If you’re reading this, then it appears you’ve made it all the way to the end of my guide to creating The Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine. Nice!
At this point, I have just 5 things left to say.
1. Congrats!
First of all… congratulations are in order.
You’ve now learned more about weight training, program design, and how to get the results you want than the majority of the population will ever learn in their lifetime. So… congrats on that!
2. Put It To Use!
I hope you liked the guide and actually use what you’ve learned.
Because honestly, reading and learning and understanding are great and all, but the only way it’s truly going to work is if you actually put it into action. So… do that.
3. But Wait, There’s MORE!
Believe it or not, I still have a ton of information to share with you.
While this guide was pretty damn comprehensive, there’s actually plenty of stuff that I purposely left out, skipped over, or didn’t think fit right within this guide.
Stuff about weight training, cardio, diet and nutrition, supplements, building muscle, losing fat, increasing strength and performance, improving health, and much more.
And I’ll be sharing all of it right here on a regular basis. To make sure you never miss any of it, you can subscribe for free, and also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
4. More Workouts To Choose From!
Even though I just covered how to create your own workout routine, I’ve realized that many people want something more.
More what? More proven workouts to choose from that I designed myself and have been using with my coaching clients for years with amazing results.
They are now all included as part of my Superior Muscle Growth program.
Feel free to check it out.
5. Give Me Your Feedback!
And last but not least, I want to hear your feedback. In fact, I want 3 different kinds of feedback.
- First, I want to know what you thought of the guide.
I want to know what you liked best, what section was most useful, what you wish I covered in more detail or explained better, what you felt was missing (if anything), and basically just your thoughts and opinions on the guide itself. - Second, I want to answer your questions.
If you had any questions about any aspect of weight training, creating your routine, reaching your specific goal (building muscle, increasing strength, losing fat, etc.), the sample workouts or anything else while reading any part of this guide, email me here and ask. I will answer. Also be sure to check out the nearly 3000 comments below this post. Most questions have already been asked/answered at this point. - Third, I want to hear how well it’s working for you.
Once you start using the information contained in this guide, guess what’s going to happen? You’re going to start getting the results you want. Sounds good, huh? Trust me… it is. And when that starts happening for you, I want to hear all about it. So, email me and let me know.
The End
Well, that’s about it.
I hope you liked the guide (and if you did, be sure to tell your friends about it) and I hope you actually use what you’ve learned from it.
I also hope you subscribe for free, because I plan on writing similarly awesome and useful guides in the future.
And again, if you have any questions, comments, feedback, or just want to tell me how well it’s working for you, email me here.
Enjoy your results.
(This article is part of a completely free guide to creating the best workout routine possible for your exact goal. It starts here: The Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine)
Just wanted to say that I’ve been following this guide from the very beginning and it’s been the most accurate and easy to understand compilation of weight training advice that I’ve ever come across.
Fantastic job! I will definitely be bookmarking this for future reference. Thanks!
@Alex: Very good to hear, glad you liked it.
I’m making this required reading for all of my clients. Great work dude!
@Nathan: Awesome! Whatever I can do to make your job easier. 😉
by far the best material i’ve ever come come across for working out. great stuff. to the point, complete, realistic, and with no hidden catches. i’ve changed by routine immediately this week to the upper/lower, 4 days per week split. i’m in a cutting phase for another 4-6 weeks so progress will likely be limited but hoping once i come off cutting, i’ll be ready for some long overdue progress. am interested to see how this site progresses.
two questions.
1. you suggest doing deadlifts with double overhand grip. is this to avoid different development between your right and left back / traps? i find it hard to lift heavier weights unless i use alternate grip so prefer to stick with that unless good reason not to.
2. what do you suggest for warm up sets? do you keep warm up limited to bench, squats, deads, rows, shoulder press and pull-ups?
@Steve: Now that’s EXACTLY the kind of feedback I was hoping to get. I’d definitely love to hear how your progress goes.
About deadlifts, yup, imbalance prevention is exactly why I recommend the double overhead grip. If you prefer a mixed grip (many people do), the best suggestion I’ve ever heard is to alternate between which hand is over/under. You can switch every other set, or every other workout itself, or every X weeks, or whenever.
Of course, this can also be pretty awkward for many people, so it might not be ideal for you either. However, if grip is the main reason you prefer mixed instead of double overhand, then I honestly think straps + double overhand might be the best solution of all.
And regarding warm up sets, that would take a full article to explain properly (it’s already on my to do list). The short answer though is that I like to use a few progressively heavier lower rep sets (maybe one VERY light set of 10-12 possibly followed by a set of 8, 5, 3, 1, depending on how much weight was being used).
I’d usually only recommend a full warm up sequence like this for compound exercises like you mentioned. But, I might also recommend it for just the first compound exercise for each muscle group. So for example, if you bench press first and warm up for that, I see no need to do a full warm up for any other chest or triceps exercises in that workout, and possibly just an abbreviated warm up for certain shoulder stuff.
I’ll definitely write a warm up article soon… it will explain this better.
I loved it! Thanks for writing something like this and actually putting it out there for free instead of as a $97 ebook like everyone else does.
@Jen: Ha, you’re quite welcome.
Thank you so much for this guide! You have given me a lot of hope and motivation with how simple you’ve laid out work out routines and diet. I’ve been working out consistently for about a month now, and have learned, after reading your material, that I’m doing some things wrong, mostly over doing it for being a beginner. My goal is muscle gain, and even though I’ve gained about 6 pounds since I started lifting (mostly muscle?) I’ll definitely follow your beginner work-out routine. I have two questions:
1. What kind of warm-ups should I be doing as a beginner doing your beginner work-out routine?
2. I know you classify a beginner as someone who’s been consistently working-out for less than 6 months. Does this mean I should follow your beginner routine for 6 months before switching to an intermediate routine?
