Hypertrophy Training 101
1. Prioritize compound exercises.
A compound exercise is any type of exercise that trains several major muscle groups at the same time, like the squat, deadlift, and bench and overhead press.Research shows that if you want to maximize muscle hypertrophy, nothing beats compound weightlifting.
Exercises that involve just one joint and major muscle group at a time—also known as isolation exercises—can still have a place in your program, but if hypertrophy is your main goal, you should put most of your energy into compound exercises.
2. Emphasize progressive overload.
If you stop getting stronger, your muscles will eventually stop getting bigger.That’s why you should always strive to add weight or reps to every exercise in every workout.
This is known as progressive overload, and it’s one of the best ways to maximize the muscle-building effects of weightlifting.
This is also why low-reps are generally a little better than high-reps for hypertrophy training. Doing most of your sets in the 4-to-10 rep range allows you to add weight and reps more frequently and the workouts tend to be less fatiguing than if you did most of your sets in the 10+ rep range. This generally works out to around 75-to-85% of your one-rep max.
That said, high-rep sets (10+) still have a place in a hypertrophy program, but they should be used sparingly.
3. Do the right number of sets each week.
Studies show that if you want to maximize muscle hypertrophy, you want to do around 10-to-20 sets per muscle group per week.What’s more, if you run into a muscle gain plateau, research shows that bumping up your training volume for that muscle group by about 20% is a good way to kickstart progress. For example, if you haven’t been able to gain much muscle or strength in your chest doing 10 sets per week, you’d add two more sets per week.
If you aren’t sure how to calculate your weekly set volume, don’t worry. The hypertrophy workout plan below will have you doing the right number of sets for each muscle group per week.
The Best Hypertrophy Workout Program
The following is a tried-and-tested, 5-day per week hypertrophy workout program that’s been used by natural bodybuilders to build mass for decades.The reason it works so well is that it has you doing all the best mass-building exercises and it uses the right number of weekly sets to promote hypertrophy without wearing you to a frazzle.
If the 5-day per week hypertrophy program doesn’t fit your schedule, you can shorten it to a 4-day routine by skipping Day 5. And if you’d prefer to do a 3-day routine, skip Day 3 and Day 5.
Day 1: Push
- Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Triceps Pushdown: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
Day 2: Pull
- Barbell Deadlift: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Seated Cable Row: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
Day 3: Upper A
- Seated Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Alternating Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
Day 4: Lower
- Barbell Back Squat: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Leg Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
Day 5: Upper B
- Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Weighted Pull-up: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
The 20 Best Hypertrophy Exercises
Barbell Bench Press
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor, grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, and unrack the barbell. Bring the barbell to the middle of your chest, then explosively press the bar back to the starting position.
Incline Barbell Bench Press
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Lie on a bench that’s angled at 30-to-45 degrees with your feet flat on the floor, grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, and unrack the barbell. Bring the barbell to the middle of your chest and then explosively press the bar back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
While sitting on a flat bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them on your thighs. Lie back and bring the dumbbells up so you’re holding them on either side of your chest. Press the dumbbells straight up over your chest until your arms are straight and your elbows are almost locked, then lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Triceps Pushdown
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Set the pulley on a cable machine to slightly above head height and attach the rope handle. Grab one end of the rope in each hand, lean forward slightly, and push the rope downward by straightening your elbows. Once your arms are straight and at your sides, reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Barbell Deadlift
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Load a barbell on the floor and position your feet under the bar so they’re slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly out. Move down toward the bar by pushing your hips back and place your hands on the bar just outside your shins. Drive your body upward and slightly back by pushing through your heels, then reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Then, bend over and put your left hand and left knee on a bench, allowing your right arm to extend toward the floor. Keeping your back straight, pull the dumbbell upward until it touches your torso, then return the dumbbell to the starting position. Once you’ve completed the desired number of reps, repeat the process with your left arm.
Lat Pulldown
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Stand up and grab the bar of the lat pulldown machine. While keeping your grip on the bar and your arms straight, sit down with your thighs under the thigh pad, allowing your body weight to pull the bar down with you. Without swinging your torso, pull the bar toward your chest, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
Seated Cable Row
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Sit on the pad and place your feet on the footplate while maintaining a slight bend in your knees. Lean forward and grab the handle, then lean back with your arms stretched in front of you. Straighten your back and pull the cable toward your stomach, then reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
While sitting on an upright bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them on your thighs. Hoist the dumbbells up so you’re holding them just above your shoulders. Press the dumbbells straight up over your head until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked, then lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
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Alternating Dumbbell Curl
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Stand up straight holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your left arm at your side, flex your right arm and curl the dumbbell up until it’s in front of your right shoulder, then lower the dumbbell to the starting position. Then repeat with your left arm until you’ve done the desired number of reps (8-to-10) for both arms.
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your arms mostly straight (a slight bend in the elbows is fine), lift the dumbbells out to the side until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Whether standing or seated, bend at the hips so that your upper body is as close to parallel to the floor as possible. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and while keeping your back flat, lift the dumbbells out to the side until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Barbell Back Squat
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Step under the bar, pinch your shoulder blades together, and rest the bar directly above the bony ridges on the bottom of your shoulder blades. Lift the bar out of the rack, take one or two steps backward, and place your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes pointing slightly outward. Sit down and remember to keep your back straight and push your knees out in the same direction as your toes throughout each rep, then stand up and return to the starting position.
Leg Press
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Place your feet halfway up the footplate and a little wider that shoulder-width apart with your toes pointing slightly outward. Bend your knees slightly and use the safety handles to release the weight. Lower the footplate toward your chest, then push the footplate upward until your legs are almost but not completely straight.
Lying Leg Curl
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Adjust the leg pad so that it rests just above your ankles when you lie on the machine. Lie face down and grab the handles, then curl the pad toward your butt by pushing against the leg pad. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Seated Calf Raise
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
While seated, adjust the thigh pad so that it rests just above you knee and place the balls of your feet on the footplate. Lift the pad slightly by pointing your toes, and use the safety handle to release the weight. While keeping your feet on the footplate, lower the weight as far as possible by letting your heels move toward the floor. Then, push through the balls of your feet to elevate the thigh pad as high as you can.
Close-Grip Bench Press
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor, grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip or slightly narrower, and unrack the barbell. Bring the barbell to your lower chest, then explosively press the bar back to the starting position.
Weighted Pull-up
Sets: 3 | Reps: 4 to 6 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Use a dip belt to strap a weight plate around your waist or squeeze the handle of a dumbbell between your thighs. Grab a pull-up bar and pull your body upward until your chin rises above your hands, and then lower yourself to return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
Adjust a bench so the backrest is vertical or nearly so. Grab a dumbbell and sit down on the bench. Then, grab the top end of the dumbbell so your palms are supporting the weight and extend your arms to push it over your head with your arms straight. Lower the dumbbell behind your head until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then extend your arms and return to the starting position.
Barbell Curl
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8 to 10 | Rest: 2-to-3 min
While standing up straight, hold a barbell with your palms shoulder-width apart and facing away from you. Your arms should be straight and the bar should be resting against your thighs. Bring the bar up to shoulder height by bending at the elbow, and then lower it back to the starting position.
