconds, right?
Posted Mon, 05/24/2010 - 14:19
alright mate,i wanted to know if you should add weight and decrease reps(12,10,8,6)or stay at the same weight and do same reps until that becomes easy then up the weight and do the same reps?
Posted Tue, 05/25/2010 - 11:06
Either way is fine as long as you are pushing for more on every set.
Posted Thu, 05/27/2010 - 10:13
Whoa! This workout plan is amazing. Usually I like a few things but hate a lot of things but this one seems perfect for me - Thanks heaps I won't even have to modify this one :)
Posted Tue, 07/13/2010 - 08:18
i made a slight modifications for myself, plz see if its okay.
monday cardio and abs
tuesday chest and triceps
wednesday cardio and abs
thursday legs
friday cardio and abs
saturday back and biceps
sunday shoulders and forearms.
in place of legg press can i include lunges with dumbells as i dont have such machines available.
Posted Wed, 07/14/2010 - 10:18
Hi Nikhil,
Your plan looks solid!
Posted Sat, 11/13/2010 - 18:15
Your body needs to rest at some point in time.
Posted Tue, 07/13/2010 - 20:19
Hey Steve. How do I work my abs in? On a rest day or in between exercises that isolate non related muscle groups? If so, is the leg day the better one?
Posted Wed, 07/14/2010 - 10:19
Hi Austin,
You can really work them in on whichever workout day you like.
Posted Sun, 08/01/2010 - 15:20
hi Steve,
what excersizes could I do to replace the leg press, seated row and cable push downs as I don't have access to these machines? and my upper body strengths tends to limit the amount I can lift when doing squats as I have no rack, so what would you suggest for this problem.
thanks,
Josh
Posted Tue, 08/03/2010 - 11:47
Hi Josh,
For leg presses I would use hack squats or dumbbell lunges. For seated row I recommend T-Bar row or two arm dumbbell row. For cable push downs you could use seated french press.
For squats, that's very tough. You could try front squats instead. Without squats and leg presses, there aren't many high impact leg exercises left.
Posted Mon, 08/16/2010 - 02:12
Hello Man,
Giving it a bash now. Mixing the days up as Im doing Legs on Mondays and chest and biceps on Tuesday but I think it should be alright
Cheers
P
Posted Thu, 11/04/2010 - 01:19
Hi, what abs exercises would you recommend for this workout?
Posted Fri, 11/05/2010 - 13:16
Hi Alvin,
Here are some good choices:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/abs.html
Posted Tue, 11/16/2010 - 19:09
Hi Steve,
These past few weeks I was using the 3 Day Whole Body Toning Work out. It was good, but then I realized I wanted bigger muscles to show. I figured this workout sounded like a great place to start. My question is, how do I fit in cardio with this program? Like how much should I do? I still want to trim some fat that's why.
Posted Wed, 11/17/2010 - 09:07
Hi Jon,
Cardio can be performed 3-4 times per week first thing in the morning, on off days, or after lifting.
Posted Wed, 11/17/2010 - 09:28
Thanks Steve. I usually do 45 minutes of cardio each day at the gym. I was told not to do too much because it can burn muscle mass. How many minutes of cardio should I do then?
Posted Wed, 11/17/2010 - 09:39
I would limit it to 30 minutes per day. But you could do more as long as you are eating big and getting plenty of rest.
Posted Sat, 11/20/2010 - 14:33
hi mate
this workout is awsome but im struggling with which foods to eat to give me the strength to put more in im feeling very lethargic?
any ideas would be great cheers mate
Posted Mon, 11/22/2010 - 14:28
Hi Mark,
Check out these articles:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-create-a-bodybuilding-...
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/muscle-building-shopping-list....
Posted Wed, 11/24/2010 - 06:02
Sir; The workout plan is very good. SIr, i want to loose weight and to build muscles simultaneously. Is this workout plan will be suitable for me or shall I do the Cardio-Abs on rest days.
pls suggest me any aletration. My target muscles are Chest/Biceps/Back/Legs.
Please suggest me accordingly.
rgds
Posted Wed, 11/24/2010 - 08:09
Hi Viney,
Losing fat is primarily about diet. This is a very good workout plan, but without a solid bodybuilding-style cutting diet it will be hard to achieve your goals. Check out these 2 articles:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/your-go-to-guide-for-cutting-f...
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-create-a-bodybuilding-...
Posted Wed, 11/24/2010 - 07:20
hi steve,
i have been working out for a while when i first started i was going to the gym everyday later i realized i did to much so i cut it down to working out every muscle twice a week i did get bigger put then i got stuck in a pleatou my routine was monday-back and shoulder tuesdays-chest wednsdays-bicep and triceps thurs rest and friday repaeat routine
i have received a lot of bad advise throughout my years of working out you realy dont know who to listen to my question to you is do you think i was overworking the muscle and would this workout plan give me lean muscle and size??
Posted Wed, 11/24/2010 - 08:10
Hi Steve,
This is a very solid workout.
To achieve your goals, you need to focus on 2 things:
1) Pushing yourself on every set. Using good form, always push yourself on every set. When you can perform the recommended number of reps for a set, add weight.
2) Eating properly. All the hard work in the gym won't pay off if you have a poor diet. Check out these articles:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/your-go-to-guide-to-gaining-m...
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-create-a-bodybuilding-...
Posted Wed, 11/24/2010 - 07:23
also is it ok to do push ups after workouts at home and on days off??