Thanks again! Bookmarked*
@Josh: Awesome to hear. And yeah, overdoing it in general is extremely common, but it’s extra common with beginners because volume tolerance and work capacity is at its lowest at that stage. Glad I could help you realize it.
Regarding warm-ups, check out my previous comment for a quick broad answer. For a better more specific answer I’ll need to write a full article about it. I just bumped it up higher on my article to-do list.
As for when to switch from a beginner program to an intermediate program, I definitely do NOT recommend using a time frame as your reason to switch. Some people can progress consistently on a beginner program for a whole year (maybe more) without a problem, in which case switching to an intermediate program after just 6 months would have been a bad decision.
I’d recommend basically just riding out a beginner program until consistent progression comes to a halt. If that’s after 6 months or 12 months or 9 months or whatever… you’ll have to see for yourself.
Good job on the guide. this is by far the most comprehensive guide that i have read. Its nice that someone out there is not all about the money. there are trainers out there that get paid and give less accurate information
i have some questions, i had worked out consistently for a year previously. i stopped for about a year then i just picked it up again around 10 weeks ago. my question is do i have to start switch to a full body workout program or can i just cut in to an intermediate upper/lower body split? i had been using your upper and lower split the past 2 weeks and i liked the program a lot. id like to stay on this program but i read your recommendation about a full body split for beginners. what do you think?
@Al: Glad you liked it.
Regarding your question, you’d probably be best served to switch to a beginner program, at least for a little while, and then move over to the upper/lower split.
If you really REALLY wanted to, you could probably stick with the upper/lower split now (although you may need to lower volume somewhat or use the slightly less frequent 3 day version) and do just fine.
But, you’re really still a beginner, so a beginner program would be most ideal.
i will promptly switch to a beginner program. thanks for the input.
First of all, I want to thank you for putting your time and effort into this site. It is, hands down, the best overall fitness site that I’ve seen and that is no exaggeration. You’ve managed to cut through the bullshit and present the hows and whys with just the right amount of detail vs. clarity. With all of the charlatans and “fitness gurus” out the muddying the waters, that is no small feat. So, once again, thank you.
I have two questions that might seem a bit basic but I still feel I need some clarity on:
1) In terms of goals, aren’t building muscle and gaining strength the same thing? If not, what is the major difference?
2) Can you define “cutting phase”? I hear this term a lot and I think I know what it’s all about. But I’m not sure. What are the main principals involved?
At any rate, thank you again for all of your time and effort. It’s really appreciated and I’m definitely spreading the word of this site around to others who can use the information.
@Tom: You are quite welcome. I know exactly the fitness gurus and bullshit you speak of. It’s definitely my goal to be the opposite of that. Thanks for spreading it around!
About gaining muscle VS gaining strength, they are definitely VERY closely related in that the #1 training requirement for gaining muscle actually IS gaining strength. However, the reverse isn’t true. Strength gains can be neural rather than muscular, which would allow a person to get stronger without getting bigger. Granted, most of the strongest people are usually also the biggest people, but it’s not always the case.
As for the primary difference between the two goals, it mostly comes down to intensity and exercise selection. People looking solely for strength would train primarily to get stronger in the lower rep ranges (often between 1-5), while people training solely for muscle would train primarily to get stronger in the moderate rep ranges (often between 5-12).
And for exercise selection, people training for strength only would have little use for isolation exercises while someone training primarily for muscle would.
They definitely overlap in a lot of areas and they are definitely VERY closely related, but there are differences between them and what works best for making them happen.
And regarding a “cutting phase,” it’s what would come after a “bulking phase.” Basically, your goal during an INTELLIGENT bulking phase is to gain muscle while keeping fat gains to a minimum, and your goal during an INTELLIGENT cutting phase is to lose any extra fat gained during that bulking phase while maintaining all of the muscle you built.
People than alternate between those phases until they’ve gained as much muscle as they wanted to and lost as much fat as they wanted to.
I plan on doing plenty of writing about bulking/cutting in the future.
Many thanks for an awesome job. I got a lot of help from the acaloriecounter articles when I was starting out a year and a half back, decided to check in there to see if there was anything new and found this.
One area I’ve been having trouble finding straight ahead advice about is training for mid-life folks. I’m 54, and was basically dead sedentary for a good 25 years before I decided to get off my ass, and when I did, I was fat and weak. Now I’m less fat and less weak ;-), but everything I read, including your stuff to a certain extent, seems to be assuming at least an under-40 trainee if not one in their 20s. I know from my experience so far that while gains can come, they’re gonna come slower than in someone brimming with testosterone and growth hormones. Some intelligently presented and scientifically backed comments on what differences one might expect and what adjustments one might to have to make with age would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again, I’ll be recommending your site to one and all.
@Ken: Awesome to hear!
About age, the main difference between a 20 year old and a 50 year old is that the 50 year old will not be able to build muscle nearly as fast (like you said, due to lower testosterone levels) and they won’t be able to recover from training as quickly or from as much.
So, assuming the trainee understands that they aren’t going to get the results at the same speed they got 20-30 years ago (which you do), the main adjustments that need to be made will revolve around doing less total volume and/or less frequency, while also taking care of your joints which can no longer take the same type of constant pounding they could years ago.
So for example, 3 weight training days per week instead of 4 or 5 (the 3 day upper/lower split instead of the 4 day version is a no brainer). A frequency of training each muscle group every 5th day instead of every 3rd day. Maybe doing less work in the lower rep ranges (or doing it less often). That kind of stuff.
