2-day-a-week Workout Plan for Strength and Size
When it comes to express workouts that will see you in and out of the gym in less than 30-40 minutes, we’ve got you covered. But what if you can only make it to the gym a few times per week? Are two workouts really enough to move the needle on your health, performance and physique goals? Can you build strength and add size training just twice per week? In short, most definitely.
This plan consists of just two workouts, but hits all of the major movements patterns and muscle-groups with a combination of heavy compound lifts and muscle-building supersets.
Across the week you’ll be squatting, hinging, pressing, pulling and lunging, as well as targeting your core and arms, hitting your full body in each session.
How to gain strength by training twice per week
Carefully record the weights you use and reps you achieve for each movement. Once you can complete all sets of a movement at the top end of the rep range, or for the target reps (ie, all 5 sets of 5 with the same weight, or 4 sets of 12 on movements labelled 8-12 reps), increase the load in the next session, ensuring progressive overload and strength gains. If you’re recovering and fuelling your body correctly, muscle growth won’t be far behind.
If you’re looking to lose body fat, focus on the same protocol, but read our guide on sustainable fat loss here, and tips here.
You can (and should) supplement these training sessions with cardiovascular activities such as running, cycling or playing sports, as well as walking as often as possible.
Workout 1
Squat/ horizontal press/ vertical pull/ lunge/ core/ arms
A1. Barbell Back squat 5 x 5
With your feet at shoulder width, secure a barbell on your back, across the top of your shoulders, gripping it hard. Maintain an upright torso and push your hips back, bending your knees until the crease of your hips drops below your knees. Stand back up explosively, take a breath and repeat.
Perform the following movements in pairs as labelled
B1. Bench Press 4 x 8-12
Lie flat on a bench, your knees bent, pushing your feet into the floors. Take the weight out of the rack, locking out your elbows. Lower the bar slowly until the bar touches your chest. Keep your elbows at 45-degree angle, pause here, then explosively press back up.
B2. Pull-ups or Lat Pulldown 4 x 8-12
Grab a pull-up bar or lat pulldown attachment with your palms facing away from your body. Pull yourself up, or the bar down, by flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Think of driving your elbows into your pockets. When your chest reaches the bar, pause before reversing the movement slowly to the starting position.
C1. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge (alternating) 4 x 16-24 (total reps)
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Take a long step back with one leg, bending your front leg until your back knee gently touches the ground. Stand up and forward explosively, pause, then repeat with the opposite leg. Alternate legs unless otherwise stated.
C2. Hanging Leg Raise 4 x 15-20
Hang from a bar with straight legs, feet pointed, just in front of your body. Avoiding excessive movement or swinging, slowly lift your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Squeeze your abs at the top of the movement before slowly lowering your legs back down to straight. Repeat. If this is too easy, lift with straight legs, or attempt to get your toes to the bar.
D1. Bicep Curl x 100 (in as few sets as possible)
Stand tall with an empty Olympic barbell hanging at your waist, hands shoulder-width apart, thumbs facing away from each other. Keep your torso still and upper arms pinned to your sides as you curl the bar upwards towards your chin. Squeeze here and slowly lower the bar under control until your arms are straight. Repeat. Perform as many reps as possible with good form. Each time you have to rest, move into push-ups.
D2. Close-grip Push-up x 15-20 (each time you break from curls)
Every time you break from curls drop into a plank position, with your core tight and hands almost touching. Keeping your elbows close to your body, lower your chest to the floor. Push back up explosively, squeezing your triceps hard at the top, then quickly repeat. Perform as many high-quality reps as possible before jumping back into curls
Workout 2
Hinge/ vertical press/ horizontal pull/ lunge/ core/ arms
A1. Barbell or Trap Bar Deadlift 5 x 5
With feet shoulder-width apart, hinge down and grip your barbell with a flat back, getting your hips low. Take a deep breath, create tension throughout your entire body and push the ground away with your feet – avoiding your hips shooting up too early and standing upright. Your arms should be hanging straight throughout this movement; you don’t want to pull on the bar, instead think of your hands as "hooks". Avoid excessive rounding of the lower back throughout.
Perform the following movements in pairs as labelled
B1. Dumbbell Push Press 4 x 8-12
Clean a pair of dumbbells onto your shoulders, palms facing in. Take a breath and brace your core. Dip at the knees and use your legs to help press the dumbbells overhead. Lower under control to your shoulders and repeat.
B2. Dumbbell Bent-over Row 4 x 8-12
Drop your dumbbells to your sides and hinge at the hips until your chest is parallel to the floor, dumbbells hanging at your shins. Maintaining a flat back, row both dumbbells towards your hips, squeeze here and lower under control to the start before repeating.
C1. Walking Lunge 4 x 20 (total reps)
Hold your dumbbells with straight arms by your sides, standing tall. Keeping your chest up at all times, take a long step forward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground. Stand up explosively and repeat with the other leg, moving forward.
C2. Butterfly Sit-up 4 x 10-15
Lie on your back with your legs bent, the soles of your feet together, and your hands reaching behind your head. Tense your abs as you sit up, and touch your hands to your feet. Reverse the move, touching the floor behind your head on each rep. Hold a weight if necessary, to fatigue in less than 15 reps.
D1. Dips x 50 (in as few sets as possible)
Jump up on two parallel bars or gymnastics rings with your palms facing inward and your arms straight. Use benches or handrails if you’re outdoors. Slowly lower until you feel a deep stretch in your chest, ensuring your elbows don’t flare outward. Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat. As soon as you lose power or can’t perform another rep, drop down and perform curls.
D2. Hammer Curl x 10-15 (each time you break from dips)
Hold two dumbbells with arms hanging freely at your sides. With minimal momentum, curl both dumbbells upwards, until your thumbs are near your shoulders. Squeeze here for a one count and lower under control. Jump straight back into dips after your set.
More workouts like this
Could Ten-Minute ‘Micro Workouts’ Be The Key To Building The Best Physique of Your Life?
Short on Time? Smash Leg Day in 20 Minutes with This Intense Lower Body Workout
The Ultimate 20-Minute Upper-Body Workout (With Built-In Progressions)
Three-Day 5x5 Powerbuilding Plan for Raw Functional Strength and Size
You Might Also Like
