| Split Type | Upper Lower Split |
| Workout Type | Resistance Training |
| Sessions/week | 6 (including cardio and abs day) |
| Duration/session | 60-90 minutes |
| Recommended Duration | 12 weeks |
| Workout Goal | Improve Strength & Aesthetics |
| Workout Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Target Gender | Male |
| Target Age Group | 20s & 30s |
Mike Thurston 6-Day Split Workout Plan for Building Mass
- Day 1: Shoulder and Lats
- Day 2: Quads and Calves
- Day 3: Chest and Upper Back
- Day 4: Abs and Cardio
- Day 5: Hamstrings and Glutes
- Day 6: Shoulder and Arms
- Day 7: OFF
Rest: Rest moderately so you can focus on each set and rep effectively. For example, you can take 2 to 4 minutes of break between sets for optimal performance.
Note: This is Mike Thurston’s personalized workout routine that he designed according to his strengths and weaknesses. The workout goals vary from one person to another. So, make sure you analyze your stronger and weaker body parts and customize this routine accordingly.
Day 1: Shoulder and Lats
Warm-up: Get started with shoulder rotations and dynamic stretches (such as cross-body shoulder stretch, cat-cow, and upward salute). It will warm the blood around your shoulder and back and prepare you for the main workout.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Tempo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral Grip Pull-ups | 3 | 8, 8, 8 | 3-0-1-0 |
| DB Pullovers/Cable Pulldown | 3 | 10, 10, 12 | 2-1-2-1 |
| One Handed Seated Rows | 3 | 6-8/side | 3-0-2-1 |
| Standing Barbell Press | 3 | 10, 8, 8 | 2-1-X-1 |
| Pulldown (Wide Neutral Grip) | 3 | 10, 10, 10 | 2-1-0-1 |
| One-arm Dumbbell Rows | 3 | 8-10/arm | 2-1-0-1 |
| Incline Prone Rear Delt Flies | 2 | 10-12 | 1-0-0-1 |
| Cable Lateral Raises | 4 | 12-15 | 1-0-0-1 |
Instructions:
- Pull-up: Perform the first set without any weight and then clamp a 10 kg dumbbell between your legs for the next two sets.
- Pullovers: Start with 80% of your working sets, then lift slightly heavier dumbbells in the next two sets. You can also replace dumbbell pullovers with straight-arm cable pulldowns.
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Start your day with bodyweight deep squats, standing calf raises, and leg extensions to activate your lower body muscles before lifting heavy.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Tempo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heels Elevated Barbell Front Squat | 4 | 10, 10, 8, 8 | 3-2-0-1 |
| Leg Press (Narrow Stance) | 3 | 10, 10, 10 | 3-0-3-0 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 10-12 | 2-0-X-1 |
| Feet Elevated Suitcase Squat | 4 | 10-12 | 3-0-2-0 |
| Standing Calf Raises | 3 | 10-15 | 3-2-X-1 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 3 | 15-20 | 3-2-X-1 |
Instructions:
- Front Squat: Perform the first set with 5-10 kg plates, then gradually increase the load in the subsequent sets.
- Suitcase Squat: You can do this with dumbbells or kettlebells.
Day 3: Chest and Upper Back
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Tempo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest Supported T-bar Row | 4 | 12, 8, 8, 8 | 2-0-1-1 |
| Single Arm DB Row (prone grip) | 3 | 10/side | 2-0-1-0 |
| Dumbbells Bench Press | 4 | 10, 8, 8, 6 | 2-1-1-0 |
| Plate Loaded Hammer Incline Press | 4 | 12, 10, 8, 8 | 2-1-1-0 |
| Seated Neutral Grip Cable Row | 3 | 8-10 | 2-0-2-1 |
| Machine Pec Deck Flys (Prone grip) | 3 | 10-12 | 2-0-1-1 |
Instructions:
- Chest Supported T-bar Row: Perform the first set to warm your muscles, then the next three sets to hammer your upper back with the heavy load.
- Pec Deck Flys: Using a prone grip keeps your elbows pointing back and helps engage your pecs fiber more efficiently.
