12 Week Lou Ferrigno Workout Routine with PDF

If you’re inspired by Lou Ferrigno’s physique and want to follow his training program, then you’ve come to the right place.

Lou Ferrigno is known for his impressive physique and dedication to bodybuilding. He won several titles, including two IFBB Mr. Universe.

Besides his bodybuilding, He is also recognized for his portrayal of the Hulk in the 1970s TV series “The Incredible Hulk.

I am not going to write his biography here because plenty of information is already available on the web.

In this article, I’ll share an ultimate 12-week Lou Ferrigno workout routine that can help build a massive, defined, and aesthetic physique.

He used to follow a high-volume training program, which involved performing various sets and reps.

I will not recommend his workout program to beginners, but if you have been working out for a while and want to try a challenging schedule, you can follow the ultimate Lou Ferrigno workout split.

Lou Ferrigno Training Program Overview

Summary

• Suggested Program Duration: 12 Weeks
• Routine Type: Upper/Lower and Muscle Group
• Sessions/week: 6 days a week
• Duration/session: 60-90 minutes
• Program Goal: Build Maximum Strength and Mass
• Target Gender: Primarily for Men
• Workout Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced

Schedule

I’ve handed out two workout routines of Lou Ferrigno in this article. One is a simple split that involves performing one muscle group each day and the other includes training the upper body four times and the lower body twice a week.

You can follow one of them for twelve months or divide them into two parts, six weeks each.

Here’s how Lou Ferrigno’s weekly routines look:

Day	Split A	Split B
Monday	Chest	Chest and Back
Tuesday	Back	Delts, Triceps, and Biceps
Wednesday	Legs	Quads and Hamstrings
Thursday	Shoulder	Chest and Back
Friday	Arms	Delts, Triceps, and Biceps
Saturday	Abs	Quads and Hamstrings
Sunday	OFF	OFF

Workout Instructions

• Warm-up before lifting: It is always best to start your workout with 10-15 minutes of warm-up. You can jog on the treadmill, do some dynamic cardio, and perform light sets before going heavy. Warm-up helps increase body temperature and oxygen flow and prepare your muscles for intense training.
• Rest time between sets: You can keep the rest time around 1 to 3 minutes between sets, depending on the type of exercise and your fitness level. For example, take 1-2 minutes of break between isolation exercises and 2-3 minutes of break between compound lifts.
• How heavy should you lift? You can lift as heavy as you like as long as you perform each rep without compromising the form.

Note: This routine can vary from the ones Lou Ferrigno used to follow.

12-Week Lou Ferrigno Workout Plan for Ultimate Growth

• Week 1 to 6: One Muscle Group Per Day
• Week 7 to 12: Two Upper and One Lower Day x 2

From week one to six, you’ll train one muscle group per day. It will build your foundation for the next phase, which involves training every muscle twice a week.

Week 1 to 6 – One Muscle Group Per Day

• Monday – Chest
• Tuesday – Back
• Wednesday – Legs
• Thursday – Shoulder
• Friday – Arms
• Saturday – Abs
• Sunday – OFF

Monday – Chest

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Flat Bench Press	5	8-12
Incline Bench Press	5	8-12
Decline Bench Press	4	8-12
Flat or Incline Fly	4	10-12
Dumbbell Pullover	3	15
Cable Crossover	3	12-15

Tuesday – Back

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Chin-Up/Pull-up	5	6-8
T-Bar Rows	5	6-8
Deadlift	5	6-8
Bent-Over Barbell Row	5	6-8
Lat Pulldown	5	6-8

Wednesday – Legs

Thursday – Shoulder

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Behind The Neck Press	5	10-12
Front Overhead Press	5	10-12
DB Lateral Raise	5	10-12
DB Front Raise	5	10-12
Bent-Over Rear Delt Fly	5	10-12
Cable Upright Row	5	10-12

Friday – Arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Biceps Curl	2	15-20
Incline Dumbbell Curl	3	10-12
Preacher Curl	4	8-10
Cable Triceps Pushdown	4	8-10
EZ Bar Skull Crusher	4	8-10
Standing French Press	4	8-10
Barbell Wrist Curl	4	10-15

Saturday – Abs

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Hanging Leg Raise	3-4	15-20
Roman Chair Situp	3-4	50
Bench Leg Raise	3-4	30-40
Side Bend Crunches	3-4	30-40

Week 7 to 12 – Upper Lower Split

• Day 1 – Chest and Back
• Day 2 – Delts, Triceps, and Biceps
• Day 3 – Quads and Hamstrings
• Day 4 – Chest and Back
• Day 5 – Delts, Triceps, and Biceps
• Day 6 – Quads and Hamstrings
• Day 7 – OFF

Day 1 – Chest and Back

Exercise	Target Muscle	Sets	Reps
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press	Chest	5	6-8
Incline Barbell Bench Press	Chest	5	6-8
Dumbbell Pullover	Chest, Lats	5	6-8
Cable Chest Flyes	Chest	5	6-8
T-Bar Row	Back	5	6-8
Parallel Bar Dips	Chest, Triceps	5	6-8
Conventional Deadlift	Back and Legs	5	6-8
Bent Over Barbell Row	Back	5	6-8
Chin-ups	Biceps and Back	5	6-8
Pull-ups	Back and Biceps	5	6-8

