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Workout Summary
Build Muscle
Split
Intermediate
8 weeks
5
65 minutes
Barbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells
Male & Female
Download WorkoutWorkout 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.
| Monday - Shoulders | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
| Tuesday - Back | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
| Wednesday - Chest, Triceps and Abs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| 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) |
| Triceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| 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 |
| Abs | ||
| Decline Sit Ups | 4 | MAX |
| Notes | ||
| Thursday - Biceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
| Friday - Legs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Legs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Lunge | 4 | 5 each leg |
| Squat | 6 | 10 |
| Stiff Leg Deadlifts | 4 | 10 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 8 | 15-20 |
| Notes | ||
| None. | ||
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY - REST DAYS
542 Comments+ Post Comment
On week 4 of this work out. I have been eating well and trying to stay around 3000 calories a day. I am also supplementing protein and creatine. I gained about 4 pounds at the end of week 3. Does this seem right or should I be doing something else to speed up the gain? Any input is appreciated.
Hey ive used this program for about 4 months. I keep seeing more and more results. Is it wise to add a few different exercises on certain days for problem areas? Example forarms thickenning adds, hitting some lifts with altered hand position or angles
CAN I PUT ANOTHER ABS WORKOUT IN REST DAY SATURDAY OR SUNDAY IN THIS WORKOUT PROGRAM ?, AND CAN I DO THIS IN A LONG TERM PROGRAM AND NOT JUST 8 WEEKS ??
After how many weeks should I start to see results?
Hey i wonna no a bit more on the back day
For wide grip pull ups what do you mean 7 sets of ?? 12 reps down to 6
Hi Neitana,
Start with 12 and do one less rep each set.
Start at 12 on set 1. End at 6 on set 7. 12 down to 6.
I did about 6 months of training but didn't put much muscle on, I stopped for about 3 months will this be a good routine to do and will I notice good gains after a couple of months or is they more intense routines for at home with a bench, dumbbells, barbell , preacher and pull up Bar where I can catch up to where I was at
I’ve purchased all the equipment to use this routine, thank you.
Question - How or where could I fit a 30-60 minute treadmill session in this routine? Would I need to sacrifice anything for it? Suggestions?
Hi Josh,
That should be a fine addition. I'd recommend doing it after the weight training.
Doesnt it say right in the workout to limit cardio?
Is there a beginner version of this full body workout using only barbells and dumbbells? If not would you consider making one, because the guys that only have barbells and dumbbells are most likely beginners like myself, an intermediate would probably have access to most of the machines out there and woudnt need this plan. Thanks
Hi Mohammed,
Give this one a go: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/3-day-full-body-dumbbell-workout
Is this program good to get lean bulking
Hi Nathan,
Sure, this can be used for people trying to add lean mass.
This is a great routine, however how are you meant to do a chest dip with just dumbbells or a barbell?
Supposed to hang a weight from a belt if I'm not mistaken. Honestly, I do wide arm push ups rather than dips. Just go till you fall on your face each set.
How do I warmup for this workout?
Hi Kit,
Start here: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/warming-up-for-dummies
Hope this helps!
Hey..is there any alternatives for decline and incline bench press...I dont have a bench..So??
I've completed this workout. Where do I go from here? How do I determine which program to follow up with and future programs?
Hi Mike,
Depends on your goals and how many days per week you'd like to workout. Our database is filled with workouts for any goal: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workout-routines
Hope this helps!
Looking to get more definition. Working out 5-6 days a week.
How long should I take a break between each set and exercise
Hi Russ,
30-90 Secs should do the trick.
Hope this helps!
Why isn't there a leg press exercise in the plan?and can i hit my biceps routine with either back or shoulder routine?
Hi Zeeee,
Because it is a plan that only used dumbbells and barbells.
Yes, feel free to alter this program however you see fit to help you meet your individual goals.
Hope this helps!
This is similar to the program.
Is there a program The dumbbell and barbell made with advanced level.
Hi Adam,
Hmm. Not one that follows this program, but we have a ton of workouts in our workout database that are advanced and include dumbbells and barbells:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workout-routines
But maybe an advanced version of this program is something we can consider developing in the future.
Hope this helps!
Hi Josh,
I've been following this workout for a month and i feel great. My muscles building up nicely and my body is starting to get into shape. I see results already.
I really hope you can give us a more advanced version of this program.
Thank you for this great workout.
I have just started this workout, I’m doing it at home, I have weights bench, barbell and a selection of dumbbells. The only exercise I can’t do is the wide grip pull up as I don’t have a bar, any suggestions for something I can do instead at home?
