12 Week Weight Lifting Program

Welcome to Building Muscle 101's 12 week weight lifting program.

Has your current weight training routine gone stale? Are you looking for a weight lifting program that can get you back on the road to muscle growth?

Well, if your looking for something in a weight training routine, I may have what your looking for.

This weight training routine is an intermediate to advanced workout that will add additional intensity to your current training regiment. This is an intense 12 week program that will allow you to really blast your muscles into hyper growth. I have to warn you though, it's a tough weight training routine and should not be attempted by beginners.

The program is designed to add some quality lean muscle to your frame. What you'll find here is a 12 week weight lifting program, 7 day menu, and a supplement schedule to help you pack on the beef.

I've decided to give the average weight trainer a program that you can simply follow. The 12 week program is an intermediate to advanced weight training program that is designed to build lean muscle. If you follow the program and it's suggest meal and supplement schedule, I can almost promise to you that you will add some beef to your body.

With that being said, all I can say is that you have to take this 12 week weight lifting program very seriously. This program only works if your serious about making awesome gains. If you have the will to add lean muscle mass and want to work hard for it, than follow this program.

The weight training routine is divided into 2 sections, the first section is the actual weight lifting program and the second section is the menu. You cannot have one without the other. If you want to add slabs of quality beef to your frame, you have to train hard and heavy and eat a lot of quality nutrients - No getting around this.

Now, you don't have to follow the menu section to a tee. It's meant to act as a guide and you can add or delete certain foods that you enjoy. Just remember that you can't have any junk. All of your foods have to be clean and you must eat at least 6 meals per day. Yes, you have to eat 6 meals per day. You will ensure optimal growth this way.

The routine is designed to get you strong. I've designed the weight lifting routine that allows for maximum rest in between workouts thereby allowing for optimal muscle recovery and growth. Don't worry about training each body part two times per week. If you hit them hard in the workout, it will take a full week of recovery to hit them hard again. Trust me, once a week is plenty.

The rep range is kept low for a reason. It's meant to build up to your working sets without expending all of your energy. You need heavy reps between the 6 and 8 range to get strong and grow. Except for isolation exercises, this will be your rep range.

Now, I strongly suggest that you strive and increase your weight when you can. But, only increase your rep range when you can do at least 8 reps on your final work set. For example, let's say last week, I was able to only get 6 reps out with 175 pounds in the bench press for my last working set. This week however, I did the same 175 pounds for 8 reps.

Therefore, I would increase my weight to 5% to 10% or in this case, roughly 185 pounds if I increased it by 5%. The key is to keep striving to beat your last workout by performing more reps on your last work set. A word of caution: Always use the correct form and technique. The real key to getting big and strong is to perform each exercise correctly. There will be an illustration with each exercise.

This program uses super sets for arms. I strongly suggest you use the routine outlined below. Super sets allows you to work two opposing muscles using different exercises. Super sets are designed to increase the intensity of your training routine by allowing for minimum rest between exercises.

An example of super setting is alternating biceps curls with triceps push downs with minimum rest between exercises. Trust me, it will pump your arms up to the max. Remember, as soon as you finish the first set, you will do the other exercise with minimal rest. Use this technique in your program to stimulate more muscle growth.

I also strongly suggest you use a weight training log. It's very important that you keep track of your progress and believe me, it can really help you improve. You can find weight lifting logs and charts here

Alright, let's take a look at the 12 week weight lifting program:

The training schedule for this routine is as follows:

Day one: Chest, arms, and abs
Day two: Legs
Day three: Rest
Day four: Back and shoulders
Day five: Rest
Day six: Rest
Day seven: Repeat

Day1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
Chest, arms, and abs	Legs	Rest	Back and Shoulders	Rest	Rest	Repeat cycle

Day 1: Monday

Chest, Arms, and Abs

5 minutes on the exercise bike to warm up

Chest:

Bench Press

Warm up: 1 x 20 reps
Set 1: 1 x 8 reps - 50 % of one rep max
Set 2: 1 x 8 reps - 60 % of one rep max
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps - 70 % of one rep max
Set 4: 1 x 6 reps - 85 % of one rep max

Incline Barbell Press

Set 1: 1 x 8 reps - 60 % of one rep max
Set 2: 1 x 8 reps - 70 % of one rep max
Set 3: 1 x 6 reps - 80 % of one rep max
Set 4 1 x 6 reps - 85 % of one rep max

