4-Week Advanced Muscle Building Workout

No matter how consistent, diligent, and dedicated to training in the gym you are, every now and then, even the most hardcore gym rats stagnate. Whether it be a plateau that won’t bust, or you’re just not “feeling it” everyone goes through the workout blues occasionally. 

When these periods in your life of training happen, you can do one of two things:

• Take a full break from the gym (yeah right!), or
  
  
• Undertake a more intense muscle building workout

If you’re like most gains-driven gym goers, you obviously selected option #2. If you chose the first option, well, there really isn’t much point to reading the rest of this article. You’re free to go and wallow in a dark room for the next week until you’ve overcome your “gym blues.”

Now, for you real athletes it’s time to discuss a little more about what this “intense muscle building workout” is really all about. 

The purpose of this workout program is two-fold:

• to reignite your passion for lifting, and 
• to provide a metabolic shock so powerful and jarring that your muscles have no choice but to get bigger and stronger in order to survive the onslaught of physical demands placed on them.

We’ve come up with the ultimate 4-week advanced muscle building workout using a mix of weightlifting, interval training, and active recovery workouts to yield the most jaw-dropping results you’ve ever witnessed in only a month’s time!

Before we get to the training program, make sure you’ve got your favorite pre workout by your side, because you’re going to need it to make it to the end of this month in one piece!

 

Training Tips for Maximum Results

The next 4 weeks will require every ounce of physical, mental, and emotional strength to make it through to the end and still retain your motivation, drive, and sanity. To help you crush these hardcore workouts, we’ve come up with a handful of tips to help you overcome the trials and tribulations that lie ahead.

Maximize Training Time  

To make the most of the time you dedicate to training each day, don’t waste time with fluff, isolation exercises. Use a variety of compound, multi-joint movements that give a bigger metabolic “bang for your buck” than endless sets of curls, kickbacks, and flyes.

The real money makers in the gym are squats, presses, pull ups, rows, deadlifts, etc. Make sure these lifts comprise the vast majority of your lifting sets, and you’ll cut down on wasted sets, energy, and time. 

Get in, get to work, get out, and get to recovering -- that’s the only way you’ll survive the next 4 weeks.

Scale Back Cardio  

Over the next 4 weeks, your primary goals are to build size and strength.

You won’t accomplish any of that if you’re spending too much time on the treadmill and elliptical. Prolonged bouts of steady-state cardio do virtually nothing for muscle growth, and can actually hinder your gains by causing muscle breakdown, increasing cortisol, and hindering recovery.

Don’t worry, you’ll still be doing some cardio over the next few weeks, but it’s going to be short bouts of high intensity cardio such as sprints, bodyweight circuits, and barbell complexes.

These high output forms of cardio torch fat, support muscle gains, and save you hours of wasted time, so you can spend more time with family, friends, and recovering for the next day’s beatdown.

Fuel Up  

To sustain performance in the face of an intense workout program requires your nutrition to be on point. 

Now is NOT the time to embrace some fad diet that has you ditching whole food groups or entire macronutrient groups, such as carbohydrates. 

You’re going to need to fuel up properly, and that means paying special attention to pre, intra, and post workout nutrition. Have three solid meals per day, along with your pre and post-workout meals, and make sure to supplement where necessary to ensure all of your nutritional bases are covered.

Failing to fuel up properly will only lead to you burning out and not finishing the training program.

Sleep!

Sleep recharges and energizes the brain and body. 

If you’re like most people, More likely than not, you’re not getting enough sleep as it currently stands. If you want to have any shot of not just surviving the 4 week, but truly crushing it every day, you MUST sleep at least 8 hours each night.

A quality night’s sleep helps repair damaged muscle fibers and “recharge” your batteries so you’re fresh each and every day you step into the gym. Skimping on sleep not only impairs recovery, but chronic lack of sleep can also lead to weight gain, and increase your risks of diabetes, depression, obesity, and hypertension. 

So, shut off the TV, smartphone, tablet, and laptop at night and get to sleep!

Program Structure

Before we get to the actual workout, here’s a bit about the design of the program to help you understand the intensity of the challenge you’ll be undertaking.

• Four lifting sessions to focus on building strength and muscle
  
  
• Two upper-body days and two lower-body days per week -- NO skipping leg day here!
  
