The Ultimate Workout Blueprint: How to Build a Program Tailored to You
There are many different types of training styles:
- Hypertrophy (the most common training style in gyms. Focuses on building muscle size and aesthetics)
- Powerlifting (a strength sport focusing on squats, bench press, and deadlifts)
- Strength Training (a training style focused on increasing strength and power)
- CrossFit (varied functional movements performed with high-intensity exercises)
This blueprint will focus on hypertrophy training, otherwise known as training to build muscle mass.
Topics Weâll Be Exploring
- Basic Understanding of Muscle Groups
- The Six Primary Movements
- Isolation Exercises
- Training Splits (When To Train & Rest)
- Sets, Reps, Rest Times
- Summary (Putting It All Together)
- How To Stay Motivated
1. Basic Understanding of Muscle Groups
Itâs important to understand each muscle group so youâre aware of what muscles are being worked.
FRONT OF BODY:
- Side Abs are also referred to as âobliquesâ
- Quadriceps are also referred to as âquadsâ
- Tibialis Anterior are the muscles which run along the front of your lower leg (shins).
- Deltoid = Shoulders. There are three deltoids, also referred to as âdeltsâ (front, middle, rear)
- Chests are commonly referred to as âpecsâ, short for pectoral muscles and are also split into three segments.
BACK OF BODY:
- For simplicity sake, the âInfraspinatusâ region can be considered as part of the âUpper Backâ.
- Middle back is commonly referred to as âLatsâ or âLatissimus Dorsiâ
- Gluteus Maximus is your butt, also referred to as âglutesâ.
- Glutes
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Lean mid section (mainly comes down to nutrition)
- Wide shoulders (mid deltoid)
- Wide back (lats)
- Thick upper chest
- Lean mid section (mainly comes down to nutrition)
2. The Six Primary Movements
There are six primary movements that work out every major muscle group in the body:
These six compound movements are all thatâs needed to effectively build muscle across the entire body. Itâs especially useful for:
- Beginners just starting out
- Anyone who prefers a minimalist workout program
- Pulls Ups - works the upper back, lats, biceps, forearms
- Bench Press - works the chest, triceps, front delts
- Romanian Deadlift - works the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, abs, upper back, forearm
Isolation Movements: Exercises that focus specifically on one particular muscle group. These types of movements are helpful to emphasize growth or to target specific muscles which may be lagging behind. Examples:
- Bicep Curls (trains biceps specifically)
- Calf Raises (trains calves specifically)
Below are some great exercises for each of the six compound movements. You only need to select one exercise from each movement for a complete workout. If you like variety, choose up to two exercises from each category to switch between different sessions (discussed later in this article). For beginners, I highly recommend sticking with one exercise from each movement to keep things simple.
Vertical Push
Muscles worked: front deltoid (front of shoulder), mid deltoid (side shoulder), triceps, upper chest
Vertical Push Exercises:
- Seated Overhead Press Machine: View Tutorial
- Seated Barbell Shoulder Press (on Smith Machine): View Tutorial
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: View Tutorial
Vertical Pull
Muscles worked: lats (mid back), upper back, biceps, forearms
Vertical Pull Exercises:
- Iliac Lat Pull-Down: View Tutorial / Extra Tutorial Tip
- Kneeling Lat Pull-Down: View Tutorial
- Single Arm Lat Pull-Down: View Tutorial
- Wide Grip Lat Pull Down: View Tutorial
- Pull Ups (Assisted Machine / Bodyweight / Weighted): View Tutorial
- Chin Ups (Assisted Machine / Bodyweight / Weighted): View Tutorial
Horizontal Push
Muscles worked: front deltoid (front of shoulder), chest, triceps
- An incline bench will emphasize the upper chest.
- A flat bench emphasizes the middle chest.
- A decline bench emphasizes the lower chest.
