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Workout Summary
Build Muscle
Split
Advanced
10 weeks
4
50 minutes
Barbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells, Machines
Male & Female
Download WorkoutWorkout Description
10 week mass building program. This workout is designed to increase your muscle mass as much as possible in 10 weeks. The program works each muscle group hard once per week using mostly heavy compound exercises. You will train on a 4 day split routine, resting on Wednesdays and the weekends. To get the most out of this program you need to be eating BIG. Big meals, at least 5 times a day.
| Monday - Chest and Triceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 10, 8, 8, 6 |
| Incline Bench Press | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Decline Bench Press | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Dumbbell Flys | 2 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 2 | 8 |
| Triceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Tricep Extension | 4 | 10, 8, 8, 6 adding weight |
| Tricep Dip | 3 | 10 |
| Tricep Bench Dip | 3 | 8 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
| Tuesday - Back and Biceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Deadlift | 5 | 10, 8, 8, 6, 4 |
| Chin Up | 2 | 8 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8 |
| Seated Row | 2 | 8 |
| Close Grip Lat Pull Down | 3 | 10, 10, 8 |
| Biceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Standing Barbell Curl | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Close Grip Preacher Curl | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 2 | 12-14 |
| Concentration Curl | 2 | 10 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
WEDNESDAY - REST DAY/CARDIO
| Thursday - Shoulders and Forearms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Machine Shoulder Press | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Reverse Fly | 3 | 8-10 |
| Military Press | 4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 2 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Shrugs | 2 | 10 |
| Upright Row | 2 | 10 |
| Forearms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Standing Wrist Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Barbell Wrist Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Notes | ||
| Dumbbell shrugs and upright row can be supersetted. | ||
| Friday - legs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Legs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Squat | 5 | 10, 8, 8, 6, 4 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 12 |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 12 |
| Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 12 |
| Seated calf Raise | 2 | 12 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
WEEKEND - REST TIME
2.8K Comments+ Post Comment
I was in the middle of my second week of this program when I realized there's no abdominal exercises! Is this intentional or an oversight? Where would I put them in this program? What kind of exercises should I do? How many sets and reps of each?
Many thanks!!
Mauro,
Your abs get worked indirectly with the majority of the compound movements within the program. In most instances, depending on your goals, you don't necessarily have to isolate them.
For a better understanding on ab training and getting a 6 pack, check out this article:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/six-pack-science
Hope this helps!
Hi! I came across your article when looking for a different workout.
Based on previous comments, the rest period between sets is 30-45 seconds. What would be the optimal rest period between exercises?? Many thanks!!
Can i used this program being 2 months already on the Gym? being thin guy to muscular?
You can by adjusting the weight to a level you can handle without cheating. Remember to eat 5x daily. Hardest part is being consistent with food.
Hello Josh.
Can i use this program to lose weight and fat and build lean muscles? My weight is 198 pounds and 5'11 feet .. what do you recommend for me?
Hi Lefty,
You can use this program to lose weight sure. The important part of losing weight is making sure you eat less calories than you burn.
Find out how many calories you need each day here: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-calculator
Then subtract ~250-500 calories from that number to create a deficit and aim to eat that many calories each day.
Hope this helps!
When the reps drop e.g Deadlift are you suppose to increase the weight ?
Hi Owain,
Yes, increase the weight you use as the reps decrease.
Hope this helps!
Could anybody provide a link to a good diet plan that works best with this workout routine. I'm male only 67 kg, 177 cm. I really need to gain weight but struggle with that.
This is by far one of the best workouts ive done. Ive completed the ten week process a couple of time everytime I have Ive gotten stronger.
Can I do just crunches at home on Wednesdays?
Hi Matthew,
Sure, I don't see why not.
Hope this helps!
Can u do 4 days in row then 3 days off
Hi Daniel,
You can if that is the only way your schedule permits, however, it is not ideal.
Hope this helps!
Alot of info online most ppl are saying need to do each muscle twice per week for natural ppl i have no idea as been on 5 day split for ages
Hi..i had played gym for a year more or less..but i couldnt find a good plan to increase my mass.. is this a good way for bulking?
Hello
I have question
Can I do upper chest workouts only?
Hi Bashar,
Sure, you could. But if you want a well defined chest, you'd be better off sticking to multiple angles.
If your upper chest is a weak area, try performing upper chest exercises to begin your chest day. This will allow you to move more weight and won't jeopardize the development of the rest of your chest.
Hope this helps!
Hello, Josh:
Great information. I'm a competitive powerlifter, but would love to adopt a routine like this for my hypertrophic work and weight loss. I'm just curious about the pace of the workout. The routine says it's clocked for 50 minutes. With approximately 24-25 sets per workout, that leaves about 2 minutes for each set, plus rest and plate changes and moving to different stations and whatnot. Is that a typo, an estimate, or does the routine actually call for a really quick pace like that? I'd love a little clarification.
Also, what kinds of percentages would you recommend for some of these rep schemes--i.e. for the Bench 10,8,8,6 rep sets?
Many thanks in advance,
Arik
Hi Arik,
The time duration is just an estimate. It will vary from person to person depending on rest periods.
