5 Day Split Workout Routine For Muscle Growth

The 5 day split workout routine is a great training program to take your physique to the next level.  We have designed a great 5 day workout program for you to follow. We also go over all the things you need to know before going on such an advanced training schedule.  We go over pros and cons, things you should look out for, do and not do, etc. Continue on to find out all this and more, when to and not to go on a 5 day training program and the mistakes you must avoid another to achieve the expected results.

Who is the 5 day split workout routine good for?

This split workout schedule is ideal for those who are serious about about bodybuilding.  Example of guys who would follow this workout routine are aspiring competitive bodybuilders, fitness competitors, fitness models, etc. If you’re just lifting for your personal reasons with no plans to compete then a 3 day workout program or 4 day split routine would be better for you.

Following a good 4 day routine for example is all you need to get a great physique, granted you follow a good workout routine. But if you will be on stage or on magazine covers where muscle definition and small details in your physique can be the difference between winning and losing , where small details will pop out, a more intense workout program is called for. That is why most pro bodybuilders hit the gym 5-6 times a week. The small differences matter in their case.

Who should not go on  the 5 day split workout program:

If you’re just starting out, have been lifting for less than a year or even less than 2 years, you should not go on this routine. The reason is that the intensity will overwhelm you, if you actually try to follow a good program. A lot of noobs who are addicted to the gym  goes 5 to 6 days a week but their training is not very intense.  During the first year or two, keep your weight training sessions to a max 4 times a week.

Otherwise one of two things will happen if an inexperienced lifter goes on a 5 day split workout routine. He will burn out within a month due to muscle and nervous system fatigue, pushing him to the brink of quitting the gym for a while to recover. Or he will plateau rather quickly on strength and muscle growth due to overtraining.

That is because during the first year of lifting, sufficient rest is is more important than lifting itself. You need to give your muscles time to recover and repair after each session. After lifting for a couple of years, your body will be ready for more advanced workout routines and you will have had a solid muscle foundation to build and take your physique to the next level.

What are the benefits of the 5 day split workout routine?

The biggest benefit of doing a 5 day split workout routine is the fact that you can dedicate each day to just one muscle. Since we normally train 5 major muscles: chest, back, arms, shoulders, legs, the five day training program is ideal. Mind you, this is an advanced workout program aimed at  guys who want to take their physique to next level, mainly to compete in a bodybuilding contest or to model for a fitness magazine.

1) Each day is dedicated to one muscle. It’s one of the best ways to sculpt your muscles.

2) Higher volume per muscle group: you can do up to 6 different exercises per muscle and up 26 sets. You can’t do that training multiple muscle groups a day.

3) Better tracking of muscle growth and progress: you get to focus on a specific muscle group each training session. Example, you’re training chest, you measure chest size, strength progress on chest exercises etc

4) You become a better and more experienced lifter. The 5 day split workout routine is an advanced workout routine, so  you get to do a lot more exercises per muscle group, more than you could ever imagine doing if you had to train chest and back or some other muscle on the same day.

A few things to know  first to avoid overtraining on a 5 day split routine

As mentioned above, the 5 day split workout routine  is an advanced workout program that I think no one training for less a year or even two years should attempt. A routine where you train 2 muscle groups per session with more rest and less volume like the 4 day split workout routine is ideal for the most non professional weight lifters.

1) Make sure to always have 24 hours of rest between sessions. So if you train chest on Monday from 6pm-7pm, don’t start training arms on Tuesday until 6pm.

2) Make sure to get at leat 6 hours of sleep per night, you need to allow your muscles enough rest to grow. Specially when training for 5 consecutive days as you will do in the workout program on this page.

3) Combine compound exercises with isolation exercises. One of the main benefits of the 5 day split workout routine is the fact that you can do a lot more isolation exercises than possible on other less intense routines.

4) Do both heavy and light sets. Don’t just do 24 sets of heavy weight lifting. This will burn you out quickly and cause muscle fatigue. You can for example do 16 sets of heavy weight and 8 of light weight sets.

5) And very important,   rest properly between sets and exercises.  That means  at least 30 seconds between sets and at least 2 minutes between exercises.

Here is your complete 5-day split workout routine to build muscle mass quickly

Below is a great complete 5-day split workout routine designed for you,  that you can follow to take your bodybuilding to next level. This is  an advanced workout routine designed for lifters with 2 plus years experience of consistent weight lifting. You need that foundation to make the most out of this routine and to avoid injuries, overtrainng and hitting plateaus.

 5 day Split Workout Routine : 5 days on 2 days rest

This is an easy workout to follow because you can time it with the typical work schedule of of the average office worker. You train Mondays through Fridays and rest on the weekend.s You can hit the gym and do your sessions before work, during lunch break or after work. I prefer after work because it’s a nice way to wind out and release some tension and release. Use whatever schedule works best for you.

Monday: Chest training

Heavy means weights you can only lift for up 12 reps, light means weights you can only lift for up to 25 reps.

Flat bench press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps of heavy , 1 set of 16-20 reps of light weights

Close Grip Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps of heavy , 1 set of 16-20 reps of light weights

Incline Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps of heavy weights, 1 set of 16-20 reps of light weight.

Machine Flies : 3 sets x 8-12 reps of heavy weights, 2 sets  x 16-20 reps of light weight

Dumbbell Incline Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps of heavy , 1 set of 16-20 reps of light weights

Tuesday: Back training

Weighted Pullups: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set to failure using just body weight.

Lat Pulldown: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 16-20 reps of light weights

Seated Cable Rows: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 16-20 reps of light weights

Barbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 6-8 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Reverse Flies: 4 sets of 6-8 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Wednesday: Shoulder Training

Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Barbell Front Raises: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Military Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Upright Rows: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Thursday: Arms – Biceps and Triceps Training

Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Barbell Close grip Bicep Curls: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy , 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Close Grip Chin-ups :4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Cable tricep extensions :4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Dips :4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Machine tricep pushdowns :4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Dumbbell Tricep Extension :4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Close Grip pushups :4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights (use weight jackets)

Friday: Leg Training

Barbell Squat: 4 sets of 6-8 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Dumbbell Lunges: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Machine Leg Curls: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Glute Machine curls: 4 sets of 6-8 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Machine Calf Raises: 4 sets of 8-12 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights

Deadlifts: bent at the knees: 4 sets of 6-8 reps heavy, 1 set of 12-16 reps of light weights ( bend you knees as if you were squatting to hit the legs on deadlifts otherwise, you will target back mostly)

Saturday and Sunday: rest days

Good luck and remember to have fun while making gains like a real pro. Muscle on.