It's been 14 years since one of my first gym trainers proposed this 4-day routine to gain muscle volume. At that time, I was a young student who had just arrived in a city. I had previously trained in the gym for a few months. The trainer asked me, "what kind of training do you want?" To which I responded: "a 4-day bulking routine to gain muscle mass." I could see the experience of the trainer, who was quick to do a workout for me.
It is true that, when you are a beginner in the gym, you progress no matter what you do. However, I remember that this training worked especially well for me and I followed it for at least a year. I still have the exercise sheet they gave me and I share it here with you. These are exactly the exercises, sets and reps I did when I was a young 19 year old beginner. If I remember correctly, accompanying this gym routine with a good diet, I went from about 58 kg of body weight to about 72 kg in my first "big bulk".
The best 4-day beginner gym routine I've ever tried
This is a 4-day Weider-type routine , also known as a "split routine", in which one or two muscle groups are trained per session. The approach is Monday, pectorals and traps; Tuesday, legs; Wednesday, dorsal and deltoids; Thursday, rest; and Friday, biceps and triceps. I loved working my whole arm on Friday. It was great to go out partying on Friday with my biceps and triceps totally pumped (the things of being young ;). The sets and repetitions were typical of hypertrophy training : 4 sets of between 12 and 6 repetitions in large muscle exercises and 3 sets of between 10 and 6 repetitions in small muscle exercises.
Gym routine 4 days a week
The 4-day gym workout for a beginner or novice who wants to increase his muscles .
DAY 1: PECTORALS AND TRAPEZIUS
Monday
• Flat bench press :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Incline bench press on machine with levers :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Pectoral flyes on machine (the Peck-Deck) :
10 - 10 - 10 - 10 repetitions.
• Parallel bar dips for pectoral :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Low pulley upright-row :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Dumbbell shrugs :
12 - 12 - 12 - 12 repetitions.
DAY 2: LEGS (QUADRICEPS, HAMSTRINGS AND CALVES)
Tuesday
• Leg press :
12 - 10 - 10 - 8 repetitions.
• Calf extension in leg press :
12 - 12 - 12 -12 repetitions.
• Seated quadriceps extension on machine :
12 - 12 - 12 - 12 repetitions.
• Lunges with dumbbells :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Lying leg curl on machine:
12 - 12 - 12 -12 repetitions.
DAY 3: BACK AND SHOULDERS
Wednesday
• Behind neck high pulley pulldown :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Pulldown to chest with narrow grip on high pulley :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Gironda rowing (low pulley) :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• T-bar row (machine or free weight) :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Seated dumbbell shoulder press :
10 - 8 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Lateral raises with dumbbells :
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Front raises with dumbbells :
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Dumbbell rear lateral raises:
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
* We rest on day 4 (Thursday) .
DAY 5: BICEPS AND TRICEPS
Friday
• Z-bar biceps curl :
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Scott Bench Seated Z-Bar Biceps Curl :
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Alternating hammer curl with dumbbells :
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Cable triceps extension :
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Overhead triceps extension in pulley :
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
• Parallel bar dips for triceps :
10 - 8 - 6 repetitions.
ABS
Additionally, in this 4-day routine for hypertrophy , you can do abdominal and lumbar exercises every day (or the days we choose) before or after training. Abs training will be done as follows:
• Upper : Abdominal crunches on inclined bench
3 x 15
• Obliques : Abdominal crunches with lateral twist on an inclined bench
3 x 30 (15 reps turning the waist to one side and 15 turning to the other side)
• Lower : Incline bench leg raises
3 x 15
• Lower back : Bench hyperextensions
3 x 15
As you can see, this gym routine with 4 days for hypertrophy does not include some basic exercises such as deadlifts, squats or barbell rows. The reason is that the training is for beginners who are adapting to the gym. Therefore, the more complex exercises have been omitted, which you can learn and do later when you are stronger.