Day 4: Abs and Cardio
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Tempo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanging Knee to Elbow | 3 | 8-10 | 3-0-1-1 |
| Ab Rollout | 3 | 8-10 | – |
| Decline Reverse Crunches | 3 | 8-10 | 2-1-1-1 |
| Rope Crunches | 4 | 15-20 | 2-1-1-0 |
| Walking at a moderate pace | 1 | 20-minute | – |
Day 5: Hamstrings and Glutes
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Tempo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty Bar Romanian Deadlift | 1 | 10 | – |
| Loaded Bar Romanian DL | 5 | 6-8 | – |
| Smith Machine Bulgarian Squat | 3 | 6/leg | – |
| Seated Leg Curl | 5 | 8-10 | 2-1-X-1 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 3 | 8-10 | – |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 10-12 | – |
| Seated Hip Abduction | 3 | 10-12 | – |
Instructions:
- Romanian Deadlift: Increase 15-20% weight after each set.
- Smith Machine Bulgarian Squat: Slightly lean your torso to stretch your glutes.
Day 6: Shoulder and Arms
Start your day with the resistance band overhead pass-through, shoulder rotations, seated dumbbell press, and dumbbell curls (with light weight) to increase blood flow around your shoulder and arm muscles before heavy lifting.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Tempo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A Seated Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8 | – |
| 1B Seated Biceps Curl | 3 | 8 | – |
| 2A Single-arm Cable Lateral Raises | 2 | 8/side | – |
| 2B One-arm Cable Biceps Curls | 2 | 8/side | – |
| 3A Chest Supported DB Lateral Raises | 3 | 8-10 | – |
| 3B Close Grip Triceps Push-ups | 3 | 10-12 | – |
| 4A Overhead Cable Extension | 3 | 10-12 | – |
| 4B Reverse Barbell Curls | 3 | 8-10 | – |
Instructions:
- Cable Lateral Raises: Stand in the split stance and slightly lean forward to perform this exercise. Complete 8-10 reps on each side, then switch to the biceps curls.
- Cable Biceps Curls: Keep your elbow tucked to your side and perform each rep in a controlled fashion.
- Triceps Push-ups: Ensure you feel the work in your triceps most instead of the chest.
- I have also replaced the reverse pec fly with reverse barbell curls to work on forearms specifically because you’ve already done the rear delt fly on the third day.
How to Train In The Subsequent Weeks?
Increase The Load
Try to increase 5-10% load every week for three weeks, then deload in the fourth week and repeat this pattern till you can no longer increase weight. This progressively increasing load will help you grow both strength and size in the long run.
Increase The Number of Sets
If the above thing isn’t possible, try to increase the number of sets while unchanging the number of reps. It won’t be as effective as load progression for building strength, but it will help you build mass.
Integrate Drop Sets and Rest-Pause Reps
The standard rep-set approach is fine. However, if you want more from your training, you should integrate drop-sets and rest-pause reps to enhance your muscle growth.
Swap Exercises
You should try a variety of exercises to hit every large to tiny muscle group if you want to build a symmetrical physique. For example, you should aim to include a combination of compound, isolation, and unilateral exercises to build your best shape.
Focus More on Weaker Body Parts
Everyone has some weaker body parts that need special attention. So, try to fit some exercises for your weaker muscle groups so you can build a proportional physique.
Take Rest When Needed
At the end of the day, your muscles need to recover to grow. So, when you feel exhausted from the previous workouts and your muscles are sore, I suggest taking a day off.
Who Can Follow Mike Thurston’s Workout Routine?
This Mike Thurston’s training plan is for experienced lifters who have been exercising for a while and want to progress their strength and improve their aesthetics.
It is not for beginners as it involves performing plenty of reps and sets and can injure you.
The above program also contained only three chest exercises in the entire week. So, if your chest isn’t jacked, you have to adjust this routine accordingly.
You can also try the 7-Day Davis Diley Workout Plan to build muscle.
Download The Mike Thurston Training PDF
I’ve also designed a complete 12-week muscle-building program based on experience that you can check out if you want to train in an organized way and build strength and muscle mass.
