These Are the Exact Workouts I Do in a Week to Build Muscle — You Can Do Them Too!
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When I'm not writing about health and wellness, I'm training clients, modeling, and finding the time to get my own workouts in. The two questions I get asked the most are how often I work out and what exactly I do in the gym. My answer: it's always changing. Sometimes I work out five to six times a week, and other times it's three days max. My preferred style of training is weightlifting, specifically Olympic weightlifting, and I also love to sprint.
Continue reading to see what an average week of working out looks like for me. Since everyone's strength levels vary, I did not include the exact weights I lift. Instead, I included weights that should work for beginners to advanced lifters. If you plan on doing these workouts, choose a weight that will challenge you, make any modifications necessary, and always warm up and cool down.
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Monday: Lower Body
I don't train my legs for a particular look. I train for strength, for power, and to correct muscular imbalances. This is one of my favorite lower-body workouts to do.
- Single-leg deadlifts: 3 sets of 12 reps (no weight to 10 pounds in each hand)
- Sumo squats: four sets of 15 reps (10 to 30 pounds)
- Bulgarian split squats: 3 sets of 10 reps (no weight to 15 pounds)
- Walking lunges: 3 sets of 24 reps (no weight to 10 pounds in each hand)
- StairMaster: 20 minutes
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Tuesday: Sprints
Sprinting is one of the best ways to burn fat and build lean muscle. You can do them on a track, on a field, or on the treadmill. Your programming options with sprints are endless, and no matter how you decide to do them, you'll love the results. It's important to warm up before every workout — especially any type of high-impact work. A warmup will prepare your muscles for the workout ahead, and when it comes to sprinting, it will allow you to run faster.
- Set the incline on your treadmill to 8.0 and the speed to anywhere between 7.0 mph to 9.0 mph.
- Safely step onto the belt, holding onto the sides of the treadmill for your first few steps. Once you've found your footing and are comfortable with the pace, let go of the sides.
- Be sure to keep your shoulders relaxed and drive your knees up in front of your body, creating as close to 90-degree angles as possible with both your arms and legs. Never butt kick, as this will lead to poor running mechanics and hamstring injuries.
- Sprint for 30 seconds and then take 30 seconds rest. This counts as one sprint.
- Repeat for a total of six sprints.
After you're done with the sprints, do a five- to 10-minute cooldown run at a comfortable pace. If the incline and/or speed are too hard, feel free to decrease them.
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Wednesday: Rest
On rest days, I typically don't go to the gym, but that doesn't mean I'm not being active. I walk a minimum of three miles a day and utilize my "off days" to stretch, rehab, and reset.
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Thursday: Upper Body
As a former sprinter, I tend to favor lower-body workouts, but lately I've been doing more workouts to strengthen my upper body.
- Bench press: three sets of 12, 10, and eight reps. The weight should increase with each set (10 to 50 pounds).
- Face pulls: four sets of 12 reps (10 to 25 pounds)
- Hammer curls: three sets of 10 reps (15 to 40 pounds total)
- Dumbbell rows with triceps kickbacks: three sets of 10 reps (five to 12.5 pounds total)
- Pull-ups: three sets of 10 reps
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Friday: Conditioning
In order to challenge myself — and build lean muscle — I try to do at least one conditioning workout a week. Sometimes I make them up as I go, and other days I use past workouts I've created. Regardless of the plan, the goal is to feel exhausted at the end of the workout. I'm going as hard as my body and mind will allow. I do four rounds of the following workout.
- 40-meter sled push superset with 20 ball slams
- Burpees with a box jump: 10 reps
- Plyo lunges: 20 reps
- Battle ropes (jumping jacks, alternating, and slams): 30 seconds each
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Saturday and Sunday
I typically don't work out on the weekend, but if I do, I'm usually taking a class at a boutique studio. Otherwise, I may do a quick core workout, stretch, and foam roll.