Your AI-enhanced guide to building muscle and boosting cardio.
This program is designed for an intermediate trainee to maximize muscle growth while improving cardiovascular fitness. It includes 5 resistance sessions and 1 high-intensity running day, with a focus on S- and A-tier exercises, progressive overload, and joint health. Workouts are ~1 hour each, optimized for results and recovery.
Heavy squat-focused training plus knee/hip stability work.
Upper body pushing movements for chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Upper body pulling for back and biceps, plus shoulder health.
Deadlift and hamstring-focused work, with hip stability.
Lighter volume to reinforce chest, back, shoulders, and arms.
Interval running session to boost VO2 max.
Active recovery, mobility, and preparation for the week ahead.
Warm-Up (5-10 min): Light cardio (5 min brisk walk/cycling), leg swings (10/leg), walking lunges (10/side), bodyweight squats (15 reps), glute bridges (10), lateral band walks (10 steps each side).
Main Lifts:
Focus on full depth, keeping core tight and knees tracking over toes.
Use a moderate stance; control the eccentric (lowering phase).
Hold dumbbells; keep your front knee tracking straight to build stability.
Accessory & Joint Work:
Isolation for quadriceps. Use lighter weight and slow tempo to strengthen knee joint support.
Hamstring isolation to balance quad work and protect the knee joint.
Strengthens calves for ankle support and running performance.
Maintain excellent form – quality is priority over load. Use a weight belt or knee sleeves if needed. Aim to increase squat weight ~5–10 lb when you can do 3×10 with current weight. Single-leg work will improve balance and fix strength asymmetries. Stretch quads and hamstrings after training.
Warm-Up (5-10 min): Light cardio (rower/jump rope), arm circles, band dislocations (10), band pull-aparts (2x15), band external rotations (2x10 each), 5-10 push-ups.
Main Lifts:
Keep shoulder blades retracted and elbows at a ~45° angle to your body. Press up explosively.
Engage core; drive the bar overhead using full range of motion. Avoid excessive back arching.
Use a ~30° incline to emphasize upper pecs. Dumbbells allow for a deeper stretch.
Accessory & Joint Work:
Keep elbows pinned to your sides and extend arms fully to lockout.
Lift dumbbells to the side, leading with the elbows. Focus on control, not heavy weight.
Keep elbow at 90° and rotate shoulder externally to reinforce shoulder stability.
Use a rope and pull towards your face with elbows high to work rear delts and rotator cuff.
Emphasize a controlled tempo (2s down, explode up). Stopping 1–2 reps short of failure on main lifts allows better recovery. If shoulder strain is felt, double down on rotator cuff warm-ups. Progress with small weight increases (+5 lb on bench, +2.5 lb on OHP).
Warm-Up (5-10 min): Easy rowing, band straight-arm pulldowns (15), scapular pull-ups (2x5), thoracic spine twists, light face pulls (15).
Main Lifts:
Go to near failure (~1 rep in reserve). If you can do more than 8 reps, add weight.
Hinge at hips ~45°, pull bar to lower chest/upper abs, squeezing shoulder blades. Keep back flat.
Keep torso upright; pull handles to your abdomen, driving elbows back.
Accessory & Joint Work:
Curl with controlled form, avoiding swinging. Squeeze at the top of each rep.
(If not done on push day). Strengthens rear delts and external rotators.
Neutral-grip curl for brachialis and forearms. Aids elbow stability.
Isolation for rear delts and upper back. Improves shoulder balance and posture.
If you struggle with pull-ups, use an assisted machine or bands. Keep rows strict; quality contractions are more important than cheating heavy weight. Log your weights and try to add 5–10 lbs when you hit top reps.
Warm-Up (5-10 min): Light cycling/jogging, dynamic hamstring swings (10), high-knee marches, bodyweight Good Mornings (10), hip openers, glute activation (10 clamshells/side, 10 bridges).
Main Lifts:
Lower slowly by pushing hips back with a slight knee bend until you feel a hamstring stretch. Keep back flat.
Take a long step to emphasize glutes; push through the heel to stand.
Place upper back on a bench, thrust hips up to full lockout, squeezing glutes. Use padding for the bar.
Accessory & Joint Work:
Control the eccentric phase. Strong hamstrings stabilize the knee joint.
Rotational core exercise to strengthen obliques and hip stability.
Band around ankles/knees. Strengthens glute medius and hip abductors.
Builds calf and ankle stability. Hold a dumbbell for resistance.
Focus on mind-muscle connection—really squeeze glutes at lockout. Avoid rounding your lower back on RDLs. Lunges can be scaled by using bodyweight initially. If grip is a limiting factor on RDLs, use chalk or straps.
Warm-Up (5 min): Quick general warm-up (e.g. 3 min rowing/jumping jacks), arm swings, light stretches.
Main Lifts:
Using a barbell on incline (30–45°) hits upper chest and anterior shoulders.
Use a chest-supported version if available to minimize lower back strain. Squeeze shoulders back at the top.
Using a machine ensures constant tension on the lateral delts.
Accessory & Joint Work:
Lying triceps extension. Keep elbows pointed up and move only the forearms.
Use an EZ-bar and curl in a controlled manner, avoiding swaying.
Final touch for rear delts and rotator cuffs for posture and shoulder health.
Core stability exercise. Keep body straight, belly button drawn in.
This day is lower intensity – focus on perfect form and a good pump. It’s scheduled at the end of the week to reinforce muscles without overtraining. If a muscle is still very sore, you can dial back the volume on that muscle today.
Warm-Up (5-10 min): Easy jog, high knees, butt kicks, leg swings (10/side), a couple of short 50m strides at ~70% effort.
Main Workout – Interval Run:
Cooldown (5 min): Easy jog/walk, followed by gentle static stretching for legs (quads, hamstrings, calves, hips).
Treat this run like a key workout. Aim to slightly increase the distance covered in the 4-minute intervals each week. Avoid doing more than one HIIT session per week to prevent interference with muscle gains. Mind your running form to protect your knee – keep a high cadence and avoid over-striding.
Use Sunday as a full rest day to allow muscle recovery. Adequate rest is when muscles actually repair and grow stronger. Light active recovery (e.g. a gentle walk, stretching, or foam rolling) is fine, but avoid intense exercise. Good sleep (7–9 hours) and nutrition are crucial.
Each week, aim to either increase the weight lifted or increase the reps within the given range. For example, if you hit 3×8 on squats last week, try for 3×9 this week. Once you can do 3×10, add weight and drop back to 3×8. This gradual progression forces muscles to continually adapt and grow. Keep a workout log.
Work each set close to muscle failure (around 1–2 reps shy of failure on big lifts, and to failure on the last isolation set). This ensures you’re recruiting high-threshold muscle fibers.
The plan is designed around ~10–15 working sets per muscle per week. If you’re recovering well, you could add an extra set here or there on accessory moves. Conversely, if you’re not recovering, it’s okay to trim an isolation set. Quality matters more than quantity.
Always prioritize form over heavier weight. Incorporating the included joint-friendly exercises consistently will fortify those areas. If any joint feels sharp pain, stop and assess form or skip that movement for the day.
Every 6–8 weeks, consider taking a “deload” week if you feel systemic fatigue or stalled progress. In a deload week, you can reduce the weight (to ~50–60% of usual) or volume (half the sets) to give your body a recovery period.