To make clear the simplicity of bodybuilding we have arranged a list of six basic keys to successful bodybuilding workouts. These muscle building exercises and tips are nothing new and read like the same stuff in any motivational book on the market today, yet they offer valuable insight and are essential to getting started on a successful muscle mass building workout and sticking to it.
- Set a realistic goal - short and long term.
- Plan an orderly and thorough routine of bodybuilding exercises to train the entire body.
- Make a commitment to stick to your muscle building workout for 4-5 weeks to begin to see changes and benefits, develop perseverance and create a habit.
- Enthusiasm for training must be recognized as the main and driving force to perform successfully in your bodybuilding workouts.
- Ease into a muscle mass building workout training program with a wholesome, thoughtful nutritional plan - proper food, order and amount of consumption.
- Be confident from the beginning that the application of these sound principles of muscle building exercises will produce the desired results.
6-Day Program: Sub-max workout, sets not taken to complete failure. Total weekly sets: 190
| Day 1 | Chest/Arms | 35 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 2 | Legs/Abs | 25 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 3 | Back/Shoulders | 35 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Chest/Arms | 35 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 6 | Legs/Abs | 25 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 7 | Back/Shoulders | 35 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
5-Day Program: All sets taken to failure. Total weekly sets: 105
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | 20 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 2 | Chest | 20 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Back | 20 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 5 | Shoulders/Traps | 20 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 6 | Biceps/Triceps | 20 sets | 10, 8, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
If your muscle building workout has been based around a six day split, cutting the frequency down a day or more will give the body some much needed time to recuperate from rigorous bodybuilding exercises. Below are some examples of how your training frequency can be structured when coming off the above outlined bodybuilding workouts. Here are five, four, and three day splits that can be used. The choice of muscles worked each day may be varied.
Program 1: 2 days on, 1 day off, 3 days on, 1 day off, repeat (5 days a week)
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | ||
| Day 2 | Chest | ||
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Back | ||
| Day 5 | Shoulders/Traps | ||
| Day 6 | Biceps/Triceps | ||
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
Program 2: 2 days on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off, repeat (4 days a week)
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | ||
| Day 2 | Shoulders/Traps | ||
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Back/Biceps | ||
| Day 5 | Rest | ||
| Day 6 | Chest/Triceps | ||
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
Program 3: 1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 2 days off, repeat (3 days a week)
| Day 1 | Whole Body | ||
| Day 2 | Rest | ||
| Day 3 | Whole Body | ||
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Whole Body | ||
| Day 6 | Rest | ||
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
Increasing the Volume
Once the frequency of training for your muscle mass building workout has been chosen, the next step is to choose the number of sets or the amount of volume that will be used in the muscle building workout. The number of sets selected will depend on the level of intensity you'll be using. Intensity, for the purpose of this article, can also be defined as the overall work load used in a bodybuilding workout (determined by the frequency and number of sets of muscle building exercises employed). For example, if you have been training to failure using a high number of sets of bodybuilding exercises it should be quite obvious that you cannot continue training in the same manner. That said, to maintain the same level of intensity the number of sets employed must be lowered. You do this because there is an inverse relationship between intensity and the number of sets used in a workout session. As seen below, the number of sets chosen during a muscle mass building workout should coincide with the frequency.
Below are some examples based upon the first two examples routines outlined above:
Program 1: Based upon the 6 day sub-max split routine. 2 days on, 1 day off, and 3 days on, 1 day off repeat (5 days a week) Total weekly sets: 90
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | 15 |
| Day 2 | Chest | 18 |
| Day 3 | Rest | |
| Day 4 | Back | 18 |
| Day 5 | Shoulders/Traps | 14 |
| Day 6 | Biceps/Triceps | 25 |
| Day 7 | Rest | |
Program 2: Based upon the 5 day split routine with all sets taken to failure. 2 days on, 1 day off, and 3 days on, 1 day off repeat (5 days a week) Total weekly sets: 55
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | 10 |
| Day 2 | Chest | 10 |
| Day 3 | Rest | |
| Day 4 | Back | 10 |
| Day 5 | Shoulders/Traps | 11 |
| Day 6 | Biceps/Triceps | 14 |
| Day 7 | Rest | |
Program 3: Based upon the 5 day split with all sets either being sub-max (*) or taken to failure (#).
