• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
NOOB GAINS

NOOB GAINS

Learn To Build Muscle

  • Blog
  • About
  • Programs
  • Tools
  • FREE Course
Home / Workouts

Killer 5-Day Workout Split for Advanced Muscle Gains

February 16, 2023 By Daniel Louwrens

This page may contain affiliate links. We earn commissions when you purchase through these links. Learn more
5 day workout split image

The 5-day workout split, in my opinion, is the best you’ll come across. It leaves plenty of time to rest (and do other stuff) while still giving you enough room to build a ton of mass.

Get My FREE “Rapid Muscle” Course
For 10 years I’ve helped beginners build muscle fast.
Follow this plan to unleash quick, noticeable muscle gains.

But how do you actually program this? And which days should follow which?

Keep reading while I answer that question and so many more.

Killer 5-Day Workout Split Overview

Why did I open this article with rest time? Isn’t the goal of training to train? Well, yes. However, you’re never going to grow if you don’t rest enough. Rest is just one of the five most important parts of any training plan:

  • Training volume (how much you’re exercising)
  • Nutrition and hydration (food quantity and quality)
  • Stress levels (at home and at work)
  • Sleep and recovery (this includes everything you’re doing outside of the gym)
  • (If you’re so inclined) Supplementation

As you can see, every single section on this list plays a huge role. All of them can be manipulated except for sleep, recovery, and stress management. Failure to do so will only lead to poor recovery, increased cortisol, fat gain, muscle loss, and even hormonal damage.

This is why the 5-day split can work beautifully — 2 rest days per week!

  • Fitness level: Advanced
  • Duration: 16 weeks
  • Workouts per week: 5 workouts per week
  • Average workout duration: 60 – 75 minutes
  • Equipment needed: Full gym
  • Goal: Build muscle

Special Considerations For Newbies

As you can see, this plan has been developed for advanced people. Now, this doesn’t mean that inexperienced lifters can’t use the plan, but you might wanna make some changes.

Inexperienced lifters typically need less volume compared to more experienced folk. So if you’ve been training for fewer than 12 months, you can reduce the volume by 20 – 30%.

If you train close to failure (within three reps) too often, you run the risk of injury. As a beginner, only take some of your sets that are close to failure — but definitely not each one.

What’s the Point of This 16-Week Program Anyway?

You may have also noticed the plan is a whopping 16 weeks long. Those that have built a decent amount of mass know that this is how long physiological adaptations actually take. It takes weeks to build the neuro-movement patterns to actually get good at a movement.

With that said, the program has also been developed with the sole goal of gaining muscle mass.

Does that mean it’s inaccessible to those dieting? Yes, it does.

When calories are reduced (like when you’re dieting), your recovery capabilities are shot. Thus, you should be in a calorie surplus or at least at maintenance.

A Quick Look at the Weekly Schedule

Now that all the boring parts are out of the way, we can move on to the actual lifting program.

You’ll be lifting 5 days per week:

Day of the WeekWorkout
MondayPush and Quads (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, and Quads)
TuesdayPull and Hamstrings (Lats, Upper Back, Biceps, and Hamstrings)
WednesdayOFF
ThursdayUpper (Chest, Shoulders, Lats, and Upper Back)
FridayLower (Legs)
SaturdayArms and Core (Biceps, Triceps, and Abs) 
SundayOFF

5-Day Split Schedule & Details

The way the schedule is set up allows us to hit muscles two or even three times per week. This is quite high frequency, meaning the volume over the week has to be lowered by decreasing the volume per session.

This, in turn, means we get to train really, really hard. We’ll be using an RPE scale and a Reps in Reserve (RIR) scale as well.

This will tell you exactly how hard and close to failure a set needs to be. Not all of the sets will be to failure, and the volume over time will not remain the same.

There are two distinct phases to this plan:

  • Phase 1 will take place from week 1 to week 8. In this phase, the goal is to chase reps, not weight. You’ll chase the upper limit of the rep scheme, and when you hit that number on all of your sets (for a particular exercise), then — and only then — can you increase the load.
  • Phase 2 is the exact opposite. You’ll be chasing weight, and you’ll be using lifting techniques that’ll make you feel like crap. The goal here is to push your body to the absolute limit. Take great care to recover enough during this time, or it can come back to bite you in the butt.

Overall, we’re trying to apply progressive overload in any way we can. This is done via mechanical tension. So whether we increase load, reps, or volume, we’re asking more of the muscle. In response, it needs to grow.

