Workout Summary
- Main GoalBuild Muscle
- Workout TypeSplit
- Training LevelIntermediate
- Program Duration6 weeks
- Days Per Week4
- Time Per Workout30-45 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells
- Target Gender Male & Female
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
Add a bit of variety into your workout routine by just using the big compound movements. This workout using compound exercises only. Compound exercises are movements that require more than 1 joint and more than 1 muscle group.
Compound exercises are the biggest muscle builders. Cycle this workout into your normal routine to add some variety. There are also a more compounds that I didn't add, so swap things up!
Daily Workout Schedule:
Monday - Chest and Triceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 12 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 10 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 4 | 8 |
| Dips | 4 | MAX |
Tuesday - Legs and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Squats | 4 | 12,10,8,6 |
| Stiff Legged Deadlifts | 4 | 12,10,8,6 |
| Dumbbell Lunges | 4 | 8 each leg |
| Lying Floor Leg Raise With Crunch | 5 | 20 |
Notes:
- Increase weight on each set of squats and deadlifts
- Crunch: Lay on the floor, holding a small weight above your head. Bring your legs and arms up until they almost touch. Slowly lower down to 1 inch of the floor
Thursday - Back and Biceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Wide Grip Pullup | 4 | 12 |
| Chin Ups | 4 | 10 |
| Bent Over Barbell Rows | 4 | 12 |
| Cable row | 4 | 10 |
Notes:
- If you can't complete all the reps for pullups, complete the set with negatives (jump up and lower yourself down slowly). If you can not do pullups, use lat pull down. All these exercises work the biceps and back.
Friday - Shoulders, Traps, and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Military Press | 4 | 12,10,8,6 |
| Alternate Arm Seated Dumbbell Press | 4 | 10 |
| Shrugs | 4 | 8 |
| Upright rows | 4 | 12 |
| Bicycle Floor Ab Crunch | 5 | 20 |
282 Comments
Can HIIT like hill sprints and Battling Ropes be done with this workout ? For example on Wednesday or some other day ?
In terms of muscle gain is this workout as good as a 5 days per week gym workout ?
You could do that as long as you devote at least one complete day a week for recovery. I think this one is as solid as a five-day program.
Is this workout ok for beginners?
Hi, Bryan. It absolutely is a solid workout for beginners. It will help you learn form, gauge your strength, and build a solid foundation for you to work with as you improve. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
What are the rest intervals?
Jade, rest for 60-90 seconds between sets.
Can this workout be used three times a week by intermediate lifters ?
Zeb -
This plan calls for 4 days of workouts for immediate lifters.
Answer to half these comments on here is......u need to eat
Aren't shrugs isolation exercise?...
Compound Excercise Only Workout, and then you leave out deadlift lulz
you forgot the biceps part
what would you recommend to workout for Wednesday?
I would say cardio 30-60 mins.
Would you recommend cardio after this routine, to increase fat loss?
Hey Steven Im a 19 year old guy who's looking to put on a good amount of muscle and i have tried a few other workout routines that haven't worked for me. I haven't had a balanced workout program so my chest has been a lot stronger than back and has caused me to have back problems. This looks like a very balanced routine but I am a little worried about working each muscle only once per week. I have read articles that say i should train each group twice a week. Is it still possible to put on a good amount of muscle when only working each muscle group once per week?
Hi Steve,
Would you recommend this program for weight loss, and for women?
Thanks!
How long will it take to build stomach core, so that I cn see flat stomach results
Abs are made in the Kitchen not the gym!!
Hi , ive been using this workouts like 3 weeks, i want to know if i just need to use this compound excercises, or should i do this excercises plus more isolated escercises, im a skinny guy haha. ive been doing just this excercises
hi Steve, I am 53 yrs old, I started working out 6 months ago, I gained 4 kg, I was 56 kg and now I am 60 kg, but I just can't add more weight, can you advice me what to do, to gain more muscles, thank you.
h
Hi Steve i want to know how to gain big muscles but i am not interested in body weight gain so please tell me which is the best protein
ive been working out for about 5 months now, you say to push for more reps but i was told sometimes going to failure isnt necessarily the best method. what would you suggest , right now all i really want is to gain the mass, i dont want to do any cutting because i am not at the size i want to be. any information would help. do i stick to heavy compound only or do i isolate as well?
I go to high school and summer break is coming up. I want to build the most muscle I can during the summer until school starts again. I think the 3-day split is great, but I want to build as much muscle as possible can I workout 6 days a week with 1 day of rest?
