The 5 day workout split
for muscle.
Five days a week across ninety days, with the fifth day given to active recovery rather than more lifting. Every session is below, with the progression rules for each phase.
- Length
- 90 days
- Days a week
- 5
- Sessions listed
- 15
- Equipment
- A gym with dumbbells, barbells, cables and machines.
The plan
Everything below is the actual programme, not a summary of one. Work down each session in order. The sets and reps shown are the starting prescription for that phase.
Foundation
Two upper-body and two lower-body sessions, with extra days for active recovery.
Upper A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Lower A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Dead bug | 3 × 10/side |
Upper B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 × 10 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Lower B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Split squat | 3 × 8/side |
| Dumbbell hip hinge | 3 × 10 |
| Glute bridge | 3 × 12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Side plank | 3 × 20 sec/side |
Active Recovery
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Walking at a comfortable pace | 20-30 min |
| Comfortable mobility | 10 min |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Build
Two upper-body and two lower-body sessions, with extra days for active recovery.
Upper A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Lower A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Dead bug | 3 × 10/side |
Upper B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 × 10 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Lower B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Split squat | 3 × 8/side |
| Dumbbell hip hinge | 3 × 10 |
| Glute bridge | 3 × 12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Side plank | 3 × 20 sec/side |
Active Recovery
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Walking at a comfortable pace | 20-30 min |
| Comfortable mobility | 10 min |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Perform
Two upper-body and two lower-body sessions, with extra days for active recovery.
Upper A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Lower A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Dead bug | 3 × 10/side |
Upper B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 × 10 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Lower B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Split squat | 3 × 8/side |
| Dumbbell hip hinge | 3 × 10 |
| Glute bridge | 3 × 12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Side plank | 3 × 20 sec/side |
Active Recovery
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Walking at a comfortable pace | 20-30 min |
| Comfortable mobility | 10 min |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Days 85-90: recovery and review
Take easier activity days. Review completed sessions, movement control and energy. Keep a manageable schedule, and repeat or progress gradually. Seek qualified advice about pain or nutrition concerns.
The fifth day creates another appointment
The first sessions separate upper and lower work and the complete weekly table adds the remaining visits. Five available days are a scheduling requirement, not a badge of progress. Before using this version, put every listed session into a real calendar and check travel, work and recovery constraints. If the fifth visit is routinely omitted, compare the four-day upper/lower structure instead of treating an incomplete five-day plan as equivalent.
Worked log: Dumbbell bench press
This fictional example uses the Dumbbell bench press entry in this routine: 3 × 8–12. It illustrates a way to record comparable sessions, not a starting load or an individual progression prescription.
| Appearance | Log entry |
|---|---|
| First | Same equipment: 9/9/8 |
| Next | Same equipment: 10/9/8 |
| Following | Same equipment: 10/10/9 |
Keep a separate record for a different press elsewhere in the week. Better performance on one variation does not establish a matching increase for every other pressing exercise.
Further reading: ACSM progression position stand. This supports general progression principles; it does not validate this particular template. See our worked progression guide for the shared method.
Reviewed 26 October 2026 by Phasebuilt. Worked examples are fictional teaching examples, not client results or individual prescriptions. No clinical review is claimed.
How to run it
Warm up for five to ten minutes before the first working set: easy movement, then one or two comfortable practice sets of the first exercise. For floor-only sessions use an easier bodyweight variation; for weighted sessions use a lighter load. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between accessory exercises and two to three minutes after main lifts.
Leave about three reps in reserve for the first fortnight of each phase. When the top of the rep range is clean on every set, add load. Compare like-for-like log entries before changing the demand. Keep fixed-repetition and effort-based prescriptions intact; the worked example below explains how to read this particular template. Progressive overload covers this in more detail.
Record what you lift. A plan you cannot compare to last week is a workout, not a programme.
Who this suits
- You can genuinely train five days most weeks.
- You recover well and have training history behind you.
- You want four lifting sessions and one easy recovery session.
Who it does not
- You are averaging fewer than four sessions a week right now.
- You are in a large calorie deficit and already under-recovering.
Equipment and pain
Use the listed equipment. To see a different setup, choose it in the builder. Start with easier practice repetitions of the movements you will use, then work at a controlled effort. No generic substitution can establish that an exercise is suitable for an injury. Stop painful movements and seek qualified advice.
For bodyweight sessions, progress repetitions and control before harder variations. For loaded sessions, increase load only after the prescribed repetitions feel controlled. Record what you did so you can compare the next session.
Make it yours
The plan above is one configuration. Phasebuilt will rebuild it around your goal, equipment, activity days, experience and approximate session length, and set the calorie and protein targets alongside it. It is free, takes about a minute, and runs entirely in your browser.