8 Week Hypertrophy Training Program
A lot of people get into fitness or working out to look good. Some need to lose fat and drop weight to make that a reality. Others need to focus on hypertrophy or adding muscle size. If the latter applies to you, then you are in the right place because this program will help put on a few quality pounds of muscle and maybe improve your strength.
How it Works
This program can be done in a gym or well-equipped home gym. If you don’t have access to all the equipment, you can find proper substitutions to serve a similar purpose. Remember that if you do train at home and need some extra equipment, you can make that happen right here.
You will train four days a week, with a two-day on, one-day off schedule. The training split will be as follows.
Day 1 - Pull
Day 2 - Push
Day 3 - Off
Day 4 - Legs
Day 5 - Arms and Abs
Day 6 - Off
If you want to add an extra rest day to make it a seven-day schedule, you can, but it is not necessary. Many programs follow a “bro-split” that has one muscle group per day, but this method is a great way to help you get stronger as well. For those who want to walk around without sleeves, we included an arm day so you can devote a workout to the biceps and triceps. Abs are a part of that one, too.
Related: Best Workout Plan for Building Muscle
The Workouts
Many of the exercises in this program are going to be free weights with barbells and dumbbells. You should have access to a pull-up bar, dip bars, and a sturdy squat rack as well. Resistance bands wouldn’t hurt, either.
There are a few bodyweight and machine movements in this as well because machines can help you become a machine, too. For the most part, it will call for a lot of clanging and banging with heavy free weights.
Related: Get yourself a great squat rack HERE!
All the exercises will have you perform three sets. The first one should be of moderate weight so that you can finish the set easily. The second should be more challenging with heavier weight, but you should still get through it. The last one is going to be with the heaviest weight, and I want failure. The reps will be in a rep range, and you must hit failure within that range. If you can do even one rep more, go heavier. If you come up two or more short, lighten the load.
Day 1 - Pull
Most people begin their training weeks with chest, especially on Mondays. That means you should have clear access to the equipment you need for pulling movements. A lot of the movements are going to focus on the back, but there are movements for the rear delts, traps, and the biceps as well. Make sure you warm up everything from head to toe before beginning this. A few minutes of cardio, along with full-body stretching, will serve you well.
One extra note for the pull-ups: If you can’t do them, use a resistance band or an assistant machine in a gym to help you. Do not resort to pulldowns unless you have no other alternative.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Row | 3 | 10-12 | 2 minutes |
| Pull-Up | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| One Arm Row (each arm) | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Rear Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Dumbbell Shrug | 3 | 12-15 | 60 seconds |
| Concentration Curl (each arm) | 3 | 12-15 | 60 seconds |
Day 2 - Push
For the push workout, we are going from the top down during the chest section. We start with incline, work down to flat, and finish with the lower pecs by doing dips. If you need to use extra weight for the dips, make sure you have a dip belt at the ready. Our Advanced Dip Belt will last you a long time if you are in the need for one.
From there, we are moving to the shoulders with Arnold Presses and lateral raises. Last but not least, we top it off with triceps. If you don’t have access to cables, go with resistance bands once again.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 | 2 minutes |
| Low Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Flat Dumbbell Flye | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Dips | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Arnold Press | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Seated Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-12 | 60 seconds |
| Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 10-12 | 60 seconds |
Day 3 - Off
Don’t be afraid to do active recovery by going on a bike ride or hike, but don’t find a reason to go to the weight room. Take the day to not only recover from the last workout but prepare for the next one.
Day 4 - Legs
This is the longest workout of the week, but it is because the legs have the largest muscle groups. You will notice the rep ranges went up here as well. It is an awesome feeling to move big weights on leg day, but we are focusing on quality contractions here. So, lighten the load and slow down. Yes, it will burn, but it will be worth it.
If you need to save time, do the calf work as supersets by transitioning from seated to standing without rest, then rest between supersets.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 3 | 12-15 | 2 minutes |
| Sumo Goblet Squat | 3 | 12-15 | 90 seconds |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 12-15 | 90 seconds |
| Stiff-Legged Deadlift | 3 | 12-15 | 90 seconds |
| Walking Lunge (each leg) | 3 | 12-15 | 90 seconds |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 12-15 | 90 seconds |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 18-20 | 60 seconds |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 18-20 | 60 seconds |
Day 5 - Arms and Abs
Most lifters want to devote a workout to arms, which is why this one has it included. Start with triceps and finish with biceps. The hammer curls will also hit the forearms, but if you want more direct forearm work, you can either use Alpha Grips to make the handles thicker. This will also help you get stronger.
As for the abs, you can do those in superset fashion as you can the calves on leg day if you like. Also, don’t be afraid to do more ab work on other days. If you feel you need more direct work, add them with another session or during a recovery day.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 | 2 minutes |
| One Arm Overhead Extension | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Lying Tricep Extension | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Rope Pressdown | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| EZ-Bar Curl | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| Dumbbell Preacher Curl (each arm) | 3 | 10-12 | 60 seconds |
| Hammer Curl | 3 | 10-12 | 60 seconds |
| Lying Leg Raise | 3 | 20 | 60 seconds |
| Crunches | 3 | 20 | 60 seconds |
Conclusion
If you follow this program every week for eight weeks and pair it up with a sound nutrition plan that involves a lot of healthy calories, you should see noticeable progress within a couple of months. Take photos of yourself before and after and track measurements every couple of weeks to make sure you are moving in the right direction. This may appear to be a simple hypertrophy training program, but if you put your best effort into it, good things will come your way.