Classic Bodybuilding | 8 Week Training Template

This workout program is a great way to help your body prepare for years of progress in the gym. You will be working one muscle group per day with abs added at the end of two sessions.

Running this program for 8 weeks will allow your muscles time to adapt to weight training while increasing strength as the body begins to change.

There are two reasons this program focuses on training one muscle group each day for five days.

1. This program is designed to seriously challenge each muscle group while providing ample rest and recovery periods between training sessions.
2. This program is designed to increase an individual's workout ethic by altering daily routines to get the trainee in the gym 5 days per week.

There is an overlapping effect with the program as well. Shoulders get some work on chest day, biceps get some work on back day, and vice versa.

Choosing Weights

Choose a weight for each exercise that you will struggle with to reach the last rep on the last set. You will use the same weight through each set of an exercise.

As an example - Bench Press requires 4 sets of 5 reps. If you choose 185 pounds for the exercise you should really be struggling on the fourth set as you near the 5th rep.

Increase the weight once you are able to reach the target reps for all sets. don't be surprised if you fail to hit the target reps on the 3rd set either, just keep pushing yourself until you do. Use this process throughout the program.

Rest Between Sets

Try your best to stick to the rest periods listed. Prepare to need a little more time initially.

The times listed are for rest periods between sets. Keep the rest periods between changes of various exercises to two minutes or less except on paired exercises.

Paired Exercises

There are numerous exercise pairs used together throughout the program. This allows similar movements to work together in order to increase the effectiveness and intensity of the exercises.

As an example - Incline and flat hammer presses are paired together using a 60 second rest period. After completing the 2nd set of incline presses you keep the 60 second rest period and then continue with the flat bench hammer presses as if the paired exercises were a fourth set exercise instead of two separate two set exercises.

Exercise pairings such as these are used numerous times in the program.

Workout Outline

• Monday - Chest and Abs
• Tuesday - Back Day
• Wednesday - Leg Day
• Thursday - Shoulder Day
• Friday - Arm Day

Monday is chest day with abs added at the end. Start with heavy bench press before moving on to a paired dumbbell Hammer press exercise.

The Hammer presses are paused for one second at the lowest part of the exercise to ensure proper form and a full stretch. Simply bring the dumbbells down as far as possible, pause for one second, and continue with the exercise. A paired Fly exercise finishes out the pectorals.

You will complete this workout with abs. Hang from a chin-up bar and do two sets of leg lifts, then finish with two sets of twisting knee raises where you alternate a twist as you go up and down. As many as possible with each of the 4 sets on abs!

Tuesday is back day and it's a fun one. Start with heavy bent rows and concentrate on your form. Move on to pull-ups. Keep your grip wide and try to get as many reps with proper form on each set.

The pairing of two grips on the lat pull-downs will help with back width just like the pairing of the one-arm dumbbell rows and seated cable rows will help with the thickness. When performing the one-arm rows, hit one arm immediately after the other and then start your rest period before returning to the first arm.

Heavy barbell shrugs are paired with paused dumbbell shrugs in an attempt to force the trapezoids into growing. Pause with the dumbbells in their up-most position for 5 seconds before lowering the weights to increase time under tension on a difficult muscle.

Wednesday is leg day and that is always a punishing day in the gym. Heavy squats start the training day and are followed by some Romanian deadlifts. Leg presses and lunges follow, and the quads and hamstrings are finished with some leg curls and leg extensions. Any standing and sitting calf machines will work for the calf exercises before the session finally ends.

Thursday is shoulder day and all three groups get some attention. Military presses are the heavy exercise of the day, followed by some Arnold presses for increased attention. Upright rows and lateral raises increase the burn before working some front dumbbell delt raises in.

Lift both dumbbells at the same time during the front delt raises. This will help to get some free core stabilization benefits out of the exercise. Bent reverse flyes paired with bench reverse flyes finish the shoulder session with some rear delt work.

Friday is arm day and it should be painful. Barbell or EZ bar curls allow a heavier weight to be used on the biceps. The close grip bench press will do the same thing with the triceps muscles.

The preacher curls bring the attention back to the biceps before an exercise pairing the triceps shifts the focus again. A bicep burnout pairs 3 exercises to finish the arm part of the daily session. Complete the week with some ab work while hanging from a chin-up bar like Monday's session, except the second exercise is a simple knee up without the twisting motion.

8 Weeks to Better Results

Performing this program for 8 weeks will allow the trainee time to realize progression in both strength and endurance. Visual improvements should begin to show themselves if the program is paired with consistency in the gym and kitchen. Complete the program to allow your body the time to improve itself.

Nailing Down Your Nutrition

Careful attention to proper nutrition will greatly compliment this program by increasing the body's ability to repair itself between sessions. It is strongly advised that you consume at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily while utilizing this program.

Protein powders such as MTS Nutrition Machine Whey are quick and convenient ways to reach your protein goals. Additionally, supplementing with fish oil can help the joints and ligaments with new and/or older trainees.

5 Day Muscle Building Split Workout Routine