For most men – and some women, the most obvious step that comes after losing weight is gaining some muscle. A cut physique is a thing that some people desire not only because it looks good and can boost their confidence but also because it is a testament of how hard they have worked on themselves and their health. If you are new to the bodybuilding craze, starting out with a 4 day mass workout routine could be your best game plan to help you achieve the gains of your dreams.
In today’s article, we are going to give you some simple tips and tricks on how to workout for strength and mass, tell you the best workouts for a 4-day mass workout regimen, and share a simple 4-day mass building workout that can help you get started on your journey.
Why A 4-Day Split Workout For Mass Is Better For Muscle Gain
We all know that you can gain muscles from doing full body workouts so why feel the need to try a 4-day split workout for mass and strength? Here are some reasons why split workouts work better than full-body routines:
- They are better for people with injuries – Some injuries – e.g. knee injuries – require that you strengthen particular muscles to help the specific area heal faster which is easily achieved through a split workout routine.
- They are better for improving strength – Lifting heavy is a goal that most people who workout with weight are always looking to achieve. According to mensjournal.com, full body workouts will hardly get you to lift really heavy anytime soon – splitting your workout is the best way to go about it.
- They are better for building mass – Unlike a full-body workout 3 to 5 times a week, a 4-day mass building workout allows you to spend more time on a specific muscle group which not only improves your strength but also helps you gain bigger and more pronounced muscles.
- Less fatigue overall – When you do a full-body workout, you burn more calories which is great but you also tire more quickly which affects how hard you can go during strength only workouts.
However, when you choose to do a 4-day mass workout, you give your muscles a longer time to rest which could make them feel less sore and lowers the risk for overtraining and overloading your whole body.
Read More: 3-Day Dumbbell Workout To Bulk Up And Tone Your Muscles
How To Start Working Out For Mass
Like weight loss, gaining muscle is easier said than done but not impossible. With time, dedication, a lot of patience and changes to how we workout and your diet your gains will start to appear.
Here are some important facts and tips to know and understand before attempting any 4-day split workout routine for mass.
- Understand what muscle building is – Also known as muscle hypertrophy or muscular hypertrophy, this is the increase and growth of muscle cells which manifests itself in the increase of size and strength of muscles. This is primarily achieved through strength/resistance training.
- Start small – While the desire to get bigger muscles may tempt you to start hitting the weights rack as hard as possible, we would advise you not to do that. Lifting too heavy, too quickly will most likely lead to injuries. Start with smaller, lighter weights, or better yet, do bodyweight workouts before even considering investing in free weights or a gym membership.
- Up your protein intake – Strength training alone is not enough to help build muscles. Along with this 4-day mass gaining workout plan, you will need to add more protein to your diet – because the combination of these two leads to bigger and better muscle growth and strength (3).
While taking protein is essential for life and through-out your workout routine, research suggests that having some protein soon after your workout is especially important for muscle growth (5).
Some great and healthy protein sources include lean meats, eggs, fatty fish like salmon, shrimp and tuna, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, quinoa, edamame, protein powders, chicken, etc.
- Get some weights – While body weight workouts will help you gain some muscles they can sometimes only get you so far. Adding some weights to your workout is a fantastic way to build up on strength and mass.
- Increase your load progressively – Doing the same workout over and over for an extended period is bound to lead to a plateau. To avoid this, be sure to increase your workout load over time. This can be done by either getting heavier weights or adding the number of reps in your workout.
- Slow and steady wins the race – As the name suggests, this is a 4-day mass gaining workout which means that you are using it to grow bigger, more pronounced muscles. During your session you must remember to always have a slow and controlled descent as it activates the muscle cells more which will result in better results.
- Nail down your form – Having the right form is important in all workouts but is extremely crucial if you are using weights. Remember that proper form lowers your risk of injury and it also allows you to move efficiently, increases your performance, and enables you to have a full range of motion.
- Always warm up and remember to cool down – According to the MayoClinic, warming up revs up your cardiovascular system by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles while cooling down – which can help reduce muscle soreness and lessen your risk of injury. Cooling down allows for a gradual recovery of pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure and helps get rid of the lactic acid in your muscles which could lead to muscle cramping and stiffness.
- Remember to rest – The best thing about a 4-day mass gaining workout is that it already comes with an allocation of rest days. Ensure that you actually rest on these 3 days. Remember that rest
- Enables the body to replace the muscle’s store of carbohydrates (4).
- Helps us re-hydrate and restore electrolyte balance lost through sweat.
- Leads to muscle growth (2). Healthline further explains this by stating that exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissue and when you rest, fibroblast cells repair the tears which helps the tissue heal and grow, resulting in stronger muscles.
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What Is The Best 4-Day Mass Workout Routine?
The best 4-day mass workout routine is one that separates muscle groups allowing you to train each specific group per day and gives you ample rest time for said muscles before you train them again. As we have seen above, this will lead to better gains.
Sample Of A 4-Day Mass Workout Plan
Please note that this is just a simple example of what a 4-day mass workout routine can look like. If you feel like the workouts are too simple or even too hard, adjust the reps or sets to fit what works best for you.
Also note that The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 1 to 3 sets per exercise of 8 to 12 repetitions with 70 to 85 percent of one repetition maximum (1RM) for novice and 3to 6 sets of 1 to 12 repetitions with 70−100% 1RM for advanced individuals (1):
| Day | Muscle Group | Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Back and Biceps | Pull-Ups | 1 | 10 |
| Barbell Bent-Over Row | 3 | 8 | ||
| Deadlifts | 2 | 12 | ||
| Dumbbell Curls | 3 | 10 | ||
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2 | Chest and Triceps | Bench Press | 3 | 12 |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 10 | ||
| Chair Dips | 3 | 30 sec per set | ||
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 12 | ||
| Overhead Triceps Extension | 3 | 8 | ||
| 3 | REST | REST | REST | REST |
| 4 | Quads, Hamstrings and Calves | Squats | 3 | 12 |
| Lunges | 3 | 10 per leg | ||
| Calf Raises | 2 | 30 sec per set | ||
| Dumbbell Deadlifts | 3 | 10 | ||
| Burpees | 3 | 10 | ||
| Sumo Squats | 3 | 8 | ||
| Reverse Lunges | 1 | 12 per leg | ||
| 5 | Shoulders, Traps and Forearms | Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10 |
| Upright Rows Superset With Barbell Shrugs | 3 | 8 | ||
| Seated Barbell Press | 3 | 12 | ||
| Dumbbell Front Raise | 3 | 10 | ||
| Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise | 3 | 10 | ||
| Barbell Wrist Curls | 2 | 12 | ||
| 6 & 7 | REST | REST | REST | REST |
Read More: 3-Day Split Workout Routine For Mass: A Simple Yet Effective Beginner Workout
What Is The Best Workout For Mass
Strength/Resistance training is the best workout option for anyone looking to gain more muscle mass and strength.
The Bottom Line
Consistently using this 4-day mass workout routine is guaranteed to help you start achieving the bodybuilding goals of your dreams. As stated above, however, remember that your diet matters too so ensure that you get in as much protein, health fats and complex carbs as you can. Please also note that this routine works best for people who have already lost weight (or have no weight to lose) and are just looking to grow their muscles. This plan will not work as well for weight loss.
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 to make decisions of any kind. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any medical conditions. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults (2009, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Anabolic signaling and protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle after dynamic shortening or lengthening exercise (2006, journals.physiology.org)
- Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training (2018, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Regulation of Muscle Glycogen Repletion, Muscle Protein Synthesis and Repair Following Exercise (2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis (2013, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
