Ultimate 6-day gym workout schedule to maximize your gains

6 day gym workout schedule (Photo via Anastase Maragos/Unsplash)
Six-day gym workout schedule (Photo via Unsplash/Anastase Maragos)

Do you follow a 6-day gym workout schedule for your gains, or is it a 4-day schedule? Well, schedules are important.

An important aspect of going to the gym is to follow a proper workout schedule. If you’re not following a schedule, it’s possible you’re working on your muscle group in a random order, which could slow down the overall process of achieving your dream physician.

There are various types of workout schedules that an individual can follow, like a full body schedule, push-pull-leg split, or even a 6-day gym workout schedule. The type of schedule you follow depends on your choice, but sometimes it has to be modified based on your goals.

Speaking of a 6-day gym workout schedule, it’s one of the popular schedules that are in circulation. It so happens that more often than not, individuals who are focused on cutting fat and adding muscle at the same time aim to go to the gym at least six times a week. The seventh day is usually kept aside for rest and recovery.

A 6-day gym workout schedule allows you to work on every muscle group at least twice a week and gives you time to let the muscle fibers recover before it’s worked on again.


Example of a 6-day gym workout schedule

Workout (Photo via Unsplash/Anastase Maragos)
Workout (Photo via Unsplash/Anastase Maragos)

Day 1: Chest and triceps

The reason chest and triceps are usually grouped together is because both require push movements.

Some of the most popular exercises are:

  • Bench press (dumbbell or barbell)
  • Incline bench press (dumbbell or barbell)
  • Cable flyes
  • Tricep pushdowns
  • Overhead extensions
  • Tricep dips
  • Push-ups

It’s beneficial to add some of the pushing shoulder movements to the day too, because in most chest and tricep exercises, the anterior and lateral shoulder heads are the secondary muscle group.

Some of the exercises are:

  • Overhead press
  • Lateral raise
  • Front raise

Day 2: Back and biceps

Like chest and triceps, back and biceps are grouped together due to both muscle groups requiring pull movements.

Some of the most popular exercises are:

  • Pull-ups
  • Barbell row/dumbbell row
  • Seated cable row
  • Deadlifts
  • Barbell/dumbbell curls
  • Hammer curls
  • Incline dumbbell curl

Furthermore, the rear delt of the shoulder is engaged during some of the back exercise, so it’s wise to train the rear delt in isolation too.

Some of the exercises that can be done for rear delts are:

  • Rear delt fly
  • Upright row
  • Face pull

Day 3: Legs

As the legs are formed of two large muscle groups - quads, hamstrings and even glutes and calf muscles engage themselves, usually no other upper or lower body is grouped with legs.

Some of the most popular exercises are:

  • Squats
  • Leg press
  • Lunges
  • Leg curls
  • Leg extension
  • Deadlifts
  • Glute bridge
  • Calf raises

Day 4: Chest and triceps

By the time day 4 from a 6-day gym workout schedule comes around, the chest and triceps have recovered from day 1’s training. Hence, the muscle groups are prepared to train again. You can do the same exercises as day 1 or switch to their variations.


Day 5: Back and biceps

The back and biceps have recovered from the second day's workout. You can choose to do the same exercises as on day 2 or you can try to do the variations of the same.


Day 6: Cardio and abs

The core muscles are extremely important for compound exercises and to improve overall upper body strength. So it’s essential to add exercises for abdominal muscles to your 6-day gym workout schedule.

Some of the exercises that you can add to the routine are:

  • Cable crunches
  • Side bending
  • Leg lifts
  • Flutter kicks
  • Planks

Why is it important to have a 6-day workout split?

Workout split (Photo via Unsplash/Julia Ballew)
Workout split (Photo via Unsplash/Julia Ballew)

A 6-day gym workout schedule is important for a variety of reasons. Here are some of them:

Structure

A workout schedule gives you the freedom to plan your workouts in advance and ensures you’re targeting different muscle groups every day. That helps with creating a structure.

Progress tracking

If you follow a routine like a 6-day gym workout schedule, you will be able to track your progress more easily in terms of strength and endurance.

Goal setting

A workout schedule allows you to work towards a specific goal that's aligned with your desired fitness levels.

Time management

When you plan your workouts in advance, it enables you to manage your time more efficiently rather than having to pick muscle groups and exercises on the spot.

Motivation

A schedule such as a 6-day gym workout schedule creates a sense of accountability in your mind. So, it’s more likely that you will stick to a scheduled workout routine rather than picking workouts randomly.

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