Building a strong and healthy physique is entirely possible with the right combination of resistance training, cardio, and diet. This guide focuses on resistance training and cardio, drawing from over 15 years of personal experience and over 80 lbs of natural muscle gain.

My goal has always been to create the optimal workout for growth. I believe that the following workout plan is suitable for almost anyone looking to gain muscle, improve their endurance, and enhance their cardiovascular capacity, regardless of whether they are a beginner, or an advanced lifter.

I’ll get right into the plan, and then below, will explain the major concepts and reasoning behind it, attempting to clear up any contradiction you may have heard in the past, and empowering you to tweak the plan to suit your personal situation and goals.

The Workout Plan

Monday: Arms and Shoulders

• Dumbbell Curls
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises
• Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press

Tuesday: Legs and Core

• Barbell Squat (Back, Front, or Zercher)
• Dumbbell Situps

Wednesday: Upper Body

• Barbell Flat Bench Press
• Wide-Grip Overhand Pull-ups
• Barbell Shrugs

Thursday: Repeat Monday
Friday: Repeat Tuesday
Saturday: Repeat Wednesday
Sunday: Cardio

• 5k Jog

Guidelines

• Do Dynamic stretches before each workout, and Static stretches afterwards.
• Warm up with a light weight before each exercise. Don’t count those sets.
• Perform 3 sets of 10 reps, each going to the last rep before failure, with heavy weight. Reduce the weight between sets.
• Finish with a 4^th working set, of 50-100 reps to failure with a light weight.
• Squats: Perform 3 sets of 3 reps to failure, followed by a 4^th set, of 50-100 reps of either the leg press or barbell step-ups.

Customization

• Add Calf Raises, Cable Rows, or Incline Dumbbell Presses twice a week if you want to work more muscles. Add Deadlifts once a week if you want faster overall progress.
• Women may prefer to skip Barbell Shrugs and Close-Grip Bench Press and focus more on their core and legs (e.g., add Hip Thrusts / Split Squats / Romanian Deadlifts).
• Intermediate trainees focused only on maintenance can go very light on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, aiming only to preserve strength.

Concepts

Let’s dive into the “how” and “why” behind the workout plan. This section will give you the knowledge you need to adapt the plan to your goals.

Reps

What is the Optimal number of Reps?

Exactly 7 and a half.

Just kidding. The real answer is, it doesn’t actually matter too much, as long as you go to failure (when I say failure I mean one rep before – to avoid injury). By doing this, you are tearing all muscle fiber (types I,II,IIA).

So how do you pick a number? I landed on 10 reps for the following reasons. A 1-rep set to failure is risky because it’s hard to gauge if that rep is truly your last. If you're wrong and had more in you, you likely won’t get another rep, and if you had less in you, you’ll fail on your only rep without even going through a full range of motion. At the other extreme, high rep sets of 20 or more give you room to push harder towards the end, but risk failure due to cardiovascular limitations. 10 is squarely in between those numbers, and most lifters would agree that it works well in reality. I leave a special exception for compound lifts that require a high amount of concentration to maintain good form, targeting 3-5 reps on those exercises instead, for safety. So, with that:

• 10 reps is the recommendation for most lifts.

• On compound lifts that require high concentration and balance, prefer 3-5 reps.

At the end of an exercise, I like to finish with a high-rep set (50-100 reps) which has the same effect of tearing all muscle fiber types, but also helps to improve muscular endurance, fill your muscles with blood, and get a bit of cardio in.

Rep Speed

Push up as fast as possible in a controlled manner (1-2 seconds). Lower the weight in a controlled manner (1-2 seconds).

Sets

How many Sets?
It’s all about balance, and is largely related to workout frequency. Obviously, the more muscle you tear, the more muscle grows back. If you tear too little, it will recover too fast, and you’ll need to get back into the gym before you lose it again. Now if you tear too much, it won’t recover fully in time for your next workout. It’s also unwise to tear your muscles so much that it takes two weeks for them to recover – by that time you will lose the post-workout hormone spike and Central Nervous System (CNS) adaptations (which also last only a few days).

From trial and error, and research, I recommend 4 working sets to failure. This generally allows you to train each muscle twice a week. Smaller muscles, like biceps, recover faster and can be trained more frequently (up to 3 times a week) or hit with more sets. You'll see, in the workout plan that the Biceps are targeted 3 times (Curls - Pullups - Curls) and the Triceps 3 times (Close Grip Bench - Regular Bench - Close Grip Bench).

For guidance - in a 4-set workout to failure, after the 4th set, I can usually only lift half as much weight as I did in the first set for the same number of reps.

