A plan to build muscle, with or without a gym.
Muscle grows when you give it three things: a stimulus that challenges it, enough food and time to recover. The plan puts the three in order.
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An example week
4 active days a week: 3 strength and 1 walking.
Example for a person aged 30 to 44 who moves now and then.
- MonStrength30–45 min · moderate · whole body
- TueWalking30–45 min · easy
- WedRest
- ThuStrength30–45 min · moderate · whole body
- FriRest
- SatStrength30–45 min · moderate · whole body
- SunRest
The real plan adapts to your age, how much you move, what you like and anything to keep in mind.
Every day
7,000
7,000 steps, or about 30 minutes of walking across the day.
What the strength session involves
- 1Warm up for 5 minutes, moving your joints.
- 2Five exercises: squat, push (push-ups or press), pull (row), hip hinge (deadlift or glute bridge) and core.
- 32 or 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions, with 1 or 2 minutes of rest.
- 4Finish each set one or two repetitions short of failure.
- 5Body weight, bands, dumbbells or machines all work. When it gets easy, add weight or repetitions.
And with food
- A palm-sized portion of protein at every meal, three or four times a day.
- Do not do strength training hungry, and do not skip the meal afterwards.
- Eat enough: muscle does not grow if you are always hungry.
With your weight and height, the plan also tells you how much to eat, in portions you measure with your hand. Calorie and macro calculator.
Why it works this way
Each area, twice a week
Working the whole body in each session, on three alternate days, means every muscle gets a stimulus two or three times a week. For beginners this works better than giving each area its own day.
Once you train regularly and have five days or more, the plan moves to four sessions split between upper and lower body.
Close to your limit, not to collapse
What makes muscle grow is getting close to failure: ending each set with one or two repetitions left. You do not need more weight than you can move well.
Your own body weight, bands or dumbbells all work. When an exercise gets easy, add repetitions or resistance.
How much protein
A meta-analysis of 49 studies put the ceiling of benefit at around 1.6 grams of protein per kilo of body weight a day. Beyond that, the extra gain is minimal.
In the plan we turn that into palm-sized portions, three or four a day, and a small calorie surplus.
Frequently asked questions
Can you build muscle without a gym?
Yes. Muscle responds to resistance wherever it comes from. Push-ups, squats, lunges and band rows are enough to progress for months.
How many days should you train to build muscle?
Three strength days a week is a good starting point, with a rest day between them. Two also bring progress if you work the whole body.
Do I have to eat more?
A little more than you burn, around 10%. If you also want to lose fat, the plan keeps a gentle deficit and raises your protein.
Learn more
Strength · 3 min read
How much strength training do you need each week?
Food · 3 min read
How much protein do you need a day if you exercise?
Other plans
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A weekly plan for losing fat: strength to keep your muscle, cardio you can sustain, daily steps and how much to eat, without logging every meal.
Build endurance
A weekly plan for building endurance: easy-paced cardio, one day with changes of pace and strength to back it up. No heart rate monitor.
More energy, less stress
A gentle, regular plan to sleep better and have more energy: walks, mobility and a little strength, with no exhausting sessions.
Your first challenge lasts 21 days. Start today.
Two minutes to tell us where you are starting from, and the method adapts to you.
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