About 6 years ago, I told myself I wanted to stop looking like a weakling and start toning up! The only problem was, I had no idea how to go about doing this. But, like with everything in life, I took baby steps to achieve my goal. First step, sign up for a gym (yay!) – now I have endless equipment, classes, knowledge, and motivation available to me whenever I want. But, how do I even get started? Enter, Step 2 – work with a professional. Now, I understand personal training can be costly but, with most gyms, when you first sign up, they give you GREAT deals so why not take advantage of that?! Working with a trainer, I learned how to do exercises the right way, how to target certain muscle groups, and how to best avoid injury. It’s a win-win and, investing in your health and wellness is the best kind of investment you can make!
My trainer designed a specific regime for me to gain muscle – and gain muscle I did! I felt stronger, happier, and my posture improved greatly. I started to notice results in as little as 2-3 months. I was hooked. After several sessions, I gained the confidence to continue with this program on my own. I was given the tools to succeed and now I’m going to share those tools with you! This is a strength training-based regime (little cardio here) so get ready to bust out the weights! The weights noted are what I typically use so definitely feel free to amp it up or start with a lower weight if you need to and gradually increase as you begin to build strength. I’ve created an easy to follow table below for your convenience but, there if are any exercises noted that have you scratching your head, try looking on YouTube for a demo video! Most importantly, be sure to check in with a pro like I did before considering this work out. This is a 4-day workout with each day focusing on a specific body part(s) – do them in sequence or mix it up if you prefer! Just remember to have some fun along the way!
How to Gain 10-Pounds of Muscle
Day 1 – Chest, Triceps, Calves, & Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Weight (lbs.) |
| Barbell Chest Press | 4 | 12 | 15 |
| Barbell Incline Chest Press | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| Dumbell Bench Flyes | 3 | 12 | 10 |
| Cable Chest Flyes | 3 | 12 | 10 |
| Triceps Press Down | 3 | 12 | 40 |
| Bent Over Triceps Extension | 3 | 12 | 40 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 12 | 20 |
| Hanging Knee Tuck | 3 | 12 | / |
| 10 Minutes - Cardio | |||
Day 2 – Back, Biceps, & Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Weight (lbs.) |
| Dumbell Bent Over Row | 4 | 12 | 20 |
| Wide Grip Pull Down | 3 | 12 | 50 |
| Standing Pulldown | 3 | 12 | 30 |
| Stand Straight Arm Pulldown | 3 | 12 | 20 |
| Seated Row | 4 | 12 | 40 |
| Barbell Biceps Curl/Chin Pull | 4 | 12 | -130 |
| Lying Hip Thrusts | 4 | 20 | / |
| Ab Crunch | 4 | 20 | / |
| 15 Minutes - Cardio | |||
Day 3 – Shoulders, Traps, & Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Weight (lbs.) |
| Dumbell/Barbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 12 | 12 |
| Dumbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| One Arm Dumbell Front Raise | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| Dumbell Reverse Flyes | 4 | 12 | 15 |
| Dumbell Shoulder Shrug | 4 | 12 | 40 |
| Preacher Cable Ab Curl | 4 | 12 | 40 |
| Hanging Knee Tuck | 4 | 12 | / |
| 5 Minutes - Cardio | |||
Day 4 – Legs & Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Weight (lbs.) |
| Dead Lift | 3 | 12 | 75 |
| Barbell Low Squat | 4 | 12 | 30 |
| Lunges | 4 | 12 | 15 |
| Leg Press | 4 | 12 | 100 |
| Machine Leg Extensions | 3 | 12 | 50 |
| Seated Hamstring Curl | 3 | 12 | 70 |
| Lying Hip Thrusts | 3 | 20 | |
| Ab Crunch | 3 | 20 | |
| Plank | 3 | 1 minute | |
| 10 Minutes - Cardio |
What’s your biggest workout achievement? Let me know in the comments section below!
