You've been working out at home for a year now. Maybe you've started making your way back to the gym. This week of workouts can be done in either location, and it suggests at home modifications if you are not at the gym.
In this week long program, you’ll start with a relatively simple 3x10 rep structure. I don’t necessarily believe in a 3x10 rep structure but it is a good foundation for beginners/ a fine rep structure for established fitness folk. On ab day, this will change.
I also will outline the seven days of the week with suggested rest. Overall, I recommend the two day rule: don’t work out more than two days in a row and don’t take off two days in a row. This strikes a good balance between activity and rest. You can also use those rest days to stretch or go on a quick run to balance your fitness.
I also cannot emphasize the importance of proper recovery enough. Stretching, sleep, and nutrition are less glamorous than bicep day, but they will take your fitness and life to a better place.
Let’s jump into the details:
Split:
- Chest / Triceps
- Abs
- Active Rest
- Legs
- Back / Biceps
- Active Rest
- Shoulders
Day 1: Chest / Triceps
Day 1 of workouts sets the tone for the rest of your week. There’s no better day to start with than chest and triceps. Have you ever noticed that on Mondays, all the bench press areas are crowded? That’s because everyone loves starting their week on chest day.
- Warm-up (2 total sets, no rest in between exercises, 20 sec rest in between sets)
- Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Rest: 40 seconds between sets
- Good form article
- If you’re at home: fill up a backpack with books, and do wide push ups while wearing the backpack. (demo video for wide push ups)
- Tricep Pushups: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Rest: 15 - 30 seconds between sets
- Good form demo video
- Modify to knees if necessary
- Dumbbell Incline flies: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Rest 40 seconds between sets
- Good form article
- If you’re at home: Using an incline bench if you have one, or stacking pillows on the floor to give your back a slight incline, grab two objects of similar weight (preferably dumbbells) and perform the flies.
- Rope Tricep Extensions: 3 sets x 10 reps (hold for 1 sec when extended)
- Decline Bench Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Burnout: The 3-minute pushup challenge
Day 2: Abs / Core
For Day 2 of workouts, we will continue working on your show muscles. With ab training, it is common to think that high-volume bodyweight exercises (crunches, leg raises, etc.) are the best way to get a defined core. It IS important to include, and even feature those, for definition, but it’s also necessary to mix in some weighted exercises for muscle growth. As Mind to Muscle fitness puts it, “Bodyweight ab exercises simply don't provide enough tension on the muscles to cause muscle growth.”
- Warm-up (no rest in between exercises, 30-second break in between rounds)
- 30-second plank
- 30-second side plank (right)
- 30-second side plank (left)
- 2 rounds ^
- Weighted Crunches: 3 x 30 seconds of work
- Rest 30 seconds between each working set
- For proper form, watch this video
- If at home: Use any sort of weight you can find. If you don’t have dumbbells, use books or a jug of milk/water.
- Flutter kicks: 3 x 30 seconds of work
- Rest 30 seconds between each working set
- For proper form, watch this video
- Side crunches: 3 x 30 seconds of work (each side - 6 sets total)
- Rest 30 seconds between each working set
- For proper form, watch this video
- Weighted knee raises: 3 x 20 seconds of work
- Burnout: For a finisher, follow this finishing routine.
- 15-20 leg raises (shoulders off ground)
- 15-20 reps each side Weighted russian twists
- 15-20 toe touches
- 3 rounds - no rest in between exercises.
Day 3: Rest and Stretch
Take the day off but make sure to stretch and maybe go for a light jog or walk. The biggest mistake I made early in training was not stretching enough.
Here are a few helpful follow-along stretch routines:
- Five-minute mobility
- Five-minute mobility v2
- 15-minute beginner flexibility routine
- 10-minute morning mobility
Day 4: Legs
Listen, I get it. No one likes this day. I have stick calves and no amount of calf raises has changed that.
But it’s crucial for overall strength, core stability, and power, so just get it done.
My philosophy: single limb training in most exercises other than squats/deadlifts. This helps you build balanced strength and in most athletic situations you are pushing off of one leg at a time - or a single-leg-action, as coined by Mike Boyle. Read more about his case on single limb training here.
