Intermediate4 days/weekFull gym

4-Day V-Taper Program (Shoulders, Back & Arms)

Build wider shoulders, a wider back and bigger arms.

Days per week: 4
Session length: ~60 min
Equipment: Full gym
Experience: Intermediate
Goal: Build muscle
Run it for: 10–12 weeks

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Overview

The V-taper is the classic aesthetic look: broad shoulders and lats that taper down to a narrow waist. This program prioritizes the muscles that create width: side delts, lats and upper back, plus arms, which fill out a T-shirt.

Three of the four days focus on the upper body. One solid leg day keeps your lower body strong and balanced without taking too much recovery.

Who it's for

Lifters who want a more athletic, aesthetic upper body
Intermediate lifters with lagging shoulders, back or arms
People who can train four days a week

Not ideal if…

Anyone who wants balanced leg development. Try the 4-Day Upper/Lower Split.
Beginners. Build a base with the Beginner 3-Day Full Body first.

Weekly schedule

Back & Width Monday, Legs Tuesday, rest Wednesday, Shoulders & Chest Thursday, Arms & Delts Friday.

MonBack & Width
TueLegs
WedRest
ThuShoulders & Chest
FriArms & Delts
SatRest
SunRest

The workouts

Back & Width

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Pull-up	4	8
Lat pulldown	3	10
Chest-supported dumbbell row	3	10
Cable straight-arm pulldown	3	12
Cable rear delt fly	3	15
Hammer curl	3	12

Legs

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

Shoulders & Chest

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Standing overhead press	4	8
Incline dumbbell press	3	10
Dumbbell lateral raise	4	15
Machine chest fly	3	12
Face pull	3	15
Overhead dumbbell triceps extension	3	12

Arms & Delts

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Cable lateral raise	4	15 per side
Barbell curl	3	10
Barbell close-grip bench press	3	10
Dumbbell incline curl	3	12
Triceps rope pushdown	3	12
Hanging leg raise	3	12

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 pull-ups, presses and squats; 60–90 seconds on everything else.
Progression: Add weight on compound lifts when you hit the target reps on every set. For lateral raises and arm work, add reps until you reach the top of the range, then move up the smallest jump in weight. In Progress, Progressive Reps is already on for pull-up and hanging leg raise: 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 10–12 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

Side delts respond to lots of sets with strict form. Keep lateral raises controlled, stop at shoulder height, and don't swing.
For lat width, think about driving your elbows down to your hips on pull-ups and pulldowns.
A smaller waist helps the V-taper as much as the muscle does. Keeping body fat in check makes the shape pop.

Questions

Is one leg day enough?

For maintaining and slowly building legs, yes, if you train it hard. If legs are a priority, use an upper/lower split instead.

Why are there lateral raises on two days?

Side delts are small, recover quickly and are the key to wider-looking shoulders, so they get trained twice with high reps.

Can women run this program?

Absolutely. Anyone who wants stronger, more defined shoulders, back and arms can use it.

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