Exercises

How many Exercises per bodypart?
From my experience, 1 exercise per bodypart, trained for 4 sets to failure, twice a week is optimal for muscle growth. This is quite conservative compared to traditional workout plans, where you might see multiple exercises for each muscle. My take on this is that trainees following those programs aren't working hard enough in their first exercise, so need multiple to get the same effect. In recent years this has started to be identified as "junk volume".

If you do insist on more volume, I would advocate for a maximum of 2 exercises per muscle in a single workout. My preference would be for an increase in training frequency (training a muscle 3x per week instead of 2x) than an increase in the number of exercises. For smaller muscles like the biceps that recover faster, I could easily see somebody training their biceps 3 times a week (like in the Plan above); or training them with 2 exercises instead of 1 in a workout.

Progression

Progression is the key to getting stronger. Log your progress and aim to improve by increasing weight every session. Start light and increase the weight gradually from session to session, to avoid injury.

Cardio

A strong cardiovascular system is critical to your progress – you never want to fail a lift due to being out of breath. The Sunday jog, combined with the daily weightlifting workouts, is all you need to improve your cardiovascular health. Over time, feel free to increase your endurance with higher speed or longer runs. Running 5 kilometers once or twice a week is not going to be detrimental to muscle growth – In fact, it can actually assist growth due to the additional blood flow and hormone release.

For beginners, start by doing what you can do easily. Try to be a bit better each time. After a month of short 5-10 minute jogs, most people will be able to maintain breathing at a slow jogging pace without getting out of breath.

Squats

A special callout for the squat. It’s the exercise that targets the most muscles in your body. It has the highest potential to cause the weight gain and releases the most growth hormones. It should be the absolute focus of any workout plan for someone serious about changing their physique. There is no substitute for squats.

Equipment

Barbells are generally the best tool for building strength and muscle, providing the perfect balance of stabilization and resistance. Dumbbells, cables, and machines are useful, but they don’t provide the same level of engagement. They are useful where barbells don’t quite make sense mechanically.

Exercise Guide

Dumbbell Curls - Biceps

• Performed one arm at a time.
• Sit on a bench, with your legs apart.
• Let your arm hang between your legs, optionally resting the elbow on your inner leg.
• Keep your back upright and straight – the only thing moving should be your arm.
• Your elbow can move forward as you get to the top of the lift.
• Curl the weight from a fully extended arm to a fully contracted arm.

Dumbbell Lateral Raise - Medial Deltoid

• Performed with both arms simultaneously, either standing or sitting.
• Start with your arms by your sides, raise them until they are parallel with the floor.
• Keep your elbows straight, locked, or nearly locked throughout the movement.

Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press - Triceps

• Performed on a flat bench.
• Hands should be 6-8 inches apart.
• Keep your elbows close to your body at the bottom of the lift.

Barbell Squat (Back, Front, or Zercher) - Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings

• Flat shoes, or no shoes on a grippy surface, are ideal.
• Keep your weight on your heels throughout the motion.
• Maintain a flat or arched back during the entire movement.
• Inhale and exhale at the top of the motion.
• Flexibility in your ankles and posterior chain is key – stretch beforehand.

Dumbbell Sit-ups - Abs

• Place your feet underneath something heavy for stability.
• Hold the dumbbell on your chest, close to your neck.
• Lay down until your back touches the floor, keeping your chin tucked throughout the movement.

Barbell Flat Bench Press - Chest and Front Deltoids

• Set your hand width so that your forearms are parallel at the bottom of the lift.
• Maintain an arched back with your glutes and upper back in contact with the bench.
• Bring the bar down to your chest and press it up to a full lockout.
• Control the weight – don’t bounce the bar off your chest.

Wide Grip Overhand Pull-ups - Lats

• Start with your arms fully extended and pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
• Control any swinging by maintaining a consistent, steady speed.

Barbell Shrugs - Traps

• Use wrist straps if necessary to avoid letting grip strength limit your trap development.
• Shrug the barbell upwards as if trying to touch your ears with your shoulders.
• Keep your back arched and your knees locked throughout the movement.

Jogging - Cardio

• Jog as slowly as possible, just a little faster than walking pace.
• Don't let your mind play games with you - set a goal and don't stop unless you feel you will get injured. Commit and relax.

Final Note

Consistency and Progression are essential. Log your workouts, make steady improvements, and stay focused on the long-term. In my experience, the difference between those who succeed and those who fall short is the ability to stay disciplined and committed to the plan.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is based on personal experience and research and is intended for educational purposes only. Always consult with a healthcare provider or certified fitness professional before beginning any new workout or fitness program, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions or injuries. Individual results may vary, and it is important to listen to your body and adapt exercises to your specific needs. Sean Valeo is not responsible for any injuries or health issues that may arise from following this program.