Building muscle fast is often easier said than done…
First a quick caveat—the word ‘fast’ is not only subjective, but the results anyone is going to achieve depends on multiple factors:
#1 How consistently you train
#2 How good your eating/diet regimen is
#3 How much rest you get (daily)
#4 Your genetics
All that aside, here’s a training split that I think you’ll find easy to incorporate into any mass building phase that you approach.
If you’re after bang for buck, then I reckon this is it.
How is this training split unique?
It isn’t. Just because something is different, doesn’t make it BETTER. Furthermore, I’ve been using this program for a while (especially during the first weeks of my daughters birth) which has added some decent size to my frame. If you’re after bang for buck, then I reckon this is it.
Why only three days?
Most people have a ‘sweet spot’ when it comes to the number of days a week they can train or even LIKE to train. I find three days is typically ‘manageable’ for even the most time-poor of folks. If you want to train more days, then perhaps this split isn’t for you.
Just because something is different, doesn’t make it BETTER.
Training structure
Due to the amount of volume here, you’re going to need just over an hour. Try and keep your rest breaks short at no longer than a minute, but use common sense; if you’re exhausted, maybe wait a little longer until you get your breath back before attempting another set.
The last thing I want is an injury!
Day 1 – Chest/Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 (to failure on last set) |
| Incline One-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 x 10-12 |
| Cable Flyes | 4 x 10-12 |
| Standing Military Press | 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 (to failure on last set) |
| Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise | 4 x 10-12 |
| Face Pull | 4 x 10-12 |
| Hanging Straight Leg Raise | 3 x 20+ (to failure) |
One-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
Day 2 – Hamstrings/Triceps/Biceps
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
| Barbell Deadlift | 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 |
| Lying Leg Curls | 4 x 15-20 |
| Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press | 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 (to failure on last set) |
| Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension | 3 x 10-12 |
| EZ-Bar Curl | 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 (to failure on last set) |
| Hammer Dumbbell Curl | 3 x 10-12 |
| Diamond Push-Up | 3 x 20+ (to failure) |
Diamond Pushups
Day 3 – Quads/Calves/Back
| Exercise | Sets – Reps |
| Barbell Squat | 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 |
| Leg Extensions | 4 x 10-12 |
| Standing (Weighted) Calf Raise | 4 x 15-20 |
| Lat Pulldown | 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 (to failure on last set) |
| Seated Cable Row | 4 x 10-12 |
| Chin-Up | 3 x 10+ (to failure) |
| Ab Wheel (kneeling) | 4 x 10-12 |
Kneeling Ab-Wheel Rollouts
Important Notes
| 1 | Make sure to rest no longer than 60 seconds between sets (use common sense here). |
| 2 | Volume is king here—don’t lift too heavy; go for lighter weights (70-80% of 1RM) to make sure you’re hitting the higher rep ranges. |
| 3 | Exercises can be substituted if you don’t have the available equipment. |
| 4 | This style of training is TAXING. Get your sleep and eat above your maintenance calories. |
| 5 | Ramping down 12, 10, 8, 6 means you’re progressively adding weight EACH set. |
The wrap up
Training with plenty of volume to stimulate the most muscle fibers at once is what it’s all about. If you’re looking to burst through your t-shirt and add some size pretty quickly—use this split for 8 weeks and then take a week off and assess how much you’ve filled out your clothing.
If you want to see some of the other workouts that I’ve been doing lately, head over to Fitocracy and visit my page here >
Editor’s Note: Got any questions about the exercises or setup? Ask away below.
For this routine would you recommend an every-other-day type set up, like day 1 Mon, day 2 Wed, day 3 Fri?
Definitely a solid option bunt not mandatory. Will depend on how well you’re eating and sleeping. If you can handle 2 days in a row then a break, then I say go for it.
OK cool, ill try doing day 1 Mon, day 2 Tue, & day 3 Thur, with Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun off. Btw I’ve been doing your RPT Routine for about a month now with good results, looking to change it up a little & try this one. Thanks again for responding…
Fantastic! it’s a great way to improve your numbers in a relatively quick time-frame. Keen to see how this one plays out for you.
Yeah I went up 20 lbs on my bench so far, so I’m stoked..think I’m stick it out through most of October and then switch to this Routine…I’ll keep u posted. Thanks again!