If you are looking for a way to refresh your workout with a muscle gain workout plan, then here is a routine to try out. It is one of the best full-body workout plans containing practices that help increase muscle mass and size. Remember that diet and exercise complement each other. That said, you will have to follow a practical meal plan for muscle gain if you want rapid results. Take a look at what this 3 days workout routine for mass entails.
How Is This 3 Days Full Body Workout Set Up?
The workout order is just as important as the exercises you choose to include in a workout plan. In this routine, we follow a simple protocol that involves combining muscle groups that are worked together on the same day (5). Take a look at the muscles you will exercise in these three days:
- 1: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
- 2: Biceps and Trapezius (Back) Muscles
- 3: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
Day 1
On this day, you will be performing all the exercises you need for pecs, bigger shoulders, and toned triceps. Take a look at the circuit:
Barbell Standing Press
Target: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, And Trapezius
- Grab a barbell and hold it at your shoulder height. Your palms should be facing forward.
- Place your feet hip-width apart and slightly bend your knees.
- Slowly push up using your legs and press the barbell straight above your head.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat ten times on each hand.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Triceps Kickback (3)
Target: Triceps
- Start in an upright position and bend hinge forward at the hips and also bend your knees forward. Keep your back straight and core tight.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the palms facing each other and rest your arms by your sides.
- Bend at the elbows until your forearms are parallel to the ground. Try to keep your elbows tight at your rib cage.
- Kick the weights back to straighten your arms entirely.
- Bend them and repeat.
- Do this ten times and complete three sets.
Read More: 12 Weeks Mass Building Workout Plan – Optimized For Muscle Growth
One-Arm Cable Flye
Target: Chest Muscles
- Place a bench in the middle of a cable- crossover station and attach D-handles to both columns on the lowest level.
- Grab the handles and sit back on the bench. Stretch out your arms to the side.
- Slightly bend your elbows and then contract your pecs as you pull one hand downward. In the typical cable flye, you would bring them together as if you are hugging someone or something. However, since this is the one-arm variation, you will only need to work one hand at a time.
- Pause when the hand is at the low movement and squeeze your pecs for a count.
- Slowly return to the start position and repeat.
- Complete ten reps on each hand and perform two sets.
Bench Press (5)
Target: Shoulders And Chest Muscles
- Lie on the bench press machine facing towards the ceiling.
- Grab the bar using a closed grip, and when ready, start to slowly lower it until it lightly grazes your chest.
- Breathe out and stretch your hands to press back to the starting position.
- Repeat ten times and complete three sets.
Cable Crossover
Target: Chest, Shoulders, And Back Muscles
- Start in a standing position and the middle of the cable crossover station. Make sure the D-handles are at least your shoulder height and that they are attached to both columns.
- Grab the handles and slowly step forward to lift the weight off the stacks. This will have your arms extending or stretching out to your sides.
- Contract your pecs to pull your hands together out in front of you. As you do this, try to keep your torso upright, and elbows slightly bent.
- Let your hands clap or meet each other before squeezing your pecs for a count and repeating.
Do this eight times and complete three sets.
Overhead Triceps Extension (5)
Target: Triceps
- Get hold of a dumbbell in each hand and start lifting the weights overhead at the same time.
- Your arms must be kept straight and feet hip-width apart.
- Keep your upper arms by your ears and the dumbbells pressed together, then bend your elbows to lower the weights behind your head slowly.
- Pause for a second, and then straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
- Repeat to complete fifteen reps and two sets.
Day 2
Day two of this workout will target your back and biceps. It has practical exercises that will melt away back fat and tone your triceps. These exercises are:
Hammer Curls (5)
Target: Biceps
- Start in a standing position and hold two dumbbells, one on each hand. Make sure the weights face your outer thighs.
- Breathe out and bend your elbows to raise the dumbbells towards the ceiling. Raise them until your tips are close to touching your shoulders. All along, keep your back straight and feet pressed on the floor.
- Breathe out and slowly lower the weights to the initial position.
- Repeat ten times on each arm and remember to maintain slow and controlled movements
Lat Pull-Down (4)
Target: Trapezius (Back Muscles) And Biceps
- Set the appropriate weight and adjust the seat and pad to the proper settings. Make sure you are using comfortable weights and fixing them correctly to minimize any injury risk.