Posted Wed, 11/24/2010 - 08:11
Hi Steve,
Sure, there is no reason you can't add in a few pushups.
Posted Wed, 11/24/2010 - 09:41
thank you very much for your help i truly appreciate it
Posted Thu, 11/25/2010 - 06:53
Hi Steve,
I dont have access to below mentioned machines. Could you please suggest some alternatives?
Single Leg Curl
45 Degree Leg Press
Wide Grip Pull Up
Thanks
Deepak Anand
Posted Thu, 11/25/2010 - 08:07
Hi Deepak,
Leg curls - side or rear lunges
Leg press - hack squats or barbell lunges
Pull ups - Lat pull downs or two arm bent over dumbbell rows
Posted Mon, 11/29/2010 - 02:04
Thanks so much Steve.
One more thing. On my rest days i do run(@8kmph) for around 45-60mins that is around 6-8km. Do you see any harm in that? Can this be another excercise for legs?
Posted Mon, 12/06/2010 - 14:17
Hi Deepak,
As long as you are eating properly - meaning enough to gain some weight - there is no hard in cardio on off days. It won't do much for leg growth though...
Posted Tue, 12/07/2010 - 00:58
Thanks Steve.
One more question please.
On back day my routine says to do Deadlifts, and on leg day it says to do Stiff legged Deadlifts. I feel that deadlifts work my legs more then my back, and stiff legged deadlifts my back more then my legs. But either way I always thought deadlifts were for the back, but it nails my legs too. Any comments?
Posted Tue, 12/07/2010 - 14:26
Hi Deepak,
Deadlifts shouldn't work your legs more than your back. If they feel this way, your form is off and this can be dangerous. I would stop by the forum and ask for some deadlift tips:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/forum/
Posted Wed, 12/08/2010 - 01:24
Yes I like your routine but I'm thinking of adding more sets and less weight ex. 4x6. Ive courently been running a routine very similar to this the last 3 months and kinda plataued and really wanna bulk now only difference is im doing 3x10 and 4x10 on some workouts so looking to change to lower volume. I am able to do the 1 day on 1 day off thing for better muscle recovery if indeed its more benificial. ANother question I would love to know is if I can turn this into a 5 day routine and if so is it smart? And If is what would the workout plan then look like? But I guess if I workout out every other day then im working out as much as i can on a 4 day routhine. Please put your input on the 4x6 strategy. Im strickly looking to build size and strenghth. Im eating everything in site for this mass cycle.
Thanks
Posted Sun, 12/19/2010 - 13:56
Hi Jared,
This is a muscle building workout. Adding more sets and dropping the weight isn't really an effective way to build muscle. I wouldn't turn this into a 5 day routine without knowing how your body responds to a 4-day workout with moderate volume. It's best not to add volume for volume sake, but rather evolve your training for a reason. More is not always better.
Posted Sat, 12/25/2010 - 23:23
How many weeks should i do this routine before switchin it up ???
Thanks
Posted Thu, 01/06/2011 - 15:44
Hi Ajay,
Run it a minimum of 8-12 weeks, or as long as you are making good progress.
Posted Wed, 01/05/2011 - 23:54
Hi Steve,
This workout sounds great, but is it possible to turn it into a 3 day routine? if it is possible how would you change it?
Thank you so much
Avi
Posted Tue, 01/18/2011 - 14:52
Hi Avi,
I would suggest hunting down a 3 day workout from our database. Most workouts use the same core exercises, so any 3 day muscle building split will serve you well. It is possible to change any routine into a 3 day per week, but it would require cutting some exercises, and without knowing which equipment you have access to, it's hard to recommend which cuts to make.
Posted Wed, 01/19/2011 - 22:52
Thx so much
Posted Thu, 01/06/2011 - 13:34
Hi,
I'm 21years old male, 6 feet tall and my weight is 70kg. I'm working out for about 2 years. When i started i was only 58kgs. By 2 years workout i gained 12kgs but my muscles are not shaped or toned. My target is gain muscles, so what routine you suggest for me?
sabbir
Posted Tue, 01/18/2011 - 14:53
Hi Sabbir,
This workout will serve you well. You want to focus on two things to maximize results:
1) Pushing yourself in the gym. Using good form, always push yourself on every set. When you can perform the recommended number of reps for a set, add weight.
2) Eating to maximize muscle. Here are two articles that can help:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/your-go-to-guide-to-gaining-m...
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-create-a-bodybuilding-...
Posted Mon, 01/17/2011 - 23:30
what excersizes could I do to replace Overhead Dumbbell Extensions as my shoulder hurts when doing it
Thx so much
Posted Sun, 01/30/2011 - 14:44
what sort of cardio do i do with the 4 day workout
Posted Thu, 02/10/2011 - 10:37
Hi Steve,
Ive been training about a yr on and off.
Im medium build wrighing around 13 stones but i want the more lean defined/toned look rather than get bulky.
At the mo im doin a 3 day split..would you advise me to do a 4 day split or stick to what im doin.?
Currently doing chest and tri's on mondays
Back and Biceps on weds,
and legs and shoulders friday.
I do 3 sets of 3 exercises per muscle group aswell.
Is this ok?
Ohh and i do add abs workouts on these 3 days.
A good advice would be soooo beneficial - thanks.
Sunny.
Posted Thu, 02/10/2011 - 17:11
i just wanted to know, is it better to complete each set individually, or to do one rep and then move on to the next set, finish all excercises and begin from start again
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