Bodybuilding training program: 5 days a week
Key points
- A 5-day bodybuilding training program is best suited to intermediate and advanced lifters who have done strength training consistently for at least 6–12 months.
- A training week built around muscle groups gives each muscle group enough training load and recovery time.
- For muscle building, 10–20 working sets per muscle group per week are generally recommended.
- Training results rest on progressive overload, good-quality sleep and goal-oriented nutrition.
What is a 5-day bodybuilding training program?
A 5-day bodybuilding training program is a strength training program split by muscle group, where each training day focuses on one or two muscle groups. This approach allows for a higher training volume, more attention to exercise quality and enough time for your muscles to recover.
Such a program suits lifters who have already mastered the technique of the basic strength exercises and want to focus on muscle building or on developing their body proportions.
For beginners, it is usually more sensible to use a full-body or upper/lower split training program, which allows the basic movements to be practiced more often and builds general strength.
Example of a 5-day training week
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Chest |
| Tuesday | Back |
| Wednesday | Shoulders |
| Thursday | Arms |
| Friday | Legs |
| Saturday | Recovery |
| Sunday | Recovery |
This split has been popular in bodybuilding for decades because it lets you focus on each muscle group separately and use a wider selection of exercises.
Chest workout
Barbell bench press
4 sets × 6–8 reps
Incline dumbbell press
3 sets × 8–10 reps
Cable fly
3 sets × 10–15 reps
Lying dumbbell fly
3 sets × 10–15 reps
A heavier pressing exercise should be at the center of your chest workout, with the rest of the session built around it.
Back workout
Pull-ups
4 sets × 5–8 reps
Barbell bent-over row
4 sets × 8–10 reps
One-arm dumbbell row
3 sets × 10–12 reps
Seated cable row
3 sets × 10–15 reps
When training your back, it is worth combining vertical pulls (pull-ups, lat pulldowns) with horizontal pulls (rows).
Shoulder workout
Overhead barbell press
4 sets × 6–10 reps
Dumbbell lateral raises
3 sets × 12–15 reps
Bent-over lateral raises
3 sets × 12–15 reps
Barbell shrugs
4 sets × 10–12 reps
To develop the shoulders, it’s important to train all three heads of the deltoid: front, side and rear.
Arm training
Standing barbell curl
4 sets × 8–10 reps
Dumbbell curl
3 sets × 10–12 reps
Dumbbell hammer curl
3 sets × 10–12 reps
Close-grip bench press
4 sets × 8–10 reps
Cable rope triceps extension
3 sets × 12–15 reps
When training biceps and triceps, it makes sense to combine heavier basic exercises with isolation exercises done for higher rep counts.
Leg training
Barbell back squat
4 sets × 6–8 reps
Leg press
3 sets × 10–12 reps
Machine leg curl
3 sets × 10–15 reps
Romanian deadlift
3 sets × 8–12 reps
Machine leg extension
3 sets × 10–15 reps
Standing calf raise
4 sets × 12–20 reps
Leg training should cover the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
How to ensure progress
When it comes to muscle building, it’s important that your training load increases gradually over time. You can achieve this by:
- increasing the weights;
- adding reps;
- increasing the number of working sets;
- improving the technical quality of the exercise.
If the weight or working volume doesn’t increase over a longer period, progress usually slows down too.
Recovery is part of training
Results aren’t made only in the gym. Equally important are:
- 7–9 hours of quality sleep a day;
- sufficient protein intake;
- sufficient energy intake for your goal;
- regular rest and recovery.
No supplement can replace quality training, nutrition and sleep.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 5-day bodybuilding training program suitable for a beginner?
Generally not. For a beginner, it makes more sense to use a full-body or upper/lower split with 2–4 training days.
How many sets should you do per week?
For most recreational lifters, the optimal volume falls in the range of 10–20 working sets per muscle group per week.
How long should one workout be?
Usually 60–90 minutes, depending on the number of exercises, rest breaks and your goal.
Can you burn fat with this program too?
Yes. Lowering your body fat percentage is determined mainly by energy balance. Strength training helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss as well.
Does each muscle group have to be trained only once a week?
Not necessarily. Many successful lifters train the same muscle group twice a week. More important than frequency is the quality training volume you accumulate over the whole week, and recovery.
Come and train! ArtGym