Flat Bench Dumbbell Fly

Set 1: 1 x 12 reps - 60 % of max
Set 2: 1 x 12 reps - 60 % of max

Arms:

Standing Barbell Curl

Warm up: 1 x 15 reps
Set 1: 1 x 8 reps
Set 2: 1 x 8 reps
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps
Set 4: 1 x 6 - 8 reps

Supersetted with:

Close Grip Bench Press

Warm up: 1 x 15 reps
Set 1: 1 x 8 reps
Set 2: 1 x 8 reps
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps
Set 4: 1 x 6 - 8 reps

Super set 2

Seated Alternate Dumbell Curl

Set 1: 1 x 12 reps
Set 2: 1 x 10 reps
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps

Super set with:

Standing Cable Press Down

Set 1: 1 x 12 reps
Set 2: 1 x 10 reps
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps

Super set 3

Preacher Curl

3 x 12 reps

Super set with:

Overhead Barbell Extension

3 x 12 reps

Abs

Incline Sit Up

4 x 15 reps

Day 2: Tuesday

Legs

5 minutes on the exercise bike

Quadriceps

Squats

Warm up 2 x 20 reps
Set 1: 1 x 8 reps - 50 % of one rep max
Set 2: 1 x 8 reps - 60 % of one rep max
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps - 70 % of one rep max
Set 4: 1 x 6 - 8 reps - 80 % of one rep max

Leg Press

Set 1: 1 x 10 reps - 50 % of your one rep max
Set 2: 1 x 8 reps - 60 % of your one rep max
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps - 70 % of your one rep max
Set 4: 1 x 8 reps - 80 % of your one rep max

Leg Extension

Set 1: 1 x 12 reps - 60 % of your max
Set 2: 1 x 12 reps - 60 % of your max
Set 3: 1 x 12 reps - 60 % of your max

What you want to do here is totally flush your quadriceps with blood. Really concentrate hard on the movement. The reps should be slow and smooth with no bouncing. Really Squeeze at the top part of the movement.

Hamstrings

Leg Curl

Warm up: 1 x 20 reps
Set 1: 1 x 12 reps - 50 % of your max
Set 2: 1 x 10 reps - 60 % of your max
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps - 70 % of your max
Set 4: 1 x 6 to 8 reps - 80 % of your max

Stiff Legged Deadlift

Set 1: 1 x 10 reps - 50% of your max
Set 2: 1 x 10 reps - 60 % of your max
Set 3: 1 x 10 reps - 60 % of your max

Calves

Standing Calf Raise

5 x 15 reps - 60 % of your max

Day 3: Wednesday

Rest

Day 4: Thursday

Back and Shoulders

5 minutes on the exercise bike

Back

Lat Machine Pull Down

Warm up: 1 x 15 reps
Set 1: 1 x 12 Reps - 60 % of your max
Set 2: 1 x 10 reps - 70 % of your max
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps - 75 % of your max

Barbell Bent Over Row

Set 1: 1 x 8 reps - 50 % of your max
Set 2: 1 x 8 reps - 60 % of your max
Set 3: 1 x 7 reps - 70 % of your max
Set 4: 1 x 6 reps - 80 % of your max

Seated Cable Row

Set 1: 1 x 12 reps - 60 % of your max
Set 2: 1 x 10 reps - 70 % of your max
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps - 80 % of your max
Set 4: 1 x 8 reps - 90 % of your max

Shoulders

Press Behind The Neck

Warm up: 1 x 20 reps
Set 1: 1 x 8 reps - 50 % of your max
Set 2: 1 x 8 reps - 60 % of your max
Set 3: 1 x 8 reps - 70 % of your max
Set 4: 1 x 6 - 8 reps - 80 % of your max

Seated Dumbell Press

1 x 8 reps - 60 % of your max
1 x 8 reps - 70 % of your max
1 x 6 - 8 reps - 80% of your max

Dumbell Side Lateral Raise

3 x 12 reps - 60 % of your max

Dumbbell Shrug

4 x 12 reps - 65 % to 70 % of your max

Day 5:

Rest

Day 6:

Rest

Day 7:

Repeat program

Alright, now that you know the weight lifting portion of the program, it’s time to go to the nutrition and menus section of the 12 week weight lifting program.

Click here to find out what you need to eat to build muscle