8-Week muscle building program

Program overview

This 8-week program uses the classic Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) split, one of the most effective approaches for building muscle. You'll train 6 days per week, hitting each muscle group twice for optimal growth stimulus.

Program structure:

• Push (chest, shoulders, triceps): 2x per week
• Pull (back, biceps, rear delts): 2x per week
• Legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves): 2x per week
• 1 rest day per week

Who this program is for:

• Intermediate lifters with at least 6 months of training experience
• Those looking to maximise muscle growth
• People who can commit to 6 training days per week

How the program works

Progressive overload strategy

Each exercise uses double progression:

1. Start at the bottom of the rep range
2. Add reps each session until you hit the top of the range
3. Increase weight by 2.5-5kg, reset to bottom of rep range
4. Repeat

Volume and intensity

• Working sets: 3-4 per exercise
• Rep ranges: 6-12 for compounds, 10-15 for isolation
• RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion): Leave 1-2 reps in reserve on most sets
• Rest periods: 2-3 minutes for compounds, 60-90 seconds for isolation

Week 1-4: Foundation phase

Push Day A (Chest focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell bench press	4	6-8	3 min
Incline dumbbell press	3	8-10	2 min
Machine chest fly	3	10-12	90s
Overhead press	3	8-10	2 min
Lateral raises	3	12-15	60s
Tricep pushdowns	3	10-12	60s
Overhead tricep extension	2	12-15	60s

Pull Day A (Back width focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Pull-ups or lat pulldown	4	6-10	2 min
Barbell row	4	6-8	3 min
Seated cable row	3	10-12	90s
Face pulls	3	15-20	60s
Barbell curl	3	8-10	90s
Hammer curls	2	10-12	60s

Legs Day A (Quad focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell squat	4	6-8	3 min
Leg press	3	10-12	2 min
Leg extension	3	12-15	90s
Romanian deadlift	3	8-10	2 min
Leg curl	3	10-12	90s
Standing calf raise	4	12-15	60s

Push Day B (Shoulder focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Overhead press	4	6-8	3 min
Incline barbell press	3	8-10	2 min
Dumbbell bench press	3	10-12	2 min
Cable lateral raises	3	12-15	60s
Rear delt fly	3	12-15	60s
Close-grip bench press	3	8-10	2 min
Tricep dips	2	10-15	90s

Pull Day B (Back thickness focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell row	4	6-8	3 min
Weighted pull-ups or pulldown	3	8-10	2 min
Chest-supported row	3	10-12	90s
Straight-arm pulldown	3	12-15	60s
Rear delt machine	3	12-15	60s
Incline dumbbell curl	3	10-12	90s
Cable curl	2	12-15	60s

Legs Day B (Hamstring/glute focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Romanian deadlift	4	6-8	3 min
Front squat or hack squat	3	8-10	2 min
Walking lunges	3	10 each	2 min
Leg curl	3	10-12	90s
Hip thrust	3	10-12	2 min
Seated calf raise	4	15-20	60s

Sample week schedule

Day	Workout
Monday	Push A
Tuesday	Pull A
Wednesday	Legs A
Thursday	Push B
Friday	Pull B
Saturday	Legs B
Sunday	Rest

Week 5-8: Intensification phase

In weeks 5-8, we increase intensity with these modifications:

Changes from weeks 1-4:

1. Add one set to the first exercise of each workout
2. Reduce rest periods by 15-30 seconds on isolation movements
3. Include intensity techniques on the last set of each exercise:
   • Drop sets on machine exercises
   • Rest-pause on compound movements
   • Slow eccentrics (3 seconds down) on isolation exercises

Updated Push Day A

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Technique
Barbell bench press	5	6-8	Last set: rest-pause
Incline dumbbell press	4	8-10	Last set: drop set
Cable fly	3	10-12	Slow eccentric
Overhead press	4	8-10	Last set: rest-pause
Lateral raises	4	12-15	Last set: drop set
Tricep pushdowns	3	10-12	Last set: drop set
Skull crushers	3	12-15	Slow eccentric

Apply similar modifications to all other workouts.

Deload week (Week 4 and optional Week 8)

Every 4 weeks, take a deload:

• Reduce all weights by 40-50%
• Reduce sets by 50%
• No intensity techniques
• Focus on recovery and technique

Nutrition for muscle building

Calorie surplus: Eat 200-400 calories above maintenance for lean gains. Use our calorie calculator.

Protein: 1.6-2.2g per kg bodyweight distributed across 4-6 meals. Use our protein calculator.

Carbohydrates: 4-6g per kg bodyweight to fuel training.

Meal timing:

• Pre-workout: Protein + carbs 2-3 hours before
• Post-workout: Protein + carbs within 2 hours after

Tracking your progress

Weekly tracking:

• Body weight (average of daily weigh-ins)
• Progress photos (same lighting, time, conditions)
• Key lift numbers

In-session tracking:

• Weight, sets, reps for every exercise
• RPE on working sets
• Notes on how you felt

Expected progress (for intermediates):

• Strength increases: 2.5-5kg per month on main lifts
• Weight gain: 0.5-1kg per month (assuming calorie surplus)
• Visual changes: Noticeable after 4-8 weeks

Tips for maximum growth

1. Train hard, but smart: Push close to failure but leave 1-2 reps in reserve on most sets
2. Prioritise recovery: Sleep 7-9 hours, manage stress
3. Eat enough: You can't build muscle without adequate nutrition
4. Be consistent: 8 weeks of consistent effort beats 4 months of sporadic training
5. Mind-muscle connection: Focus on the working muscle, not just moving weight
6. Progressive overload is king: If you're not getting stronger, you're not growing

After the program

After 8 weeks:

1. Take a full deload week
2. Reassess your goals
3. Options:
   • Run the program again with increased weights
   • Switch to a different training split
   • Enter a fat loss phase if needed