Here’s the plan:

Phase 1: The Beginning Phase (Weeks 1 – 8)

Day 1: Push and Quads

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
Low Incline Barbell Press1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
Should be lower than 45 degrees but at least higher than 10
Decline Dumbbell Press1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
3
Can be substituted for declined cable press
Cable Lateral Raises1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
We prefer cables because the tension is a lot better compared to dumbbells 
Rear Delt Reverse Pec Dec1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
3
JM Press1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
Might be tough on the elbows, so substitute with skull crushers if needed
Overhead Rope Tricep Extension1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
3
Leg Extension1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
1
Going really close to failure, so make sure you give each set your all 

Day 2: Pull and Hamstrings

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
Single Arm Pulldown1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
The goal of the exercise is to draw the elbow as close to the base of the spine as you can
Straight Arm Pulldown1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
3
A slight bend in your arms is permitted, but don’t overdo it 
Chest Supported Upper Back Rows1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
Imagine squeezing a piece of paper between your shoulder blades 
Barbell Rows 1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
3
Make sure to wear a belt if you feel your back needs it 
Dumbbell Preacher Curls 1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
Barbell Curls 1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
3
Don’t rock your body (sorry, Justin Timberlake) 
Seated Leg Curls 1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
1
Try not to lift your pelvis from the pad; that’s called cheating (just ask my ex) 

Day 3: Upper

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
Flat Dumbbell Press1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 15
1
1
1
Keep the elbows at 45 degrees between the body and shoulder line
Barbell Upper Back Rows1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
1
Like a normal barbell row, but you’ll pull toward the upper body (Google “Yate Rows”) 
Barbell Overhead Press1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
1
I’d prefer you do these seated in a Smith machine 
Pull-Ups (weighted if you can) 1
2
3
To failure
To failure
To failure
0
0
0
If you can’t do pull-ups yet, a pulldown machine will suffice 
Single Arm Cable Curls (facing away from the machine) 1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
1
1
1
Single Arm Rope Tricep Extension1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
1
1
1

Day 4: Lower

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
Stiff Leg Deadlift 1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 15
1
2
2
Use. A. Fricken. Belt. 
Glute Kickback1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
1
Leg Press1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
2
3
Go nice and deep; the goal is to get the full range of motion on these 
Leg Extensions1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
1
Seated Hamstring Curl1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
1
1
1
Lying Hamstring Curl1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
2
2
2
Try not to lift your pelvis from the pad; that’s called cheating 

Day 5: Arms

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
EZ Bar Curls1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 15
1
1
1
Don’t use motion to rock your body back and forward 
Hammer Curls 1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
Drag Curls 1
2
5 – 8
8 – 10
1
1
You’ll have to Google how to do these 
Rope Tricep Extensions1
2
3
To failure
To failure
To failure
1
2
3
Make sure to extend fully at the top
Close Grip Bench Press1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
1
2
2
Dumbbell Overhead Extensions1
2
5 – 8
8 – 10
1
1

Again, in this phase, the goal is to chase the upper limit of the rep range and only increase the load once you’ve reached it.

Side note: it might be a good idea to log your lifts in a book while in the gym.

Phase 2: Good Luck (Weeks 9 – 16)

Now that you’ve made it to phase 2, the workouts will be changing slightly. This is partly to keep the workouts interesting, but it’s mostly to force continuous adaptation. And because you’ve been training so hard the past few weeks, we might need to train even harder now.

We’ll be using different lifting techniques to eke out as much performance from you as we possibly can, so here are some terms you’ll need to know:

  • A drop set (DS) is simply taking a set to failure on one weight, immediately dropping the weight by 20 – 30%, and then going to failure once again. That’s one single drop set.
  • A rest pause set (RP) means taking a set to complete failure, setting the weight down for 10 seconds, and going to fail once again. This can be done multiple times but will be specified.
  • A giant set (GS) will have you do a large number of reps, typically more than 20, and you’re supposed to use as few sets as you possibly can to get there.
  • A tempo set (TS) means that the tempo of the lift changes. You’ll spend three seconds lowering the weight, one second in the stretched position, three seconds raising the weight, and one second at the top (3/1/3/1).
  • A loaded stretch (LS) is, as the name indicates, a stretch you use on the target muscle using load for 30 seconds.

Now that we have that under the belt, we can finally take a look at how the actual workouts are going to look:

Day 1: Push and Quads

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
High Incline Barbell Press1
2 (GS)
5 – 8
30
1
0
Set 2 is a giant set; Make sure you’re warmed up properly and that you have a spotter 
Dips1
2 (TS)
10 – 15
15 – 20
1
0
Tempo sets can burn a lot, so don’t expect to love them
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0Holding dumbbells in a stretch position on a dumbbell press 
Cable Lateral Raises1
2 (DS)
5 – 8
8 – 16
2
0
For set 2, 16 is the upper limit for the second part of the drop set
Front Raise 1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
1
2
Just straight sets 
JM Press1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
Might be tough on the elbows, so substitute with skull crushers if needed
Overhead Rope Tricep Extension1
2 (RP) 
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
0
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0Holding a cable behind your head to stretch the tricep is a good option (dumbbells also work) 
Leg Extension1
2
3 (RP)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
0
Going really close to failure, so make sure you give each set your all 