Horizontal Push Exercises:
- Chest Press Machine: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Cable Flyes: View Tutorial
- Smith Machine Bench Press: View Tutorial
- Dumbbell Bench Press: View Tutorial
- Pec Deck: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
Horizontal Pull
Muscles worked: upper back, rear delts (rear shoulders) lats (mid back), biceps, forearms
Horizontal Pull Exercises:
- Chest Supported Row Machine: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Machine T-Bar Row: View Tutorial
- Seated Cable Row: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Chest Supported Dumbbell Row: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2 / Tutorial 3
Leg Press/Squat Variation
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, calves, abdominals, obliques
Leg Press/Squat Variation Exercises:
- Leg Press Machine: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2 / Tutorial 3
- Split Squats (Smith Machine / Dumbbell): Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Bulgarian Squats: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Hack Squat: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Dumbbell Lunges: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
Hip Hinge
Muscles worked: hamstring, glutes, lower back, forearms, abdominals
Hip Hinge Exercises:
- Romanian Deadlift (Barbell): Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2 / Tutorial 3
- Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell): Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Hip Thrust Machine: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Smith Machine Hip Thrust: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Hip Extension (Glute & Hamstring Focused): View Tutorial
- Hip Extension (Lower Back Focused): View Tutorial
You wonât find any of these free weight exercises suggested above. Why arenât they included? These exercises have a high injury risk profile, especially when you work up to heavy weights. The two main drivers of muscle growth in the gym are: 1. Training Intensity (how close you train to failure) 2. Progressive Overload (increasing reps and weights over time) Training close to failure on exercises like these poses a risk where one small mis-judgement in your ability or distraction can result in serious injury - sometimes even with a spotter. And if youâre not training close to failure for fear of not being able to bring the weights back up, then youâre not training with enough intensity, resulting in less muscle growth stimulus. For the purpose of hypertrophy training, there are many superior exercises which allow you to train your muscles closer to failure, without the high risk factor (machines/cables, etc). Note: If you really enjoy doing them and itâs what gets you into the gym consistently AND you can do so carefully (with a spotter/safety rails), then include them in your plan.
3. Isolation Exercises
Now that youâve got your primary six movements selected, itâs time to consider adding in isolation movements. This is completely optional. Isolation exercises can be a great addition to a workout program, especially to:
- Target any lagging/weak muscles
- Further emphasize and develop certain muscles for aesthetic or athletic purposes
Some body parts to consider including isolation exercises for are:
- Mid deltoid (side shoulder)
- Rear deltoid (rear shoulder)
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Forearms
- Abdominals
- Obliques
- Calves
Mid Deltoid Isolation Exercises:
- Cable Lateral Raises: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: View Tutorial
Rear Deltoid Isolation Exercises:
- Rear Delt Flys: View Tutorial
- Rear Delt Pec Deck Fly: View Tutorial
Bicep Isolation Exercises:
- Preacher Curl (Machine, Cable, Dumbbell, EZ-Bar): View Tutorial
- Incline Dumbbell Curl: View Tutorial
- Dumbbell Bicep Curl: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
Tricep Isolation Exercises:
- Tricep Pushdown (Rope/Bar): Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Single Arm Tricep Rope Pushdown: View Tutorial (use the end of the rope for resistance support instead of 1/2 way like in the video)
Calves Exercises:
- Standing Calf Raises (Machine/Dumbbell/Barbell): View Tutorial
- Seated Calf Raises (Machine/Dumbbell/Barbell): View Tutorial
Forearms Exercises:
- Barbell Wrist Roller: View Tutorial
- Ez-Bar Reverse Curls: View Tutorial
Abdominal Exercises:
- Rope Crunch: Tutorial 1 / Tutorial 2
- Weighted Ab Crunches: View Tutorial
Oblique (Side Abs) Exercises:
- Torso Rotation Machine: View Tutorial
- Cable Oblique Twist: View Tutorial
- Weighted Twists: View Tutorial
4. Training Splits (When To Train & Rest)
Now that youâve selected your exercises, itâs time to decide your training and resting days (training split).
For optimal results:
- Train each major muscle group twice per week
- Allow 48 - 72 hours of rest before training the same muscles again for sufficient recovery. Example: If you trained biceps on Monday morning, wait until at least Wednesday morning before training biceps again.
- For smaller muscle groups that you dedicate isolation exercises to, training them one to two times a week is sufficient since most will already be trained via the compound movements.
Below are the most common training splits:
Two Days a Week
This is an example of what a two day per week workout could look like. Monday:
- Vertical Push: seated overhead press machine
- Vertical Pull: wide grip lat pull-down
- Horizontal Push: standard chest press machine
- Horizontal Pull: chest supported row machine
- Leg Press/Squat Variation: leg press machine
- Hip Hinge: hip extensions
Friday: Exactly the same workouts as Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are rest days.
The two day training split is perfect for anyone who wants to spend minimal days in the gym. Sessions can be completed in as little as 20 minutes, depending on the number of sets performed (discussed later in the article).
Three Days a Week
Mondays and Fridays are focused on the core compound movements to train the entire body. Wednesdays focus on any muscles that are lagging or intended to be trained for aesthetic/athletic purposes. Below is an example of what a three day training split could look like. Monday:
- Vertical Push: seated overhead press machine
- Vertical Pull: iliac lat pull-down
- Horizontal Push: incline smith machine bench press
- Horizontal Pull: chest supported row machine (wide grip, elbows flared)
- Leg Press/Squat Variation: smith machine split squat
- Hip Hinge: barbell romanian deadlift
Wednesday:
- Mid deltoid: wrist height cable lateral raises
- Abdominals: rope crunch
- Obliques: torso rotation machine
- Forearms: barbell wrist roller
- Biceps: preacher curl machine
- Calves: smith machine calf raises
Friday: Identical to Monday. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday are rest days.