And diet wise, since muscle can’t be built at the same rate as someone younger, the caloric surplus needed should probably be a bit lower as well. So, if a 20 year old can do well creating a 500 calorie surplus each day, a 50 year old should probably go with about half that.
With fat loss however, the differences aren’t nearly as significant. I’d still recommend close to same size caloric deficit and rate of weight loss.
This is definitely a topic I’ll be adding to my to-do list.
Wow. I laughed at how amazing this guide was. I loved the whole “So you get this concept, let’s move on to the next concept.” I learned so much, and I’m a major workout-research junkie. That’s saying something. Major props to the efficient, well-written, and applicable guide; I would love to read more of your guides. I look forward to applying the information that you’ve given.
Thanks, glad you liked it.
Questions:
1. I’ve heard a lot of good things about splits involving opposite muscle groups i.e. chest and back one day, biceps and triceps one day, and legs and abs another day. Now I know you recommend working out each muscle group twice a week, so that split would require six days/week according to your advice. What do you think about that? Should i just stick to your upper/lower split?
2. I’m sure you know a good amount about muscle gain and fat loss, but is there a way to combine the two? I’ve heard about incorporating high-intensity training or low-intensity training (cardio) for the fat loss. What do you think about doing that on off days or workout days? I’ve heard that cardio largely impedes muscle growth due to diminishing caloric intake. Is there a way to get that cardio and fat loss in while gaining muscle from the workouts?
I’ve been using Acaloriecounter for a while and have just moved on to this part of the site as I want to start weight training. It’s very clear and easy to understand, except that I have no idea what the actual exercises are so I look forward to your descriptive pages with diagrams! Now I understand why and how to design a routine.
My question is, this seems to be targeted at men – I don’t think I could even do ONE pull-up if that means holding a bar above your head and lifting your body up. Women are built differently. Can you advise how a woman should adapt the routines you give? thanks
If you can’t do pull-ups, lat pull downs or some sort of assisted pull-up would be the next best replacement.
I have been doing weight training and aerobics( tread mill) for the past 4 years. I have gotten back into the best shape I have been since I was young. My problem is, I can’t seem to get my stomach muscles in better shape. I know aging takes it’s toll and having had four children didn’t help the muscles there either, but there has to be an answer.I am 67 yrs old and I realize maybe there is no answer, and I must accept the way it is. I do four sets of sit ups 3 times a week along with all of my other exercises. I have a small weight machine that I workout on also. Do you have any suggestions ? By the way, i think your website is probably the best I have ever read on this subject. You are doing so much for so many. Thank you, Maggie
I found this site last spring and when I read it a light bulb came on in my head!! It all made so much sense. So thank you for that! I am going to go buy the necessary equipment to start weight-training so I don’t have any feedback to give right now but I’m sure I will in the future. Thanks for giving such to the point information.
have been using your suggested routine for intermediate and advanced trainees on a 4 day per week split for 4-5 months now, and progress is great. thanks very much for your help.
question on volume and which weight to use:
with some exercises towards the end of a routine (e.g. bicep curls, triceps extensions or even incline dumbell press – basically any exercise where i have already hit the muscles hard earlier in the workout and espcailly so when there is only 1 min rest between sets), i find i can do the first set within the recommended range (e.g. i can do 11-12 bicep curls for first set) but the second set i will be significantly below range (e.g. 6-7 bicep curls).
now i want to get the weekly volume right. do i:
(a) drop the weight so i can come close to hitting at least lower end of range on all sets – this is likely to mean i will go well above range on first set tho (e.g. 14 or 15 bicep curls)
(b) use a lighter weight for the later sets i struggle with, or
(c) no change – just keep going as is?
@Steve: That’s actually another VERY common issue that I’ve always experienced myself. Some people can maintain reps just fine even at the end of a workout, and others drop off from set to set way too much. That’s a big reason why I always recommend a rep range, so if you get 12 on the first set and then drop to 10 on the second, you’re still good.
But sometimes (most often on the later exercises) people fall below that… just like you’re experiencing. If it was just a matter of getting something like 8-9 reps on that second set, I’d say just try to gradually add a rep here and there over the next few workouts until that set gets within the 10-12 range, and then increase the weight and repeat this all over again like any other exercise.
But, if you’re dropping off even below that and/or you can already tell that you’re going to have a really hard (or impossible) time ever getting that second set up into your ideal range, then I definitely recommend option B.
So, if you’re doing curls with 100lbs on your first set (for example), and you get 10-12 reps, decrease the weight by 5% (or possibly even 10%… so 90-95lbs in this example) on the second set and try for another 10-12 reps.
When it comes time to increase the weight, you may do best increasing the weight of each set individually of the other. For example, set #1 might go up to 105lbs for 10 reps, but set #2 should probably remain at 95lbs. When that first set gets to the top of the rep range, THEN it might be the right time to try 100lbs on set #2.
Hopefully some of that made sense. 😉
perfect sense. thanks.
I was thinking of adopting the muscle building workout routine you outlined in the intermediate/advanced workout section, but I have no access to machines. I workout at home with weights. Is there any barbell/dumbbell lifts that I can replace the machine lifts you recommended with?
Definitely. Every single machine exercise mentioned can easily be replaced with a free weight (or body weight) exercise without any problem.
Let me know which exercises you’d like to replace and I’ll give you some suggestions.
In Upper Body A: Lat Pull-downs and Triceps Press-downs
Lower Body A: Leg Press and Seated leg curls
Upper Body B: Seated Cable Row
Lower Body B: Laying Leg Curls
Are the rows meant to be bent over rows, or upright? Or is it just based on preference?
Lat pull-downs can be replaced with chin ups.
Triceps press-downs with any triceps isolation exercise you want.
Leg press with front squats, split squats or lunges.
