Advanced5 days/weekFull gym

5-Day Bodybuilding Split

A dedicated day for every muscle group. Maximum focus, maximum pump.

Days per week: 5
Session length: ~60 min
Equipment: Full gym
Experience: Advanced
Goal: Build muscle
Run it for: 8–12 weeks

Import this program into Progress

Don't have the Progress: Workout Tracker app yet? You're missing out!

Import this program on your phone

Scan the code to open this page on your phone, then tap Import. Progress loads every workout, set and rep for you.

Download on theApp Store GET IT ONGoogle Play

Overview

A classic body-part split: chest, back, legs, shoulders and arms each get their own session. The high volume per session and wide exercise variety suit experienced lifters chasing size and detail.

Large muscles are trained once a week with a lot of volume, and smaller muscles also get indirect work on other days. Chest days work your triceps, for example, and back days work your biceps.

Who it's for

Experienced lifters (1–2+ years) focused on muscle size
People who enjoy high-volume, single-muscle sessions
Anyone who can train five days a week consistently

Not ideal if…

Beginners and early intermediates, who grow faster training each muscle 2–3 times a week
People who often miss sessions, since a missed day means a muscle goes untrained for two weeks

Weekly schedule

Chest Monday, Back Tuesday, Legs Wednesday, Shoulders Thursday, Arms Friday, then two rest days.

MonChest
TueBack
WedLegs
ThuShoulders
FriArms
SatRest
SunRest

The workouts

Chest

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell bench press	4	8
Incline dumbbell press	3	10
Seated chest press machine	3	12
Low cable fly	3	15
Machine tricep dip	3	12

Back

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Pull-up	4	8
Barbell row	4	8
Seated cable row	3	12
Cable straight-arm pulldown	3	15
Dumbbell shrug	3	12

Legs

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell back squat	4	8
Romanian deadlift	3	10
Leg press	3	12
Leg extension	3	15
Lying leg curl	3	12
Standing calf raise	4	12

Shoulders

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Seated dumbbell shoulder press	4	10
Dumbbell lateral raise	4	15
Cable rear delt fly	3	15
Cable upright row	3	12
Face pull	3	15

Arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell curl	3	10
Barbell close-grip bench press	3	8
Incline dumbbell curl	3	12
Cable overhead triceps extension	3	12
Hammer curl	3	12
Triceps rope pushdown	3	15

How to run it

Warm up: 5 minutes of light cardio, then 2–3 lighter warm-up sets of the first exercise, building up to your working weight. Later exercises usually need just one lighter set.
Choosing a weight: Use a weight you could lift for 2–3 more reps than the target. The last set should feel hard, but your form shouldn't break down. Spend the first week or two a little lighter while you learn the movements.
Rest between sets: About 2 minutes on the first exercise of each day; 60–90 seconds on everything else.
Progression: Use double progression: keep the weight until you hit the top of the rep range on every set, then add weight and drop back to the bottom of the range. Track every set; at this volume, small weekly gains add up. In Progress, Progressive Reps is already on for pull-up: each time you hit the target on every set, the next session's target goes up by one rep.
How long to run it: Follow it for 8–12 weeks, as long as you keep making progress. If most of your lifts stall for two weeks in a row, take an easier week at about 60% of your usual weights, then keep going.
Track every session: Write down the weight and reps for every set. You need last session's numbers to know what to do today, and seeing them climb is the best motivation there is.

Tips

Take the last set of each exercise to failure, and keep earlier sets 1–2 reps short.
Control the lowering phase on every rep. Volume only builds muscle if the reps are good ones.
Eat in a small calorie surplus with plenty of protein. A high-volume split runs on food and sleep.

Questions

Is once a week per muscle enough?

For advanced lifters running high volume per session, yes. Many muscles also get indirect work on other days. If you are not growing, a 4-day upper/lower or 6-day PPL raises frequency.

Where is cardio?

Add 2–3 sessions of 20–30 minutes of easy cardio on rest days or after training, if your goals call for it.

Can I move the days around?

Yes, but avoid back and legs on consecutive days if Romanian deadlifts or rows leave your lower back tired.

Start this program today