Your Complete Blue Print For A Leaner, More Muscular Body

Brad Borland
Written By: Brad Borland
January 23rd, 2014
Updated: June 13th, 2020
231.1K Reads
Life getting in the way of consistent training? Brad Borland presents a flexible system that allows you to workout, 2-4 times per week depending on your schedule.
Workout Summary

Workout Description

Brad Borland is a strength & conditioning specialist, cancer survivor and the founder of WorkoutLab.

The best, most deliberate made plans are sometimes thwarted by unforeseen circumstances. Take the task of devising a training and diet plan to be executed for the New Year; built solid, put into action and results abound. But then “life” gets in the way and you find yourself derailed and on the side of the road wondering where you are and how you can get back on track.

If you find yourself stuck on the side of the road toward your goals without a map look no further. Right here I will explain and present to you ways in which you can develop not only a roadmap to more muscle, less fat and better health, but also a contingency plan in case that map gets thrown out the window, lost or if the dog eats it.

The trick to weathering the storm of change regarding your training and diet plan is to have flexibility. Make no mistake, I am not talking about blind, make-it-up-as-I-go flexibility, I am proposing a structured blue print for just those occasions.

Even though blue prints are the foundational plan for a structure, they do succumb to change amidst construction due to challenges and changes that arise. Alternatives are many times built in with these challenges in mind. These alternative plans become second nature requiring little thought and easy execution – more time and energy can be given to the task at hand instead of quelling the chaos.

Below is a set of blue prints to help you through those times of uncertainty and confusion; when you are thrown from your horse, smashed to the ground and knee-deep in the muck of “what do I do now.” The key is to have a solid secondary plan handy.

Pull Ups

Have an alternate schedule or schedules in your arsenal in case you can’t fit those four, five or six days per week perfectly into your plans. This will consist of one or more schedules such as four, three and even two days of training per week.

Have alternative volumes of work handy. These are structured amounts of movements set up for those shifts in schedule. For example, you may have to reduce volume during times of stress or schedule conflicts.

Be prepared to adjust set and rep schemes also to avoid burn-out and injury that may threaten your motivation.

Embrace certain intensity and time-saving techniques such as supersets, circuits and complexes. This may actually shed some light on a few things you have never tried before opening yourself up to new techniques and ways to improve.

Above all, accept change, adapt to it and move forward. Use you energy for the task at hand not sulking that you can’t perform your normal workout and end up putting it off.

Your Complete Body Blue Print

The routines below consist of mostly equipment such as dumbbells, barbells, body weight moves and basic benches, pull-up and dip bars. They will all stress training the entire body twice per week for one hour or less.

Four day muscle building

This particular routine will build muscle and strength.

Perform each routine twice per week such as Monday (A), Tuesday (B), Thursday (A) and Friday (B).

Feel free to change the days such as Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Routine A
Four Day Plan
Exercise Warm Up Sets Work Sets Rest
Incline Bench Dumbbell Press 2x12 3x8-12 60
Flat Bench Barbell Press   3x6-10 60
Wide-Grip Pull-Up 2x12 (pulldowns) 3x8-12 60
Dumbbell Row   3x8-12 60
Front Plate Raise   3x8-12 45
Seated Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise   3x8-12 45
Hanging or Roman Chair Leg Raise   3x20 30
Choice of Cardio-HIIT or Steady-State 2-3 minutes 15-20 minutes  
Routine B
Four Day Plan
Exercise Warm Up Sets Work Sets Rest
Single Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise 1x12 3x10-12 30
Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift 1x12 3x10-12 60
Barbell Squat 2x12 3x6-10 60
Dumbbell Walking Lunge   3 lengths 60
Incline Bench Dumbbell Curl 1x12 3x8-12 45
Parallel Bar Dip 1x12 3x10-20 45
Floor or Incline Bench Crunch   3x20 30
Choice of Cardio-HIIT or Steady-State 2-3 minutes 15-20 minutes  

Squats

Three day muscle builder and fat blast

This will maintain and build some muscle while shedding some fat.

Perform each day once per week [i.e. Monday (A), Wednesday (B) and Friday (C)].

Feel free to change up day of the week that these training days fall on.