Seated cables rows with any sort of bent over dumbbell/barbell row.
Both leg curls are pretty tough to replace with free weights, as the only real non-machine hamstring dominant exercises are deadlifts and deadlift variations. Good mornings MIGHT be okay, but most people never do these with anything close to proper form, so I rarely recommend them. Barbell hip thrusts could also be a good one to try, probably better than good mornings. And, depending on what type of equipment you have, you might be able to rig up some sort of body weight leg curl or glute-ham raise type movement which would be the perfect replacement.
And when I saw rows, I mean horizontal back rows (like bent over rows), not upright rows.
What’s your thoughts on periodic rest weeks / easier weeks? Is there any muscle building benefit to them (e.g. allowing complete recovery) or are they just good for mentally freshening up? If you think they’re worthwhile, how often would you recommend them? Is every 12 weeks or so reasonable and not likely to interfere too much with progress? And should a rest week be completely staying away from gym or going through your routine albeit not at full tilt (e.g. only do 1-2 sets instead of 3)?
I am just about to have a week off, partly because I am having a visitor and I’m going to be busy catching up, and partly because I need a break. Just want to know if I should try squeeze something in. I guess it won’t matter that much in the long run, but still interested in your thoughts as always.
I definitely recommend doing some form of planned deload/easy week for both the physical and mental break it provides. A reduction in volume (like 2 sets instead of the usual 4, etc.) or intensity (lifting 80% of you normal working weight, etc.) can both work just fine.
The following week or 2 would then be spent building back up to the volume or intensity you were previously at, at which point you’d go back to trying to progress again.
Deloads like this are usually recommended anywhere from every 4-15 weeks on average. I think the exact frequency and the exact method depend on the person and their goals, the specifics of their routine, their experience level (beginners need it less than advanced trainees), and so on. This would take a full article to cover, and it’s already on my to-do list.
On the other hand, taking a full week off is a separate thing that I also think is a good idea from time to time, although MUCH less frequently.
Fantastic training site, comprehensive and to the point. I recently finished stronglifts 5×5 followed by an HST program which I have grown tired of. Today I started a 3 day lower/upper split. I know you say don’t screw with the excersises, which I did not, however I would like to add pullups and chinups, and could straight back deadlifts be substituted for romanian deads without taking anything away from the routine. Just tell me me straight up what ya think. Thaanks for any feedback you might have.
When you say straight back deadlifts, do you mean stiff legged deadlifts? If so, they are nearly identical to Romanians to the point where most people are actually doing RDLs when they think they’re doing SLDLs. So yeah, definitely a suitable replacement.
And as for pull ups and chin ups, pull ups are already included in the upper body B workout, and chins could easily replace lat pull-downs in upper body A without any problems.
Thnx for the quick response, and yes I did mean stiff legged deadlifts, I will definatley be replacing lat pull downs with chins.
I’ve been using the guide for a few weeks now. It’s just what I was looking for. I’m not sure, though, why I can’t do Upper Body A with Lower Body B and vice versa. My good spotters are only on a certain day and the bench press and shoulder press really do require a spot, at least for me. —Thanks again for a great site. It’s on my Favorites.
I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking. Do you want to do Upper A, Lower B, Upper B, Lower A in that order (instead of A,A,B,B like it’s written) or do you want to combine upper A and lower B into one workout? Or are you asking something else altogether?
I want to do Upper A, then Lower B, Upper B, then Lower A instead of A,A,B,B like it’s written. Also, I’m making significant strides, especially upper body. I’m a female and lower body is always a struggle for me anyway. My diet still needs tweeking but I think I have the answer for that too, so I’m on my way. My blouses are a bit tighter and my bra straps in back are stretched out cuz my upper back is growing. You are so awesome. I love this workout. It feels like it was designed just for me. I visit this site OFTEN. –Thanks again.
Yup, that should be no problem at all.
And awesome to hear how well it’s working for you. Keep those progress reports coming!
What a fantastic guide you have compiled and shared with us. Thank you!
I have been training now for 8 weeks straight (I am 42yo and haven’t trained since I was 25).
More important for me, I am going to make significant changes to my routine thanks to you.
What a great site.
Awesome to hear. Let us know how your progress improves after those changes are made.
hey man i really love how this is all set up look really good and effective. my question is you know how u say like 3 sets of 6-8 reps for benchpress, like how much should i be lifting? should i find my 8 rep max considering its 6-8 reps or what like do i do it till failure wicch is till the 8th rep>?
Also im new to body building ive been doing allpros begginer full body routine for 2 months imma do it one more month and move on to this wud it be a good idea? and if i move on to this program now is it a bad idea?
Start off using a weight that allows you to get 8 solid reps on the first set (where the next rep would probably be failure), and then keep the next two sets in the 6-8 range with that same weight. Go here https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-muscle-building-workout-routine/ and read the section about The Method Of Progression… it explains this more.
Here are my thoughts on going to failure: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/failure/
I don’t know what allpros beginner routine is, but if it’s an intelligently designed full body beginner program, I’d suggest sticking with it for as long as it keeps working. When it stops, that’s when you should switch to an intermediate program like mine.
Hey man, that’s a fantastic guide, I really love it. I was always wondering how much volume per bodypart was needed for the week and I realized I was overtraining my biceps,triceps and I wasn’t training enought my quads,hamstrings and chest. I’m planning to make my own training program but I have few questions;
1.As you said, each smaller muscle are 30 to 60reps, if I do 4x 6-8reps for flat bench press and 4x 6-8reps for incline bench press(thats 48-64reps for shoulders and triceps) can I do 4x 6-8reps of overhead press 2days later? or I might need to reduce my sets to 3 instead of 4 during my chest day to prevent overtraining and injuries?
