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Workout Summary
Build Muscle
Split
Intermediate
8 weeks
5
30 minutes
Barbell, Cables, Dumbbells, EZ Bar, Machines
Male & Female
Workout Description
This is a 5 day muscle building split designed so that each workout can be completed in around 30 minutes max for those who are pushed for time or workout during lunch.
Daily Workout Schedule:
| Monday - Legs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Legs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Squat | 5 | 8-10 |
| 45 Degree Leg Press superset w/ Leg Extension | 3 | 12 |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| Leg Curl (Drop sets) | 3 | 10 |
| Tuesday - Chest and Calves | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press superset w/ Incline Dumbbell Flys | 4 | 10 |
| Pec Dec (Drop set on third set) | 3 | 10 |
| Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 8-10 |
| Wednesday - Shoulders | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Seated Barbell Press | 4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Drop set on last set) | 3 | 10 |
| Cable Reverse Fly | 3 | 10 |
| Thursday - Back | ||
|---|---|---|
| Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Lat Pull Downs | 4 | 10 |
| Machine Row (Low rows) | 4 | 10 |
| Reverse Grip Lat Pull Downs (Drop sets) | 3 | 10 |
| Barbell Shrug Superset w/ Bent Over Row | 4 | 10 |
| Friday - Arms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Triceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| EZ Bar Skullcrushers | 3 | 10 |
| Cable Tricep Extensions | 3 | 10 |
| Reverse Grip Cable Tricep Extensions (Drop sets) | 3 | 12 |
| Biceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| EZ Bar Preacher Curls | 4 | 10 |
| Standing Hammer Curl (Drop sets) | 3 | 10 |
Saturday and Sunday - Rest Day
82 Comments+ Post Comment
I need to know when is the best time to do abs
Hi Omar,
You're more than welcome to add in abdominal work to the tailend of these workouts or to your off days. I've provided a link to our complete ab workout database below. Feel free to browse it for ab workout ideas.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/abs
Hope this helps!
Can i do chest workout on monday and legs on tuesday because i want to concrntrate on my chest
Hi,
Just came across the site and am very impressed with the format. Looks like I was doing it wrong for a long time. Will give my brief history and request you to guide me.
I am 5'7" tall and weigh around 71 Kg.
I have been doing some general weight training for almost 2 years now but it has been very un-organised. I general work out for 30-40 minutes for 5 times a week
I do Biceps, back, Abs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
I do Triceps, Shoulder Abs every Tuesday and Thursday
Plus I run on a treadmill for 1.5 to 2 kilometers on all five days.
As you would have noticed, I do not do legs at all - except for the running.
Saturday and Sunday are off. There are times when there is unscheduled outstation visit once every 3-4 months and my miss the Gym routine for 10-15 days.
Firstly, my objective is to stay fit and not gain weight
Secondly and importantly I want to look good with Muscles, a defined chest and with good arms.
As I read in your answers here, you say it is not possible to loose weight and gain muscle at the same time. Very honestly I have always this fear that some day I will stop the gym and then the weight will not be manageable. So I do not want to increase my weight at any cost (not more that 72-73 kgs - so there is room for another 2-3 kgs may be). Another point. I am a borderline case of diabetes hence another reason why I don't want to increase my weight. (i am genetically prone to diabetes but have been able to fend it off till now)
How do I get this lean look with good arms. Should I stop running to avoid loss of mass ? What routine do I take. I am CONFUSED. Please guide
Regards
Anand
India
Hi Shaun, my question is what percent of my one rep max should I start with for the exercises? I've been lifting seriously for 6 years I'm in my early 40's, my work schedule changed so this is going to work perfect for me. Also how much cardio do you recommend per week? Thanks
Hi,
How long can you stick to this same workout before your body adapts and thus losing muscle gain? Should I try adding different things to work out? Also should you always try to add more weight on each session or just do more reps?
Hi Shaun,
Thanks for taking the time to propose this 30 minute workout, I've been struggling to find something to fit in my lunch break.
My goal so far is try and bulk up to make my build more apparent. Would I be better doing higher weight, less reptition than your workout suggested or stick to what you've planned out?
Also, to compensate for the tight schedule, would you recommend doing any additional work outs before/after work, or maybe do some cardio?