You can follow this training routine perfectly for several months. It should not be forgotten that, to obtain maximum muscle hypertrophy results, you must learn the basics of bodybuilding nutrition. Therefore, it is advisable that you read the following guide:
Have you already completed this training? Check out our other routines!
We resolve doubts about our 4-day gym workout
Do you have any of the following questions about training? We answer frequently asked questions.
How to progress in the 4-day gym routine for bulking?
One of the foundations for successful muscle hypertrophy and strength training is load progression. What does this mean?
- Lift a little more weight in the following workouts.
- Achieve more repetitions with the same weight in the following workouts.
The principle of progressive overload is the way to force our muscles to grow. Therefore, you should try to improve yourself in each workout. If you are a beginner user, you won't need to complicate things too much. You will progress easily without advanced planning. Simply start the routine with a good margin of improvement at the beginning; That is, use loads that you can handle with ease and stay away from muscle failure in the first two weeks of training. Then, try adding a little more weight to the exercises each workout (even if it's just 1kg more on each side on the bar, a 2kg heavier dumbbell, or one more block on the weight machine). Try to do the repetition schemes proposed in training with more weight.
It is not necessary that you complete all the proposed repetitions for each set with a new weight. For example, if you have to do 10, 8, 8, and 6 reps, you typically won't be able to complete all the reps if you've just added a new weight (if you've gone from moving 30kg to 35kg on the bar). You may only be able to do 9, 7, 7, and 5 repetitions with a load you haven't used before. So your goal will be to exceed the repetitions with this load in the following workouts. It doesn't matter if you only improve one set; That is already progress. When one day you manage to do 10, 8, 8 and 6, you can increase the load a little more and continue like this.
There are several ways to progress through a 4-day gym routine . Let's look at three methods that work:
1. Complete all repetitions with more weight: For example, suppose we are able to do 10, 8, 8 and 6 repetitions with 30 kg. Our goal would be to try to do those 10, 8, 8 and 6 repetitions with 35 kg or 40 kg. We will use the next few workouts to try to do all the reps with a new weight.
2. Gain repetitions in the main set: This system is one of the best and one of the ones we like the most to progress in the gym. Here, we will look only at the first set of the exercise, which we will call the main set or "top" set. Progression is about beating the reps for just that first set. Let's take the example of 10, 8, 8 and 6 repetitions for an exercise again. We will try to progress in the set of 10 repetitions. We will try to do 12 repetitions with the same weight in the next workout, and 16 repetitions in the next workout. We will do it this way until we are stuck in progress. So, we'll put up some weight for the exercise and do another progression. When we have managed to increase the weight in successive workouts, we can return to the first weight we used and improve our number of repetitions. We will try to break our records for all subsequent weights in the "top" sets. And what do we do with the other three sets in each workout? In this style of progression, it is not necessary that we surpass records or weights in the other sets, so we will choose the loads that we deem appropriate depending on how we feel that day.
It goes without saying that you have to keep track of the loads and repetitions of each "top" set; for example, 30 kg x 16 repetitions, 35 kg x 12 repetitions, 40 kg x 10 repetitions, 45 kg x 8 repetitions... Otherwise, we will not know what record we have to beat when we use a certain weight again.
3. Pyramid with weight increments Another way to progress is to use a little more weight in each set within the same workout. If we have to do 10, 8, 8 and 6 repetitions, an example of a pyramid with load increments could be 30 kg x 10 repetitions, 35 kg x 8 repetitions, 40 kg x 8 repetitions and 45 kg x 6 repetitions. In future workouts, we will try to do more repetitions with the same weights in the pyramid, or increase the weights a little to achieve 10, 8, 8 and 6 repetitions.
There are other ways to increase the difficulty of training (shorten rest times, do the eccentric phase of the movement slowly...), but these three ways are the most basic.
Remember that the proposed repetition schemes are estimates to begin with. However, you can modify the repetitions as you wish over time. You can do, for example, 10 - 10 - 10 - 10 or 15 - 12 - 10. You can switch to work your muscles from all rep ranges.
