Beginner Hypertrophy Workout
This workout will be a great starting place for someone looking to get into lifting for the first time with the goal of putting on more muscle size. Examples of all exercises will be shown in videos in the Digital Video Library. This workout plan is an example of a “Push-Pull-Legs” split, meaning one day per week you will do primarily pushing motions, another day will be primarily pulling motions, and the final day will be primarily legs. All other days of the week will be reserved for rest and recovery. Each day will start with 1-3 “compound” exercises (which involve multiple muscle groups), followed by a few accessory exercises (which are typically designed to focus on only one specific muscle).
In this workout, I will be referencing percentages of your 1-repetition max (% 1RM). This refers to the weight you will be using for the exercise. For example, if the workout calls for using 75% of 1RM, and the heaviest weight you could safely lift one time with perfect form is 100 lbs, then you would use 75 lbs for the workout. If you do not know your 1-repetition max, please DO NOT try to figure this out alone as a new lifter! I would recommend starting with a weight that you are confident that you could lift for double the recommended number of repetitions. For example, if the workout calls for sets of 10 repetitions, select a weight that you could confidently do 20 times in a row without rest.
Day 1 (Push):
Flat Bench Press (Barbell)
3 sets of 10 reps
65-70% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Inclined Bench Press (Dumbbell)
3 sets of 10 reps
65-70% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Seated Shoulder Press (Dumbbell)
3 sets of 10 reps
65% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Lateral Deltoid Raises (Dumbbell)
3 sets of 12 reps
60% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Triceps Pushdowns (Cable)
3 sets of 12 reps
65% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Day 2 (Pull):
Dead Lifts (Barbell)
4 sets of 8 reps
50% 1RM (focus on perfection with form)
2 minutes of rest between each set
Lat pulldowns (Cable)
4 sets of 10 reps
65-70% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Bent-over Rows (Barbell)
3 sets of 12 reps
65% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Rear-Deltoid Fly’s (Dumbbell)
3 sets of 10 reps
60% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Seated Bicep Curls (Dumbbells)
3 sets of 10 reps
60-65% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Day 3 (Legs):
Back Squats (Barbell)
4 sets of 10 reps
65-70% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Romanian Dead Lifts (Barbell)
3 sets of 10 reps
65-70% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Seated Quad Extensions (Machine)
3 sets of 12 reps
65% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Seated Hamstring Curls (Machine)
3 sets of 12 reps
65% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Calf Raises (Machine)
3 sets of 10 reps
65-70% 1RM
90 seconds of rest between each set
Every week, if you were able to successfully complete the lifts at the weight you selected, increase the weight you used by the smallest available margin. Try to ensure you have at least one recovery day between each lift day to ensure proper muscular recovery.