Strength
Bro Split, 5 day
Classic body-part split: one muscle group per day. Not optimal for frequency but popular and enjoyable for intermediate lifters who want focused high-volume sessions. Five days a week, about 65 minutes a session.
- Days per week
- 5
- Session length
- About 65 min
- Level
- Intermediate
- Focus
- Hypertrophy
What it takes
You will need five sessions a week of roughly 65 minutes, plus a warm-up.
Your week
Rest or walk on the other two days. Spread the sessions out if you can, so the same muscles get a day off in between.
- Day 1: Chest (about 65 min)
- Day 2: Back (about 70 min)
- Day 3: Shoulders (about 60 min)
- Day 4: Arms (about 55 min)
- Day 5: Legs (about 70 min)
Chest Day
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 4 × 8–10 | 2½ min |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 × 8–12 | 2 min |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Cable Chest Fly | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Dip | 3 × max reps | 90 s |
Back Day
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 4 × 5–6 | 3 min |
| Pull-Up | 4 × max reps | 2 min |
| Barbell Row | 4 × 8–10 | 2 min |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
Shoulders Day
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press | 4 × 6–10 | 2½ min |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 4 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Rear Delt Fly | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Face Pull | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
Arms Day
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Curl | 4 × 8–12 | 1 min |
| Preacher Curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
| Hammer Curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
| Close-Grip Bench Press | 4 × 8–10 | 90 s |
| Rope Triceps Pressdown | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
| Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
Legs Day
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 5 × 6–10 | 3 min |
| Leg Press | 4 × 10–12 | 2 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 × 10–12 | 2 min |
| Leg Extension | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 × 12–15 | 1 min |
Adding weight
Where an exercise has a rep range, like 6–8, stay at the same weight until you hit the top of the range on every set. Then add the smallest jump you can and build back up from the bottom.
Jumps of 1–2.5 kg on upper-body lifts and 2.5–5 kg on lower-body lifts are plenty. Bigger jumps stall sooner.
Making it fit
- Take a lighter week every five or six weeks: same exercises, about half the sets.
- If a session runs long, cut the last exercise rather than rushing the rest.