2.How much time should I wait after my pre-workout meal if its in liquid form?(whey protein+complex carbohydrate in liquid) and is it ok to take a complex carbohydrate after the workout instead of dextrose? I heard to much dextrose could do damage in the long run due to the high insulin spike and could develop diabete type 2, also insulin is already sensitive after a workout and dont need much carbs so I was wondering if thats true
3.You said we can eat any times in the days but after how many hours our body begin to be in starvation mode? because if we wait too many hours our body gonna store food as fat once we eat
4.Can we always do workout with low reps(6-8) or its better to switch to high reps(10-12) sometime to work slow twitch muscle fiber?
1. Probably a bad idea, but it’s impossible to answer for sure without knowing every aspect of your overall workout routine. I also don’t like the idea of doing 4×6-8 for 2 exercises of the same muscle group in one workout.
2. Those answers are here: http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/pre-and-post-workout-meal/
3. None of what you just said is actually true. I know a lot of people using intermittent fasting and going a full 16 hours without eating and doing just fine in terms of maintaining/building muscle and losing fat. Take as long between meals as you want.
4. Depends on goals (people looking for strength should do mostly lower rep work, people looking to build muscle should do a mix of lower/higher rep work). But regardless of goals, non-stop low rep work is just asking for trouble with joints and injuries and destroying your CNS. That’s why the Muscle Building Workout Routine mixes some low rep work with some high rep work.
hey man just wondering for Triceps Press-Downs are we using the barbell or cable rows?
You’re using a cable. Something like this: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/CBPushdown.html
also for bench can i make the reps 7-9? rather than 6-8
I guess you technically could, but then the rep range overlaps with the second chest exercise (8-10 reps) and the initial purpose is to have one exercise done in a lower rep range followed up with a second exercise done in a higher rep range.
(I sent you this in an email, before I noticed this comments section.)
I’m 67 and have been working out “intelligently” for at least 5 years.
I find I’m unable to do any more progressive overload in some of my exercises. There’s no time left to add reps or sets. Shortening rest time just exhausts me. And adding weight just doesn’t seem to work. For instance, I can never move from 15 reps at 35 lbs. in the dumbbell curl to 8 reps at 40 lbs. At 40 I can sometimes manage 6 reps in the first set.
I feel that one cannot continue to progressively overload forever, particularly as the get into their 60s and older.
If I’m happy with my physical development (which I am), is it an option to stop trying to add weight?
Yup, I saw your email, and the answer to your question is really simple thanks to the last thing you said. If you are happy with your body and don’t wish to improve any further… then you don’t have to.
Which means, progression is no longer needed at this point. I assume your goal is to just maintain your current condition, and that doesn’t require progress… it requires maintenance.
So basically, your goal is to just maintain everything you’re doing right now. Keep lifting the weights you’re currently lifting. Keep doing the same sets/reps. Keep the main components of your diet (total daily calorie, protein, fat and carb intake) about the same as well.
Make whatever changes you need to make to keep things fun and interesting (if you actually need to), but the big picture here is to just maintain what you’re doing rather than progress at it. Your body should be maintained pretty well as a result.
hello, i read your guide and i’m gonna follow everything you said. i’ve been working out for a month now and i’ve been following a different rotuine. it’s more of like one-group muscle exercise, but in each work out, i have one core and three supplement exercises. so im wondering if i follow your 3-day full body split guide (which i believe is more effective), can i add one exercise per core(or whatever you call it, like rows, squats, deadlifts). like for rows, i want to do seated-cable row and dumbbell rows. and for deadlifts, i wanna do both conventional and romanian. is that possible or will i compromise my work out? i hope you can help me. btw, im 22 yrs old, female, and i weigh 90 lbs. i’d love to gain weight but i also wanna lose some abdominal fat, though it’s really not that bad, i just wanna lose some belly fat. thanks!
Adding an additional exercise to the beginner program as it’s currently set up is not something I’d recommend. Beginner’s do best with higher frequency, and that requires less volume and less exercises to make work (along with less exercise variety to allow for the most consistent progression).
So, doing 2 rows instead of 1, and certainly doing 2 deadlifts instead of 1 would screw things up big time.
And as for building muscle/losing fat at the same time, that’s a topic I’ll definitely be writing about in the future.
I just ran across your website today and I am more than happy to say I did. Not only have you provided more information in your guide than most others you did in a simple and easily understandable format for those either experienced or not so much and for FREE! I just wanted to say thank you and that I will most definitely be applying what I know now to my routine and future routines, oh yeah and I made sure I subscribed! I am looking forward to posting feedback/questions regarding the new applications to my workout and results, thanks again.
You are quite welcome. Glad to hear you liked it, and definitely comment again in the future and let us know how well your progress is going.
hey ive been doing full body for about 3 months now and i feel my results have slowed down. do u think i am now ready for this program. i really feel like i am and that now this will provide me more growth on my muscles.
Are you talking about The Muscle Building Workout Routine? If so, it’s possible… although at 3 months in most people should still be able to make their best progress with a beginner routine.
I first want to say i love your guide and have been following it for a while but iam curious on your take with cardio. Do you plan on writing a review on how and when to do cardio properly ive always been confused most in this category
Awesome to hear it. And yeah, I’ll be writing plenty of cardio articles and/or an entire cardio specific guide at some point in the future for sure.
Maybe I missed it, but I didn’t see any exercises listed for two muscle groups: abs and calves.
Since the world seems to be focused on abs nowadays, an explanation would be helpful.
Thanks for a great site.
Nope, you probably didn’t miss it. Abs and calves are definitely my least favorite body parts to train or write about.
There’s really not much to say about calves in terms of exercise selection, as there is only so much you can do (standing/seated calf raises and uh… not much else that isn’t a variation of a standing/seated calf raise).
