Intermediate Program - Mass & Strength

TRAINING SPLITS

Choose Your Split

Pick the split that fits your schedule and goals. All are equally effective.

PUSH/PULL/LEGS (PPL)

The classic hypertrophy split. Train each muscle group twice per week. High volume, high frequency.

Day 1 Push (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps)

Day 2 Pull (Back/Biceps)

Day 3 Legs (Quads/Hams/Glutes/Calves)

Day 4 Push

Day 5 Pull

Day 6 Legs

Day 7 REST

BRO SPLIT

One muscle group per day. Maximum focus, maximum pump. Traditional bodybuilding approach.

Day 1 Chest

Day 2 Back

Day 3 REST or Cardio

Day 4 Shoulders

Day 5 Arms (Biceps/Triceps)

Day 6 Legs

Day 7 REST

UPPER/LOWER

Simple and effective. Train upper body and lower body on separate days. Great for strength and size.

Day 1 Upper Body A

Day 2 Lower Body A

Day 3 REST

Day 4 Upper Body B

Day 5 Lower Body B

Day 6-7 REST

SAMPLE WORKOUTS

Push Day Example

Chest, Shoulders, Triceps - Volume and intensity combined.

PUSH DAY - WEEK 1

75-90 MIN

1. Flat Barbell Bench Press

4 x 6-8

Primary compound. Focus on progressive overload. 75-85% 1RM. 3-4 min rest.
STRENGTH FOCUS
2. Incline Dumbbell Press

4 x 8-12

Upper chest hypertrophy. 30-45° angle. Control the negative. 2-3 min rest.
3. Overhead Press (Barbell)

4 x 8-10

Shoulder mass builder. Strict form. Drive through heels. 2-3 min rest.
4. Cable Flyes

3 x 12-15

Chest isolation. Constant tension. Squeeze at peak contraction. 90s rest.
DROP SET ON LAST SET
5. Lateral Raises

4 x 12-15

Side delt builder. Slight lean forward. Control the descent. 60-90s rest.
6. Tricep Rope Pushdowns

3 x 12-15

Tricep isolation. Keep elbows tucked. Full extension. 60s rest.
SUPERSET WITH OVERHEAD EXT
7. Overhead Tricep Extension

3 x 12-15

Long head emphasis. Stretch at bottom. No rest between superset.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: Week 1-4: Focus on reps (6-8 → 8-10). Week 5-8: Add 5-10lbs to compounds. Week 9-12: Intensity techniques. Week 13-16: Deload + peak.

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

Break Through Plateaus

Use these methods to push past sticking points and maximize growth.

⚡

Drop Sets

Take a set to failure, immediately reduce weight by 20-30%, continue to failure. Repeat 2-3 times.

Example: Cable Flyes - 40lbs x 12 (failure) → 30lbs x 8 (failure) → 20lbs x 6 (failure)

🔥

Rest-Pause Sets

Take a set to failure, rest 15-20 seconds, squeeze out 2-3 more reps. Repeat 2-3 times.

Example: Leg Press - 10 reps to failure → Rest 20s → 3 reps → Rest 20s → 2 reps

💪

Supersets

Perform two exercises back-to-back with no rest. Use antagonistic muscles or same muscle group.

Example: Bicep Curl immediately followed by Tricep Extension. Or Chest Fly + Lateral Raise.

🎯

Tempo Training

Manipulate time under tension. Slow eccentrics (3-5 seconds down) create massive growth stimulus.

Example: Squat - 3s down, 1s pause, explosive up. Each rep takes 5+ seconds total.

⏱️

Cluster Sets

Break one heavy set into mini-sets with short rest. Allows more volume at higher intensity.

Example: Squat 315lbs - 5 reps → 20s rest → 3 reps → 20s rest → 2 reps = 10 total reps

🔄

Mechanical Drop Sets

Change exercise variation when you hit failure, without changing weight. Same muscle, easier leverage.

Example: Close-Grip Pulldown to failure → Wide-Grip Pulldown to failure (same weight)

TRACK YOUR GAINS

Progress Metrics

Monitor these numbers every 4 weeks. Track everything.

Bench Press (lbs)

Squat (lbs)

Deadlift (lbs)

Body Weight (lbs)

Arm Size (inches)

Chest Size (inches)

💡 Tip: Measure in the morning, fasted. Same conditions every time. Progress photos > scale weight.

MASS & STRENGTH