Four Days a Week
The four day training split allows you to keep session lengths short yet effective. Thereâs always at least two days of rest between working out the same muscle groups. Since lower body days have less exercises, this is where you can fit in additional isolation movements such as ab exercises (even though theyâre technically upper body).
Six Days a Week
The six day training split is ideal for those who:
- Want to be in the gym almost everyday
- Are short on time, but can get in a quick workout almost everyday
Muscles focused on PUSH days:
- Chest
- Triceps
- Shoulders (front and side)
Muscles focused on PULL days:
- Back
- Biceps
- Shoulders (rear)
Muscles focused on LEG days:
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Calves
5. Sets, Reps, Rest Times
How many sets are ideal?
- For maximum muscle growth: Three sets
- For best balance of time, recovery and muscle growth: Two sets
- For time efficiency: One set
Is One Set Enough to Build Muscle?
The short answer: Yes
This is P.D. Mangan, a 68 year old microbiologist who went through an amazing physical transformation by focusing on only one training set and going to failure, twice a week.
How many reps are ideal?
As you can see in the image below, itâs only the final ~5 reps before reaching failure that really matter for stimulating muscle growth.
So whether you choose 5 - 10 reps, 10 - 15 reps, 20 - 30 reps, or any other rep range, theyâre all a means to an end with the final ~5 reps counting the most. These are the general rep ranges that work for most people:
- 5 - 10 or 6 - 12 reps: great for compound movements
- 8 - 12 or 10 - 15 reps: great for isolation movements
Ideal Rest time between sets When youâre performing intense exercises, your muscles utilize internal energy systems to perform these exercises. 3 minutes of rest time between sets allows these energy systems to substantially recover, enabling much more energy to be available for the following sets. 2 - 3 minutes of rest tends to be a good amount of time to aim for between sets, especially if youâre training with enough intensity. Without sufficient rest times between sets, you wonât be able to perform subsequent sets at your optimal ability, resulting in reduced stimulus for muscle growth.
6. Summary (Putting It All Together)
To summarize, here are the steps to building an effective workout program:
- Select one exercise from each of the primary compound movements
- Choose any isolation movements to add into your workout program (optional)
- Choose a training split that fits your schedule
- Choose your preferred number of sets, rep ranges and rest times.
- Use an app such as Strong or Alpha Progression to track your workouts for progressive overload
- Train in accordance with the 4 principles of muscle growth
- Stay consistent with all the above and over time youâll build an impressive physique.
It typically takes years (on average 3 - 5 years, all the way up to 10 years) of training consistently to build a physique like many of the natural fitness influencers you see online
7. How To Stay Motivated
Staying motivated is a hugely underrated topic when it comes to consistently going to the gym. In order to stay motivated, itâs essential to find your WHY - a powerful enough purpose where on the days that youâre feeling lazy, your WHY is strong enough to overcome the laziness. For me, this is understanding sarcopenia.
Witnessing friends and family who have constantly aching knees, are unable to walk unassisted or stand up on their own is terrifying to me. I donât want to wait until that becomes my reality before I start trying to reverse the effects of sarcopenia. For some people, having a strong purpose that theyâre working towards is enough motivation. However, Iâve noticed that a higher number of people who stay consistent in the gym have something theyâre intentionally moving AWAY from:
- Moving away from obesity/diabetes
- Moving away from sarcopenia
- Moving away from mobility issues/pain
- Moving away from a look theyâre not happy with
- Etc
When Iâm in the gym, Iâm moving further away from sarcopenia. When I skip gym, Iâm moving closer towards the negative impacts of sarcopenia. Dedicate time towards figuring out your WHY - itâs the fuel thatâll keep you consistent with going to the gym.
Related Posts
On this page
- The Ultimate Workout Blueprint: How to Build a Program Tailored to You
- Topics Weâll Be Exploring
- 1. Basic Understanding of Muscle Groups
- 2. The Six Primary Movements
- Vertical Push
- Vertical Pull
- Horizontal Push
- Horizontal Pull
- Leg Press/Squat Variation
- Hip Hinge
- 3. Isolation Exercises
- 4. Training Splits (When To Train & Rest)
- Two Days a Week
- Three Days a Week
- Four Days a Week
- Six Days a Week
- 5. Sets, Reps, Rest Times
- 6. Summary (Putting It All Together)
- 7. How To Stay Motivated
- Related Posts