I will be working out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and taking a rest on Thursday. Then I continue Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and take a rest on Monday. I would continue this method until school starts again.
Would this be fine, or is it not recommend.
P.S. I have experience in weight-lifting and I'm a hard worker. So the "tired" feeling wont be a problem for me b/c I'm stubborn when it comes to building muscle.
On Tuesday when it says 4 sets at 12,10,8,6, do you do individual sets consisting of 12,10,8,6, or one set of twelve, second set of 10, etc. ? Because I did my workout Tuesday of Four sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 adding up to a total of 144 squats. These legs hurt.
Lol 1 set 12 reps next 10 etc. you had to be forest gumping it outa the gym
Is it not counter productive to be doing more bicep and back excersises on the day after the back and bicep day? (shoulder day)
Should I make Wednesday my back and bicep day and Thursday my rest day to atleast give my biceps and back an extra days rest for the friday?
Ok, so I'm going to start this after a small break from when I finish the program I'm doing. I have a quick question as newbie. Using day 1 as an example, would I do all four sets of the bench press and then 4 sets of the incline dumbbell press or do I alternate them? And from what I understand from another users question, rest time between sets is 2 minutes? Thank you, this program looks like a great interlude before I start my next program.
Would I be able to use this as my only routine or would that not be smart??
When you say "cycle this into your normal routine" are you saying do this on top of what my normal routine is? Or instead of my normal routine?
Hi Steve
I've been looking around for a decent, and legit, workout routine for a while and I'm get some mass gains, seeing as I'm a bit of a skinny guy. Would this be a good workout for getting some lean gains? And also thanks some much for answering everyone's questions.
Hello, would you recommend this workout or the 5x5 for a person that has lifted weights for 2-3 months, assuming one is eating diet? (For mass gain primarly, but strength gains too)
Some articles I've read says working out each body part once a week is not enough, what is your opinion if your doing reps 3-5??
Hi Steve,
Idk if this article is still getting responded too I was just wondering if I could replace the pull up with the deadlift and the curl up with standing bar curl or ez bar curl. Also isn't the military press the same thing as the one arm dumbbell press ?
My goal is to big bigger and to see a lot of muscle
This workout is the best I have come across. It is not complicated and easy to get on with. Is there an equally simplistic and user friendly workout to cycle it with, in order to see results in definition?
Hey Steve I was wondering if I should start with more weight in the first set then lessen weight after each weight?
Hey Steve,
I am 20yrs old guy.... height 176cm and weight 59kg. Doing Gym 6days a week to increase my body weight. But its not effecting much.
Can u please suggest me some diet plan for weight gain?
Thanx.
Hi Steve,
I was wondering if it would be okay to add decline dumbbell press into the chest workout? And for triceps would it be okay to do weighted diamond push ups instead of dips?
(keeping to the compound-exercise-only aspect of the workout)
IF YOUR WORKOUT PLATEUS MAKE SURE TO ADD WEIGHT TO THE PULL UPS, DIPS, CHINUPS. YOU WILL GET SO FRIGGIN HUGE. SHOOT FOR +45 and your body weight. see huge huge gains
How would this workout go bulking wise?
hey steve,
Do u go to failure on every set because i heard if you go to failure everytime, your muscle dont recover fast enough to do the same amount of reps again. So what should i do?
Hey Im trying to put on some weight and bulk up, ive started eating alot for more calories, but also srarted to develop a bit of a belly in the process. I dont realky do any cardio because i dont want to loose any size, and i aint that fit. I am 79 kgs and 184cm i have a little bit of shape but want to get bigger. Can anyone recommend a good cardio exersise to burn the belly fat or a certain diet or lifting regime??
So for a women who wants to weight train and not only use 5 lbs weight but do real training is the compound good? Honestly I don't think it will make a difference. Opinions.
Hi,
Help pls...
I am doing workouts for a while now. The problem i am facing is my chest. I got a good side chest but unable to build the center line. What should i do that?
What about arms?
Hey Steve, is this a good workout for me? Im 16 and weigh 150, im an ectomorph or whatever they call it and I've been trying to gain muscle for about a month now and nothing significantly has changed.
Hey,
I wanted to ask you if this workout is good if one wants to loose a lot of fat in combination with a good dietplan?
thanks!
Hey steve,
Will this workout help me to loose fat aswell?