  
• Rest periods between sets will be 90 seconds -- No instabooking or facegramming allowed, you’re here to WORK!
  
  
• Workouts will predominantly consist of antagonist supersets (two exercises performed back to back) to stimulate more muscle growth and save time in the gym. It also limits your ability to goof off and lose focus while training.
  
  
• Non-lifting days will be devoted to conditioning, i.e. work capacity circuits invovling barbell complexes, KB Swings, Suicide runs, Airdyne bike intervals, box jumps, sled work, etc.
  
  

• 1 mandatory active recovery session per week -- your choice of 30 minutes power yoga, biking, hiking, or jogging

4-Week Muscle Building Workout 

Now, it’s time to get serious.

The next 4 weeks of training will be intense, and unlike anything you’ve ever done before, but at the end, it’ll all be worth it.

Week 1

Day 1: Strength / Hypertrophy Upper Body

Ex 1A:  Flat Bench Press - 4 sets x 10 reps @ 70% 1RM

Ex 1B:  Barbell Row Shoulder Press - 4 sets x 10 reps @ 70% 1RM

Ex 2A:  Standing Barbell Military Press - 4 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 2B:  Weighted Pull Ups - 4 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 3A:  Bodyweight Dips - 4 sets x 10 reps

Ex 3B:  Inverted Rows - 4 sets x 10 reps

Day 2: Strength / Hypertrophy Lower Body

Ex 1A:  Barbell Squats - 4 sets x 10 reps @ 70% 1RM

Ex 2A:  Leg Press - 4 sets x 10 reps @ 70% 1RM

Ex 3A:  Reverse Lunges - 4 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 4A:  Lying Leg Curl Machine - 4 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 5A:  Smith Machine Standing Calf Raises - 4 sets x 10 reps

Ex 6A:  Seated Calf Raise - 4 sets x 10 reps

Day 3: Conditioning -- Bodyweight Circuit

Ex 1A: Clapping Push Ups -- 30 seconds

Ex 1B: Alternating Lunges -- 30 seconds

Ex 1C: Chin Ups -- 30 seconds

Ex 1D: Squat Jumps -- 30 seconds

Ex 2E: V-Ups -- 30 seconds 8-12 uneven push-ups (both sides)

Note: Move from one exercise to the next with as little rest as possible. Rest 90 seconds after each round and complete a total of 5 rounds.

Day 4: Hypertrophy / Endurance Upper Body

Ex 1A:  Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 3 sets x 16 reps 

Ex 1B:  Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row - 3 sets x 16 reps 

Ex 2A:  Seated Dumbbell Press - 3 sets x 16 reps 

Ex 2B:  Neutral Grip Seated Row - 3 sets x 16 reps 

Ex 3A:  Decline Push Ups - 3 sets x 16 reps

Ex 3B:  Close Grip Chin Ups - 3 sets x 16 reps

Ex 4A:  EZ Bar Skullcrushers - 3 sets x 16 reps

Ex 4B:  Standing Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets x 16 reps

Day 5: Hypertrophy / Endurance Lower Body

Ex 1A:  Leg Curls - 3 sets x 16 reps 

Ex 1B:  Leg Extensions - 3 sets x 16 reps 

Ex 2A:  Dumbbell Walking Lunges - 3 sets x 16 reps 

Ex 2B:  Romanian Deadlifts - 3 sets x 16 reps 

Ex 3A:  Bulgarian Split Squats - 3 sets x 16 reps

Ex 3B:  Single Leg RDL - 3 sets x 16 reps

Ex 4A:  Bodyweight Calf Raises (toes elevated on a step) - 3 sets x AMRAP reps

Day 6: Conditioning -- Kettlebell Circuit

Ex 1A: 2-Handed Kettlebell Swing - 10 reps

Ex 1B: 1-Handed Kettlebell Swing Left Arm - 5 reps

Ex 1C: 1-Handed Kettlebell Swing Right Arm - 5 reps

Ex 1D: 1-Handed Kettlebell Clean Left Arm - 5 reps

Ex 2E: 1-Handed Kettlebell Clean Right Arm - 5 reps

Ex 1F:  Goblet Squat - 10 reps

Note: Move from one exercise to the next with as little rest as possible. Rest 90 seconds after each round and complete a total of 5 rounds.’

