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Lean Mass: 6 Week Workout Program to Build

Lean Muscle

The most common goal in the gym is to build lean

muscle. Give this 6 week workout program to build lean
muscle a try and absolutely crush that goal!

Workout Summary

Main Goal Build Muscle

Workout Type Split

 Training Level Intermediate

Program Duration 6 weeks

Days Per Week 4

Time Per Workout 30-45 minutes

Equipment Required Barbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells, EZ Bar, Machines

Target Gender Male & Female

Recommended Supplements Protein Powder, Creatine, Mass Gainer (Optional)

Author Josh England

Workout PDF Download Workout

Workout Description
When it comes to fitness goals, building lean muscle is among the most popular
(seriously, 84% of our readers said so in our fitness survey).

And honestly, it should come as no surprise.

As a society, we glorify those who are lean, shredded, and have solid physiques with
plenty of muscle mass.

So much so that a lot of us aspire to build lean muscle ourselves.

Well, today you’re in luck. Below is a 6 week workout program that will help you build
lean muscle.

Check it out, read its description, and let us know if you have any questions in the
comments section below!

The Workout Program to Build Lean Muscle

The following workout is a 4 day split you can follow for the next 6 weeks to build
lean muscle. It is written to focus on increasing hypertrophy by performing 2-4
exercises for each muscle group during that muscle’s training day, for 3-5 sets, and
6-12 reps (although we’ll keep everything 8+ here).

The rep tempo should be slow as time under tension plays a huge role in the amount
of muscle damage that occurs during each exercise, a factor that is critical to
building lean muscle. Aim for a 2/0/2 tempo and really try to focus on the muscle
you’re targeting during each lift.
Lastly, rest periods between exercises and sets should be kept fairly short. You’ll
want to keep it between 30-60 seconds of rest after each set, with 45 seconds being
the sweet spot.

Day 1: Legs
Exercise Sets Reps
1. Squat 4 10
2. Machine Hack Squat 3 12
3. Stiff Legged Deadlift 4 10
4. Leg Curl 3 12
5. Dumbbell Lunge 3 8
6. Leg Press Calf Raises 3 12
7. Seated Calf Raises 3 12

Day 2: Chest & Biceps

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Bench Press 4 10
2. Incline Bench Press 3 12
3. Cable Crossover 3 12
4. Hammer Strength Chest Press 3 8
5. Barbell Bicep Curl 4 10
6. Rope Cable Hammer Curl 3 12
7. Preacher Curl 3 10

Day 3: Back
Exercise Sets Reps
1. Deadlift 4 10
2. Barbell Row 3 12
3. Lat Pulldown 5 8
4. Cable Row 3 12
5. Pull up 3 10
6. Hyperextension 3 12
Day 4: Shoulders & Triceps
Exercise Sets Reps
1. Seated Military Press 4 10
2. Lateral Raise 3 12
3. Front Raise 3 12
4. Reverse Pec Deck 3 12
5. Barbell Shrugs 4 12
6. Dips 4 10
7. Seated French Press 3 12

The Workout Program to Build Lean Mass FAQs

Below are a couple of the more frequently asked questions when it comes to
building lean muscle.

If your question is not listed below, please don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments
section following the article.

Q. Can I add exercises to this workout program to build more lean muscle?
You certainly can, but it is not necessary. Each muscle group is targeted with a fair
amount of volume within this program.

Adding more exercises to the program probably won’t increase the amount of
success you have with it. Building muscle takes time. After 6 weeks of this program,
you’ll likely notice a fair amount of muscle growth, but fitness goals should be long
term, not short sighted.

Q. What should I do after I finish the 6 week workout program?

After you have finished this 6 week workout program to build lean muscle, I’d
recommend taking a week to deload.

Enjoy a little time away from the gym; I promise 1 week won’t be enough to lose all
the gains you’ve made. During that time reassess your goals and celebrate the
amount of lean muscle you’ve put on in the past 6 weeks.

If you want to continue on with the program after your deload week, you’re more
than welcome to. Or your goals might change. In that case, check out our workouts
database for a new routine.

Q. How should I eat during this workout program to build lean mass?
This will depend on your starting point. I always recommend people get to a healthy
weight range for their body type. If you’re overweight and a beginner to hypertrophy
based training, you might benefit from starting off in a calorie deficit.

If you’re underweight, or an otherwise intermediate-advance lifter, you’ll likely need

to be in a calorie surplus to add on lean muscle mass.

After you’ve determined which is best for you, find your calorie needs using our bmr
calculator.

