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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
526 Comments+ Post Comment
This is a great routine, however how are you meant to do a chest dip with just dumbbells or a barbell?
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!
Thank you for this program, but Why biceps and triceps not on the same day?
Hi Rebe,
You're more than welcome to rearrange the split to have work your biceps and triceps on the same day if that is what you prefer.
Hope this helps!
I am not trying to build muslce i am looking to burn more fat will this routne help with that or should i use a diffrent routine to get better results for fat loss?
Hi Jimmy,
Building muscle does help you burn fat. This routine can help you in both areas. However, ultimately fat loss comes down to taking in less calories that you burn during the day.
If you'd like to look at more fat loss focused workouts, they can be found here: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/fat-loss
Hope this helps!
How many calories daily
And Rest time between sets.
I'm assuming less time for Biceps, triceps, etc... But larger muscles 2-3 minutes?
Thanks in advance
Hi Foster,
Going to try to answer all of your questions in one post:
1. You caloric intake will depend on your goals. A good starting point is finding out your BMR:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-calculator
2. Try to keep your rest periods to 60-90 seconds in this program.
3. Protein needs vary person to person. A good goal to shoot for is .8-1.2 g per pounds of bodyweight per day.
4. Perform the program for 6-8 weeks before taking a week to deload. During that week decide whether you want to continue performing this workout for another 6-8 weeks or move on to something new.
Hope this helps!
Most definitely going to start this today. Appreciate the insight.
Doing various workout routines, but I like to start this one.
Questions are.
1. How many calories daily
2. 1.2- 1.5 grams of protein a day ?
3. How long should I stick to the program
Thanks in advances
Hey thanks fot this post. Is it good to change the order of the exercise? For example; Bicep day- change the order of the exercises in bicep day so your body doesnt get used to the exercise and not hit a plateau faster.
Hi Ivan,
You're more than welcome to change the workout to better fit your needs, However it isn't necessary to do so to avoid plateaus. Personally, I don't like to change much about my training program (aside from the weight used) until I hit a plateau.
Hope this helps!
Will this build muscle in the arm fast
Hi Joe,
Fast is relative. Building muscle is a very slow process. Depending on your nutrition, training experience level, and sleep habits, you could expect to see a noticeable difference in 4-12 weeks of working out.
Thanks for the info it helped
cheers
I've just started this routine, should I go each workout 4 times in a row or should I do each workout once but 4 times if that makes sense ?
Hi Harry,
This program is meant to have the workouts performed on the days listed. So you will program each workout once during the week.
Hope this helps!
hi guys great workout!! one question, I really like starting my workout week with chest. can I flip flop shoulders and chest days?