- Grasp the bar above your head and sit down, placing your legs under the leg pad. Using the leg pad is crucial as it helps you maintain the correct upward posture.
- Start to pull the bar down towards your chest slowly. You should feel the effort in your upper back and your biceps.
- Slowly release to the start position.
- Repeat twelve times and try to keep a smooth movement.
- Complete two sets.
Assisted Pull-Up (5)
Target: Biceps
- Start by selecting comfortable weights and place them in the weight stack. Typically, more weight means more work to do. However, with the machine more weight means the exercise will be much easier. This is because the weight you select is deducted from your body weight when you do the pull-up.
- After choosing and placing the weight on the machine, grasp the bars above you and perform regular pull-ups. In multiple assisted pull-up machines, you will kneel on a pad while performing the exercise. Make sure you keep your movement slow and controlled to prevent lifting off the pad.
- Repeat ten times.
- Complete three sets.
Row
Target: Biceps And Back Muscles
- Start by choosing comfortable weights and place them in the rowing machine.
- Next, place your feet against the footpads and grab the handle.
- Start to pull back slowly as you retract your shoulder blades and tense your biceps. Your back should also be straight and never arched.
- This is one rep. Repeat and remember to keep the movement smooth, slow, and controlled.
- Repeat ten times and complete three sets. Make sure you get one-minute breaks in between these sets.
Seated Row Machine Exercise (5)
Target: Biceps And Back Muscles
- Start by sitting on the machine platform. Bend your knees and hold the cable attachment, which might be a bar or a triangle handle. The reason you are bending your knees is to help you grab the bar. Make sure your arms are outstretched enough to reach the handle without making your lower back curl over.
- Slowly start pulling the handle and the weight towards your lower abdomen. As you do this, try not to use the movement of the row by shifting your torso backwards. Instead, it should be kept facing forward and with your back straight to further target your upper and middle back. Similarly, keep your chest out and squeeze the shoulder blades together.
- Return the handle to its initial position, all the while maintaining a straight back.
- Repeat ten times and also complete three sets.
Band Row (2)
Target: Back And Biceps
- Start by attaching a band to something sturdy. This can be a pillar or pole.
- Grasp both ends with your hands with your palms facing each other.
- Take a step back to put tension on the band.
- Bend your hips and knees and start to row the band towards your chest,
- Hold for a moment when it is close to your chest.
- Repeat twelve times and perform three sets.
Barbell Bentover Row
Target: Back
- Start by placing a barbell of comfortable weight on a rack placed at your hip level.
- Grasp the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, and start pulling the bar out of the rack. Note that you can deadlift the bar off the floor to start. That said, this is only recommended for experienced individuals. Avoid doing this, especially without any guidance to prevent injury risk.
- Take a step back, position your feet hip-width apart, and hold the bar at arm’s length and your thighs.
- Breathe in, keep your back straight, pelvis and spine aligned, and push your hips back. Bend until your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Draw your shoulder blades back and down and pull the bar up to your waistline.
- Hold for a second and return to the starting stance.
- Repeat five times.
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Day 3
The exercises included on this day target different leg muscles and glutes. These include the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. The activities to perform are:
Romanian Deadlift (1)
Target: Gluteus Maximus, Erector Spinae, Hamstrings, And Adductors
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart but maintain a slight bend in your knees.
- Grasp the barbell firmly with your palms facing down and arms shoulder-width apart.
- Lift your chest and pull your shoulder blades down.
- Slowly lower the barbell without arching your back. Lower until you feel some tension in the back of the thighs or to your mid-shin or knee height.
- Pause for a second or two.
- Press your heels into the floor, push your hips forward, and pull back on the knees to return to the standing position. Slightly bend your knees throughout the movement.
- Repeat ten times.
- Perform three sets.
Leg Press
Target: Quads, Hamstrings, And Glutes
- Lie on your back against the pad and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the weight platform.
- Bend at the hips and knees and start lowering the platform until they form a 90-degree angle.
- Slowly return to the initial stance. Always make sure you leave a slight bend in the knee and hip joints at all times.
