Best bodybuilding workout routine for muscle growth

I remember walking into the gym for the first time and having no clue what to do. I wandered around, tried a few machines, lifted some weights, and went home feeling confused. That went on for months. I made some small changes to my body, but nothing worth writing home about. The problem was simple. I did not have a real bodybuilding workout routine that actually worked.

Most people make the same mistake. They think going to the gym and lifting random weights will build muscle. That is like trying to bake a cake by throwing flour and eggs into a bowl and hoping for the best. You need a plan. You need structure. You need a system that forces your muscles to grow.

What Makes a Real Bodybuilding Workout Routine Different

A bodybuilding workout routine focuses on one thing only. Making your muscles bigger and more defined. This is different from powerlifting where you only care about lifting heavy weights. This is different from crossfit where you care about speed and endurance. Bodybuilding is about muscle size, shape, and symmetry.

Here is what matters most in any good bodybuilding workout routine

Volume means the total amount of work you do. Too little volume and your muscles have no reason to grow. Too much volume and you break down more than you can repair
Frequency means how often you train each muscle group. Hitting each muscle twice per week works better than once per week for most people
Progressive overload means making the workout harder over time. You must lift more weight or do more reps or add more sets as weeks go by

Many people jump between different programs every few weeks. That is a huge mistake. Your body needs time to adapt to a bodybuilding workout routine. Switching things up too often means you never give any method enough time to work.

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The Full Body Bodybuilding Workout for Beginners

If you are new to lifting weights, start with a full body bodybuilding workout. This means you train your entire body in each workout. You do this three days per week with at least one rest day between sessions.

Why does this work so well for beginners? Your muscles recover faster when you are new to training. You also need more practice with the basic lifts. Doing the same exercises more often helps you learn proper form much faster than training each muscle only once per week.

Here is a sample full body bodybuilding workout routine

Workout A

Squats or leg press machine
Bench press with barbell
Bent over rows with barbell
Overhead press with dumbbells
Leg curls for hamstrings
Bicep curls with barbell
Tricep pushdowns on cable machine

Workout B

Deadlifts or Romanian deadlifts
Incline dumbbell press
Pull ups or lat pulldowns
Lateral raises for side shoulders
Leg extensions for quads
Hammer curls for biceps
Skull crushers for triceps

This full body bodybuilding workout routine works great for the first six months of training. You will build a solid foundation of muscle and learn how to perform each lift correctly.

The Muscle Building Workout Routine for Intermediate Lifters

Most intermediate lifters do best with an upper lower split. You train upper body one day, lower body the next day, rest, then repeat. This lets you hit each muscle group twice per week while giving enough recovery time between sessions.

Here is a weekly schedule that works well

Monday - Upper Body Focus

Barbell bench press
Pull ups
Overhead press
Chest supported rows
Lateral raises
Bicep curls
Tricep extensions

Tuesday - Lower Body Focus

Barbell squats
Romanian deadlifts
Leg press machine
Walking lunges
Seated leg curls
Standing calf raises

Wednesday - Rest Day

Thursday - Upper Body Focus Different Exercises

Incline dumbbell press
Close grip pulldowns
Seated dumbbell press
Face pulls
Rear delt flyes
Preacher curls
Overhead tricep extensions

Friday - Lower Body Focus Different Exercises

Deadlifts
Front squats or hack squats
Hip thrusts
Leg extensions
Lying leg curls
Seated calf raises

Saturday and Sunday - Rest Days

Each exercise gets four sets. The rep ranges change based on the exercise. Compound lifts like bench press and squats work well with six to eight reps. Isolation lifts like bicep curls and leg extensions work better with ten to fifteen reps.

The 12 Week Bodybuilding Program for Serious Gains

A proper 12 week bodybuilding program takes you from where you are now to a much stronger and more muscular version of yourself. Twelve weeks is enough time to see real changes but short enough to stay focused without burning out.

Here is how to structure your 12 week bodybuilding program

Weeks One to Four - Foundation Phase

Focus on learning perfect form on every exercise
Use weights where you can comfortably do ten to twelve reps
Do not train to failure on any set
Build the habit of showing up consistently

Weeks Five to Eight - Volume Phase

Increase your sets from three to four per exercise
Lower your reps to eight to ten with heavier weight
Take the last set of each exercise to failure
Add one drop set on your last exercise of each body part

Weeks Nine to Twelve - Intensity Phase

Keep four sets per exercise
Lower reps to six to eight with even heavier weight
Take every set close to failure
Add forced reps or partial reps on your final set

Rest is fair as critical as preparing. Your body builds muscle whereas you rest, not whereas you lift. Get seven to nine hours of quality rest each night amid this 12 week working out program. Hold back on rest and you hold back on picks up.

The 7 Day Gym Workout Plan for Dedicated Lifters

Some people love training every day. If that sounds like you, a 7 day gym workout plan might work well. But let me be clear. Training seven days per week is not for everyone. Most people get better results from four or five days of hard training and two or three days of active recovery.

If you want to try a 7 day gym workout plan, here is a smart way to do it without burning out

Day	Focus	Intensity	Duration
Monday	Push muscles chest, shoulders, triceps	High	60 minutes
Tuesday	Pull muscles back, biceps, rear delts	High	60 minutes
Wednesday	Legs quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves	High	60 minutes
Thursday	Push muscles different exercises	Medium	45 minutes
Friday	Pull muscles different exercises	Medium	45 minutes
Saturday	Legs different exercises	Medium	45 minutes
Sunday	Arms and shoulders isolation work	Low	30 minutes

This 7 day gym workout plan works because you alternate between high intensity days and lower intensity days. Your push, pull, legs split on Monday through Wednesday hits everything hard. Thursday through Saturday uses lighter weights and different movement patterns. Sunday gives you a light pump session without breaking down much muscle tissue.

