5 Day Hypertrophy Workout Plan is a 5-day resistance-training template for muscle gain. The listed exercises, sets, repetitions, and rest periods are starting parameters, not evidence that this exact combination is optimal for every person.
How to Use the Prescription
Choose loads that let you complete the planned repetitions with controlled, repeatable technique. The ACSM position stand supports progressive resistance training across different loading and repetition ranges; it does not prescribe this page’s exact load increments or promise a fixed recovery time. Add repetitions or a small amount of resistance only when performance remains consistent.
Volume and Frequency
Research reports an average dose-response relationship between weekly resistance-training volume and muscle growth, with substantial variation among people and programs. Frequency comparisons also need to account for total weekly volume. Treat this schedule as a practical way to distribute the work, then reduce or redistribute sets if performance, technique, or recovery worsens.
Safety and Adjustment
Warm up with manageable practice sets for the first demanding movement. Use a range you can control, stop an exercise that causes pain, and seek qualified assessment for persistent or concerning symptoms. Do not double missed sessions. Resume with the next planned workout and adjust the template to current capacity.
Review the Plan
Track loads, repetitions, technique, and how recovery affects later sessions. Review trends over several weeks rather than treating one session as proof that the program works or fails. The references support general training principles; they do not establish guaranteed results, universal injury prevention, or a single best split.
Adequate dietary protein can support resistance-training adaptations, but the protein meta-analysis does not justify a personalized intake prescription from this page alone. People with medical or dietary concerns should use appropriate professional guidance.
Specialization Structure and Session Spacing
This 5-day program combines an upper/lower framework with a dedicated specialization session, organizing the week into Upper A, Lower A, Specialization Focus, Upper B, and Lower B. This configuration allows lifters to allocate extra volume to a priority muscle group while maintaining full-body compound volume.
Managing Fatigue Across Five Weekly Sessions
Five training days per week requires careful attention to recovery and fatigue management:
- Calibrate Starting Loads: Choose loads that leave 1 to 2 clean repetitions in reserve on initial sets.
- Warm-Up Protocols: Perform 2 to 3 progressive warm-up sets for the primary lift of each session to prepare movement patterns without inducing premature fatigue.
- Rest Interval Discipline: Rest 2 minutes between heavy compound lifts and 60 to 90 seconds between accessory movements.
Progressive Overload Guidelines
- Work within the prescribed repetition range (such as 8 to 12 reps on accessory movements).
- Keep resistance constant until all working sets achieve the top rep target with clean technique.
- Increase load modestly and reset to the lower rep boundary on your next rotation.
- If two consecutive weeks feel unusually taxing, hold loads constant or reduce accessory sets by one-third for a recovery week.
Review your progress every 6 to 8 weeks. When specialization goals are met, lifters can return to a standard 4 day upper lower workout plan or reallocate accessory focus across different muscle groups.
Day 1: Upper strength
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Barbell Bent-Over Row | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Overhead Press | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
Day 2: Lower strength
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Plank | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
Day 3: Upper volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Bench Press | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Seated Row | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Lateral Raise | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Tricep Pushdown | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
Day 4: Lower volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Press | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Dumbbell Lunge | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
Day 5: Specialization
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Hammer Curl | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
Take this complete routine to the gym
Load the full 5 Day Hypertrophy Workout Plan into Your PT. The app sets up your training days, rest intervals, and target weights, guiding your progressive overload workout by workout.
- Download Your PT free on iOS or Android.
- Choose this workout split during app setup or in routine builder.
- Hit 'Start Workout' on Day 1 — rest timers and target weights run automatically.
How to Progress This Plan
- Progression step 1: Keep the load until every planned set reaches the top of its rep range with controlled form.
- Progression step 2: Add a small load increase, then work back through the lower end of the range.
Warm-up
- Perform five minutes of general movement, then two or three gradually heavier practice sets for the first lift.
Deload
When: When performance and recovery decline for more than one week
Reduce sets by about one third and resume normal loading when performance feels stable.
Time variants
- 45 minutes: Keep the first two lifts and perform one fewer accessory set.
Safety
- Use a pain-free range and ask a qualified professional about persistent or concerning symptoms.
References
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults
- Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency
- A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults
See our exercise methodology for how this evidence is applied and its limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does the 5th specialization day fit into this upper/lower split?
- The extra day adds work for the selected muscle groups. It can also add fatigue, so keep it only when performance and recovery remain stable and reduce other volume if needed.
- How do you manage recovery on a 5-day training split?
- The displayed week is one scheduling option, not a guarantee of complete recovery. Space sessions when practical and adjust volume, load, or conditioning when performance or technique declines.
- How should weight be progressed across the 5 days?
- Use the listed repetition range as a starting template. Increase resistance only after the planned repetitions can be repeated with controlled technique, and use a smaller increment or hold the load when performance is not repeatable.
Want a plan built around your exact numbers instead? Try the free workout plan generator or browse every workout plan Your PT publishes.