5 × 5 - optimal training program 3 times a week

Especially for those who can only train one day a week, we have prepared a three-day set of exercises for maximum muscle growth.

The purpose of this training set

This 3 times a week muscle building workout program lasts for 12 weeks and is ideal for those who really want to build muscle and get bigger.

What weight to start with

If you are already familiar with the exercises and are doing them with proper form, choose the maximum weight with which you can perform five sets of five repetitions.

If the exercises are new to you or you haven't done them in a long time, start with half your five-rep maximum or even less:

1. Squats, bench press, standing press: 20 kg (barbell without weights).
2. Deadlift: 40 kg (hang two 10 kg plates on the bar).
3. Bent-over barbell row: 30 kg (hang two 5 kg plates on the bar).

In the first weeks you will feel very easy, but the weight will increase quickly. In just four weeks you will be squatting 30kg more and bench pressing 15kg more.

Start back squatting and you can reach 100kg in 12 weeks.

Eat more

As part of this training, you will be eating 400 calories more than your basal metabolic rate. That is, if your progress has stalled, add another 400 calories to your diet and you will begin to become stronger and bigger.

Cardio training helps keep the body from gaining excess fat, but if you are looking for an effective training program for mass, then be prepared for this.

It's time to give up some of your favorite foods. If you eat right, it will be quite difficult to gain 400 calories.

Before using a training program to gain muscle mass, it is worth studying the basic principles, without which it will be difficult to achieve impressive results.

How to gain weight

1. Squats . If you were able to complete five reps on all five sets, next time add 2.5 kg - small 1.25 kg pancakes on each side. If you couldn't do five reps, keep working with that weight until you can.
2. Bench press, standing barbell press, bent-over barbell row . Men add 2.5 kg, women - 1 kg.
3. Deadlift . Add 5 kg - 2.5 kg on each side. The deadlift uses more muscles so you can add weight faster.

If the gym doesn’t have 1.25 kg weight plates, buy your own and carry them to training.

Nutrition for muscle building

When it comes to gaining muscle, nothing beats the right diet. It doesn't matter how hard you train, it doesn't mean anything if the amount of training you do isn't up to the task.

But, you are not the kind of person who will allow this to happen.

The first thing you need to know about building muscle fibers is how they are built. Remember when we told you about rebuilding a wall after you damaged it with strength training? Yes? Great, this is only possible thanks to protein.

Protein is essentially the building material for muscles. Therefore, it is vital that your diet contains enough of it to stimulate muscle growth. More on this later.

But to become ripped, protein alone is not enough. Will not work. You should also eat enough healthy fats to support your health and hormonal balance, while at the same time getting energy for your workouts from carbohydrates.

The “muscle” diet should include everything. The key is to find the right balance of key macronutrients and essential vitamins and then incorporate them into your clean, healthy diet. Let's figure out what you need to eat.

Protein

Protein is a macronutrient used by the body to build and repair muscle tissue. It is found in many foods, with meat, eggs, beans and dairy products being the main sources.

Here is a short list of the most popular protein sources used by athletes:

• Chicken breast;
• Lean beef;
• Turkey breast and stuffing;
• Eggs;
• Fish;
• Soy;
• Legumes;
• Protein supplements (whey and plant-based options).

The body uses the protein you consume to repair damaged cells. So, obviously, you need a lot of it.

Trainees should consume 1.4 to 2.0 grams daily. protein per kg body weight.

If you consume less, the body will struggle to maintain and fill existing muscle fibers, not to mention its growth. We recommend sticking to the upper end of this range for muscle building. Maybe a little more if you are very thin.

A great way to ensure you can eat enough amino acids is to split your protein intake. Instead of sticking to three meals a day, choose six meals. Just make sure protein is included in each one (about 20-30g) and it will be easy.

Carbohydrates

Many meal plans discredit carbohydrates. But the reality is that they are needed as a source of energy.

By consuming the optimal types of carbohydrates at the right times, you will undoubtedly gain muscle. In addition, with enough of them, you will look bigger and feel stronger.

In dietetics, there are two main types of carbohydrates. They are known as complex and simple carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are longer chains of saccharides. Their greater length and complexity of structure mean that the body requires more effort to digest. The energy from them is released slowly and maintained for a longer period of time.

On the other hand, simple carbohydrates are shorter chains that are digested faster. As a result, the body receives energy much faster. Hence the sudden surge and then decline in energy after consuming foods high in refined sugar.

Here are some popular carbohydrate sources:

Complex carbohydrates:

• Brown rice;
• Sweet potato;
• Oatmeal;
• Quinoa;
• Whole grain pasta;
• Wholemeal bread.

Simple carbohydrates:

• Table sugar;
• Sports drinks;
• White rice;
• White bread;
• Sparkling water;
• Cakes;
• Cookie;
• Pasta made from wheat flour;
• Candies.