Abs are another story, and would really need a full article to cover properly. Consider it added to my article to-do list.
for incline dumbell presses wich grip do u want us to use? hammer grip?
A typical palms facing forward grip is recommended. But if you have preexisting shoulder issues that are worsened with this grip, then a hammer grip would be the better choice.
hi
i am 50 year old man, weight training for more than 8 years, for overall health, not for building muscle, i accidentally discovered your site and found The Muscle Building Workout Routine. very simple workout routine,
started training for last one week, will shortly post my photo, would like to try this for next 12 week to see the result, will keep you updated,
thanks again for the routine
regards
Paul
Awesome! I’m definitely looking forward to hearing about your progress.
hi
missed the details, i am on 3 day workout routine, what about cardio you have not mentioned, i am doing it on non weight training days for 25Min
It depends on individual goals (fat loss, muscle growth, etc.), the intensity of the cardio (are you walking, jogging, sprinting?), and other factors that would really take a full article or series of articles to cover.
Generally speaking, I’m really not a fan of cardio, especially in the form it is typically done in.
With the exception of maybe an optional 20-45 minutes of low intensity walking on off days, I don’t really recommend much cardio regardless of goal (unless of course the goal is cardio/endurance related).
HI
i have successfully completed third week training, it is going great, thanks again.
i eat banana before weight training, do you eat any whey protein, do you recommend whey protein after workout, keeping my age as factor
regards
Paul
Glad to hear it, Paul.
And regarding pre/post workout nutrition (or any other aspect of your diet), my diet guide will answer any question you have.
Check it out: http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/
WOW, just loved the site, everything is just so well explained!
I started “going to the gym” like 4 months ago, looking to build muscle, going 3 days a week and doing 2 body parts per day, I have experienced some gains but somewhat small ones, it’s worth mentioning that I’m kinda skinny.
I am unhappy with the results obtained with my previous routine, I don’t know what may I be doing wrong, my diet is flawless, everything you suggest here it’s what I’ve been doing in the past months and still little results…
So I came across your routine and looks awesome, everything is just so well explained, I’m going to start (today) with the upper/lower 4 day version of it and I’m really excited…
The only thing is that I feel “weird” doing less exercises per body part, for example in my past routine on my arm day I had like 4 bicep exercises and now like I said it feels weird doing just 2 a week, I’m not saying it’s wrong just that it feels different to me, maybe that’s what I’ve been doing wrong? maybe I was overtraining?
Maybe this is a good change, still I’d LOVE to hear your input about my doubts (if they make any sense to you) and ANY advice you may have will be appreciated!
😀
Glad to hear it man.
Regarding feeling weird doing less exercises/volume than you were, that’s totally normal and I initially felt that same weirdness too when I switched from the silly crap I used to do to a routine that was actually designed properly.
You just need to realize that what you’ve been doing hasn’t been working like you wanted it to. Which means, doing something different is the RIGHT decision unless you want to keep getting the same shitty results.
I’ve done the same “100 bicep exercises” once-a-week dumbass routine, as have countless other people. Without drugs, most of them (including me) get absolutely nowhere.
It’s not until the switch to something better (like my muscle building program, for example) that the results finally come. That’s exactly how it was for me, and exactly how it is for everyone else smart/lucky enough to make a similar switch.
Removing those doubts is the best thing you can possibly do.
hey for the upper/lower wud it be better to do like upper A and Lower A Heavy weights and the for Upper A and Lower B lighter weigth so that u do not overtrain muscles? or am i wrong
I’m assuming you’re talking about The Muscle Building Workout Routine, in which case the best way to do it is just as it is written.
Thanks alot for all the knowledge. I really need something like this atm.
I’m a newbie and just started working out around 2 months ago. Now, I’m doing 5 days split with quite good results. But as I read in your post that working on muscle groups once per week is insufficient for beginners, now I’d like to try to switch to 3 times per week full body workout.
I have a question about the total reps per week. You’ve mentioned that the recommended total reps for newbies is 60reps (upto 120) and that means doing 20 reps per muscle group per workout. Let say that I’m working on my back. At the moment I train all the muscles on my shoulders (based on exrx.net) with a minimum one exercise per muscle. It’s quite impossible to be able to do this with full body workout, it’s 7-10 exercises with 3 sets x 12 reps per exercise (want to burn fat and build muscle). The 20 reps for shoulders leaves me with only 2 sets if I were doing 10 reps. I’m not questioning the number because I really want to try it out, but I’m really curious how can I do it effectively. Does 1×10 seated cable row and 1×10 lat pull down is the ‘standard’ or 2×10 seated cable row is enough for the whole shoulders muscle? Kindly enlight me 🙂
Very much appreciated.
Where people go wrong with adjusting their frequency and volume is trying to do it in relation to what they WERE doing. You need to basically forget the way you were doing things and start fresh when making these changes.
As an example using back… rows for 3×8 in workout 1, pull ups for 3×8 in workout 2, and rows for 3×8 in workout 3 would be one way of doing it correctly.
Check out the included beginner routine. It shows you exactly how it can be done.
Hey, I’m thinking about going for the 4 day split upper lower body program, however I’m concerned with some issues:
First , will i be over training, since am used to the one muscle per week program ( but gains are slow already , so will such a split program make gains even slower ?)
Second, I noticed that there are no shrug exercises for the traps in the upper lower split, I’m wondering whats the logic behind this, and if its possible to add an exercise that hits the traps, since i really want big ones ,so whats do you recommend ? Thanks
Do you really think I’d recommend a routine that would cause you to overtrain?