For hypertrophy training, you want to keep rest periods short, between 30-60 seconds. Taking that into consideration, you should be able to finish this workout in well under an hour.
Hypertrophy training generally calls for the trainee to utilize 75-85% of their 1 rep max.
Hope this helps!
For bench press, some biceps exercises, deadlifts and squats with witch every set I have to decrease the reps should I also increase the weight or not?
Michael,
Yes, as the reps decrease you should increase the weight you use.
Hope this helps!
what best protein should I take during my meals to build up muscle
Hi Thabit,
So long as you are eating an adequate amount of protein during the day (recent research suggests 0.72g per lb of bodyweight) and you're eating in a calorie surplus, you'll build muscle.
With that said, whey protein and casein protein are great ways to get supplemental protein into your diet if you struggle to consume enough protein during the day.
Check some of these out:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/category/protein.html
Hope this helps!
can this workout used by anyone, regardless their fitness level ?
and would be OK to add 20-30 minutes cardio after completing the cardio to improve fat burning ?
Hi Ahmed,
This program is written with people who have plenty of weight training experience in mind.
It might benefit you to start off with a beginner program prior to taking on an intermediate and/or advance program.
Check out all of our beginner programs here:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/beginner
Hope this helps!
If I want to lose fat but also gain muscle, what would be the recommended diet plan for me in terms of calories? Will this program help me lose fat and what kinda cardio should I do on off days?
Hi Jonathan,
It depends on your starting point. If you are an underweight beginner looking to bulk up and burn fat, then eat in a slight caloric surplus. If you are an overweight beginner looking to build muscle and lose fat, eat in a slight caloric deficit. If you aren't a beginner, pick one goal. It is nearly impossible to accomplish both at a certain experience level.
Find you caloric needs here: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-calculator
Add or subtract ~250-500 calories depending on you goals and aim to eat that many calories daily from mainly whole food sources (lean meats, veggies, fruits, oats, grains, beans, etc). Do that consistently and over time you will see results.
Hope this helps!
If I wanna lose fat but also gain muscle, should I subtract or add calls to my daily calorie intake?
I feel like because I'm eating a lot, I'm also gaining some fat and weight. Is this normal and if it isn't, how do I regulate this?
Is playing basketball for an hour or two and working Abs a good off day?
How much cardio do you recommend when bulking?
Hi Neil,
I'd recommend doing cardio for 20-30 mins at least 2-4 times a week to remain heart healthy regardless of your goals.
Whether you're bulking or cutting will depend far more on your diet and daily calorie intake than how much cardio you do. If you're bulking make sure you're taking in more calories than you are burning. +500 calories above maintenance should do the trick.
Hope this helps!
2 questions... How much less should my incline be than my regular bench and can I substitute close grip or any other bench press for decline???
Hi Jonathan,
The difference between the 2 lifts will vary from person to person. If it helps, I've noticed a 20-30lb difference between the 2 in my own training over the years.
And yes, this workout is only a template. You're more than welcome to sub it out for any bicep exercise you prefer.
Hope this helps!
Can I put biceps and triceps together to make an arm day. In total be 5 days
Can I change up the rep ranges to focus strength on some exercises?
Hi Carter,
This program is simply a template. You are more than welcome to alter it to better fit your needs and workout goals.
Hope this helps!
Does it matter if I do a different variation other than concentration curls?
Hi Jon,
This workout is only a template. You're more than welcome to sub it out for any bicep exercise you prefer.
Hope this helps!
hi,
you done realy great job.
thank you.
Hi,
I would like to start this program, however i workout at home. regarding both Seated Row and Close Grip Lat Pull Down in the back section, how I modify? is there an exercise I can do with free weights or additional pull ups in a different angle?
Thanks for you help.
Hi Eric,
The easiest subs would be barbell row and wide grip pullups. But you can always find additional potential exercise subs in our exercise database. From there you can filter it by muscle group and equipment you have available to use.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises
Hope this helps!
Hi Eric,
My go-to replacements for the hamstring curl would be either Nordic hamstring curls or leg curls using a swiss ball. Nordic hamstring curls will require you to have a partner hold your ankles or something sturdy you can hook your ankles in. And of course, the other would require an exercise ball.
For leg extensions, I'd either go with a squat variation. Sissy squats mimic a similar movement pattern, however they can be tough and risky to perform.
Hope this helps!
Hi Josh,
I stated the program this week and so far it looks great. Since I workout at home, which exercises can be used to replace leg extension and leg curl?
Thanks again
Hi Josh,
Thanks for your support. Just to make sure, on the set with the different rep count such as 10,8,8,6 I should increase weight each set and on the constant rep sets I should keep the same weight? Did I understand correctly?
10x
Hi Eric,
You are very welcome! Yes, that is correct. With this workout, you want to increase the weight as the reps go down.
Hope this helps!
Hey Read your Workout Plan and I'm intereseted to do this. Regarding with the weights should I go Progressive Overload?
So, is this routine meant to be fixed weight unless otherwise noted, and then just using a 60 second rest so the reps fall to match what's listed? If that's the case, should the last set of each lift be to failure?
Thanks for the help.