You should aim to include complex carbohydrates in your breakfast to start the day, in your other main meals, and in the two hours before your workout. This gives the body enough time to digest them and convert the sugar into glycogen, which fires muscles.

For maximum efficiency and effectiveness of any muscle building training program, complex carbohydrates should be your primary source of energy.

In contrast, simple sugars provide the body with energy almost instantly. It doesn't take much effort to break them down into glucose, which is then stored and used in the muscles as glycogen. In order for simple sugars to be an effective source of energy for training or recovery, they should be consumed close to the start of exercise.

Fats

Unfortunately, fats have not been popular in recent history. However, we are here to talk about their fundamental importance for every person.

Research has shown that men experience a 12% reduction in natural testosterone levels after eight weeks of a low-fat diet. So if you want to stay healthy, don't believe the hype.

If you want to build muscle, testosterone is your best friend. Not only does it promote the development of important masculine traits, but it also supports muscle growth. Add strength gains to the mix and you'd be a fool to ignore fats.

By eating the right types of fats, you will provide your body with enough cholesterol to synthesize testosterone.

But what type of fat should you eat? Good question. Here are some helpful male hormone boosters to put on your plate:

• Whole eggs;
• Salmon;
• Liver and offal;
• Nuts.

At the very least, try to avoid artificial fats. They are often found in processed foods such as cakes and cookies, or in ready-to-eat snacks.

How to warm up

Don't do too much cardio before your workout, as this can tire out your leg muscles before squats. Three to five minutes of brisk walking or gentle jogging will be enough.

If you're doing exercises with an empty bar, you don't need warm-up sets because the weight is too light. You can do two sets of five air squats.

When you move up to heavier weights, warm-up sets are a must. They allow you to warm up your target muscles and test your technique.

Perform two warm-up sets of five reps with an empty bar. After this, add 10–20 kg each and perform 2–3 times until you reach your working weight.

Don't rest between warm-up sets. Pause only after them, before starting an approach with working weight.

Exercises to do before strength training →

About ready-made training plans

Each person's body is unique, so you cannot completely rely on ready-made training programs. This is suitable for beginners, but as you gain experience you need to learn to listen to your own body. In order for classes using ready-made training plans to be effective, it is recommended to follow a number of rules.

1. The training program needs to be changed every two months, otherwise progress decreases as the muscles get used to the same type of load. There are two options here - either change the program by adding new exercises, or simply add working weights.
2. A ready-made plan is more of a support for those who don’t know where to start than the only true guide to working on your body. You can rely on it, but nothing prevents you from rebuilding the program according to your own needs and preferences.
3. In bodybuilding, you can’t do without basic exercises. The program for beginners should have more base, as it contributes to the rapid growth of physical indicators.
4. If any muscle group is lagging behind in development, it is possible to modify the split by adding exercises for this area twice a week. The main rule is that there should be at least 60 hours between training large muscles, that is, lagging groups can be loaded on Monday and Friday.

With the right approach, training 3 times a week will help you quickly feel the results and achieve success in bodybuilding. The program is designed to stimulate muscle hypertrophy, so it is not suitable for beginners who have come to the gym for the first time. Beginners should follow a different program in the first two months, when all muscle groups are consistently worked out in one workout, and then you can move on to a three-day split. This is explained by the fact that during the first 60 days the body becomes toned and “tunes” for further muscle hypertrophy.

How long to rest between sets

At first, because the weights are light, you won't need much rest. But when the weight starts to increase, it may take longer to recover from a set.

1. 1.5 minutes if you finished the last set without much effort.
2. 3 minutes if you had to work hard to finish the set.
3. 5 minutes if you reach muscle failure on the last rep.

You can also navigate by your breathing. If you experience shortness of breath during exercise, rest until it is completely restored.

Recommended Supplements

If you are not following an appropriate diet, then taking supplements is a waste of money.

No matter how strange it may sound in the context of an article about a training program for gaining muscle mass, it is better to spend money on quality meat than on a package of protein.

If everything is in order with your nutrition, then the following supplements will definitely benefit you and your muscles.

Pre-workout supplements

Here you have your choice, but not everyone needs them. The best pre-workout option is any complex without an excessive amount of stimulants.

Protein

Whey protein is considered by many athletes to be the best supplement for muscle growth. Since it contains a full set of amino acids and is absorbed quite quickly. The cocktail can be taken immediately after training, as well as in the morning. And if there is not enough protein in your diet, you can drink one serving between meals. Whey protein is one of the best sports supplements that has proven its effectiveness.

Read more about what protein is and why the body needs it, especially during training for muscle growth.