Day 7: Active Recovery

Week 2

Day 1: Strength / Hypertrophy Upper Body

Ex 1A:  Flat Bench Press - 5 sets x 8 reps @ 75% 1RM

Ex 1B:  Barbell Row Shoulder Press - 5 sets x 8 reps @ 75% 1RM

Ex 2A:  Standing Barbell Military Press - 5 sets x 8 reps @ 75% 1RM 

Ex 2B:  Weighted Pull Ups - 5 sets x 8 reps 

Ex 3A:  Bodyweight Dips - 5 sets x 8 reps

Ex 3B:  Inverted Rows - 5 sets x 8 reps

Day 2: Strength / Hypertrophy Lower Body

Ex 1A:  Barbell Squats - 5 sets x 8 reps @ 75% 1RM 

Ex 2A:  Leg Press - 5 sets x 8 reps @ 75% 1RM 

Ex 3A:  Reverse Lunges - 5 sets x 8 reps 

Ex 4A:  Lying Leg Curl Machine - 5 sets x 8 reps 

Ex 5A:  Smith Machine Standing Calf Raises - 5 sets x 8 reps

Ex 6A:  Seated Calf Raise - 5 sets x 8 reps

Day 3: Conditioning -- Bodyweight Circuit

Ex 1A: Clapping Push Ups -- 40 seconds

Ex 1B: Alternating Lunges -- 40 seconds

Ex 1C: Chin Ups -- 40 seconds

Ex 1D: Squat Jumps -- 40 seconds

Ex 2E: V-Ups -- 40 seconds 

Note: Move from one exercise to the next with as little rest as possible. Rest 90 seconds after each round and complete a total of 5 rounds.

Day 4: Hypertrophy / Endurance Upper Body

Ex 1A:  Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 1B:  Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 2A:  Seated Dumbbell Press - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 2B:  Neutral Grip Seated Row - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 3A:  Decline Push Ups - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 3B:  Close Grip Chin Ups - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 4A:  EZ Bar Skullcrushers - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 4B:  Standing Dumbbell Curls - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Day 5: Hypertrophy / Endurance Lower Body

Ex 1A:  Leg Curls - 4 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 1B:  Leg Extensions - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 2A:  Dumbbell Walking Lunges - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 2B:  Romanian Deadlifts - 4 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 3A:  Bulgarian Split Squats - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 3B:  Single Leg RDL - 4 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 4A:  Bodyweight Calf Raises (toes elevated on a step) - 4 sets x AMRAP reps

Day 6: Conditioning -- Bear Complex

Ex 1A: Power Clean

Ex 1B: Front Squat

Ex 1C: Push Press

Ex 1D: Back Squat

Ex 1E: Push Press

Note: Move from one exercise to the next with as little rest as possible. Perform this circuit 7 times without stopping. This is one round.

Rest 90 seconds after each round and complete a total of 5 rounds.’

Day 7: Active Recovery

Week 3

Day 1: Strength / Hypertrophy Upper Body

Ex 1A:  Flat Bench Press - 8 sets x 5 reps @ 80% 1RM

Ex 1B:  Barbell Row Shoulder Press - 8 sets x 5 reps @ 80% 1RM

Ex 2A:  Standing Barbell Military Press - 8 sets x 5 reps @ 80% 1RM

Ex 2B:  Weighted Pull Ups - 8 sets x 5 reps 

Ex 3A:  Dips - 8 sets x 5 reps 

Ex 3B:  Inverted Rows - 8 sets x 5 reps 

Day 2: Strength / Hypertrophy Lower Body

Ex 1A:  Barbell Squats - 8 sets x 5 reps @ 80% 1RM 

Ex 2A:  Leg Press - 8 sets x 5 reps @ 80% 1RM 

Ex 3A:  Reverse Lunges - 8 sets x 5 reps  

Ex 4A:  Lying Leg Curl Machine - 8 sets x 5 reps  

Ex 5A:  Smith Machine Standing Calf Raises - 8 sets x 5 reps 

Ex 6A:  Seated Calf Raise - 8 sets x 5 reps 

Day 3: Conditioning -- Wind Sprints

8 sets of 100-meter sprints

Note: After each sprint, walk back to the starting point, then it’s time for your next sprint. The only rest you get is the walk back to the starting line.

