How to Create a Custom Workout Plan for Muscle Gain (6 Steps + Sample Plans)
By Nelly Flaque, NASM-Certified Personal Trainer and Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach · Updated September 2026
The short answer: To build a custom workout plan for muscle gain: (1) choose how many days a week you can train, (2) train each muscle about twice a week, (3) do roughly 10 or more hard sets per muscle per week, (4) use 6–20 reps taken close to failure, (5) add weight or reps over time (progressive overload), and (6) eat enough protein (about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day) with a small calorie surplus. Then track your lifts and adjust every 4–6 weeks.
You don't need a complicated program to build muscle. You need a program that fits your schedule and gets harder over time. Here's the exact process I use when I write plans for clients.
Step 1: Pick your training days
Be honest about what you can keep up for the next three months, not just this week.
Days per week | Best split | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
2 | Full body × 2 | Very busy, or beginners |
3 | Full body × 3 | Beginners and most busy adults |
4 | Upper / Lower × 2 | Intermediate lifters |
5 | Upper / Lower / Push / Pull / Legs, or glute-focused split | Experienced lifters with time |
Step 2: Train each muscle about twice a week
Research shows that when total weekly volume is the same, training frequency matters less than people think (Schoenfeld et al., 2019). Still, hitting each muscle twice a week is the easiest way to fit in enough quality sets without marathon workouts.
Step 3: Set your weekly volume (sets per muscle)
Muscle growth rises with weekly training volume. A meta-analysis found that doing 10 or more sets per muscle per week produced more growth than lower volumes (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).
Beginners: start around 8–10 hard sets per muscle per week.
Intermediate: 10–16 sets.
Priority muscles (for many of my clients, glutes): up to about 20, while keeping other muscles at maintenance.
Step 4: Choose your reps and effort
Muscle grows across a wide rep range. Light and heavy loads build similar muscle as long as sets are taken close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).
Big compound lifts (squat, deadlift, hip thrust, bench, rows): 6–10 reps.
Accessory and isolation moves (lateral raises, curls, kickbacks): 10–20 reps.
Effort: end most sets with 1–3 reps left in the tank.
Rest: 2–3 minutes on compound lifts, 60–90 seconds on isolation moves.
Step 5: Pick exercises (and progress them)
For each muscle, choose one compound lift and one or two accessories. Keep them the same for 4–6 weeks so you can actually track progress.
Progressive overload: when you hit the top of your rep range for every set, add a small amount of weight next session. If you can't add weight, add a rep. If your lifts haven't moved in 3–4 weeks, check your sleep, calories and effort first. That's one of the most common reasons workouts stop working.
Step 6: Eat to grow
You can't out-train an under-fed body.
Protein: about 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day (about 0.7 g per lb). Gains in muscle mass level off around this intake (Morton et al., 2018). Use my free protein intake calculator.
Calories: a small surplus, roughly 5–10% above maintenance, keeps fat gain low. Find your maintenance with my free macro calculator.
Beginners with extra body fat can often build muscle while losing fat (body recomposition) at maintenance calories.
Sample plan A: 3-day full body (beginner)
Do each workout once a week (for example Monday, Wednesday, Friday).
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|
Goblet squat 3×8–10 | Romanian deadlift 3×8–10 | Leg press 3×10–12 |
Dumbbell bench press 3×8–10 | Lat pulldown 3×10–12 | Seated cable row 3×10–12 |
Hip thrust 3×10–12 | Walking lunge 3×10/leg | Hip thrust 3×8–10 |
One-arm dumbbell row 3×10–12 | Overhead dumbbell press 3×8–10 | Incline push-up 3×AMRAP |
Plank 3×30–45 sec | Leg curl 3×12–15 | Lateral raise 3×12–15 |
Sample plan B: 4-day upper/lower (intermediate)
Lower A | Upper A | Lower B | Upper B |
|---|---|---|---|
Back squat 4×6–8 | Bench press 4×6–8 | Romanian deadlift 4×6–8 | Pull-up or pulldown 4×8–10 |
Hip thrust 3×8–10 | Chest-supported row 4×8–10 | Bulgarian split squat 3×8–10/leg | Incline DB press 3×8–10 |
Leg curl 3×10–12 | Overhead press 3×8–10 | Leg extension 3×12–15 | Cable row 3×10–12 |
Cable kickback 3×12–15 | Lateral raise 3×12–15 | Hip abduction 3×15–20 | Triceps pushdown 3×10–12 |
Calf raise 3×10–15 | Biceps curl 3×10–12 | Hanging knee raise 3×10–15 | Face pull 3×12–15 |
Common mistakes that kill muscle gain
Changing the program every week, so nothing gets progressed.
Stopping sets far from failure.
Too little protein or too few calories.
Skipping legs, or training glutes only with bands.
Less than 7 hours of sleep most nights.
When to get a custom workout plan for muscle gain from a coach
A template like the ones above is a solid start. A coach personalizes it further: exercise swaps for your joints and equipment, volume set for your recovery, form review, and weekly adjustments when progress stalls. That's what I do in online fitness coaching, and in person in FishHawk Lithia, FL through 1-on-1 training.
FAQ
How many days a week should I work out to build muscle?
Three to four days is enough for most people, as long as each muscle gets about 10 hard sets a week.
How long until I see muscle gain?
Most beginners see visible changes in 8–12 weeks of consistent training and eating.
Can women use the same plan to build muscle?
Yes. The principles are the same for everyone. Many women choose to put extra volume on glutes and shoulders. See how to grow your glutes.
Do I need a gym?
A gym makes progressive overload easier, but you can build muscle at home with adjustable dumbbells and a bench.
Sources: Schoenfeld BJ et al. "Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass." J Sports Sci, 2017. Schoenfeld BJ et al. "Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training." J Strength Cond Res, 2017. Schoenfeld BJ et al. "How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy?" J Sports Sci, 2019. Morton RW et al. "A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults." Br J Sports Med, 2018.
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