BCAAs

This supplement consists of three amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine, it protects muscle fibers from destruction by cortisol. It can be taken before, during or after training. It all depends on what kind of food you had before classes and how long ago it was.

Creatine

A truly high-quality supplement for gaining mass and strength. Improves endurance and speed of recovery of the body. Perfect for intense weight training.

What are the goals and timing of the training program?

Exercise technique

You can rewrite it and start training on it right away if you have just started working out in the gym or have been training for less than half a year. We kindly ask you to learn the CORRECT technique for performing each exercise. In terms of one article, I won’t be able to talk about all the intricacies of the correct technique, even a couple of exercises. In addition, it is worth looking at them visually or live. I recommend using the Internet; YouTube is full of videos on how to perform certain exercises correctly.

I especially recommend taking seriously such exercises as: bench press, barbell squat, deadlift. Since they are basic exercises and it is extremely easy to get injured. Ask any athlete, everyone has their own story about an injury or injury to a gym mate. In 95% of cases they got it in basic exercises. Training in the gym must be done safely, otherwise it will not be building the body of your dreams, but the destruction of the existing one...

Plateau: what to do when there is no progress

The first thing to do if you fail to complete a set is to rest longer. Place the bar down and wait 5 minutes and then try again.

If it doesn't work this time, check if there are any errors:

1. Have not warmed up well: a lack of warm-up approaches forces you to exercise on cold muscles, and an excess of them tires them.
2. They did it with bad technology. Incorrect bar trajectory increases the risk of failure.
3. Missed training. If you don't load your muscles consistently, you don't grow.
4. Did too much cardio or extra exercise, which slowed down your recovery.
5. Didn't get enough sleep. Lack of sleep slows recovery.
6. We didn't eat. Lack of nutrients also slows down recovery.

If you can't complete all sets and reps for three workouts in a row, you may want to reduce the weight or number of sets and reps.

The Progress Equation: How to Train to Get Results →

What is a three-day split and what are its benefits?

A split is a workout during which two muscle groups are loaded. This could be the chest and back, shoulders and legs, biceps and triceps. This approach has several advantages compared to working on one muscle group in one session:

• rapid progress;
• uniform workout of the whole body during the training week;
• adequate load, after which you do not need to recover for a long time;
• a large selection of exercises to emphasize the work of lagging muscle groups.

On average, large muscles need about 72 hours to recover, small groups about 48 hours. A three-day split allows you to create a program in such a way that you stay in good shape all week, without going to the gym like torture. So, having worked his back and shoulders on Monday, a man on Wednesday and Friday focuses on other areas, while these muscles rest. Of course, this approach will not relieve novice athletes from sore throat or delayed-onset muscle pain syndrome, but it will noticeably reduce discomfort than with three workouts a day for the whole body at once. And for those who have already become toned, a three-day split will allow you to build muscle mass faster when you compare such a program with a training plan designed to work one muscle group in one day.

How to reduce the load

You will not be able to gain weight constantly; sooner or later the process will stop. If the working weight does not increase for three workouts in a row, reduce the load as follows:

1. Three sets of five reps.
2. Three sets of three repetitions.
3. One set of three reps and two sets of three reps with -5% of the weight.

You can also reduce the weight by up to 10% of the working weight and add it again, monitoring the technique and correcting your mistakes.

Life hack for Pro athletes - pumping.

What it is? Pumping is a legendary methodological technique; it, if you like, contains the whole essence of bodybuilding. It’s not easy to describe the feeling of “pumping” in words, but once you feel the “pumping”, you immediately, without any prompting, understand: this is it! Yes, the muscle was so stretched that the limb stopped bending completely. The skin is stretched and cannot be pressed with a finger. The body of the muscle itself is hot and dense. But the main thing is the view in the mirror: the picture! This method is almost inaccessible to gym beginners. Because this feeling comes only with experience. It is also achieved with brain function. The basic rule for achieving pumping is: exercises should end with a muscular sensation of unbearably strong blood filling, tearing the skin.

“Finish” the third and fourth exercises with 5-10 repetitions with light weights. For example: the third shoulder exercise is swings to the sides, you do 10 kg dumbbells for 15 repetitions, then you realize that you have no strength, everything is “clogged” and you can’t lift any more, put the dumbbells to the sides, take 5 kg dumbbells and start do again for 5-10 repetitions. It is also very important to feel the muscle in each approach (but this will only give you experience).

Arginine for pumping

Also, for a greater feeling of pumping, there is a sports supplement - arginine. It helps you achieve a “pump” several times faster than without it, and your workouts will begin to be many times more effective. Arginine also improves muscle nutrition, accelerates recovery and wound healing, lowers blood pressure, increases the secretion of growth hormone, reduces bad cholesterol, strengthens the immune system, all this helps to increase muscle mass.