Thanks!
i want to loose weight fast about 10-15 kg in 3 months. I was told to increase mucle mass which will burn fat and then later I can tone the muscles down via endurance type work out e.g. small weights many reps. Is this a correct way?
Would you say this workout is good for a hard gainer? I'm 5`6 and I weight 143
Tomorrow I start on Wednesday-Shoulders. I looked up the beginning shoulder workout and am going to run with that. My question is should I be doing any cardio other than 10 min warm ups? And what about abs? When should I work them in? I am 45 yrs old 5'7" 170lbs. Medium to small build with a gut. My goal is to increase muscle mass and lose the gut. I like going to the gym and working out but time is very tight. I try and eat clean. Should I be ramping up the calories to 4,000 or as much as I can? Thanks for your help!
Hey Shawn, This routine looks great! I have been frustrated trying to find a program that will fit my timeframe. Is it ok to mix the exercises for that day as long as I am working that body part? I start tomorrow with Wednesday and will keep you posted. Thanks!
This workout is Amazing! I am just starting again lifting weight after 7 years off. How long do you recommend cardio before starting? I usually do 20 minutes and then jump right into weight training. I haven't built endurance to complete whole workout yet. Is this a problem?
Hi I was just wondering how would you incorporate this routine into 4 days in a row. I can only get to the gym Monday- Thursday due to my 18 hour a day work schedule. Please set up a routine for me thanks
For the exercises that state "drop set" does that mean do the number of sets listed without stopping, dropping weight each set or to do e.g. 3 sets of drop sets (leg curls as an example).
Hi, not sure that you have wrote the question very well but here is a drop set;
REST
LEG CURLS
SET 1 - 50kg x 10 reps
NO REST
SET 2 - 40kg x 10 reps
NO REST
SET 3 - 30kg x 10 reps
REST
NEXT EXERCISE
How long to rest between sets? And how long to rest between exercises?
2 minutes between sets, 1 minute between exercises
1 minute and 2 minutes!
I cant do leg press with the equipment i have. what would be a good alternative?
Front squats
Hello I hear what your saying about you can't gain muscle while cutting fat. With that being said are you saying if I do some sort of cardio after every days workout I won't lose any fat? Reason I'm asking is I love this workout routine but I have plenty of time to throw in some cardio didn't know if It would hurt or help me. I'm 5'9 218pounds and carrying around a lot of fat in belly area but upper body is solid. Any advise would be great also I'm not really trying to get cut up per say just lose some body fat while still doing this routine. thanks again bro.
Hi,
To bulk up and gain muscle you need to be eating more calories than you burn during the day.
To lose fat you need to be in taking less calories than you burn off during the day.
Having said that, if you are new to training, ie within the first year then you can often see great results by combining a good diet with some cardio and a solid routine, these are known as beginner gains. If you are a more experienced trainer then you will probably achieving your goals faster if you work in bulk and cut cycles.
Performing cardio after your work outs can be done when you are trying to gain muscle but remember you need to accommodate for the extra calories burned in your diet - ie eat more.
If you want to trim a bit of fat first then my advice would be to keep hitting the weights hard and perform cardio when you can after your work out. Sort out a decent diet and aim for 500 calories under your BMR each day.
Hi Shaun,
Thanks for this workout. Do you have any replacement for the EZ bar Preacher curls? I cannot do that with the equipment I have.
Standing Barbell curls would be a solid replacement.
Hi, I am 44 years old and i am working out 4-6 days a week for 3 years now. can i use this training. also when i can do my cardio and for how long and how many days per week.
Thaks
Hi,
It depends what you goals are... the bet time to do your cardio if you're looking to loose some fat is after your weights work out of first thing in the morning. But cardio at other times is still effective and your diet will also play a big part in achieving your results.
Thanks, my goal is to gain mussels and shape. With 44 years old is it useful to use this program to achieve my goal ?
Hi Shaun. Thanks for posting this work out, I'm seeing results and am working muscle groups I had previously neglected.
One quick question, I have recently moved gyms and sadly my new one does not have a Pec Dec. I've always been a big fan of this machine and feel there is now a big gap left in my chest day.