Day 4: Hypertrophy / Endurance Upper Body

Ex 1A:  Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 5 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 1B:  Wide Grip Seated Cable Row - 5 sets x 10 reps  

Ex 2A:  Seated Dumbbell Press - 5 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 2B:  Neutral Grip Seated Row - 5 sets x 10 reps  

Ex 3A:  Decline Push Ups - 5 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 3B:  Close Grip Chin Ups - 5 sets x 10 reps  

Ex 4A:  EZ Bar Skullcrushers - 5 sets x 10 reps  

Ex 4B:  Standing Dumbbell Curls - 5 sets x 10 reps 

Day 5: Hypertrophy / Endurance Lower Body

Ex 1A:  Leg Curls - 5 sets x 10 reps  

Ex 1B:  Leg Extensions - 5 sets x 10 reps  

Ex 2A:  Dumbbell Walking Lunges - 5 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 2B:  Romanian Deadlifts - 5 sets x 10 reps   

Ex 3A:  Bulgarian Split Squats - 5 sets x 10 reps  

Ex 3B:  Single Leg RDL - 5 sets x 10 reps 

Ex 4A:  Bodyweight Calf Raises (toes elevated on a step) - 5 sets x AMRAP reps

Day 6: Conditioning -- Barbell Complex

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

Ex 1A: Deadlift - 6 reps

Ex 1B: Barbell Row - 6 reps

Ex 1C: Hang Clean - 6 reps

Ex 1D: Front Squat - 6 reps

Ex 1E: Push Press - 6 reps

Note: Move from one exercise to the next with as little rest as possible. Rest as needed after each round to be able to complete the next round.

Day 7: Active Recovery

Week 4

Day 1: Strength / Hypertrophy Upper Body

Ex 1A:  Flat Bench Press - 6 sets x 4 reps @ 85% 1RM

Ex 1B:  Barbell Row Shoulder Press - 6 sets x 4 reps @ 85% 1RM

Ex 2A:  Standing Barbell Military Press - 6 sets x 4 reps @ 85% 1RM

Ex 2B:  Weighted Pull Ups - 6 sets x 4 reps

Ex 3A:  Dips - 6 sets x 4 reps

Ex 3B:  Inverted Rows - 6 sets x 4 reps (add weight to fail in 4 reps)

Day 2: Strength / Hypertrophy Lower Body

Ex 1A:  Barbell Squats - 6 sets x 4 reps @ 85% 1RM

Ex 2A:  Leg Press - 6 sets x 4 reps @ 85% 1RM 

Ex 3A:  Reverse Lunges - 6 sets x 4 reps

Ex 4A:  Lying Leg Curl Machine - 6 sets x 4 reps   

Ex 5A:  Smith Machine Standing Calf Raises - 6 sets x 4 reps 

Ex 6A:  Seated Calf Raise - 6 sets x 4 reps 

Day 3: Conditioning -- Wind Sprints

5 rounds 20-second sprints with 3 minutes rest between

Day 4: Hypertrophy / Endurance Upper Body

Ex 1A:  Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 5 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 1B:  Wide Grip Seated Cable Row - 5 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 2A:  Seated Dumbbell Press - 5 sets x 12 reps

Ex 2B:  Neutral Grip Seated Row - 5 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 3A:  Decline Push Ups - 5 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 3B:  Close Grip Chin Ups - 5 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 4A:  EZ Bar Skullcrushers - 5 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 4B:  Standing Dumbbell Curls - 5 sets x 12 reps 

Day 5: Hypertrophy / Endurance Lower Body

Ex 1A:  Leg Curls - 5 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 1B:  Leg Extensions - 5 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 2A:  Dumbbell Walking Lunges - 5 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 2B:  Romanian Deadlifts - 5 sets x 12 reps   

Ex 3A:  Bulgarian Split Squats - 5 sets x 12 reps  

Ex 3B:  Single Leg RDL - 5 sets x 12 reps 

Ex 4A:  Bodyweight Calf Raises (toes elevated on a step) - 5 sets x AMRAP reps

Day 6: Conditioning -- Barbell Complex

4 rounds as fast as possible with proper form

Ex 1A: Deadlift - 6 reps

Ex 1B: Bent Over Row - 6 reps

Ex 1C: Hang Clean - 6 reps

Ex 1D: Thrusters - 6 reps

Ex 1E: Overhead Squat - 6 reps

Note: Move from one exercise to the next with as little rest as possible. Rest as needed after each round to be able to complete the next round.

Day 7: Active Recovery