All programs

Muscle growth

Build

Muscle-building sessions with compound lifts and supporting exercises. Start with three working sets; shorter sessions may use two to fit your time.

4 days / about 60 min / gym / consistent / 4 week block

About this example plan
  • Build combines compound lifts with supporting muscle-focused work.
  • Upper- and lower-body days alternate, with the amount of work shaped by your session length.
  • All four weeks fit a modeled 60-minute budget including preparation and rest. Real pace and equipment waits vary; adjust the session when needed.
  • Exercise choices assume a full gym: barbells, rack, dumbbells, cables, and machines.
  • You get moderate volume and a weekly wave in effort. Progress comes from adding reps, then weight.

Choose your days, time, equipment, and experience

MON / Chest, back, shoulders, arms / ABOUT 60 MIN

Upper A

  • Flat barbell bench pressSwap for: Paused bench press, Incline barbell bench press, Flat DB press3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Bent-over barbell rowSwap for: Pendlay row, Bent-over DB row, Underhand seated cable row3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Wide-grip pull-upSwap for: Chin-up, Lat pulldown, Close-grip neutral pull-up3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • DB lateral raiseSwap for: Cable lateral raise, Upright row3 x 12-20RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • Rope pushdownSwap for: DB overhead triceps extension, Skull crusher, Close-grip bench press3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • Standing DB curlSwap for: Standing barbell curl, Cable curl, DB hammer curl2 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min

TUE / Quads, glutes, calves / ABOUT 59 MIN

Lower A

  • Front squatSwap for: Back squat, Pause squat, Hack squat4 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Romanian deadliftSwap for: Conventional deadlift, Trap bar deadlift, DB Romanian deadlift3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Leg extension3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • Seated calf raiseSwap for: Standing calf raise, Leg press calf raise3 x 12-20RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • Machine hip thrustSwap for: Barbell hip thrust, Cable kickback, DB glute bridge3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • Hanging knee raiseSwap for: Dead bug, Pallof press, Ab wheel rollout2 x 10-15rest 45 s

THU / Back, shoulders, chest, arms / ABOUT 59 MIN

Upper B

  • Wide-grip pull-upSwap for: Chin-up, Lat pulldown, Close-grip neutral pull-up3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Barbell overhead pressSwap for: Standing DB overhead press, Overhead DB press, Machine shoulder press3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Incline barbell bench pressSwap for: Flat barbell bench press, Paused bench press, Flat DB press3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Bent-over DB rowSwap for: Bent-over barbell row, Pendlay row, Underhand seated cable row3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Cable rear delt flySwap for: Face pull, Reverse pec deck, Bent-over DB lateral raise3 x 12-20RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • DB flySwap for: Cable fly, Pec deck, Incline DB fly2 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min

FRI / Hamstrings, glutes, quads / ABOUT 59 MIN

Lower B

  • Romanian deadliftSwap for: Conventional deadlift, Trap bar deadlift, DB Romanian deadlift4 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Back squatSwap for: Front squat, Pause squat, Hack squat3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Standing calf raiseSwap for: Seated calf raise, Leg press calf raise3 x 12-20RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • Seated leg curlSwap for: Lying leg curl3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • Barbell hip thrustSwap for: Machine hip thrust, Cable kickback, DB glute bridge3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
  • Dead bugSwap for: Hanging knee raise, Pallof press, Ab wheel rollout2 x 10-15rest 45 s
Build this plan for my schedule

Four-week block

  1. Week 1: Set your baseline. Find working weights you can control at the target effort. Record honest reps.
  2. Week 2: Build. Effort rises half a point: compound lifts about RPE 7.5, isolation work about 8.5. Add a rep, or a little weight once you reach the top of the range. Added work is capped by your session time; keep the prescribed rest.
  3. Week 3: Push. Compound lifts about RPE 8, isolation work about 9. Keep adding reps, then weight. Extra sets or minutes are included only when they fit; progress can also come from controlled reps and load.
  4. Week 4: Deload and review. Fewer planned sets and lower effort targets. Review your completed sessions before deciding whether to repeat, adjust, or progress.

Progress and recovery

  • Reach the top of the rep range on all sets, then add a little weight.
  • Stop compound lifts 1 to 2 reps short of failure. Isolation exercises can go closer.
  • Use a listed alternative if an exercise hurts or does not fit your equipment.
  • RPE is effort out of 10. RPE 8 means you could have done about 2 more reps with good form.
  • Log completed reps, sets, and weights. Your next session uses them as a starting point.
  • Use the lighter fourth week to recover and review your log before repeating or progressing.

What RPE means

RPE (rate of perceived exertion) is how hard a set feels, on a scale of 1 to 10. It tells you where to stop: at RPE 8, you finish the set with about 2 good reps left.

RPE 10
Maximum effort. No more reps possible.
RPE 9
Very hard. About 1 more good rep.
RPE 8
Hard. About 2 more good reps.
RPE 7
Challenging. About 3 more good reps; the weight still moves quickly.
RPE 6
Moderate. About 4 more good reps.
RPE 5 or less
Light. Warm-up or technique practice.
  • Choose a weight that lets you reach the rep range at the target RPE. A good rep keeps your normal form and speed.
  • If the last rep felt easier than the target, add a little weight next set or next session. If form slipped or you reached failure, use less.
  • Half points, such as 7.5, sit between the two numbers. RPE is your best estimate, not a test; it gets more accurate with practice.

Start with this plan, then adjust the exercises and weights to suit your training. You choose the weights you use and record the reps you complete.