Who this plan is for
This suits experienced trainees who recover well, sleep adequately, and have already outgrown three or four days. It is not a beginner plan.
- Lifters with at least a year of consistent training.
- People who prefer shorter, more frequent sessions.
- Anyone whose three-day plan has stopped producing progress despite good execution.
- Trainees with reliable sleep and food; five days punishes neither.
Weekly schedule
Two hard lower days, one hard upper day, two lighter days. Do not stack the hard days consecutively.
| Day | Plan | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lower (hard) | Squat-led |
| Tuesday | Upper (hard) | Press and pull |
| Wednesday | Lighter full body | Volume without much fatigue |
| Thursday | Rest | The day that makes the rest work |
| Friday | Lower (hard) | Hinge-led |
| Saturday | Lighter upper and arms | Low-cost volume |
Warm-up
Warm up fully on the hard days. On light days the first set can double as the warm-up.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Arm Circles | 1 | 10 each direction | 15 sec | Start small, then increase the circle without shrugging. |
| Tempo Bodyweight Squat | 1 | 8 controlled reps | 20 sec | Use a comfortable depth and keep the whole foot planted. |
| Hip Hinge Dowel Drill | 1 | 8 reps | 20 sec | Practice moving through the hips before adding load. |
| Cat-Cow | 1 | 6 slow reps | 20 sec | Move gently through a comfortable spinal range. |
The five-day split
Effort is what distinguishes the days. The light sessions should end with you feeling like you could repeat them.
Day 1 - Lower (hard)
Squat-led. The heaviest session of the week.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | 4 | 5 reps | 3 min | Two or three reps in reserve on every set. |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 3 | 8 reps | 2 min | Pause at the top. |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 10-12 reps | 90 sec | Direct hamstring work. |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 10-12 reps | 90 sec | Full range. |
| Pallof Press | 3 | 10 each side | 60 sec | Resist rotation. |
Day 2 - Upper (hard)
The heavy pressing and pulling day.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 5-6 reps | 3 min | Controlled descent; use a spotter or pins. |
| Pull-Up | 4 | 6-8 reps | 2 min | Add load once you exceed the range. |
| Overhead Press | 3 | 6-8 reps | 2 min | No layback. |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 10 reps | 90 sec | Torso quiet. |
| Face Pull | 3 | 15 reps | 60 sec | Cheap shoulder insurance. |
Day 3 - Lighter full body
Deliberately easy. This day exists to add volume without adding fatigue.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 3 | 10-12 reps | 90 sec | Comfortable throughout. |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 reps | 90 sec | Four or five reps in reserve. |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 | 12 reps | 90 sec | Easy and controlled. |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 10 reps | 90 sec | Light; the hinge is trained hard on Friday. |
| Dead Bug | 3 | 8 each side | 60 sec | Unchanged. |
Day 4 - Lower (hard)
Hinge-led, to complement Monday's squat focus.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trap Bar Deadlift | 4 | 4-5 reps | 3 min | Fast off the floor, flat back. |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 8 each side | 90 sec | Single-leg strength. |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8 reps | 2 min | Hamstring length under load. |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10 reps | 2 min | Quad volume without more spinal load. |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 12-15 reps | 90 sec | Bent knee. |
Day 5 - Lighter upper and arms
The cheapest volume in the week. Nothing here should be a grind.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 10-12 reps | 90 sec | Comfortable range. |
| Dumbbell Row | 3 | 12 each side | 90 sec | Controlled. |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 12-15 reps | 60 sec | Stop at shoulder height. |
| Bicep Curl | 3 | 10-12 reps | 60 sec | Strict. |
| Tricep Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 reps | 60 sec | Elbows pinned. |
Make the template fit your life
Keep the light days actually light
DoThis tracks effort across the week, so a five-day plan stays five days rather than becoming five hard days.
Exercise and equipment alternatives
Use the substitution in the same row, keep the same set and repetition target, and reduce the load while learning the new movement.
| Planned exercise | Alternative | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | Dumbbell Bench Press | You train alone without a rack or pins. |
| Trap Bar Deadlift | Barbell Deadlift | No trap bar is available. |
| Pull-Up | Lat Pulldown | You cannot yet control six clean reps. |
| Leg Curl | Nordic Hamstring Curl | No machine is available. |
Progression rules
Progress the three hard days. Leave the light days alone; the moment they start climbing, the split stops working.
- Add load on the hard days when every set is clean at the top of the range.
- Keep light days light indefinitely. They are not a place to set records.
- If the second hard lower day is consistently poor, move it further from the first.
- Deload roughly every six weeks; five days accumulates fatigue faster than three.
Weekly placement and recovery
- Five days demands adequate sleep and food. Without both, four days will outperform it.
- The rest day mid-week is not optional and should not be moved to the end.
- If light days feel hard, you are not running them light enough.
Common programming questions
Is five days better than three?
Only if you recover from it. Five days of well-distributed volume beats three, but five hard days beats nothing and usually ends in a stall.
Can a beginner run this?
It is a poor fit. Beginners progress on far less, and the extra days mostly add fatigue and injury exposure early on.
What if I miss a day?
Drop a light day rather than a hard one. The hard sessions carry the adaptation.
Safety and limitations
Stop if an exercise produces sharp pain, dizziness, or chest pain. Higher frequency means less margin for training through a nagging joint, so address complaints early rather than late.
This article provides general wellness education, not medical advice, diagnosis, rehabilitation, or individualized treatment.
Sources
Prepared by the DoThis Editorial Team using the cited evidence and exercise names verified against the DoThis catalog. No professional clinical review is claimed.
- Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical PerformanceAmerican College of Sports Medicine / PubMed
- Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and muscle massJournal of Sports Sciences / PubMed
- Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy AdultsAmerican College of Sports Medicine / PubMed
Make the template fit your life
Keep the light days actually light
DoThis tracks effort across the week, so a five-day plan stays five days rather than becoming five hard days.