Day 2: Pull and Hamstrings

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
Wide Grip Pulldown1
2
3 (DS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 20
2
2
0
The goal of the exercise is to draw the elbow as close to the base of the spine as you can
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
3
Straight sets; don’t rotate the body too much 
Chest Supported Upper Back Rows1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
2
2
2
Imagine squeezing a piece of paper between your shoulder blades 
Chin-ups1 (TS)To failure0Good luck
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0Grab a pull-up bar and stretch one lat at a time 
Dumbbell Preacher Curls 1
2
3 (DS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 20
2
2
0
Barbell Curls 1
2
10 – 15
15 – 20
3
3
Don’t rock your body, no matter what JT says
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0
Seated Leg Curls 1 (TS)
2 (TS)
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
1
Try not to lift your pelvis from the pad

Day 3: Upper

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
Flat Dumbbell Flyes1
2
3 (DS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 20
1
1
0
Keep the elbows at 45 degrees between the body and shoulder lien 
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0
Barbell Upper Back Rows1
2
3 (RP) 
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
0
Like a normal barbell row, but you’ll pull toward the upper body
Barbell Overhead Press1
2
3 (RP)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 20
1
1
0
I’d prefer you do these seated in a Smith machine 
Pull-Ups (weighted if you can) 1
2
3
To failure
To failure
To failure
0
0
0
If you can’t do pull-ups yet, a pulldown machine will suffice 
Single Arm Cable Curls (facing away from the machine) 1
2
3 (TS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
1
1
0
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0
Single Arm Rope Tricep Extension1
2
3 (TS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
1
1
0
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0

Day 4: Lower

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
Glute Bridge1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 15
1
2
2
Best to use a Smith machine when doing these 
Glute Kickback1
2
3 (DS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 20
1
1
0
Leg Press1
2
3 (GS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
30
1
2
0
Again, good luck
Leg Extensions1
2
3 (TS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 12
1
1
1
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0Do the ‘ol classic grab one leg at a time to stretch the quads
Seated Hamstring Curl1
2
3
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
1
1
1
Lying Hamstring Curl1
2
3 (TS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
10 – 14
2
2
2
Try not to lift your pelvis from the pad
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0

Day 5: Arms

Exercise Set(s)RepsRIRNotes
EZ Bar Curls on the Cables1
2
3 (GS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
30
1
1
0
Don’t use motion to rock your body back and forward 
Hammer Curls 1
2
5 – 8
8 – 10
2
0
Reverse Curls1
2 (DS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
1
1
You can either use a straight or EZ bar
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0
Rope Tricep Extensions1
2
3
To failure
To failure
To failure
1
2
3
Make sure to extend fully at the top
Close Grip Bench Press1
2
3 (GS)
5 – 8
8 – 10
30
1
2
0
Dumbbell Overhead Extensions1
2 (DS)
5 – 8
8 – 16
1
0
Loaded Stretch130 seconds0

And there you have it, folks. A full program that has been designed for you to progress leaps and bounds.

FAQ

Now, I know you’re going to be riddled with questions, so let’s address some of them here:

My Gym Doesn’t Have That Machine … What Now?

Simply use Google to find a replacement — something that targets the same muscles and doesn’t shift the load elsewhere.

Should I Be Doing Cardio?

Unless you need it for health or cardio fitness, no. The goal is muscle gain – period. The heavier folks (those of you more than 280lbs) might benefit a lot here, seeing as your cardio fitness might be a limiting factor in some of your lifts.

Should I Take a Deload?

Unless you’re getting weaker week to week, no. You should, however, take one after week 16 is complete. A deload simply means a week where both your volume and load are lowered by 25 – 40%. It’s a time to rest the body, CNS, and mind.

What Should I Do After This Program?

Besides hating giant sets? Anything, really. You can do it again or work on losing some body fat. The choice is yours!

5-Day Split For Maximum Muscle Diet

Speaking of body fat, you’re probably wondering how you should be eating on this plan. Well, as I mentioned before, you should at least be at maintenance calories, but ideally, you’d be in a surplus.

For general purposes, there are some simple rules you would want to follow.

First, you need to eat a certain number of calories, or you run the risk of actually not gaining any muscle at all. You can calculate the number here and add 200 calories or 10% to that, depending on which comes first.

If you’re naturally heavier set, you might want to start at 150. If you know you’re a hard gainer, maybe start at 250.

Once you know the calorie intake, you can calculate your macros. Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and the rest of the calories you can split between fats and carbs as you wish.

