Workout Summary
- Main GoalBuild Muscle
- Workout TypeSplit
- Training LevelIntermediate
- Program Duration8 weeks
- Days Per Week5
- Time Per Workout65 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells
- Target Gender Male & Female
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
Looking to add muscle mass? Maybe this is the right workout for you. Using only dumbbells and barbells, this workout hits each muscle group hard once a week over a 5 day schedule. This workout is intense, so you will get the best results if you supplement with creatine and protein. Remember to get plenty of rest and minimize cardio while you're trying to bulk up. Good luck.
Workout Schedule
- Monday - Shoulders
- Tuesday - Back
- Wednesday - Chest, Triceps, and Abs
- Thursday - Biceps
- Friday - Legs
- Saturday - Rest
- Sunday - Rest
Dumbbell & Barbell Mass Workout
Monday - Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Military Press | 4 | 10-14 |
| Seated Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8 |
| Dumbbell Front Raise | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 8, 6 |
| Dumbbell Reverse Fly | 3 | 10 |
Tuesday - Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Wide Grip Pull Up | 7 | 12 down to 6 |
| Bent Over Barbell Row | 4 | 12 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10 |
| Deadlifts | 4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Shrugs | 4 | 8-12 |
Wednesday - Chest, Triceps and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 10 |
| Decline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8 |
| Dumbbell Flys | 4 | 12 |
| Chest Dip | 4 | MAX (weighted) |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 5 | 5 |
| Tricep Kickback | 3 | 12-15 light |
| One Arm Dumbbell Extension | 3 | 8-10 |
| Lying Tricep Extension | 4 | 12 strict |
| Decline Sit Ups | 4 | MAX |
Thursday - Biceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Standing Barbell Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Preacher Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Standing Hammer Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 12 |
| Reverse Barbell Curl | 3 | 7-8 |
Friday - Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Lunge | 4 | 5 each leg |
| Squat | 6 | 10 |
| Stiff Leg Deadlifts | 4 | 10 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 8 | 15-20 |
741 Comments
APPRECIATE BUDDY
Could I add Biceps to Back? Cheers.
You can if you like, Jeff.
I can't do pull ups (yet). What are some good alternatives?
Go with dumbbell pullovers. The chest will be working as well, but they are great for the lats.
Hi I saw in the program that it said to minimise cardio, if I was to incorporate 30 min runs on my off day would that be too much. Also would you recommend working sets and drop sets for instance - leaving reps in the tank for the first set and increasing weight while decreasing reps more into the exercise
Thanks
D
30 minutes once a week would be fine, Dee. Leaving reps is also not a bad idea. Thanks for reading M&S!
30 days in and great results so far. From second month I'm repeating the workout twice and doing extra rounds of biceps, triceps and shoulders exercises.
I'm also following another workout for abs.
I'm exhausted by the end of the day and sleep like a baby.
Supplements I'm using:
- Whey Protien (Mass Gainer)
- Creatine
- Omega 3, 6 and 9
- Multivitamins
Thank you Muscle and Strength Team and I wish everyone best of luck in their fitness journey.
Nav, we're very happy you're a part of the community and appreciate you sharing the results. Congrats on the process, we look forward to seeing more, and thanks for reading M&S!
It seems like that’s a lot for bicep isn’t it? I’ve been training 5 days a week 4 months now and always end up losing all my strength by my 3rd bicep exercise, I’ve also seen some places say max 9 sets for bicep anyway.. can you comment on that? Is this workout maybe not meant for me with 4 months of regular working out? I’m quite fit
Hi, Matt. I didn't write this workout, but I agree that is a little bicep heavy. My suggestion would be to take one set off of each exercise. If that is still too much, take out the concentration curls. Hope this helps!
Can i make it 1 rest day?
Two days of recovery would actually serve you best. You can do it with one day, but results may not be the same as they would be if you take both days off.
This workout is great and absolutely
Best as a home workout! I just came to
The end To complete this program. So can
You please suggest me the next workout
Or what should be taken after this.
This should help you choose your next program, Lakshay. Thanks for reading M&S, and I hope you enjoy the workouts.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
I feel dumb asking, but I am unclear on whether these workouts are meant to be done as a circuit or if I’m supposed to do all sets for one exercise back to back before moving on to the next. Could you clarify this for me?