The Weekly Bodybuilding Workout Schedule That Most People Should Follow

After trying many different schedules, I believe most people get the best results from a weekly bodybuilding workout schedule that looks like this

Monday - Chest and Triceps

Barbell bench press
Incline dumbbell press
Chest fly machine
Close grip bench press
Tricep pushdowns
Overhead tricep extensions

Tuesday - Back and Biceps

Deadlifts or rack pulls
Pull ups or lat pulldowns
Seated cable rows
Face pulls
Barbell curls
Incline dumbbell curls

Wednesday - Rest Day

Thursday - Shoulders and Legs

Overhead press
Lateral raises
Rear delt flyes
Barbell squats
Romanian deadlifts
Leg press machine

Friday - Rest Day

Saturday - Full Body Pump

Light squats
Light bench press
Light rows
Bicep curls
Tricep extensions
Calf raises

Sunday - Rest Day

This weekly bodybuilding workout schedule gives you three hard training days and one lighter day. Each muscle group gets trained twice per week. Your hard days on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday push heavy weights. Your Saturday pump session gets blood flowing into the muscles without causing much damage.

The Push Pull Legs Bodybuilding Routine Explained

The push pull legs bodybuilding routine is one of the most popular splits for good reason. It makes sense. You train all the pushing muscles together on push day. You train all the pulling muscles together on pull day. You train your legs on leg day.

Here is what each day looks like in a push pull legs bodybuilding routine

Push Day muscles that push weight away from your body

Chest
Front and side shoulders
Triceps

Pull Day muscles that pull weight toward your body

Back muscles
Rear shoulders
Biceps

Leg Day lower body muscles

Quads
Hamstrings
Glutes
Calves

The beauty of this push pull legs bodybuilding routine is how well it manages recovery. Your pushing muscles rest while you train pulling muscles. Your pulling muscles rest while you train legs. Your legs rest while you train pushing muscles again. Everything gets enough rest between sessions.

Here are sample exercises for each day of the push pull legs bodybuilding routine

Push Day Exercises

Barbell bench press
Incline dumbbell press
Overhead press
Lateral raises
Tricep pushdowns
Dips or close grip bench

Pull Day Exercises

Deadlifts or rack pulls
Pull ups to the front
Seated cable rows
Face pulls
Barbell curls
Hammer curls

Leg Day Exercises

Barbell squats
Romanian deadlifts
Leg press machine
Walking lunges
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Standing calf raises
Seated calf raises

Most people do very well on this push pull legs bodybuilding routine for years. You can adjust the exercise selection every eight to twelve weeks to keep things interesting. Change incline press to decline press. Swap barbell rows for t bar rows. Replace squats with front squats. Small changes prevent boredom while still following the same proven structure.

How to Keep Progressing With Any Bodybuilding Workout Routine

The biggest mistake I see in the gym is people doing the same weights for months and wondering why they look the same. Your body adapts quickly to stress. If you give it the same stress every week, it stops changing. You must make the workouts harder over time.

Here is how to keep progressing with your bodybuilding workout routine

Add two and a half or five pounds to upper body lifts each week
Add five or ten pounds to lower body lifts each week
If you cannot add weight, add one more rep with the same weight
If you cannot add a rep, add one more set
If you cannot add a set, decrease your rest time between sets

After eight to twelve weeks on any bodybuilding workout routine, take a deload week. Cut your weights in half and do half the usual sets. Let your joints and connective tissue recover. Come back the next week feeling fresh and strong. This is how you train for years without getting hurt.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bodybuilding Workout Routines

Can I build muscle training only three days per week?

Yes, three days per week works very well especially for beginners and intermediate lifters. A full body bodybuilding workout routine done three times weekly produces excellent results. The key is training hard on those three days and recovering properly on your rest days. Many people actually build more muscle on three days than five days because they train with more intensity.

Should I train to failure on every set?

No, training to failure on every set will burn you out quickly. Take your last set of each exercise to failure. Stop your earlier sets one or two reps before failure. This approach gives you enough intensity to trigger growth without frying your nervous system. Save true failure sets for your final exercise of each body part.

How long should my workouts last?

Yes, you ought to do a few cardio for heart wellbeing and recuperation. Two to three sessions of thirty minutes per week works well. Do moo affect cardio like strolling on an slant treadmill, utilizing the curved machine, or riding a stationary bicycle. Do your cardio after weight preparing or on isolated days. Doing cardio some time recently lifting tires out your muscles and decreases how much weight you can lift.

What if I miss a workout?

Missing one workout will not ruin your progress. Do not try to make up for it by training twice the next day or skipping your rest day. Just continue your bodybuilding workout routine as scheduled. If you miss several workouts, deload for a week then start again where you left off. Life happens. The key is getting back on track without punishing yourself.

Can I do cardio with my bodybuilding workout routine?

Final Thoughts on Building Your Bodybuilding Workout Routine

The best bodybuilding workout routine is the one you really take after. All the favor programs in the world cruel nothing if you do not appear up and do the work. Choose one schedule from this article. Adhere with it for twelve weeks. Track your advance. Eat sufficient nourishment. Rest well. Do those basic things and you will construct more muscle than ninety percent of individuals in the exercise center.