- Repeat ten times
- Complete three sets.
Hip Thrusts
Target: Glutes, Quads, And Hamstrings
- Sit on the floor and let your back press against something like the edge of a gym bench. Make sure the pad of the bench is directly under your shoulder blades. Similarly, keep your feet firmly pressed on the ground.
- If you are using weights, go ahead and place a barbell across your waist.
- Tighten your core and push through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling. Keep your chin tucked in as it prevents your back from excessive arching.
- Hold at the top of the movement and clench your glutes before slowly lowering your bum back down. However, this time around, you will rest it a few inches above the ground.
- Repeat ten times.
- Complete three sets.
Barbell Front Squat (1)
Target: Glutes, Quads, Hips, And Hamstrings
- Grab the bar on the rack with a clean grip. Make sure the bar is at your chest height. Similarly, make sure you grip the bar by placing your hands under the bar and slightly wider than your shoulder-width distance.
- Push with the heels of your hands, and with your elbows up until your upper arms are about parallel to the floor. Tighten your core and step back from the rack and slowly pull your shoulder blades down and back.
- Push your hips to the rear, bend your knees, and push your knees out to lower into a squat. Make sure your thighs are parallel to the ground and tighten your core throughout the movement. Similarly, keep your back straight and remember to breathe in as you enter the squat.
- Breathe out and push upward using your legs. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Repeat ten times.
Read More: Do A 6-Week Female Bodybuilder Workout: How To Consistently Burn Fat And Build Muscle
Weighted Glute Bridge (4)
Target: Glutes, Hamstrings, And Core
- Lie on your back and bend your knees. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor and hip-width apart.
- Hold a dumbbell of comfortable weight in each hand, and rest the loads right under your hip bones. This marks the starting position.
- Clench your glutes, tighten your abdominal muscles, and push through your heels to lift your hips off the floor. Lift them until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Hold at the top of the movement for a second, and then slowly lower your hips to return to the starting position. You have just completed one rep. Repeat eight to twelve times and perform three sets.
Bulgarian Split Squat (1)
Target: Glutes
- Stand upright with your back to a bench or any elevated surface. Your left foot should be placed a few feet in front of the bench. Position the top of your right foot on the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let them hang by your sides.
- Tighten your core and bend your knees to lower into a split squat.
- Your left knee should form a 90-degree angle such that your thigh is parallel to the ground. Your right knee, on the other hand, should be hovering above the floor. You can double-check to see if you are in the proper form by looking at your left foot placement. It should be stepped out far enough such that you do this without letting your left knee pass your left toes.
- Drive through your left heel to return to the starting position. You have completed one rep.
- Perform all ten reps on this side before switching. Complete two sets.
Weighted Circle Hydrant
Target: Glutes
- Start on your fours. Place a dumbbell of comfortable weight behind your left knee and squeeze your leg around it to hold it in place. Keep your back straight and arms shoulder-width apart and directly underneath your shoulders. This should be the starting position.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and start lifting your left leg out to the left side while keeping your knee bent. Start circling your leg back until it is behind your body and the bottom of your foot is facing toward the ceiling. Make sure you are keeping your back straight and squeezing your butt throughout the movement.
- Slowly lower your leg back to the starting position to complete one rep.
- Complete all your reps on the left side, and then switch legs.
- Perform eight to ten reps on each side and complete three sets.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to increasing muscle mass, you need to work on various muscle groups together. For example, you need to work out the chest and the triceps, back and biceps, and glutes with the leg muscles.
This 3-days workout routine for mass has stuck to this concept and crafted an effective mass development workout plan for men and women. Perform this kickass workout three days a week. It will have you building muscle mass and toning various muscles in no time. Please note that this is not the ticket for everyone to take on this challenge. Make sure you talk to your doctor first before giving this routine a try.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for decision-making. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- Best Leg Exercises for Men (2020, webmd.com)
- Exercise Tubing and Bands (2007, medicinenet.com)
- How often to work out for weight loss and muscle gain (2021, medicalnewstoday.com)
- Slide show: Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (2021, mayoclinic.org)
- Which muscle groups can people work out together? (2021, medcalnewstoday.com)