Hi Steve,
An additional row variation will be a fine substitution. That being said, pull up bars are fairly affordable these days and a great investment. Might not be a bad idea to invest in one for your home gym down the road.
Hope this helps!
Good Morning,
Week 1 complete.
Recommendations on mixing up the days off?
For example: Working out 2 days on, 1 day off, etc...
Thank you.
Bob
Hi Bob,
Set up your workout weeks in whatever way you feel you'll be able to consistently perform all of your workouts.
Hope this helps!
Hello very nice workout!
I'm planning on starting this next week but I'm wondering if it's good to start with? (I do have a little lifting experience in the past so my form is practiced)
I'm skinny and like to build up some muscles + muscle endurance.
My mind is constantly thinking if this is the right way to go cause I see on forums that a lot of people suggest full body workouts / 3 day 5x5 to start with etc.
Can you convince me why this is better? My reason would be because I like this sort of lifting a LOT more then compound lifting all the time. Will this still allow me to reach my goals at the same rate as compound full body workouts would?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Neo,
I would agree that starting with full body workouts are a good way to go. We actually have plenty of great full body beginner workouts on Muscle and Strength. Ive provided some below that you can check out!
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/3-day-full-body-dumbbell-workout
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/muscle-strength-full-body-wor...
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness...
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the respond, I actuall prefer to do thIs 5 day splijt workout Cause I like this way of training a lot more, but will it have the same good results as fullbody workouts?? :)
Is it okay if I do inclined pull-ups for the pull-ups instead?
Hi Pyro,
Sure, I dont see why not. However, I'd go with something that is a little more lat focused. You already get a lot of rows in from the rest of the back exercises and the incline pull up is more of a row variation that a pull up variation.
Hope this helps!
This says minimal cardio. I would like to try this but... I do cycling, road cycling. On weekends I road about 40 miles and on week days, 2 days a week I do about 30 minutes on rollers so I am feeling better on the saddle.
Would this be a problem?
I’m not fat but my goal is to look better, be lean, in shape. Gain some muscle mass, not too much but enough.
I know this will add weight and that is not the best for cycling. But I’m just amateur and do some races sometimes. Just want some advice on how both things can be done together. I’m taking some protein and creatin now.
How come this workout plan says "Equipment Required: Barbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells" and then you list excercises like Decline Sit Ups, Wide Grip Pull Up or Preacher Curl that require more than just a barbell, bodyweight, dumbells and the assumed regular bench that comes with barbell...
Hi Matt,
That is a fair question. Currently, the way we have things set up, equipment refers to the weight or load that will be used during the exercise. But I totally understand how that can be confusing. I'll see what we can do to remedy that moving forward.
Thank you for your feedback!
Josh - thank you for your swift response. Are there any particular excercises that possibly I could replace the above mentioned with? I have dumbells, barbell and flat/incline press bench. Im looking for wide grip pull up and any dips replacements specifically, preacher I will substitute for biceps curls and decline situp sort of would work on the bench I have after little modification. Hopefully to hear from you soon,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Sure! There are a number of solid substitutions you could make for those exercises. For the pull up (doorway pull up bars are fairly cheap as well and well worth the investment), I'd perform another row variation, different from the 2 listed. Maybe flip your grip or take a wider grip on the bar.
For Dips, I'd suggest a push up variation.
If you ever need to find a suitable exercises substitution based on equipment you do have, you can always check out exercise database. From there you can find exercises that target the same muscle group, that you are also capable of performing with the equipment you have available to use.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises
Hope this helps!
Will this program works on skinny guy trying to gain some muscle??
Hi Ricky,
Yes, so long as you're eating accordingly to your goals and getting plenty of sleep each night.
Hope this helps!
Great lookign routine think i'm gonna incorperate CT Fletcher Arm warfare into it as an arm day but follow the rest of your plan but saturday and sunday rest...my main question is on the reverse pyramid sets such as lateral raises...do you increse the weight each set to try and do less reps or do you pick a weight where these are the reps your capable of...so normally i would pick a weight that i failed at the las 2 reps of the last set...but if i pick a heavier weight so once i do 12 reps of the first set i am only able to do 10...then 8 etc
Hi Scoops,
As the reps decrease, you want to increase the weight you use.
Hope this helps!
Do u think its a good idea to swap friday legs with Monday shoulders? I read the best day for legs is monday.
Hi Arthur,
Sure you can do that. However, the best day to train legs isn't always Monday. The best day to train legs is the day of the week you feel you can give your legs the focused training they deserve (which can also be on a Friday).
Hope this helps!