Workout Programs

The classic barbell 5×5: three sessions a week, two alternating workouts and a little more weight every time.

Few lifts, fast progress: three sets of five on squats, presses and pulls, with the weight going up every session.

Four sessions a week, each with a heavy main lift for 5×3, a volume lift for 3×10 and a light accessory for 3×15.

Squat, bench press and deadlift three times a week: a heavy day for each lift plus the accessories that drive them.

Four sessions a week: two upper-body and two lower-body days, one heavy and one higher-rep in each pair.

Three workouts split by movement: pushing muscles, pulling muscles and legs. Run the cycle once a week, or twice for six days.

The classic mass split: chest and triceps, back and biceps, legs and shoulders. Each group once a week with plenty of volume.

Four days: chest and triceps, back and biceps, legs, shoulders and abs. More exercises per muscle than a 3-day split.

Five sessions a week: chest, back, shoulders, legs, arms. Lots of volume for one muscle per session, then a week to recover.

The whole body in every session, three times a week, three different days. Simple free-weight and machine exercises.

Two full-body sessions a week for when time is short. Compound lifts and a few more sets each.

One full-body workout on machines only: a guided path, simple setup, safe to start without a coach.

Three sessions a week with a glute and leg focus plus an upper-body day — for strength and a toned look.

Three sessions a week: a full-body strength circuit and 15–20 minutes of cardio at the end. Keeps muscle while fat comes off.

Four chest exercises: barbell bench press, incline dumbbell press, chest dips and cable crossovers.

Width and thickness: pull-ups, barbell rows, lat pulldowns, cable rows and back extensions.

A complete leg day: barbell squats, Romanian deadlifts, leg press, split squats, leg curls and calves.

All three delt heads: overhead press, lateral raises, reverse flyes and face pulls, plus shrugs for the traps.

Barbell, dumbbells and cables: close-grip bench, barbell curls, skull crushers, hammer curls and pushdowns.

Weighted ab work: hanging leg raises, cable crunches, ab wheel and side planks — for a strong, defined core.

15 minutes on a mat: crunches, reverse crunches, planks and dead bugs — the whole core and obliques with no equipment.

A tough no-equipment ab circuit: jackknife sit-ups, mountain climbers, scissor kicks, oblique crunches and shoulder-tap planks, 3–4 rounds.

Three bodyweight sessions a week: squats, push-ups, lunges, bridges, supermans and planks.

A gentle start: six simple bodyweight moves, 20 minutes, three times a week. Incline push-ups, squats, bridges and planks.

Bridges, lunges, kickbacks and leg raises: everything to load the gluteus maximus and medius at home, three times a week.

A 25-minute no-equipment interval circuit: burpees, jumps, mountain climbers and planks — high heart rate, every muscle working.

A pair of dumbbells and a mat: three full-body sessions a week — squats, presses, rows and Romanian deadlifts.

A four-day split with just dumbbells and a bench: two upper-body days, two leg-and-glute days. Muscle growth at home.

An arm workout with dumbbells in supersets: biceps curls, hammer curls, extensions and close-grip push-ups.

A set of bands instead of a gym: squats, presses, rows, shoulders and arms — a workout you can take anywhere.

One kettlebell for strength and conditioning: swings, goblet squats, rows, presses, thrusters and Turkish get-ups.

Three times a week: scapular pull-ups, band-assisted pull-ups, inverted rows and max attempts — your first clean reps in 6–8 weeks.

Push-ups three times a week: incline, standard, close-grip and feet-elevated — and more reps every week.

15 minutes of full-body stretching: back, hips, hamstrings, shoulders and calves. In the morning or after training.