Then, subtract or add ~250-500 calories from that number to put yourself in a deficit
or surplus. Make that your new daily calorie goal and try to get there by eating your
calories through whole food, nutrient-rich food sources.

Q. What kind of supplements should I take with this workout program to build lean
mass?
Supplementation is going to be highly individualized.

If you struggle to meet your daily protein needs, a solid protein supplement will be
extremely beneficial to you.

If you struggle to meet your daily calorie needs all together, then a mass gaining
supplement could be beneficial to you to help you accomplish your goals.

One supplement that is cheap, effective, and backed by a lot of scientific research is
creatine monohydrate.

Q. Can I do some extra workouts on my rest days?

Again, you can, but I wouldn’t recommend anything to strenuous. Recovery is crucial
to the muscle building process.

If you’re going to do anything, do something light that you enjoy doing. I highly
recommend recovery walks as a form of active recovery. You could also hit the
foam roller and work on the mobility that is often lost during muscle building
programs.

Q. Where are the abs?

Your abs are hit indirectly quite frequently with this program during all of the
compound movements.

Since they are worked indirectly almost every training session, I don’t feel the need
to target them with isolation work. If you find it would be beneficial to do so for your
training goals, you’re more than welcome to check out our ab workouts database.

Also, it is important to note that compound exercises and lowering your body fat
percentage is going to build a better, visible 6-pack over time than any amount of
direct isolation work will.

Q. Anything else we should know to build lean muscle?

Building muscle takes a lot of time and effort. Not to mention, what you do outside
of the gym is just as important as what you do inside of the gym.

Prioritize your diet. Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Eliminate unnecessary stress
(meditate). And move every day (lightly on your recovery days).

You’ll get there and this 6 week program is an excellent start.

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About The Author

Josh England
Josh England is the Web Content Manager at Muscle & Strength. His
goal is to provide M&S's readers with the most relevant fitness content
available.
View all by Josh England »

180 Comments
+ Post Comment

Posted Fri, 06/21/2019 - 04:24 LIKE 0

Fajer Alhamwi
Hey i never went to gym, iam 17, is it okey follow this program??? I am a bit skinny

REPLY
 Posted Mon, 06/24/2019 - 11:12 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Fajer,
I'd recommend one of these instead: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/begi
nner

REPLY

Posted Fri, 06/21/2019 - 01:26 LIKE 0

AJ
Hi Josh, I'm a beginner. Are the routines per day supposed to be done in the order they're listed?
Can I achieve the same results if I don't do them sequentially, esp. since my gym gets crowded
usually. Thanks in advance!

REPLY

Posted Mon, 06/24/2019 - 11:14 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi AJ,
Yes, they are meant to be performed in the order listed - however, if equipment is being
used, you can bounce around the program as needed.
For beginners, I'd recommend starting with one of these: https://www.muscleandstrength.
com/workouts/beginner

REPLY

Posted Tue, 06/25/2019 - 03:21 LIKE 0

AJ
Thanks for your response. Appreciate it!

REPLY

Posted Fri, 06/07/2019 - 21:03 LIKE 0

Stephanie
Hi Josh,
How much weight should I be going up each session and or week? I’m excited to get started! I’m
Trying to get lean and strong, I’m hoping this can help.

REPLY

Posted Mon, 06/10/2019 - 10:04 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Stephanie,
It depends on the weights you have access to. Some gyms have dumbbells in 1lb
increments, 2.5lb increments, and 5lb increments. Barbells, you'll usually have to jump
~5lbs at a time. There's nothing wrong with increasing slowly if able to do so. So long as
you are increasing the weight used, you'll see results. Good luck with the program! Hope
 you enjoy it!

REPLY

Posted Thu, 05/30/2019 - 07:38 LIKE 1

David
Hi Josh,
I have 2 questions regarding the program, the weigh will be increasing each set or remains the
same? can i do it for 5x/week?
thanks for your help

REPLY

Posted Fri, 05/31/2019 - 16:52 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi David,
You can really do either or. I like to pyramid my weight up during my sets, but everyone has
their own preferences. So long as you are increasing weight throughout the duration of the
program, you'll see results.
Sure! Just cycle through the workouts on training days.

REPLY

Posted Sat, 05/25/2019 - 21:18 LIKE 0

Servando Garcia Jr.

The gym I go to does not have reverse pec deck machine. What should I do instead?

REPLY

Posted Tue, 05/28/2019 - 14:42 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Servando,
Any chest fly variation will do the trick.

REPLY

Posted Fri, 05/17/2019 - 13:37 LIKE 0

Khalid
my goal is build muscle and hit fat plz suggest me

REPLY

Posted Tue, 05/28/2019 - 15:10 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
 Hi Khalid,
The program above can help with both of those goals.