Exercise 1:
Set 1, Rest, Set 2, Rest, Set 3, Rest, Set 4(if there is a set 4), rest. Then you move on to exercise 2.
Hey Vincent, if that is working for you, then keep going. It's great to burn calories and finish the workout faster. If you're more focused on building muscle & strength (see what I did there?), then you would be better off doing straight sets and resting between each.
Good luck!
I really enjoy this workout and have already seen great results. I have been doing exercise 1 then 2 etc and then repeating for set 2. . Should I change to the recommended above. What difference will it make? Thanks!!
Just a quick question. What do you mean on an exercise that says strict?
Don't allow cheating to assist and the form should be perfect.
One example would be on a standing shoulder press, some people use their legs to help. On a strict press, you would only use the shoulders.
Why is the chest day so packed compared to the other days?
Like double the amount of exercises.
I counted five for shoulders, back, chest, biceps, and four for triceps and legs. I do feel more leg work would be a plus here. If the chest work is a concern, cut out either dips or decline press and the flye. That will bring it down to three. Close grip is meant for triceps.
Yeah, I was thinking more about the number of exercises that day, not specifically chest exercises
That is because of the ab exercises. Do those separately if you like.
I was wondering if you guys have a more advanced workout with dumbells and a barbell, I've been doing this plan for a couple weeks now and was wanting a more advanced plan.
Try this one, Mariah.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbar-supersets
hello trainer can you suggest me a workout plan which train each muscle two times a week.
How long have you been training, Asad? If you're relatively new to the iron game, training each muscle group twice a week with a lot of volume isn't the best idea. Now, if you're talking about full-body type workouts, we have several of those to choose from.
Hi, What rest period do you advise between sets?
60-90 seconds between sets, DJ.
Thanks
I love this workout program. At 48yrs-old I want to see how much mass I can put on while increasing my strength. (I have always been a hard gainer)
This program is easy to follow and after a week I'm confident that I will be able to add more weight soon. Thank you for this.
Hi is there a way to make this a PPL routine for a 6 day split?
Hi, Jaryd. Have you considered splitting up chest and triceps? You can also focus on training abs on their own day if you prefer.
Hi! I'm doing the leg workout right now and everytime it's killing my legs. Im just wondering what you mean with the lunges. Is it 5 on each leg (10 in total) or is it something different? Using weights in both hands
Hello, Vanja. Yes, it is five reps for each leg (10 total). You can use weights in both hands. If you have trouble with that, start with your bodyweight only, and add weight to the hands as you get stronger.
Hi
I only have dumbbells and barbells, no bench or any other equipment. Are there any alternatives to the following workouts using only dumbbells and barbells?
Tuesday:
- Wide grip pull up
Wednesday:
- Incline barbell bench press
- Decline dumbbell bench press
- Dumbbell flys
- Chest dip
- Close grip bench press
- Lying tricep extension
- Decline sit-ups
Thursday
- Preacher curl
Friday
- Squat
- Standing calf raise
Thank you
Lance, thanks for the comment. This workout has several options for you to swap in for the exercises you listed. https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbar-supersets
You can also check out the Exercise Video section here at M&S to find movements with the equipment that you do have access to.
Finally, you can use the floor instead of a bench for pressing movements. It would be hard to do anything incline, but floor presses are great for chest development as well. Hope this helps.
what dose the terms "light and "strict' mean on this program?
Rene - "light" refers to lighter weight. "Strict" is just another way to reiterate that you want proper form on all reps.
Thx for clearing that up! I have another question wh would be a good warm-up for this program. I just finished a strict barbell program (I'm adding dumbells to mix) where you would do the same program just lighter weight, would that apply to this too? Thx again in advance!
Rene - that would be fine.
We also have a great article that shows different dynamic warm-up exercises depending on what body part you're working on that day.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/warming-up-for-dummies
I need intermediate and advanced workout pdf with same equipment plz provide fast
Give after this workout pdf I have completed 8 weeks program give me next level workout but with same equipment
Hey Harsh - you can repeat this program if you enjoyed it. You can alter the reps, sets, and rest time to make the workout more challenging.
I don’t have a pull up bar home , what can I do instead of wide pull ups?
Hey Peter - you can do wide grip barbell rows.
How about dividing the volume so that you hit each muscle x2 times a week? You think that's viable with the current volume of this routine?
Hey stevepax - you could rearrange this program to hit each muscle group 2x per week