I’ve designed an ultimate muscle-building workout plan inspired by one of the biggest bodybuilders of all time, Markus Rühl.
Markus Rühl (born February 1972) is a Germany-based professional IFBB bodybuilder who competed from 1999 to 2010.
He used to play high-level soccer in Germany and wanted to be a professional soccer player. However, he suffered a knee injury that affected his running ability, and was suggested to train in the gym to recover his knees.
While training in the gym, he started enjoying lifting weights and ultimately entered into a professional bodybuilding competition.
He participated in various competitions, including Mr Olympia and Arnold Classic.
Markus only won two shows in his career, but his gigantic and proportional physique earned him a prominent place in the bodybuilding community. (Source)
Markus Rühl Workout Split
This Markus Rühl’s workout program is based on Bro split, which involves training one muscle group daily for six days a week. Here’s how you’ll train throughout the week:
- Monday: Chest
- Tuesday: Back
- Wednesday: Legs
- Thursday: Shoulder
- Friday: Biceps and Abs
- Saturday: Triceps and Abs
- Sunday: OFF
This split allows you to focus on each body part efficiently, gives your muscles enough time to recover, and helps you develop strength and muscle size over time.
Anyone who wants to gain mass can follow this straightforward training plan.
6-Day Markus Rühl Training Plan to Build Muscle
Day 1 – Chest Workout
| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seated Chest Press | 8-12 | 4-6 | 2-3 mins |
| Incline Smith Bench Press | 8-12 | 4-6 | 3-4 mins |
| Cable Crossover | 10-12 | 4-6 | 2-3 mins |
| Flat Dumbbell Bench Press | 8-10 | 4-6 | 2-3 mins |
Day 2 – Back Workout
| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Lat Pulldown (Pronated Grip) | 12-15 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
| Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown | 10-12 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
| 1-arm Low Machine Row/DB Row | 8/side | 4-5 | 1-2 mins |
| High Machine Row | 10-12 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
| Bent-over Barbell Row | 6-8 | 4-5 | 3-4 mins |
Day 3 – Leg Workout
| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Extension | 12-15 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
| Seated Leg Press | 10-12 | 4-5 | 3-4 mins |
| 1-leg Lateral Press | 8/side | 2-3 | 1-2 mins |
| Machine Front Squat | 10-12 | 3-4 | 3-4 mins |
| Lying Leg Curl | 12-15 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
| Calf Raises | 15-20 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
Day 4 – Shoulder Workout
| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75-degree Incline Seated Overhead Press | 10-12 | 3-4 | 3-4 mins |
| Machine/Dumbbell Lateral Raises | 10-12 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
| Alternating Dumbbell Front Raises | 6/side | 3-4 | 1-2 mins |
| Reverse Pec Deck Fly | 10-12 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
| Lying Cable Upright Row | 12-15 | 4-5 | 2-3 mins |
Day 5 – Biceps and Abs Workout
| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentration Curl | 8-10/arm | 3-4 | 1-2 mins |
| Single-arm Preacher Curl | 8-10/arm | 3-4 | 1-2 mins |
| Close Grip EZ Bar Preacher Curl | 10-12 | 3-4 | 2-3 mins |
| Lying Cable Curl | 10-12 | 3-4 | 2-3 mins |
| Barbell Curl | 10-12 | 3-4 | 2-3 mins |
| Cable Crunches | 15-20 | 4-5 | 1-2 mins |
| Decline Bench Crunches | 15-20 | 4-5 | 1-2 mins |
Day 6 – Triceps and Abs Workout
| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Pushdown | 10-15 | 3-4 | 1-2 mins |
| Straight Bar Dips | 10-20 | 3-4 | 1-2 mins |
| Cable Press Forward | 10-12 | 3-4 | 2-3 mins |
| 1-arm Reverse Grip Pushdown | 10/arm | 3-4 | 1-2 mins |
| EZ Bar Skull Crusher | 10-12 | 3-4 | 2-3 mins |
| 1-arm DB Overhead Extension | 10/arm | 3-4 | 1-2 mins |
| Back Supported Leg Raises | 15-20 | 4-5 | 1-2 mins |
| Hanging Side Knee Raises | 10/side | 3-4 | 1-2 mins |
Markus Rühl Training Philosophies
- Lift heavy and moderate weights: Markus Ruhl trains with a combination of heavy and moderate weights to beef up muscle mass and bring out muscle definition. He performs under ten reps with heavy weights and 10-20 reps with moderate weights.
- Full Range of Motion: Markus used to do each rep with the full range of motion and tried to contract muscle as effectively as possible.
- Experiment with various rep-set schemes: Markus incorporated multiple rep-set strategies to stimulate muscle growth, such as forced reps, drop-sets, and supersets.
- Focus on one Muscle a Day: Markus follows a simple training split, focusing on only one muscle group per day. This split helped him train each muscle with all his heart and bring the nice pump.
The Markus Rühl Workout Plan PDF
Download this Free PDF and start training today. Try this program for three months at least to see the visible changes. Once you are finished, you can explore more bodybuilding workout routines.