Once weight gain stops, simply add another 200 calories or 10% to that, depending on which comes first. You should be gaining 0.5 – 1.0% of your total body weight per week.

Other Diet Tips For Gaining Muscle

Now that the basics are covered, we can look at tips (not rules) for gaining muscle.

  • More carbs around your workout could result in lower cortisol, meaning more gains. Play around with easily digestible carbs and even an Intra-workout shake every now and then.
  • Subbing high-fat proteins instead of leaner options is an easy way to add some extra calories.
  • If you still struggle to get all your calories in, try blending your food. It’s much easier to drink your calories than to eat them.
  • Adding fat to meals in the form of nuts and/or healthy fats is another way to increase calorie intake easily.
  • If your hunger is really bad, try to reduce the amount of fiber and veggies in your diet. This is hardly perfect, but hey, gains?
  • Try cooking more interesting and tastier food. Instead of eating chicken and rice, try rice noodles with an Asian sauce and stir-fried chicken. If you want to do this for a long time, you’ll have to learn how to cook interesting meals that taste better than just plain chicken and rice.

Other than these small tips, there really isn’t much you should be doing. Do the basics, and do them right.

The Shortcuts to Muscle Gains

… SIKE!

Supa Hot Fire "Sike, that's the wrong number"

There are no real “shortcuts.” So before you ask, the following are not good ideas:

  • Fasting will limit the amount of time you have “nutrition” actually in the body, thereby limiting the ability to grow muscle tissue.
  • Keto diets would work, theoretically. However, it really isn’t advised, as carbs seem to be far better for training and recovery.
  • Staying too lean will only result in limited muscle gain. You should gain some fat mass, but not too much. You should be walking a fine line, but gaining some fat isn’t the end of the world.
  • Only eating junk food and doing a dirty bulk will only lead to fat gain. This can — in turn — lead to inflammation, injuries, and even some mental health issues. Again, try to walk a fine line between staying lean and gaining a bit of pudge.
  • No, you can’t fit all your protein and/or food in one meal. You want to spread them out evenly throughout the day. However, you won’t eat 6 meals per day. Eat as much as you can comfortably. A good rule of thumb is to take total protein and divide it by the number of meals you have. This is the amount of protein you should eat per meal.

3 Workout Split Pros

  1. Progressive overload is still the single best way of actually making progress. Regardless of what influencers will have you believe, a workout like this that encourages you to get stronger is scientifically proven to be the best for muscle gain.
  2. You get a decent amount of variety. Not just in the workout selections but in the lifting techniques and styles as well. Some sets are higher reps, while others are low and heavy. This makes the plan really engaging and exciting to follow.
  3. It was created for a specific population. While this can be seen as a flaw as well, you can’t deny that having a program that has been designed for people in your situation is better than using something that wasn’t designed for someone with the same goals.

2 Workout Split Cons

  1. It’s been specifically designed for more experienced lifters, meaning a large portion of the population will not be able to follow this plan at all.
  2. It definitely isn’t easy. I’m not saying that other programs are easy, but this one has been designed to get you results. That means making some sacrifices in regards to feeling comfortable, doing lighter sessions, or things like that. It’s hard, it’s tough, and you’ll have to make sacrifices for the gains — get used to it.

Killer 5-Day Workout Split Conclusion

Why would you ever want to stick to a 5-day split? Why not stick to a 7-day split, seeing as training more would be better?

Because … you don’t grow while you train. You grow while you sleep and while you rest. You have to get this into your mind that the body can only take so much before it starts biting back.

The body needs nurturing, sleep, food, and plenty of rest. This is why a 5-day split offers the best bang for your buck, as you get to rest for two days per week! In my opinion, even a 6-day split would be too much (if you train hard, of course).

As mentioned at various points in this article, you gotta respect the body and rest as much as you possibly can. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, and try to reduce your overall stress as best you can.

Other than this, eat good food, train hard, and give your best every single session. This may sound “too simple,” but it really is that simple.

There is no magic pill.

Work harder. End.

Filed Under: Workouts Tagged With: bodybuilding workout

About Daniel Louwrens

My name is Daniel Louwrens, and I have been helping people reach their respective fitness goals for the past 8 years. I graduated with a BSc in Chemistry, but found my love and passion in Fitness, Health, and Nutrition. I now coach people online at my own business, but also coach under other businesses such as Sky Calisthenics, Muscle & Brawn, and Lars Fitness.

Primary Sidebar

Get My FREE "Rapid Muscle" Course

Follow this plan to unleash quick, noticeable muscle gains.

I Want This!

Get My FREE 5-Day "Rapid Muscle" Email Course!

Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe.

Copyright © 2023 · Noob Gains

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Service
  • Health Disclaimer
  • Affiliate Disclaimer