REPLY

Posted Thu, 05/16/2019 - 10:27 LIKE 0

Steve
This seems like a solid plan! What about cardio? I'm trying to hit a lean bulk now and I'm not sure
how often I should throw cardio in.

REPLY

Posted Fri, 05/17/2019 - 10:11 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Steve,
Cardio, during a bulk, is highly dependent on the individual. For nearly all phases, I
personally recommend something low intensity as it won't affect your ability to recover
from your workouts. 30ish mins of walking regularly throughout the week should give you
a nice boost to your TDEE and assist you in your fat loss efforts.

REPLY

Posted Mon, 06/03/2019 - 06:37 LIKE 0

Alex Sivak
Listen Brother you must hit the cardio seshs every time you beat your meat. I use this
method at least 8 times a day. hope this is helpful luv alex

REPLY

Posted Tue, 05/07/2019 - 11:03 LIKE 0

Gustave Nishimirwe
How possible is it to do this clean (without juicing) . It seem to be a pretty heavy load

REPLY

Posted Tue, 05/07/2019 - 13:52 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Gustave,
I'm a lifetime natural and have performed many programs that looked similar to this one.

REPLY

Posted Sun, 05/05/2019 - 15:45 LIKE 0

Steve
Josh
Hi I was always told for a natural you should train each bodypart at least twice a week due to
protein synthesis. This routine has you only working each bodypart once a week. What’s your
take on this

REPLY

Posted Mon, 05/06/2019 - 11:05 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Steve,
My opinion is it depends. It depends on what you enjoy. Sure, training 2-3 times per week
would be optimal. But what is more optimal is performing workouts that you actually like
to do and get you into the gym. This allows you to be consistent long term. And that's the
ultimate goal imo.

REPLY

Posted Sat, 05/04/2019 - 06:07 LIKE 0

FATİH BİRKAN
Josh what do you think ? split or full body

REPLY

Posted Mon, 05/06/2019 - 11:30 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi FATİH,
There's a time and place for both. Personally, I like to cycle between full body, upper/lower,
and splits. Keeps things interesting and all of them serve a different purpose during the
year.

REPLY

Posted Sat, 04/27/2019 - 18:37 LIKE 0

Eyal
Hi, i wanted to know how often i shuld complete one cycle, like in a week? 6 days? How should i
spread in my week?

REPLY

Posted Tue, 04/30/2019 - 16:46 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Eyal,
There are 4 workout days in this program. You'd perform them (4 per week) on separate
days for 6 weeks.

REPLY

Posted Sun, 04/21/2019 - 23:07

 LIKE 0

Jasmine
Hey so I’ve started this workout and I Jist want to make sure this is targeting my goals. So
basically I’m 142 lbs. my goal is to lose fat And build muscle. Is this the right plan? What would
you recommend? I carry most of my weight in my abdomen area. I am already slim

REPLY

Posted Mon, 04/22/2019 - 11:38 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Jasmine,
Yes, this is a good program for someone with either of those goals. To lose abdominal fat,
you will need to eat in a calorie deficit consistently for a period of time.

REPLY

Posted Thu, 04/18/2019 - 02:26 LIKE 0

Mata
Been doing this plan and IT WORKS.
I will go on doing it for a few more weeks for more lean mass. Too bad I didnt take a "Before"
picture.
Thanks Josh.

REPLY

Posted Thu, 04/18/2019 - 09:03 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Mata,
That's AWESOME! Congrats on your success so far! Keep up the good work!

REPLY

Posted Thu, 04/18/2019 - 09:33 LIKE 0

Mats
Yup.
I downloaded the 10 week program, and God willing I will try it later in the year.
Do you have a youtube page, Josh?
Thanks.
Mats.

REPLY

Posted Thu, 04/18/2019 - 13:52 LIKE 1

JoshEngland
No personal YouTube yet, but strongly considering it. I'm on IG, but not very active yet there
 either: https://www.instagram.com/coach_3ngland/- still very responsive.
Hope to start doing more on social platforms soon, but my main focus right now is
creating content for M&S's website and YT channel.

REPLY

Posted Tue, 04/16/2019 - 10:33 LIKE 0

Jasmine
How much weight do you recommend for the bar squats

REPLY

Posted Wed, 04/17/2019 - 10:20 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Jasmine,
Pick a weight you think you can use for the prescribed reps. If too heavy, move down. If too
light, move up. You should finish each set feeling as though you have 1-2 reps left in the
tank. A good rule of thumb is 75-85% of your working max for the prescribed rep ranges.