But if you’re coming from a once-per-week frequency and you’re concerned with recovery, you may want to start out with the 3 day version for a little while (it’s a slightly lower frequency) and build up to the 4 day version rather than just jump right into the 4 day. You may even find you do just fine with the 3 day and have no need to change it.
And regarding traps, all rows hit the traps to some extent, so there is logic there. But 1-3 sets of shrugs for 8-10 reps can be thrown on at the end of one of the upper body workouts if you really want to.
love the website man but i was also hoping for a article on bulking and cutting and what these are do you plan on making articles on these also do you have a list somwhere of planned future articles thank you
Yup, those are definitely topics I’ll be covering in detail in the future. And yeah, I have a list of future articles, guides, programs, workouts and super huge projects that I’ll be getting to in the future as well.
Make sure you’re subscribed if you aren’t already. Awesome stuff is on the way for sure.
Hi,
First of all I would like to thank you for all the effort you put in here. This site has by far the most awesome and sound advice on working out and diet. I am a regular user of your other site http://www.acaloriecounter.com/ and that is a one stop resource too.
Thanks again for keeping the content free where other sites are misleading people to believe they can all become Arnold/Rocky in 2-3 months.
You are quite welcome… glad to hear you liked it.
Hey what’s your take on training when not feeling 100%? I’m not expecting you to want to give medical advice but just interested to know how you personally approach training when unwell. Im thinking mainly suffering from the common cold when you can still soldier on, albeit with reduced energy and strength. It’s winter in my part of the world and I seem to have picked one up. Not sure whether I should keep momentum up and avoid atrophy or give it a rest for a week until I’m fighting fit again.
For the common cold I almost always train right through it. I’ve found that my strength early on is usually fine (often surprisingly so), but later sets of each exercise and/or later exercises in the workout is when performance might start to suffer.
So based on how I’m feeling during the workout itself, I’ll either go through it mostly how it was planned to be (maybe with some increased rest times here and there), or I’ll cut volume a little on certain exercises or just leave off the less important stuff altogether (like abs, for example).
Sweet. That’s also what I found this morning re when performance drops off, but not that much to be honest. Glad I went. Just not one of the more enthusiastic sessions.
Thanks for posting this website! You cover just about everything related to a proper workout regimen. I did have a question concerning concentric and eccentric movements. What are your thoughts on time in the positive direction and time in the negative direction? Do you recommend switching up your lifting tempos now and then? Will one’s tempo change if their goal is mainly strength vs. hypertrophy vs. explosiveness/power etc.? Does it really matter?
I appreciate what you have done and look forward to reading more on what you have to say!
Rep tempo has its uses, but I honestly don’t put much emphasis on it and hardly ever use or prescribe a specific number of seconds for the concentric or eccentric portion of a rep. I find it’s more of a distraction than anything else. I’d much rather see 100% of the focus during a set be on proper form, using the target muscle(s), and progression… not counting seconds.
But in general, I like to see the weight lowered under control on the way down, and then exploded back up. Simple as that.
Some exceptions exist (like calves, which tend to benefit from lowering slower), and certain exercises really aren’t meant to be “exploded” (like leg extensions or lateral raises, for example), but for the most part… controlled eccentric, explosive concentric is what I recommend.
Thank you!
In the Beginner workout routine, are chests getting worked out every exercise? You said ideal is full body 3 days per week. Is the chest getting worked out on the Deadlift, Pullup, shoulder press day? Is it really a FULL body workout every day?
Thank you for such great info!
Jeremy
The true definition of “full body” varies a bit based on who you ask, and it’s mostly a matter of semantics.
For example, my beginner program has a leg exercise, a push, and a pull in every workout. To a lot of people, that’s considered full body. To others, there literally needs to be one exercise for every single muscle group.
In the end, what matters here is that in order to include both the bench press AND shoulder press in this routine (which many people want and/or will do best with), I alternate between them to avoid having them in the same workout… which would be overkill for a beginner.
Thank you for that response. Today was Day 1 for me. I am doing the BAB this week. I decided to do RDL instead of deadlifts for a bit.
So During workout B, if my chest is only worked out once in a week, is that enough for growth? Should I add an incline pres or anything during Week B?
Also, what is the warm up protocol?
Should I do abs and calves and when?
Thank you very much! I’m gonna stick with it!
Don’t look at the current week and ignore the weeks before and after it. In fact, don’t even look at days when looking at this frequency.
If you do that, it looks like you’re only bench pressing “once in a week” during that BAB week. In reality, you’re bench pressing once every 4th or 5th day regardless of whether its ABA or BAB week. That frequency is all that matters, not how it works out when looking at it on a calendar.
So no, nothing needs to be added. If it did, I would have already added it. 😉
Regarding warm ups, read this: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/warm-up-sets/
Regarding abs and calves, look at the second version of the beginner workouts. It shows you how to add them.
Another thing: For pre and post workout nutrition:
You say .25 g per ideal bodyweight. That is a lot of protein and carbs. You use 40 +grams of dextrose per pre and post workout shake? That can’t possibly be healthy. Even 40 grams of dextrose once a day how can that be ok?
In addition, what about the high cholesterol levels in Whey? Have you considered a plant based protein powder?
I weigh about 172 lbs. 37 years old, 5′ 11″. I want to gain muscle and lose belly fat. I put plant based protein powder, about 20 grams in a blender with 2 bananas, drink half pre and half post. What would you reccomend for me?
Thank you!
Should you choose to use dextrose (whole foods are just as good), then yeah… something like 40-60g of dextrose could be normal. If you don’t want that much dextrose, then simply don’t use dextrose as part of this meal. Get your carbs from whole food sources.
Plant based protein, while fine as a partial source of your total daily protein intake, isn’t exactly the ideal protein source in terms of quality and digestibility, especially when compared to whey.