Day 2 – Delts, Triceps, and Biceps

Exercise	Target Muscle	Sets	Reps
Barbell Overhead Press	Shoulder	4	8-10
Dumbbell Overhead Press	Shoulder	4	8-10
Front Dumbbell Raises	Shoulder	4	8-10
Lateral Dumbbell Raises	Shoulder	4	8-10
Barbell Biceps Curls	Biceps	4	8-10
Scott Press	Shoulder	4	8-10
Alternating Dumbbell Curl	Biceps	4	8-10
Concentration Curl	Biceps	4	8-10
Cable Pushdowns	Triceps	4	8-10
Incline Dumbbell Curls	Biceps	4	8-10
Standing French Press	Triceps	4	8-10
Lying French Press	Triceps	4	8-10
Barbell Wrist Curls	Forearms	5	15-25

Day 3 – Quads and Hamstrings

Exercise	Target Muscle	Sets	Reps
Leg Curl	Hamstrings	5	10
Leg Extension	Quadriceps	5	10
Leg Press	Quadriceps	5	10
Back Squat	Quadriceps	5	10
Hack Squat	Ham & Quad	5	10

Day 4 – Chest and Back

Exercise	Target Muscle	Sets	Reps
Cable Chest Fly	Chest	5	6-8
T-Bar Row	Chest	5	6-8
Parallel Bar Dip	Chest, Lats	5	6-8
Conventional Deadlift	Back and Legs	5	6-8
Chin-ups	Biceps and Back	5	6-8
Pull-ups	Back and Biceps	5	6-8

Day 5 – Delts, Triceps, and Biceps

Exercise	Target Muscle	Sets	Reps
Barbell Biceps Curl	Biceps	4	8-10
Scott Press	Shoulder	4	8-10
Alternating DB Curl	Biceps	4	8-10
Cable Pressdown	Triceps	4	8-10
Incline Dumbbell Curl	Biceps	4	8-10
Standing French Press	Triceps	4	8-10
Concentration Curl	Biceps	4	8-10
Barbell Wrist Extension	Forearms	5	15-25

Day 6 – Quads and Hamstrings

Exercise	Target Muscle	Sets	Reps
Leg Curl	Hamstrings	5	10
Back Squat	Quadriceps	5	10
Leg Extension	Quadriceps	5	10
Hack Squat	Quad & Ham	5	10
Leg Press	Quadriceps	5	10

Who Can Follow Lou Ferrigno Workout Split?

Lou Ferrigno used to follow a high-volume training program during his competitive days. His training involves performing plenty of sets and reps that take more than an hour to complete.

Lou’s workout routine is suitable for those who have been working out for a while, have knowledge about exercise and nutrition, and want to beef up strength and size.

However, it is best to avoid this routine if you are new to lifting, not familiar with the technicality of the exercises mentioned in this program, want to lose fat, or have any health issues.

Lou Ferrigno Workout Tips for Achieving Optimal Results

1. Constant Changes: Lou Ferrigno used to frequently change his exercises, their order, weight, intensity, and the number of reps and sets to add variety to his workouts.
2. Forced Reps: Ferrigno often uses forced reps at the end of each exercise to achieve optimal muscle fiber recruitment.
3. Avoid failure sets at the start: You may have heard that doing sets till failure can promote muscle growth. It may be true, but Lou suggests that you shouldn’t follow this technique during the first few sets of each exercise.
4. Muscle Recovery: Lou Ferrigno encourage you to get at least eight hours of quality sleep each night and try to find ways to relax both your body and your mind outside of the gym.
5. Fuel your workout with a clean diet: Muscles grow when you feed them the required nutrients. You can work out as hard as you can but if you don’t consume an ample about of protein and other nutrients, you won’t see progress in the long run.

Recommended Macros for Muscle Gaining

Besides workouts, Lou Ferrigno fueled his body with a clean and strict diet. Consuming a high protein, clean diet helps recover muscle damage and promote muscular hypertrophy.

Sir Lou Ferrigno used to follow different diet programs depending on his goal. So, instead of exactly following his program, you should create a personalized diet regime for yourself based on your budget and fitness goal.

Here’s a brief information about recommended macros that can help you design your meal plan:

Make sure your diet has a significant amount of lean protein followed by carbs, fats, and fiber.

• Protein – Consume sufficient protein 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day with optimal amounts of 0.40–0.55 g/kg per meal and distributed evenly throughout the meals, including pre- and post-training.
• Fats – You can take fats in moderate amounts, like 0.5–1.5 g/kg/day.
• Carbohydrates:  Eat moderate carbs, such as 3–5 g/kg/day, to support energy demands from resistance exercise.
• Micronutrients: Include some colorful fruits and veggies in your meals to fulfill your vitamins and other micronutrient needs.

Other than the above nutrients, Creatine monohydrate (3–5 g/day), caffeine (5–6 mg/kg), beta-alanine (3–5 g/day), and citrulline malate (8 g/day) might yield ergogenic effects that can be beneficial for bodybuilders.

Download The Lou Ferrigno Workout Routine PDF

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