Is this 4-day gym routine for women?
Yes, our 4-day gym routine is for women too. Both a woman and a man can benefit from a 4-day hypertrophy routine like this without it being necessary to vary the exercises.
Can I do this 4-day gym routine for muscle definition or cutting?
The muscle cutting stage is a phase in which we try to lose body fat to show the muscles that we have worked so hard to achieve. The key to successful muscle definition is a low-calorie diet with enough protein to get rid of fat and maintain muscle. You can use this 4-day gym routine for cutting without problems, as you will work your entire body and it will help you stimulate and maintain your muscles. Remember that what is important for muscle definition is diet and not so much the workout.
Can I add other exercises to this 4-day gym workout?
Yes. When you have been doing the training for a while, you can add basic exercises such as deadlifts, squats, military presses or pull-ups. It is possible to do deadlifts to start back day, squats to start leg day, and military press to start shoulder day. You can replace the high pulley pulldowns with bar pullups, or even do both exercises.
Is this an advanced 4 day hypertrophy routine?
This 4-day hypertrophy routine is designed for the beginner . However, you can make some adaptations and modify it to turn it into an advanced workout. As an example, you can add more basic exercises:
• Bar pull-ups : At the end of the pectoral day, 3 sets to failure.
• Deadlift : At the beginning of your back day, 3 sets (8, 8 and 8 repetitions).
• Standing military press : At the beginning of shoulder training, 3 sets (8, 8 and 8 repetitions).
• Squats : At the beginning of leg day, 3 sets (8, 8 and 8 repetitions).
• Chin-ups : At the beginning or end of the triceps and biceps day, 3 sets.
If you are an advanced user in the gym, adding some basic and heavy exercises will greatly complicate this training routine.
How can I download this 4-day routine in PDF?
If you liked our hypertrophy training and would like to have it in PDF format, just follow the following steps: look for the "Print" option in the tools menu of your internet browser. A box will open. Search for "Destination" and click on "Save as PDF" . Click the "Save" button and you will get this 4-day hypertrophy routine in PDF to consult whenever and wherever you want.
Why do a 4-day routine to increase muscle mass?
How many days a week should you train? Is a 4-day gym routine better than a 5-day one? There are a few factors to consider. However, 4 and 5 day split routines can easily be performed to give the majority of the population similar strength and muscle results.
When we get good results with a gym routine, we tend to be afraid to change our workouts. I've seen people do the exact same exercise for years without changing a single element. Sometimes the easiest thing you can do is change the number of training days or the order of muscle groups per week.
Maybe your current training is working for you. You know what to do each day and your body knows what to expect. The bad news is that doing the same thing over and over can produce very few results. Maybe it's a good time to change your current workout.
A 4-day exercise routine at the gym may fit well with your family obligations or work schedule, or perhaps you need a training plan that better fits your goals and schedule. You need to change your exercise routine to challenge your body and brain. Maybe you're a multi-sport athlete and forced to go on long Friday bike rides or weekend runs.
Still, there are many reasons to create a new exercise routine. Just keep a few things in mind when starting a new four-day gym routine . Always consider the following:
1. Your training experience .
2. Your personal goals .
3. Your weekly plan .
4. Your age and ability to rest and recover .
5. Injuries or other health problems .
The 4-day bodybuilding routine is one of the most balanced workouts, as 4-day training plans provide a good balance between intensity and recovery time for many athletes of all levels. The 4-day splits allow you to focus on endurance, hypertrophy, and strength without destroying your body. Plus, you'll have time to do other meaningful activities too, like cycling, running, or other sports, and still leave time for recovery.
Try our 4-day routine , valid for men and women. Download the training in PDF and split the body into four days. Gain hypertrophy, strength and muscle size easily, especially if you are a beginner. But even if you're an advanced gym user, you can make modifications to the workout to suit your level. These variations include adding new exercises, changing the proposed repetition ranges and it is even possible to change the order of the muscle groups on the days of the week.
