Tired of spending hours in the gym without getting the results you want? Following this 4-days-per-week split workout routine you’ll not lose your precious time. This extremely effective training program is designed to be performed at home, using basic home gym equipment and your own body weight.
A mass building routine that features a great combination of effective compound movements (using free weights and body weight) along with intense, high impact supersets and giant sets.
Basic information about this 4-days-per-week split workout routine
- Workout type: 4-day split program. A 4-day split entails training the entire body over the course of four workouts.
- Location: Home gym training (or at the gym)
- Equipment required: Power tower fitness station, free weights (dumbbells, barbell), exercise bench, squat rack, exercise band
- Main goal: Build muscle (muscle hypertrophy)
- Days per week: 4
- Program duration: 8 weeks
- Training level: Intermediate to advanced exercisers (not suitable for beginners) due to use of supersets and giant sets.
- Intensity: Choose the heaviest weight that allows you to complete all of the prescribed repetitions without compromising the proper technique. In other words, your main goal is to lift weights that are heavy enough so that you reach muscle failure after each set (you start to struggle with the last two reps in a set). Experiment.
- # of sets and repetitions: As prescribed for each exercise
- Notes: Cardio in this program refers to a low-intensity steady-state cardio (30-40 minutes). High-intensity cardio refers to HIIT cardio – involves intervals of high-intensity exercise – at a rate near 90% MHR – followed by intervals of slower-paced active recovery (15-20 minutes).
Advantages & disadvantages of this training program
| ADVANTAGES | DISADVANTAGES |
|---|---|
| Greater volume | Average strength gains |
| Greater overall "pump" | Less recovery |
| More muscle specialization | More central nervous system fatigue |
| More isolation exercises | Not preferred method for ectomorphs |
| Greater structure for hypertrophy | Higher volume |
| Favorite of endomorph and mesomorph body type | Greater chance of overtraining |
Training schedule
- DAY 1: Chest, back, traps, and abs day
- DAY 2: Quads and calves day
- DAY 3: Shoulders and triceps day
- DAY 4: Hamstrings, back, and biceps day
Sample 4-days-per-week split workout routine for building mass
| WORKOUT 1 - CHEST, BACK, TRAPS, ABS | ||
|---|---|---|
| EXERCISE TYPE | EXERCISE | SETS X REPETITIONS |
| Chest superset* | A1) Barbell bench press | 4 x 6 |
| A2) Dumbbell incline fly | 4 x 15 | |
| Back superset | B1) Barbell supine row | 4 x 8 |
| B2) Eccentric pullup (take 3 seconds to lower) | 4 x 10 | |
| Chest exercise | C) Dumbbell bench press | 3 x 10 |
| Back/traps superset | D1) Dumbbell single-arm row | 3 x 15 to 20 each arm |
| D2) Barbell shrug | 3 x 20 | |
| Abs superset | E1) Hanging leg raise | 5 x 15 to 20 |
| E2) Supine floor reverse crunch | 5 x 15 to 20 | |
| *Supersets consist of putting two different exercises together without taking a break. Perform the exercise pairs (marked "A1" and "A2") as supersets, so you'll complete one set of A1 and then A2 without taking any rest in between. Repeat untill all sets are complete. The same applies to exercises marked as B1&B2, D1&D2, and E1&E2. | ||
| WORKOUT 2 - QUADS AND CALVES | ||
|---|---|---|
| EXERCISE TYPE | EXERCISE | SETS X REPETITIONS |
| Calf superset | A1) Donkey calf raise | 4 x 20 |
| A2) Jump rope | 4 x 30 seconds | |
| Bilateral exercise | B) Barbell squat | 4 x 15, 12, 10, 8 |
| Quads superset | C1) Barbell front squat | 3 x 8, 6, 4 |
| C2) Dumbbell split squat | 3 x 5 each leg forward (3 seconds eccentric) | |
| Quads finisher | D) Dumbbell walking lunge | 2 x 20 steps |
| *Supersets consist of putting two different exercises together without taking a break. Perform the exercise pairs (marked "A1" and "A2") as supersets, so you'll complete one set of A1 and then A2 without taking any rest in between. Repeat untill all sets are complete. The same applies to exercises marked as C1&C2. | ||
| WORKOUT 3 - SHOULDERS AND TRICEPS | ||
|---|---|---|
| EXERCISE TYPE | EXERCISE | SETS X REPETITIONS |
| Shoulder pushing exercise | A) Barbell standing military press | 4 x 6 |
| Shoulder exercise | B) Dumbbell Arnold press | 3 x 8 |
| Shoulder giant set | C1) Dumbbell seated press | 3 x 8 |
| C2) Dumbbell front raise | 3 x 10 | |
| C3) Dumbbell rear deltoid raise | 3 x 12 | |
| C4) Exercise band pull apart | 3 x 15 to 20 | |
| Triceps superset | D1) Barbell close-grip bench press | 4 x 6 |
| D2) Lying EZ bar overhead extension (skullcrusher) | 4 x 10 to 12 | |
| Triceps finisher | E) Parallel dip | 3 x 30 |
| *Giant sets are similar to supersets – they involve any number of sets of exercises performed one after the other with recovery between each giant set. For more information read the article about the weight training systems. | ||
| WORKOUT 4 - HAMSTRINGS, BACK, AND BICEPS | ||
|---|---|---|
| EXERCISE TYPE | EXERCISE | SETS X REPETITIONS |
| Total body | A) Trap bar deadlift | 4 x 6 |
| Back/hamstring superset | B1) Barbell stiff-legged deadlift | 3 x 12 |
| B2) Chinup | 3 x 4 | |
| Back/hamstring superset | C1) Barbell romanian deadlift | 3 x 15 |
| C2) Glute ham raise | 3 x 8 | |
| Biceps superset | D1) Dumbbell standing hammer curl | 4 x 10 |
| D2) Barbell reverse-grip curl | 4 x 12 | |
There are numerous ways to work the 4-day split into your week. Choose one of the following options that best fits your daily rhythm (we recommend option A: Alternate work/rest days)
| Sample Configuration for 4-Day Bodybuilding Training Split | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day/Organization | A. Alternating work/rest days | B. 4 days on, 2 day off, repeat | C. 2 days on, 2 days off, repeat |
| Allows for a greater volume of training | Allows for a greater balance of training and recovery | Allows for greater recovery | |
| Monday | Workout 1, Cardio | Workout 1 + High-intensity cardio | Workout 1, Cardio |
| Tuesday | Rest | Workout 2 + Cardio | Workout 2 + High-intensity cardio |
| Wednesday | Workout 2, High-intensity cardio | Workout 3 | Rest |
| Thursday | Rest | Workout 4, High-intensity cardio | Rest |
| Friday | Workout 3 | Rest | Workout 3, Cardio |
| Saturday | Workout 4, High-intensity cardio | Rest | Workout 4 + High-intensity cardio |
| Sunday | Rest | Workout 1.... start rotating again.... | Rest on Sunday & Monday... then start rotating over |
