6 Weeks Training Program to Increase Muscle Mass

You go to the gym, hit the big compound movements, and try to lift as heavy as possible for maximum muscle growth. You focus on eccentric reps, go home, eat protein and carbs like there’s no tomorrow, rest and repeat. And then you get bigger and bigger. 

This is more or less how mass development plans work everywhere. However, if you overthink and work too hard in your movements, sets and reps, your results can suffer.

A Bigger Body in Six Weeks

Sometimes it’s good to be surprised (we’re talking about surprising the muscles), but there’s no need to make a mess of things. Now that we’re in the colder months, it’s time to get a little bigger and start building “winter” mass and start our six-weeks plan. You can apply for the training program four days a week. What’s more, you can customize the plan for yourself with the movements you can choose from the general movement menu. (See the “Movement Options” section.) The program follows a solid path, divided into linear durations without having to resort to fancy movements. A bigger body in six weeks, it’s that simple! 

Program Structure

The principle of the program is that we proceed according to linear cycles, meaning that in each phase the weight increases and the number of repetitions increases (middle cycle). It is also divided into three phases of two weeks each, where each movement is adapted according to the linear model (increasing weight, decreasing repetitions). 

In the sets and repetitions table for most muscle groups, the “1”, “2” and “3” represent the first, second and third movements for a particular muscle group. 

The big exception to the set/repetition chart here is the high reps in the leg movements because the lower body responds much better to high reps. We do the same with the trapezius, calves and abs, which also respond better to high reps. 

As you can see, there is not a big gap between the repetition numbers, with no more than 15 repetitions in the major muscle groups except for the legs, and as low as five in a single movement in the last two weeks. The majority of the sets are between 8 and 12, which is considered ideal for size development. 

Training Split

Which days of the week you work out is up to you. But no lifting weights on rest days. You can do whatever you want for active recovery (cardio, yoga, etc.). 

Rest

Your rest breaks don’t have to vary a lot from stage to stage. You can rest for a minute or so between sets throughout the program. Since sets of five (5 x 10, 5 x 10, 5 x 8, 5 x 5) can be particularly difficult, try to rest a full two minutes between sets. You can break the one-minute rest breaks into sets of 3 x 10-15, or even reduce the time to 45 seconds for sets that work small muscle groups. 

Chest & Back

Warm-up: 5 minutes of light cardio + 50 band pulls +1-2 light sets of 10-15 repetitions of each movement

Leg

Warm-up: 5 minutes of light cardio + 1-2 light sets of leg extensions for 15-20 reps + 1-2 light sets of squats for 10-12 reps

Movement Options

The movements given in the program are generic movements in terms of structure. You can select any type of movement and adapt it to yourself. Below we have prepared a list for you to choose from. You can apply any of the ones given opposite the generic movement. 

-Lat Pulldown: Wide grip, narrow grip, reverse grip, normal grip

–Cable Row: Sitting or standing, single or double arm, with the bar apparatus of your choice

-Incline Press/Flat Bench Press: Bar, dumbbell, machine, Hammer Strength machine

-Flye: With the dumbbell, with the cable, on the machine (pec deck)

-Squat: Back squat, front squat, squat on Smith machine

–Lunge: with bar, with the dumbbell, with girya, reverse lunge, forward lunge, walking lunge

–Leg Press: 45-degree leg press, vertical leg press, hack squat on machine

-Romanian Deadlift: with bar, with the dumbbell, with girya

–Leg Curl: Lying, sitting, standing (one leg)

-Shoulder Press: Standing, sitting, with bar, with the dumbbell, with girya, on machine

-Upright Row: with bar, with the dumbbell, on Smith machine

-Lateral Raise: With the dumbbell, on the machine, leaning forward (if your back shoulders are weak)

–Shrug: with bar, with the dumbbell, on the machine, with the trap bar

-Weighted Crunch: Cable, plate (lying on the floor), machine

-Plank: Straight, side, down

-Skull Crusher With the flat bar, with EZ-bar, with the dumbbell, on the flat bench, on the reverse incline bench

-Curl: seated, standing, straight bar, EZ-bar, dumbbell, incline dumbbell curl

-Hammer Curl: with the dumbbell, with cable (rope)

-Cable Pressdown: Flat bar, V-bar, rope, reverse grip, single arm

-Standing Calf Raise: On the machine, with the dumbbell, single leg

-Seated Calf Raise: On the machine, with the dumbbell, the donkey calf raise, leg-press calf raise 

In fact, it is not the equipment that is important here, but the movement itself (such as incline press, row or squat). You can also try different movements within the program (like dumbbell incline press one week and barbell incline press the next).

Muscle Group Sequence (Days 1 and 2)

You can work chest and back, biceps and triceps in any order: chest before back, biceps before triceps, and vice versa. Just like Arnold Schwarzenegger did, you can complete a superset of chest and back exercises. 

Shoulder, Trapeze & Abdomen/Center

Warm-up: 50 jumping jacks (focusing on full range of motion in the shoulder) + 50 band pulls + 1-2 light sets of shoulder presses with 10-15 reps

Warm-up: 50 jumping jacks (to warm up calves) + 1-2 light sets of curls (biceps) with 10-15 repetitions and cable press-down (triceps)

You can read Collagen’s Effects on Training to improve your training performance.