# Training Plan – Level 3 ### Person * **Male, 30 years old** * **Training experience Level 3:** 1–4 months of regular training * **5 training sessions per week** * Goal: **gain weight / build muscle** * Special goal: **prioritize chest development** * Gym: **Gold's Gym Berlin** The plan is based on the **Gavanda dissertation**, the **ACSM 2026 overview/position stand**, **Currier et al. 2024**, and **Bernárdez-Vázquez et al. 2022**. The gym selection is adapted to the equipment available at Gold's Gym Berlin, particularly free weights, cables and Gym80 machines. ## Weekly structure – exactly 5 sessions | Day | Training | | ------------- | ----------------------------- | | **Monday** | Chest A + Shoulders + Triceps | | **Tuesday** | Back + Biceps | | **Wednesday** | Legs A | | **Thursday** | **Rest** | | **Friday** | Chest B + Back | | **Saturday** | Legs B + Arms | | **Sunday** | **Rest** | **Exactly 5 training sessions.** The chest is trained **twice per week**. This is sufficient: current evidence does not show a clear independent hypertrophy advantage of higher frequency when weekly volume is equated. Frequency is primarily a tool for distributing volume effectively across sessions. ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37385345/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) --- # Monday – Chest A / Shoulders / Triceps **Main focus: chest** | Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest | | -------------------------------- | ---: | ----: | --: | ------: | | **Barbell Bench Press** | 3 | 6–8 | 2 | 3 min | | **Incline Dumbbell Press** | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2–3 min | | **Gym80 Chest Press** | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2 min | | Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10–15 | 1–2 | 90 sec | | Cable Triceps Pushdown | 2 | 10–15 | 1–2 | 90 sec | | Cable Overhead Triceps Extension | 1 | 10–15 | 1 | 90 sec | ### Chest: **7 direct sets** The three chest exercises deliberately provide different loading characteristics: * Barbell → heavy compound exercise * Dumbbells → free-weight movement * Chest press → stable machine-based work for additional high-quality reps --- # Tuesday – Back / Biceps | Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest | | --------------------- | ---: | ----: | --: | ------: | | **Lat Pulldown** | 3 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2–3 min | | **Gym80 Row Machine** | 3 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2–3 min | | Cable Row | 2 | 10–12 | 1–2 | 2 min | | Reverse Pec Deck | 2 | 12–15 | 1–2 | 90 sec | | Dumbbell Curls | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 90 sec | | Cable Curls | 2 | 10–15 | 1 | 90 sec | ### Direct back volume: **8 sets** For a Level 3 trainee, this is deliberately not excessively high. --- # Wednesday – Legs A | Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest | | --------------------- | ---: | ----: | --: | ---------: | | **Barbell Squat** | 3 | 6–8 | 2 | 3 min | | **Leg Press** | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2–3 min | | **Leg Extension** | 2 | 10–15 | 1 | 2 min | | **Romanian Deadlift** | 2 | 8–10 | 2 | 3 min | | **Leg Curl** | 2 | 10–15 | 1–2 | 2 min | | Calf Raise | 3 | 10–15 | 1–2 | 90–120 sec | The emphasis here is slightly more on the quadriceps. --- # Thursday – Rest **No resistance training.** Light activity such as walking is completely fine. --- # Friday – Chest B / Back This is the second chest stimulus. | Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest | | ------------------------------- | ---: | ----: | --: | ---------: | | **Barbell Incline Bench Press** | 3 | 6–10 | 2 | 3 min | | **Chest Press** | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2–3 min | | **Cable Fly** | 2 | 10–15 | 1 | 90–120 sec | | Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2 min | | Row Machine | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2 min | | Cable Lateral Raise | 2 | 12–15 | 1 | 90 sec | ### Chest: **7 direct sets** Therefore: **Monday 7 + Friday 7 = 14 direct chest sets/week.** This is the **priority volume** for the chest. --- # Saturday – Legs B / Arms | Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Rest | | ------------------------------------ | ---: | ----: | --: | ---------: | | **Hack Squat / Gym80 Squat Machine** | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2–3 min | | **Leg Press** | 2 | 10–15 | 1–2 | 2 min | | Leg Curl | 3 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2 min | | Hip Thrust | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | 2–3 min | | Leg Extension | 1 | 12–15 | 1 | 2 min | | Calf Raise | 3 | 10–15 | 1 | 90–120 sec | | Biceps Curl | 2 | 8–12 | 1 | 90 sec | | Triceps Pushdown | 2 | 10–15 | 1 | 90 sec | --- # Weekly training volume This is particularly important given the trainee's **Level 3** status. | Muscle group | Direct sets/week | | ------------- | ---------------: | | **Chest** | **14** 🔴 | | Back | **12** | | Quadriceps | **10** | | Hamstrings | **7** | | Glutes | **4–6** | | Lateral delts | **5** | | Rear delts | **2** | | Biceps | **6** | | Triceps | **6** | | Calves | **6** | ## Why 14 chest sets rather than 20? Because **Level 3 is not Level 5 or 6**. The literature supports a weekly volume of roughly **10+ sets per muscle group** as a useful hypertrophy-oriented range. The 2026 ACSM overview also describes diminishing additional benefits as volume continues to increase. ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41843416/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) The 2022 umbrella review by Bernárdez-Vázquez et al. likewise points toward approximately **10 sets per muscle group per week** as a useful target. ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35873210/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) Therefore: **Normal muscles:** approximately 8–12 direct sets **Chest as the special priority:** **14 direct sets** This creates a clear specialization effect without treating a Level 3 trainee like an advanced bodybuilder. --- # Why not 10–14 sets for every muscle? Because **direct sets do not represent the entire training stimulus**. For example, the triceps already receive substantial work from: * Bench press * Incline bench press * Chest press The biceps receive substantial work from: * Lat pulldowns * Rows Therefore, a Level 3 trainee does not need another 12 direct biceps and 12 direct triceps sets. That would unnecessarily increase fatigue and recovery demands. --- # RIR – Reps in Reserve I would **not take every set to failure**. ### Compound exercises **2 RIR** Example: > Bench press: 70 kg × 8 @ 2 RIR Meaning approximately two technically good repetitions would still have been possible. ### Machines **1–2 RIR** ### Isolation exercises **1 RIR**, occasionally **0–1 RIR on the final set** This is consistent with the current ACSM evidence: training to momentary muscular failure has not shown a consistent additional hypertrophy benefit. ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41843416/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) The Gavanda dissertation also explicitly distinguishes different levels of proximity to failure, from stopping before the next repetition is possible through to momentary failure. --- # Rep ranges I would not rigidly prescribe only **8–12 repetitions**. ### Major compound exercises **6–10 reps** ### Machines **8–12 reps** ### Isolation exercises **10–15 reps** This allows sufficiently heavy loading without unnecessarily emphasizing very low repetition ranges for a relatively inexperienced trainee. The evidence also does not support one single loading zone as mandatory for hypertrophy. ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33874848/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) --- # Range of Motion For practically all exercises: ### **Controlled, large pain-free ROM** For example, don't deliberately perform half reps on the bench press. The Gavanda dissertation notes that both partial and full ROM can produce hypertrophy, while also emphasizing that the evidence for the upper body and trunk is considerably more limited than for the lower body. Therefore, there is no reason to deliberately use partial repetitions in this program. --- # Progression The central progression method is: ## Double progression Example: **Bench Press – 3 × 6–8** Week 1: > 70 kg: 8 / 7 / 6 Week 2: > 70 kg: 8 / 8 / 7 Week 3: > 70 kg: 8 / 8 / 8 Then: > **72.5 kg** and start again at approximately 6–7 repetitions. Don't force a weight increase every single week. **Increasing repetitions with the same weight is also progression.** --- # Warm-up Before the first major chest/leg exercise: ### General 5–8 minutes of light cardio/movement. ### Specific warm-up sets Example: Bench press, working weight 70 kg: * Bar × 10–15 * 40 kg × 8 * 55 kg × 5 * 65 kg × 2–3 * Then working sets Warm-up sets **do not count toward training volume**. For subsequent exercises, considerably fewer warm-up sets are normally necessary. --- # Nutrition for gaining weight The goal should **not simply be to gain body weight as quickly as possible**. A moderate calorie surplus is preferable. ### Basic principle **Calorie surplus + sufficient protein + progressive resistance training** Body weight should increase gradually. If body weight remains essentially unchanged for several weeks, calories can be increased. If weight rises very quickly, the surplus should be reduced. A practical protein target is: **approximately 1.6–2.2 g/kg body weight/day.** With five training sessions per week, carbohydrates should also not be unnecessarily restricted because they can support training performance and recovery. --- # Why exactly five training days? Five days are **not scientifically superior simply because they are five days**. That would be an incorrect interpretation of the evidence. The 2024 umbrella review found that training frequency has little independent effect on hypertrophy when weekly volume is equated. ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37385345/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) However, the trainee **wants to train five times per week**. Therefore, the five days are used to organize the workload efficiently: **Monday:** Chest **Tuesday:** Back **Wednesday:** Legs **Thursday:** Rest **Friday:** Chest + Back **Saturday:** Legs + Arms **Sunday:** Rest This gives the trainee **exactly five resistance-training sessions** without artificially adding unnecessary volume. --- # Final plan at a glance | Day | Focus | Key volume | | ------------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------------ | | **Monday** | Chest / Shoulders / Triceps | Chest **7** | | **Tuesday** | Back / Biceps | Back **8** | | **Wednesday** | Legs A | Quads **7** + Hamstrings **2** | | **Thursday** | **Rest** | — | | **Friday** | Chest / Back | Chest **7** + Back **4** | | **Saturday** | Legs B / Arms | Quads **3** + Hamstrings **3** | | **Sunday** | **Rest** | — | ### Final prescription **5 training days** **2 chest sessions** **14 direct chest sets/week** **Level 3 volume appropriately controlled** **Mostly 1–2 RIR** **Progression through repetitions, then load** **No unnecessary advanced intensity techniques** This is the starting program I would use for this specific trainee.