2 days on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off repeat.
Total weekly sub-max sets: 71
Total weekly sets taken to failure: 61
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | *15 | #12 |
| Day 2 | Chest | *16 | #15 |
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Back | *20 | #17 |
| Day 5 | Rest | ||
| Day 6 | Biceps/Triceps | *20 | #17 |
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
Program 4: Based upon the 5 day split with all sets either being sub-max (*) or taken to failure (#).
1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 2 days off repeat.
Total weekly sub-max sets: 108
Total weekly sets taken to failure: 45
| Day 1 | Whole Body | *36 | #15 |
| Day 2 | Rest | ||
| Day 3 | Whole Body | *36 | #15 |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Back | *36 | #15 |
| Day 6 | Rest | ||
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
Spicing Things Up
Variety is the spice of life. Although cliché, it's the truth and most likely throughout your cycle of muscle building exercises, the repetition range that's been used has varied. Post cycle, however, repetition ranges should stay the same if they've been altered.
High reps of bodybuilding exercises are known to primarily work on increasing the non-contractile proteins and the semi fluid plasma between the muscle fibers. In scientific circles the 140 pound lab techs call this sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Meatheads refer to this as "pump training." The other type, low rep training, is called sarcomere hypertrophy. This is otherwise known as power training. It works on increasing the size and number of the sarcomeres that make up the myofibrils. Each type of hypertrophy has a different effect. Bodybuilders and those purely interested in aesthetics train during their muscle building workouts using the pump method. Athletes who are in sports that require explosiveness and speed train primarily using the power method of muscle building exercises.
Training post cycle should focus on a variety of rep ranges. Low rep training focuses on neuromuscular efficiency, which in turn is responsible for strength production with minimal hypertrophy. Higher rep training focuses more on hypertrophy while placing less emphasis on the neuromuscular system. If one area is favored the other will suffer. So, to stay big and strong it is imperative that you utilize a mixed rep range in your training program. Below the bodybuilding workouts are outlined in their entirety so you can see what the programs look like once all the variables have been added in.
Program 1: Based upon the 6 day sub-max split routine.
2 days on, 1 day off, 3 days on, 1 day off repeat (5 days a week).
Total weekly sets: 90
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | 15 | 15, 8, 4 reps |
| Day 2 | Chest | 18 | 12, 8, 4 reps |
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Back | 18 | 12, 8, 4 reps |
| Day 5 | Shoulders/Traps | 14 | 12, 8, 4 reps |
| Day 6 | Biceps/Triceps | 25 | 10, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
Program 2: Based upon the 5 day split routine with all sets taken to failure.
2 days on, 1 day off, 3 days on, 1 day off repeat (5 days a week).
Total weekly sets: 55
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | 10 | 15, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 2 | Chest | 10 | 10, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Back | 10 | 10, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 5 | Shoulders/Traps | 11 | 12, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 6 | Biceps/Triceps | 14 | 12, 6, 4 reps |
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
Program 3: Based upon the 5 day split with all sets either being sub-max (*) or taken to failure (#).
2 days on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off repeat (5 days a week).
Total weekly sub max sets: 71
Total weekly sub-max sets: 61
| Day 1 | Legs/Abs | *15 | #12 |
| Day 2 | Shoulders/Traps | *16 | #15 |
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Back/Biceps | *20 | #17 |
| Day 5 | Rest | ||
| Day 6 | Chest/Triceps | *20 | #17 |
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
Program 4: Based upon the 5 day split with all sets either being sub-max (*) or taken to failure (#).
1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 1 day off, 1 day on, 2 days off repeat.
Total weekly sub max sets: 108
Total weekly sub-max sets: 45
| Day 1 | Whole Body | *36 | #15 |
| Day 2 | Rest | ||
| Day 3 | Whole Body | *36 | #15 |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Whole Body | *36 | #15 |
| Day 6 | Rest | ||
| Day 7 | Rest | ||
