Body-Part Split, 5 days
Five workouts a week, one body part each: chest, back, shoulders, legs, and arms. Every muscle gets one hard day and a week to recover. Add weight whenever every set reaches the top of its rep range.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Goal
- Build muscle
- Days per week
- 5 days/week
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Equipment
- Gym
Week at a glance
Chest Day
Chest from three angles – the flat barbell press, the incline dumbbell press, and the machine press – with cable crossovers and dips to finish.
5 exercises- Barbell Bench Press4 sets × 6–10 reps2 warm-up setsRest 2:30
Plant your feet, keep the shoulder blades pinched under the bar, and lower to a light chest touch; if no bench is free, use dumbbells.
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:30
Set the bench between thirty and forty-five degrees and lower to the upper chest without flaring the elbows.
- Machine Chest Press3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:30
Set the seat so the handles line up with mid-chest, and keep the shoulder blades against the pad.
- Cable Crossover3 sets × 12–15 repsRest 1:00
Set the pulleys above shoulder height and bring the handles together in a wide arc with soft elbows.
- Chest Dip3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:30
Lean your torso forward and lower until the upper arms reach parallel; if dips are too hard, use the assisted chest dip.
Back Day
The back day opens with the deadlift, then pulls from every direction: pull-ups, cable rows, and pulldowns, with face pulls for the rear delts.
5 exercises- Deadlift3 sets × 5–8 reps2 warm-up setsRest 3:00
Start with the bar over mid-foot, brace, and push the floor away; if pulling from the floor is uncomfortable, use the trap bar.
- Pull-Up3 sets × 6–10 repsRest 1:30
Start from a dead hang and pull your chin over the bar; use the assisted pull-up, a band, or slow negatives until strict reps come.
- Seated Cable Row3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:30
Sit tall with knees slightly bent and pull the handle to your lower ribs; the shoulders stay down, the torso still.
- Lat Pulldown3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:30
Set the thigh pad snug, lean back slightly, and pull the bar to the top of the chest without swinging.
- Face Pull3 sets × 15–20 repsRest 1:00
Set the rope at face height, pull it toward your eyes with elbows high, and finish with the upper back squeezed.
Shoulders Day
The shoulder day opens with the heavy seated press, repeats the pattern on the machine, then isolates the side and rear delts and finishes with shrugs for the traps.
5 exercises- Seated Barbell Overhead Press4 sets × 6–10 reps2 warm-up setsRest 2:30
Set the bench upright in the rack and press to lockout, moving your head slightly back as the bar passes your face.
- Machine Shoulder Press3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:30
Set the seat so the handles start at shoulder height, and press up without arching off the backrest.
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise4 sets × 12–20 repsRest 1:00
Raise your arms out to the sides with a slight elbow bend, only to shoulder height – no shrugging, no swinging.
- Cable Rear Delt Fly3 sets × 15–20 repsRest 1:00
Sweep the arms out wide with a slight elbow bend and let the rear delts, not the traps, do the work.
- Dumbbell Shrug3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:00
Hold the dumbbells at your sides and lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears; pause at the top and lower slowly – no rolling.
Legs and Glutes
The leg day opens with the squat, hinges into Romanian deadlifts and hip thrusts for the glutes, and closes with the leg extension, the leg curl, and calves.
6 exercises- Barbell Back Squat4 sets × 6–10 reps2 warm-up setsRest 2:30
Brace before every rep and keep the whole foot planted; if your gym has no squat rack, do the goblet squat instead.
- Romanian Deadlift3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:30
Push your hips back with soft knees until the hamstrings stretch, keeping the weight close to your legs the whole way.
- Barbell Hip Thrust3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:30
Rest the bar in the crease of the hips on a pad, and finish every rep with the ribs down.
- Leg Extension3 sets × 12–15 repsRest 1:00
Line your knees up with the machine's pivot and set the pad on the shins just above the ankles.
- Seated Leg Curl3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:00
Line your knee up with the machine's pivot, set the pad just above the heels, and curl through the full range.
- Standing Calf Raise4 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:00
Rise all the way onto your toes and pause, then lower until you feel a full stretch – no bouncing.
Arms and Abs
The arm day pairs a biceps exercise with a triceps one so each rests while the other works, with two ab exercises to finish.
6 exercises- EZ-Bar Biceps Curl3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:00
Keep the elbows pinned to your sides and curl without leaning back; lower under control until the arms are straight.
- Lying Triceps Extension3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:00
Lower the weight toward your forehead with the upper arms vertical and still – only the forearms move, and the elbows stay in.
- Superset
- Incline Dumbbell Curl3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:00
Set the bench to about forty-five degrees and let the arms hang behind you; curl without moving the upper arms.
- Cable Triceps Pushdown3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:00
Pin the elbows to your sides and press the handle to a full lockout; only the forearms move.
- Incline Dumbbell Curl3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:00
- Cable Crunch3 sets × 12–15 repsRest 1:00
Kneel facing the machine, hold the rope by your head, and curl your ribs toward the hips – the hips stay still.
- Hanging Leg Raise3 sets × 8–15 repsRest 1:00
Hang without swinging and raise your legs with control; bend the knees if straight legs are too hard.