Training-wise, I’d recommend using the beginner program and focusing on consistent progression. Diet-wise, create a small caloric deficit, get enough protein, get a sufficient amount of fat/omega-3s, and get the rest of your calories from carbs. Surround your workouts with protein+carb meals, and you’ll end up doing quite well.
Excellent! I appreciate all this stellar advice very much! Next, we do need to see a picture of you, bro.
The problem with Whey is it’s high in cholesterol. Most people don’t realize it. You would consider this plant based protein below inferior?
http://www.iherb.com/PlantFusion-Multi-Source-Plant-Protein-Vanilla-Bean-1-lb-454-g/28949?at=0
I read what you wrote about warmups. Maybe I can lessen it while I am still only lifting the bar at times. Great protocol though.
I read what you wrote about pre and post workout shakes. What would you recommend for me in terms of carbs and protein?
I understand what you are saying about frequency. That does make sense. I think the logic initially was slightly flawed. You talked a lot about doing one body part per week is way too little and full body 3 times a week is best. But even though I believe you that your program is great, it isn’t a full body workout 3 days a week. Unless all the muscles are being worked in some way or another.
Thanks for everything!
“I read what you wrote about pre and post workout shakes. What would you recommend for me in terms of carbs and protein?”
I’d recommend what I wrote in that article. 😉
How’s this for my next few months protocol? Do you approve?
Workout A
Squats 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets.
Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets.
Dumbbell Rows 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets.
Dips 2 sets of as many possible (right now I can’t do more than 5)
Calf Raises 2 sets of 10 reps. 1 minute rest between sets.
Workout B
Romanian Deadlifts 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets.
Assisted Machine Pull-Ups 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets.
Assisted Machine Chin Ups (Closer Grip) 1 set of 10-12 reps.
Standing Overhead Shoulder Barbell Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets.
Abs 2 sets of 10-12 reps. 1 minute rest between sets.
Yoga and Boxing Cardio Classes at the gym on off days
Should be fine.
I can’t say for sure how the additional activity plays into it all, though.
I just thought of something. Bananas are fructose and you would need glucose post work out I think.
You’re over thinking things here. Get your total calorie and nutrient intake right for the day, have a good amount of protein and carbs before/after your workout, and you’ll be just fine.
Thanks again! Today was Day 2 and I’m loving it! I’m doing what you said starting off low then going to progress every workout.
What is your opinion of that protein powder I linked above? Don’t you think it looks good?
My reasoning behind adding exercises, was that I wanted something for Triceps, biceps and calves, but not isolations.
No real opinion, honestly. I’d personally go with whey.
And my reasoning for using isolation exercises instead is to get some direct arm volume in without adding additional volume to the other muscle groups which, at the point, already got as much volume as they typically need.
I just started the 4 day upper/lower split but my first upper body workout lasted longer than expected ~ 1.5 hours. That seems like a bit much to be in the gym for to reap optimal benefits. I was wondering what you think would be the ideal amount of time to be in the gym. My goal is more performance oriented and I followed your advice on rest between sets ~ 2-5 minutes. Here was yesterday’s routine:
BB Bench Press 5 x 5 reps
Bent Over DB Row 5 x 5
Incline DB Press 4 x 6
Chin Ups 5 x 5
Lat. Raises 2 x 8
Tri. Press-downs 2 x 8
DB Curls 2 x 8
I cut one set away from the last 3 exercises to finish a little faster. Should I cut any exercises out, shoot for the lower range of the rest period, do less sets or is a 1.5 hour workout okay?
For full body or upper/lower workouts, 1.5 hours would probably be the maximum time you should be in the gym.
But forgetting that for a minute, there’s a lot I don’t like about your program. It looks like you maybe tried to adapt The Muscle Building Workout Routine into something more performance/strength oriented, and things got a little screwed up in the process (as it often does when trying to change programs around… assuming that’s what you did).
For starters, making the primary exercises 5×5 and then the secondary exercises 4×6 and 5×5 is overkill. 5×5 + 3×8 sounds much better if you want to stay in that strength range.
Great guide. Amazing. I did have a question. Many of the exercises were ones that required weights, while some were mentioned that were bodyweight only. For the different muscle groups mentioned, is there a place I can find bodyweight exercises specific to the muscle groups you outlined, both major (I.e. Chest = push ups) and minor (I.e. Triceps = dips)?
I haven’t written anything like that yet (consider it added to my to-do list), but this is a good place to start when looking for exercises of any kind: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html
If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, let me know specifically which free weight/machine exercises you need to replace, and I’ll give you some body weight-only suggestions where possible.
Dude, I’m HUGE! I’ve been on program since April. Gained 6 good lbs. (105-107), now (111-114). Recently “uncovered” in gym to take a peek at what it looks like during workouts. Wow! Pound for pound, I’m bigger than most guys in there. As stated before, I’m: 58 yrs. female, 5’2″, 2nd time around bodybuilding but just started after 10 yr. layoff. Your program has been so successful, it will now be the core/first part of each workout, no matter what routine I put myself on. Whichever body part(s) I’m working, a barbell compound movement (with the same rest periods) is done. I’ve recently put myself on a 4-day split. Curious to see if that defines me a bit more. I can’t thank you enough. –Ciao for now.
HA, that’s fantastic progress. And the fact that you’re 58 really makes it that much more impressive. Very happy to hear it’s all working so well… thanks for keeping me updated.
Oh, and if you happen to have any before/after pics to share, I’d love to see them and show them off to other women for proof/motivation.
Hi Jay!
Can you tell me how I can send you some pix? Do you have a PM or how would I upload on the site? —Thanks.
Sure thing Rayca, check your email.