Routine A
Three Day Plan
Exercise Warm Up Sets Working Sets Rest
Barbell Front Squat 2x12 3x10-12 60
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat   3x10-12 60
Superset: Flat Bench Dumbbell Press and Close-Grip Pull-Up 2x12 3x8-12 60
Triset: Dumbbell Upright Row, Barbell Curl and Diamond Push-Up 1x12 3x12 60
Superset: Lying Leg Raise and Incline Bench Crunch   3x20 30
Choice of Cardio-HIIT or Steady-State 2-3 minutes 15-20 minutes  
Routine B
Three Day Plan
Exercise Warm Up Sets Working Sets Rest
Jump Squat 2x8 3x12-15 60
Barbell Clean 2x8 3x6-8 60
Barbell Deadlift 1x10 3x6-8 60
Farmer’s Walk   3 lengths 60
Plyometric Push-Up 1x8 3x6-8 45
Sprint Intervals 2-3 minutes 5-8 intervals 30
Routine C
Three Day Plan
Exercise Warm Up Sets Working Sets Rest
Barbell Squat 2x12 3x6-10 60
Superset: Dumbbell Lunge and Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise   3x10-12 60
Superset: Incline Bench Barbell Press and Bent-Over Barbell Row 2x12 3x8-12 60
Triset: Military Press, Reverse-Grip Chin-Up, Parallel Bar Dip 1x12 3x12 60
Superset: Hanging Leg Raise and Bicycle Crunch   3x20 30
Choice of Cardio-HIIT or Steady-State 2-3 minutes 15-20 minutes  

Dumbbell Curl

Two day maintenance and fat loss

This routine is for those who have only a few days per week to train.

It will maintain muscle and burn fat.

Perform each day twice per week on any nonconsecutive days.

Routine A
Two Day Plan
Exercise Warm Up Sets Working Sets Rest
Box Jump 2x8 3x10-12 45
Barbell Squat 1x12 3x6-10 60
Stationary Dumbbell Lunge   3x10-12 45
Feet-Elevated Push-Up 2x10 3x10-20 45
Shoulder-Grip Pull-Up 1-2 (pulldown) 3x8-12 45
Barbell Clean and Press 1x8 3x6 60
Superset: Dumbbell Curl and Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension 1x10 3x8-12 45
Superset: Hanging Leg Raise and Knee Raise   3x10 30
Choice of Cardio-HIIT or Steady-State 2-3 minutes 15-20 minutes  
Routine B
Two Day Plan
Exercise Warm Up Sets Working Sets Sets
Jump Split Squat 2x8 3x10-12 45
Barbell Front Squat 1x12 3x6-10 60
Superset: Incline Bench Dumbbell Press and Dumbbell Row 2x12 3x6-10 45
Superset: Reverse-Grip Chin-Up and Parallel Bar Dip   3x8-12 45
Superset: Wide-Grip Barbell Upright Row and Arnold Press   3x8-12 45
Superset: 3-Way Incline Sit-Up and Russian Twist   3x10 30
Choice of Cardio-HIIT or Steady-State 2-3 minutes 15-20 minutes  
7 Comments
Noah
Posted on: Wed, 06/17/2020 - 21:39

Hi I was wondering about the 4 day plan their is only 1 tricep workout isn’t that too little for my triceps I just don’t want them to be smaller then the rest of my body

кавказская овчарка
Posted on: Tue, 11/11/2014 - 16:15

Yeah cos a begginer can do 3x8 wide grip pullups

quantamech
Posted on: Mon, 04/11/2016 - 13:11

You can always you as an assisted pull-up machine to offset some of the weight, or use bands - there are many ways to substitute the exercise according to your fitness level.

Imy
Posted on: Tue, 02/11/2014 - 20:40

Why does routine b on the 3 day workout have sprints and not the same as the other 2 routines. Also I thought doing hiit after weight lifting uses muscle as energy. Is that true?

josh
Posted on: Sun, 03/30/2014 - 15:13

doing more longer distance after would burn up muscle. doinf HIIT will build muscle

Jeff
Posted on: Thu, 01/23/2014 - 06:14

Hi I'm in law enforcement and i wanted to know would this workout be good for me... I honestly like how it looks with the bodyweight exercises, but will i get stronger from this routine....

nic
Posted on: Thu, 01/23/2014 - 04:30

Looks Solid! Thanks for considering the lifter with a drudging and unpredictable working life.