Training style

Bodybuilding
training program

Build visible muscle and symmetry with a focused body-part split — hit each muscle group hard, then recover and grow.

One month free, then A$24.99/month. Cancel any time. iPhone and iPad.

The problem

Why this program exists

Every split online is a list of exercises with no weights and no plan for what happens in week three. Progressive overload is left entirely to you, which is why most people run the same weights for a year.

Pick from ten proven splits — push/pull/legs, upper/lower, bro split, V-taper, glute-focused and more — or build your own week by choosing which muscles pair up on which day. Then the program handles the part that actually causes growth: the weight goes up, week over week, without you planning it.

The week

A default bodybuilding week

This is the sport’s own template — the starting point before it is fitted to your days, your equipment and your season. Team nights and game day are protected; everything else moves to the days you are free.

Mon
Push — Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
55–70 min
Tue
Pull — Back, Rear Delts, Biceps
55–70 min
Wed
Legs — Quads, Hams, Glutes, Calves
55–70 min
Thu
Lean-Down Cardio
20–45 min
Fri
Shoulders + Arms
45–60 min
Sat
Rest
Sun
Rest
The bodybuilding template as it ships. Your week is built from this and then reshaped around your availability.
What it trains

What bodybuilding is won with

These are the qualities the program is built to develop, in priority order. They come from the sport, not from a generic template.

  • Muscle size + symmetry
  • Mind-muscle connection
  • Progressive overload
  • Low body fat
The sessions in the program
SessionTypeDurationFocus
Push — Chest, Shoulders, TricepsGym55–70 minHypertrophy for the pressing muscles
Pull — Back, Rear Delts, BicepsGym55–70 minHypertrophy for the pulling muscles
Legs — Quads, Hams, Glutes, CalvesGym55–70 minFull lower-body hypertrophy
Lean-Down CardioConditioning20–45 minBurn fat without burning muscle
Shoulders + ArmsGym45–60 minBring up the showpiece muscles
Testing

The bodybuilding testing battery

Five numbers, re-run every eight weeks. Chosen to match what bodybuilding programs actually measure — and the results re-price your training weights and reset your conditioning paces.

TestMeasuresUnit
2km time trialThe aerobic benchmark your program is built around.mm:ss
Bench press 1RMUpper-body pressing strength: the fend, the tackle, holding a bigger body off.kg
Max pull-upsRelative pulling strength — the best upper-body number there is for a field athlete.reps
Back squat 1RMThe base of every lower-body quality you have.kg
Standing vertical jumpLower-body power in its purest form, and the cheapest fatigue check you own.cm

Protocols and benchmarks for every test →

Prehab

Staying available

The prehab block is matched to the region of the session it sits in and to the tissue this sport actually punishes — not a generic mobility flow bolted to the front.

Prehab only works if it happens, and the reason it usually does not is that it has nothing to do with the session it is attached to. Rotating a pool by session number puts shoulder work before a squat day and Copenhagen planks before a bench press. Technically covered; nobody does it.

In Train Smart each movement is classified by the region it protects and matched to the session, and the pool rotates across the week so you cover all of it rather than doing the same three moves three times.

More on prehab that people actually do →

This is general information, not medical advice. Train Smart gives training and nutrition guidance for healthy adults. It is not a substitute for a doctor, physiotherapist or accredited dietitian. If you have an injury, a medical condition, or you are unsure whether an exercise is right for you, get it checked first. Every recommendation on this site is sourced.
FAQ

Bodybuilding training questions

What does the Train Smart bodybuilding program include?
A full week: 5 distinct sessions covering gym and conditioning, a prehab block matched to the tissue bodybuilding punishes, and — where the sport has one — a game-day primer and protected team nights. Every working set carries a weight in kilos, and the program re-tests you every eight weeks on 2km time trial, Bench press 1RM, Max pull-ups and more.
Can I follow this program if I only train twice a week?
Yes. The program is built around the days you actually have, not a fixed template — two days a week gets a full-body structure rather than a compressed version of a four-day split.
What tests does the bodybuilding program use?
2km time trial, Bench press 1RM, Max pull-ups, Back squat 1RM, Standing vertical jump. One conditioning test, two upper-body and two lower-body, chosen to match what bodybuilding programs actually measure — and re-run every eight weeks so the results re-price your training weights and paces.
Do I need a full gym?
No. Set your equipment to a full gym, dumbbells only, bodyweight or bands, and flag individual kit you do not have. Any exercise requiring something you have excluded is swapped for one that does not.

Get your bodybuilding program

Pick bodybuilding, answer eight questions, and your week is built — around your team nights, your game and the days you can actually train.

One month free, then A$24.99/month. Cancel any time. iPhone and iPad.