Aim for progressive overload: add reps, add weight, or add sets each week
Train 3–5 days per week
Hit each major muscle group 2–3 times per week
Use a simple hypertrophy split (full-body 3x/week, upper/lower 4x/week, or push/pull/legs 3–4x/week)
Perform 10–20 hard sets per muscle group per week
Keep most sets 0–3 reps shy of failure
Choose mostly compound lifts plus 1–3 isolation lifts per muscle group
Use a rep range of 5–12 for most work; include some 12–20 for isolations if desired
Rest 1–3 minutes between sets (shorter for isolations, longer for heavy compounds)
Maintain good form and controlled tempo
Track workouts: exercises, sets, reps, load, and effort
Start with 6–10 total exercises per session
Include: squat/hinge, horizontal push, vertical push, horizontal pull, vertical pull, and at least one arm/shoulder isolation
Example weekly structure (full-body):
Day 1: squat/hinge, horizontal push, row, vertical pull, arms
Day 2: squat/hinge variation, vertical push, row variation, vertical pull variation, arms
Day 3: hinge or leg press, push variation, pull variation, lateral raises, arms
Warm up 5–10 minutes and do 1–3 ramp-up sets for main lifts
Sleep 7–9 hours per night
Eat a calorie surplus of 200–400 kcal/day if gaining weight is appropriate
Aim for 1.6–2.2 g protein per kg body weight per day
Spread protein across 3–5 meals
Include 25–40 g protein per meal
Get 2–4 servings of high-fiber carbs daily (whole grains, fruit, potatoes, legumes)
Include healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, eggs, fatty fish) without going too low
Hydrate daily; use electrolytes if sweating heavily
Creatine monohydrate 3–5 g daily
Whey or other protein only if you can’t hit protein with food
Caffeine if tolerated (e.g., 1–3 mg/kg 30–60 minutes pre-workout)
Consider carbs around training for performance if needed
Manage recovery: deload every 4–8 weeks or when progress stalls
Avoid training to failure on every set; stop 1–3 reps shy most of the time
Keep total weekly volume consistent, then adjust based on progress
If progress stalls for 2–4 weeks: reduce fatigue (fewer sets), improve technique, or increase calories
Measure progress: weekly strength changes, photos, and body weight trend
Use at least 2–3 weeks to judge a program change
Stay consistent for months rather than days