5-day gym workout plan to build muscle
This is a full week to build muscle, written for someone with a full gym who can train 5 days. Every exercise links to a step-by-step guide. Rest days are Thursday, Sunday.
Do the sessions in order on the days shown. Warm up first, keep the main lifts heavier and the accessories controlled, and stop anything that feels sharp. This is week one of a four-week block: add a rep or a little weight each week where you can, and take the fourth week lighter.
The week
Monday — Upper Strength
| Warm-up Band Shoulder Warmup |
5 min |
| Main lift Barbell Bench Press |
3 × 6-10 |
| Main lift Assisted Pull-Up |
3 × 6-10 |
| Main lift Barbell Row |
3 × 8-12 |
| Accessory Barbell Overhead Press |
2 × 8-12 |
| Accessory Barbell Curl |
2 × 10-15 |
| Accessory Cable Triceps Pressdown |
2 × 10-15 |
| Cooldown Kettlebell Halo |
2 min |
| Cooldown Thoracic Rotation |
2 min |
| Cooldown Child's Pose |
2 min |
This is structured strength work: clean reps, enough weekly sets, and progression before ego.
Tuesday — Lower Strength
| Warm-up Banded Monster Walk |
5 min |
| Main lift Barbell Back Squat |
4 × 6-10 |
| Main lift Barbell Romanian Deadlift |
4 × 8-10 |
| Accessory Dumbbell Step-Up |
3 × 8-10 each side |
| Accessory Seated Calf Raise |
3 × 12-15 |
| Core Hanging Knee Raise |
1 × 8-12 each side |
| Cooldown Kettlebell Halo |
2 min |
| Cooldown Quad Stretch |
2 min |
| Cooldown Sphinx Hold |
2 min |
This is structured strength work: clean reps, enough weekly sets, and progression before ego.
Wednesday — Push Volume
| Warm-up Band Shoulder Pass-Through |
5 min |
| Main lift Machine Chest Press |
4 × 8-12 |
| Main lift Landmine Press |
3 × 8-12 |
| Accessory Machine Pec Fly |
3 × 10-15 |
| Accessory Barbell Upright Row |
3 × 12-20 |
| Accessory Cable Overhead Triceps |
3 × 12-15 |
| Cooldown Kettlebell Halo |
2 min |
| Cooldown Thoracic Rotation |
2 min |
| Cooldown Pec Corner Stretch |
2 min |
Push day trains chest, shoulders, and triceps with presses first, then smaller accessories after.
Friday — Pull Volume
| Warm-up Band Shoulder Dislocate |
5 min |
| Main lift Single-Arm Landmine Row |
4 × 8-12 |
| Main lift Assisted Pull-Up |
4 × 8-12 |
| Accessory Trap-Bar Shrug |
3 × 12-15 |
| Accessory Cable Curl |
2 × 12-15 |
| Accessory Machine Rear Delt Fly |
2 × 12-15 |
| Cooldown Kettlebell Halo |
2 min |
| Cooldown Overhead Lat Stretch |
2 min |
| Cooldown Upper Back Rounding Stretch |
2 min |
Pull day trains back and biceps from more than one angle: vertical pull, row, rear delts, and arms.
Saturday — Legs Volume + Core
| Warm-up Banded Monster Walk |
5 min |
| Main lift Machine Hack Squat |
4 × 8-12 |
| Accessory Dumbbell Reverse Lunge |
3 × 8-12 each side |
| Main lift Barbell Hip Thrust |
3 × 10-12 |
| Accessory Machine Hamstring Curl |
3 × 12-15 |
| Accessory Seated Calf Raise |
2 × 15-20 |
| Cooldown Kettlebell Halo |
2 min |
| Cooldown Bent-Knee Soleus Stretch |
2 min |
| Cooldown Standing Figure-Four |
2 min |
Leg day balances squat, hinge, single-leg, calves, and core so the lower body gets complete work.
Why it is built this way
- upper lower is what suits 5 days to build muscle: each muscle gets trained more than once a week without any day running long.
- Main lifts come first, while you are fresh. Accessories follow to add volume where the main lift left gaps.
- Sessions are sized to about 45 minutes including the warm-up and cooldown.
This is the plan Daily Coach would build for this profile. In the app it adapts to the gear you actually have, the days you can train, injuries you tell it about, and what you lifted last week — and it rebuilds the week when any of that changes.
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