REPLY

Posted Mon, 04/15/2019 - 22:53 LIKE 0

Jasmine
Hey! Can this workout be done in 3 days, if so what would you recommend as a set up? I asked
only because I want to do 4 but that’s honestly a stretch for me and I know I can commit to 3
days

REPLY

Posted Tue, 04/16/2019 - 09:20 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Jasmine,
If you have 3 days to work out, I'd recommend full body workouts. Check out some of
these:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/3-day-full-body-dumbbell-workout
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/total-package-workout
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/muscle-strength-full-body-wor...

REPLY

Posted Mon, 03/25/2019 - 14:17 LIKE 0

Edvin
So monday through thursday I have boxing for 1/1.5hrs alternating, where I work quite hard.
Would this workout still be suitable possibly after boxing, or on weekends?

REPLY
 Posted Wed, 03/27/2019 - 16:51 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Edvin,
It's doable. However, if your goals are boxing related and performance based, this program
might not be the best option.

REPLY

Posted Wed, 03/20/2019 - 07:16 LIKE 0

Alexander Ramov...
Hey,
Nice and simple workout here thanks!
Just wondering - how should i split the sets? 2 days on, a day rest, then 2 days on again?
Also on my rest days is it ok to do cardio or will that affect my muscle growth?
Thanks,
Alex

REPLY

Posted Wed, 03/20/2019 - 11:34 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Alex,
That split would be perfect. Yes, you can do cardio on your rest days. It shouldn't affect
your muscle growth and may actually promote it depending on the form of cardio you do
and your nutrition.

REPLY

Posted Wed, 03/20/2019 - 11:34 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Alex,
That split would be perfect. Yes, you can do cardio on your rest days. It shouldn't affect
your muscle growth and may actually promote it depending on the form of cardio you do
and your nutrition.

REPLY

Posted Fri, 03/15/2019 - 00:30 LIKE 0

SYED
Hi Josh
I am a bit confused with regard to weight. What weight should be lifted for fat burning should it
be low weights or heavy. Appreciate if it could be clarified.

REPLY

Posted Fri, 03/15/2019 - 09:35 LIKE

 0

JoshEngland
Hi Syed,
Weight selection doesn't really change during fat loss phases. Training and intensity can
remain fairly regular regardless of what phase you are in.
What will be different is your nutrition. For fat loss, aim to be in a deficit and consume as
much protein necessary to prevent muscle loss.

REPLY

Posted Thu, 02/28/2019 - 21:11 LIKE 0

Steve
Josh. I always thought working a bodypart once a week isn’t sufficient for naturals. And it’s on
good for people on Gear. For naturals I thought you should hit each bodypart at least twice a
week due to protein synthesis . Thanks

REPLY

Posted Fri, 03/01/2019 - 11:51 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Steve,
Yes, for the goal of building muscle, more frequent training bouts will be beneficial. This is
scientifically proven. That's not to say body part splits don't have their place in muscle
building.
What a lot of science fails to acknowledge is the enjoyment level of the program. Someone
who enjoys body part splits and is more consistent with their training is going to have more
success than someone who does full body workouts 3-4 times per week inconsistently
over time.
Hope this helps!

REPLY

Posted Thu, 02/28/2019 - 14:33 LIKE 0

Taher
Can i add one day fullbody workout to this program?
If i want to compose fullbody routine with this routine
What does workout look like?

REPLY

Posted Fri, 03/01/2019 - 11:55 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Taher,
Sure, that should be fine.

REPLY

Posted Sat, 02/23/2019 - 07:31 LIKE

 0

Alex
how should i eat on rest days

REPLY

Posted Mon, 02/25/2019 - 09:17 LIKE 1

JoshEngland
Hi Alex,
Similarly to how you eat on your weight training days.

REPLY

Posted Sun, 02/10/2019 - 19:39 LIKE 0

Manuel
Ehat about cardioin this 6 week

REPLY

Posted Mon, 02/11/2019 - 10:29 LIKE 0

JoshEngland
Hi Manuel,
You're more than welcome to pair cardio with this program if you wish.

REPLY

Posted Sun, 01/27/2019 - 08:40 LIKE 0

John
Hi Josh, i am a beginner and about to start with your program. The information i seek was
nowhere to be found in all the different fitness plans, maybe it is something totaly obvious, but i
dont know it. I am supposed to do these excersises one after another (like all sets of one
excersise and than continue with different excersise) or i do them simultineously (like one set of
this then one set of the next one and so on). Thanks for your reaction!

REPLY

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