Familiar · 4 days a week

Bodybuilding

Upper and lower twice a week, with more sets where it counts.

Pair compound and isolation work. Start with two working sets per exercise and adjust weekly volume using your recovery and logs. Needs: Gym machines, cables and dumbbells.

  • Your main goal is building muscle
  • Four gym days with machines, cables and dumbbells

Not the right fit if you’re brand new to lifting. Start with Beginner Fitness and come back in a month.

Each muscle is trained twice a week with more sets where they count. Weekly sets and consistency matter more than the exact split. Split versus full-body routines: 2024 meta-analysis

Your week

  1. Mon
    Upper Body8 exercises · about 62 min
    Exercises
    • Dumbbell bench press2 × 6–10
    • Incline dumbbell press2 × 8–12
    • Lat pulldown2 × 8–12
    • Seated cable row2 × 8–12
    • Seated dumbbell press2 × 8–12
    • Cable lateral raise2 × 10–20
    • Dumbbell curl2 × 8–15
    • Cable triceps pushdown2 × 10–15
  2. Tue
    Lower Body6 exercises · about 47 min
    Exercises
    • Goblet squat2 × 8–12
    • Dumbbell Romanian deadlift2 × 8–12
    • Seated hamstring curl2 × 10–15
    • Leg extension2 × 10–15
    • Standing calf raise2 × 10–20
    • Hip thrust2 × 8–12
  3. Wed
    Rest
  4. Thu
    Upper Body8 exercises · about 62 min
    Exercises
    • Dumbbell bench press2 × 6–10
    • Incline dumbbell press2 × 8–12
    • Lat pulldown2 × 8–12
    • Seated cable row2 × 8–12
    • Seated dumbbell press2 × 8–12
    • Cable lateral raise2 × 10–20
    • Dumbbell curl2 × 8–15
    • Cable triceps pushdown2 × 10–15
  5. Fri
    Lower Body6 exercises · about 47 min
    Exercises
    • Goblet squat2 × 8–12
    • Dumbbell Romanian deadlift2 × 8–12
    • Seated hamstring curl2 × 10–15
    • Leg extension2 × 10–15
    • Standing calf raise2 × 10–20
    • Hip thrust2 × 8–12
  6. Sat
    Rest
  7. Sun
    Rest

Every exercise has a target. Log what you lift and the next week is written from it: same lifts, with the weights you earned.

Where it goes

  1. Week 1 · Foundation

    Learn the lifts. Leave about 3 reps in the tank.

  2. Weeks 2–3 · Build

    Add reps while your form stays clean.

  3. Weeks 4–5 · Progress

    An extra set on the first big lifts of each day, while the weights keep climbing from your logs.

    64 working sets a week, up from 56.
  4. Week 6 · Consolidate

    Repeat your best numbers and lock them in. The next block starts from there.

General fitness guidance, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before you start if you have a medical condition, an injury or symptoms, or are pregnant, and stop if something feels wrong.

Start this plan free

7 days free, no card to start.