- Warm-up (no rest in between exercises, 30-second break in between rounds)
- Bodyweight squats: 30 reps
- Jumping Jacks: 30 reps
- High-knees: 20 reps
- 2 rounds
- Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 x 10 each leg
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video.
- If you’re at home: Use a couch or chair instead of a bench, and hold whatever weight that you have.
- Advanced Jump Squats (Jump + hold at bottom): 3 x 10
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video.
- If you’re at home and don’t want to disturb downstairs neighbors: 3x20 bodyweight squats
- Dumbbell or Kettlebell Goblet Squats: 3x10
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- Heaviest weight you have
- For proper form, watch this video
- Side Lunge Squats: 3x10 each side
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- Romanian Deadlifts: 3x10
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- Barbell at the gym. Any weights you have at home.
- Dumbbell calf raises: 3x10
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- Burnout: 2 minute wallsit
Day 5: Back/Biceps
The mirror day. Admittedly, it’s tough to train back at home without a pullup bar. So most of the exercises I list here will require a pull-up bar at the very least.
- Warm-up: (no rest in between exercises, 30 sec rest in between rounds)
- 20 Pushups
- 20 Air squats
- 20 Arm Circles
- 2 rounds
- Bent Over Dumbbell rows: 3x10
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- If you’re at home: Might sound ridiculous, but perform the rows without weights. Just the contraction.
- Pull-ups: 3 x 10 - overhand grip
- Rest 45 seconds between each set
- Even if you can’t do the full 10 in one go, stick to 3 x10. Take as many rests as you need to but get the full 10 reps each time.
- For proper form, watch this video
- If you’re at home, use a pull-up bar. If you don’t have one, jog to a local playground and rep a few out there.
- Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 x 10
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- If you’re at home, use dumbbells or kettlebells. If you don’t have either of those, either use grocery bags filled with stuff, or just perform the contractions.
- Chin-ups: 3 x 10 - neutral or underhand grip
- Rest 45 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- Single Arm Isolated Dumbbell Curls : 3 x10 each arm
- Rest 30 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- Zottman Curls: 3x10 each arm
- Rest 45 seconds between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- Burnout: Bicep 21s
- 7 lower range of motion curls, 7 higher range of motion curls, 7 full curls
- Watch this video and then do it
Day 6: Rest and Stretch
Take the day off but make sure to stretch and maybe go for a light jog or walk. The biggest mistake I made early in training was not stretching enough.
Here are a few helpful follow-along stretch routines:
- Five-minute mobility
- Five-minute mobility v2
- 15-minute beginner flexibility routine
- 10-minute morning mobility
Day 7: Shoulders
The last day of the week - congrats. Time for shoulders.
For shoulders, make sure you warm-up properly, stretch afterwards, and stay within your weight limits. Shoulder injuries are nagging and it’s best to prevent them if possible.
- Warm-up: No rest between exercises, 30 sec rest between rounds
- 40 arm circles (20 each way)
- 20 Rotator cuff rotations (10 each side) - video
- 10 Pushups
- Elevated pike push-up: 3x10
- 30 sec rest between each set
- For proper form, watch this video.
- If you’re at home: use a couch or a chair
- Bent arm lateral raises: 3x10
- 30 sec rest between each set
- For proper form, watch this video.
- If you’re at home: Use any weight you have, full water bottles tend to work well here.
- Military dumbbell press: 3 x 10
- 30 sec rest between each set
- For proper form, watch this video.
- If you’re at home: Use any weight you have, or just do more pike pushups.
- Dumbbell Front Raise: 3x10
- 30 sec rest between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- If you’re at home: Use any weight you have, full water bottles tend to work well here.
- Shoulder Taps: 3 x 10 each side
- 30 sec rest between each set
- For proper form, watch this video
- Burnout
- Straight arm plank MAX hold
- For form, watch this video
Hopefully this was a good list of workouts to add to your list.
If you want the Google Doc version of it, shoot me an email at chriseberhardt21 [at] gmail.com
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed personal trainer, nor do I have any official qualifications to give you this advice. I have just put a lot of hours into it and hope that this organization can help you.