Workout Description
If your goal is to add size, build muscle and get stronger, this program is designed to help you do exactly that.
After spending time getting leaner or simply maintaining your physique, a dedicated mass-building phase gives you the opportunity to focus on progressive training, heavier loads and consistent nutrition. The aim isn't simply to gain weight - it's to build quality muscle mass while steadily improving your performance in the gym.
Over the next eight weeks, you'll focus on proven hypertrophy principles: challenging weights, controlled repetitions, progressive overload and enough recovery to allow your body to grow.
Stay consistent, track your lifts, and aim to improve whenever possible.
How Much Weight Should I Use?
One of the most common questions when starting a hypertrophy program is: How heavy should I lift?
There isn't one specific weight that's right for everyone. Your training weight should be based on your current strength and the prescribed rep range.
The goal is to select a weight that makes the final few repetitions challenging while still allowing you to maintain good technique.
For example, if an exercise calls for 6-8 reps:
- If you can comfortably complete 10-12 reps, the weight is probably too light.
- If you struggle to reach 5-6 reps with good form, the weight is probably too heavy.
- If you reach 6-8 controlled reps and the final few are challenging, you're in the right range.
Don't worry about what anyone else in the gym is lifting. Whether you're using 10 lb or 80 lb, the important thing is that the resistance is appropriate for you.
As you become stronger, gradually increase the weight while remaining within the recommended rep range. This principle of progressive overload is one of the most important drivers of long-term muscle growth.
Training Split
This is a four-day hypertrophy routine, with each workout performed once per week.
A recommended weekly schedule would look like this:
- Monday - Chest & Side Delts
- Tuesday - Upper Back & Rear Delts
- Wednesday - Rest
- Thursday - Arms & Abs
- Friday - Legs
- Saturday - Rest
- Sunday - Rest
This setup provides a good balance between training stimulus and recovery, but you don't need to follow these exact days.
Work, family and other commitments can make a fixed training schedule difficult, so arrange the workouts around your lifestyle where necessary.
The main guideline is to avoid training for more than three consecutive days without a rest day. Ideally, train for one or two days before taking a break when your schedule allows.
Recovery is just as important as the training itself. Your muscles don't grow while you're lifting - training provides the stimulus, while nutrition, sleep and recovery allow the adaptation to happen.
Trying to squeeze all four sessions into consecutive days may reduce performance and limit recovery, so give your body enough time between sessions to come back stronger.
The Goal
Throughout the eight weeks, focus on:
- Progressive overload - gradually increase weight, reps or training quality.
- Good technique - don't sacrifice form just to lift heavier.
- Consistency - completing the program matters more than having a perfect week.
- Recovery - prioritise sleep and rest between demanding sessions.
- Nutrition - consume enough protein and calories to support muscle growth.
Record your workouts so you can see exactly how your strength and performance improve across the program. By the end of the eight weeks, the goal isn't simply to have completed more workouts - it's to be lifting more, performing better and carrying more muscle than when you started.