What exercise would you recommend I add in on chest day to replace the pec dec? I cant think of any other exercise that replicated the pec dec motion.
Thanks a lot
Hi
Cable Cross Overs would be the best replacement!
thanks a lot Shaun. I'm guessing the mid-chest one is best?
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/cable-crossovers-%28mid-ches...
Those would be fine, personally I do the bent over variation.
I've been having good progress with this workout and it's been a lot of help. So, thank you.
I do have a question, I know you said that the order is important, But I've been having some problems, especially on Legs (Mon). By the time I am done with the squats, press & extension, my legs are s weak and shaky I cannot keep them still enough to perform a solid stiff-leg deadlift. Would it be better for me to switch the deadlift and make it first/second or would it be better to try something else?
Hi, perhaps try SLDL after squats and see how you go, if you still have problems it might be worth thinking about splitting legs onto 2 days and training hamstrings separately.
great work out! ..to be most effective, how much rest time between sets? say 30 secs to 1 min doing some ballistics stretching?
-cheers, Mike
Hi, I would use rest times of around 1 minute.
Hey I've been doing this workout for a while I was wondering how long are you suppose to do this routine?
Hi
I would take a rest week after about 12 weeks, you can continue using the routine until you stop seeing gains.
My right arm seems stronger. Anything wrong? I am right handed and i have muscle soreness also.
This is normal for people new to training, you need to try and even it out though. To do this use dumbbells, always start with your weaker arm and never do extra reps on the stronger arm.
Muscle soreness is normal.
Great workout. I keep switching workouts but i think i am gonna stick with this. One question though. My right arm seems to be stronger and lift weights better. Is something wrong?
Hey I was wondering what should I do if Im getting all the reps when I work out?
Hi
If you hit the reps with good form then it's time to use heavier weight.
Shaun - great workout. I'm packing on some nice lean muscle mass.
Couple of quick questions:
1. If for any reason I miss a day out, is it better to skip that muscle group for the week and rigidly stick to the plan, or should I just do it the next day, ie say I miss the gym on monday, should I then do legs tuesday, or skip legs for the week and do chest on tuesday as per the plan?
2. How important is the order of each specific exercise each day, ie for back is it much better to do lat pull downs followed by machine row etc or does it not really matter at all.
Cheers
Hi
Glad you are seeing results,
If you miss one day I would try and get it in there before the end of the week, so push everything back a day or work on the planned off day.
It is important and I have designed the routine with this in mind, having said that the example you use is an example of where it's not so important, on back day you could train upper back first followed by your lat exercises if you wanted to.
Whats a good diet? Im 16 and needing to get a six pack and get alot of tone. What diet do you suggest?
Hi
You can take a look in the nutrition section for diet advice and sample diets and I have posted my diet up a few times in my work out log over on the forum.
I used to work out all the time I'm 30 years old now and I lost what I had how can I start getting healthy again and put mucle back on my body along with weight
Ofcourse you can! Get your diet sorted and pick a good routine and you will be on your way..
In the incline dumbbell press/incline dumbbell flys superset (as well as the barbell shrug/bent over row), is it 4 of each or 4 in total? I tried it today with 3 of each and that was pretty intense. Especially for my shoulders. And wouldn't it be better with back on wednesdays and shoulders on thursdays in stead of the other way around? I'm just thinking of fatigued arms after the back workout and then having arms the next day?
A drop set is completing multiple sets of the same exercise without rest between the sets, you will drop the weight for each set. A superset is completing 2 different exercises with no rest in between.
EG DROP SET
DB BENCH PRESS
2x20kg 10 reps then 2x15kg 10 reps then 2x10kg 10 reps <- no rest in between the sets, you would generally not repeat this, it would count as 3 sets.
EG SUPERSET
DB BENCH PRESS 2x10kg 8 reps then DB FLYES 2x6kg 10 reps <- no rest in between these sets... this is one set, then you rest, then repeat.
It is 4 of each, I presume that you have been training seriously for at least a couple of months? If it causes discomfort then stop doing the exercise.... if it's just your muscles aching then man up.
It is better to work arms after back day not before. This is a routine designed for those with limited time, if you have more than half an hour to spare then I would not be working arms on a separate day.