The Famous Leangains Workout Plan Reviewed (Sample Routine included)

In this article, I'll review a training program that some recommend when starting the leangains intermittent fasting diet protocol, so I will review the originally suggested leangains training principles plus provide an alternative workout plan which I used when I first started.

Last time I mentioned leangains on my blog was in a post where I reviewed the leangains diet after 2 months of following it.

And I'm still following a similar form of intermittent fasting as in those first two months when I'm on a fat loss diet.

It helps me manage hunger, provides great clarity and energy in training and there's also new evidence that fasting helps with longer life span. (Who wouldn't want that)

The main thing I wanted you to realize in my last IF diet article was how leangains liberated me from the old bodybuilding dogmas of eating 5-6 meals per day to increase metabolism, fasting will cause muscle loss, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and a couple of other myths which by now all have been scientifically and empirically proven to be incorrect.

Unfortunately, it takes a while for the fitness community to catch up with this and the most popular magazines don't make this process any faster as they are still feeding people the old nonsense info.

If you want to see what my leangains meal plan looks like head over to this article here and you can download the excel sheet with a simple meal plan of foods that I ate and the amounts.

It's all free, no strings attached. Now let's get on with the workout mastery!

Review of The Original Leangains Workout Principles

Martin Berkhan (Author of the leangains guide) hasn't publicly released a full workout routine that would go with the diet, but he did provide a lot of info on what type of training he prefers.

And from all of the information I could gather it comes down to low – moderate repetitions, low volume, three day splits utilizing reverse pyramid sets on compound movements.

The core principle of this plan is good; it comes down to progressive overload. (Getting stronger over time)

However, when I first switched to the leangains diet, I was puzzled which workout to use. And I'm sure everyone else felt the same way, the top forums didn't offer any concrete solutions, and it was all only speculations based on hearsay.

So after spending a couple of days researching with no luck, I decided to take this matter into my hands and create a workout that would somewhat fit the principles above.

To Train Reverse Pyramid Style or Not?

I personally didn't like the Reverse Pyramid Training (RPT) style in the beginning.

The whole concept of doing your maximum weight on the first set (aka “top set”) didn't sound right when I started.

And I feel like this style of training isn't the most realistic approach for beginners given that most beginners can progress on a very simple linear weight increase week to week. (i.e. Stronglifts 5×5)

Additionally, beginners would be most likely picking the wrong weight and “losing” the benefit of that first set overload.

What about Warm-Up?

Since this workout is mainly focused on “big” compound movements like squats and deadlifts proper warm-up is a must.

The way I like to start off my warm-up is with 5 minutes on a treadmill (if I'm in a colder country), followed by 6-8 minutes general warm-up focusing on shoulders and glutes.

And then that would be followed by a few ascending sets starting from the empty bar.

This will allow me to put out everything I got in the first set which is the most important in RPT training.

So after the first game where you go maximum effort, Martin suggests to lower the weight by 10% and then do a set where you don't go the max effort but rather stop after you've reached the number of reps from the previous set + 1 more rep.

Beginners who choose to do RPT type of training should invest time into learning proper form and make sure they're properly warmed up for that first set.

RPT initially didn't make sense to me.

And this was because the entire workout would be only 2-3 exercises. One would just do three max effort sets, and the rest don't matter that much.

It was very different from what I used to do (bodybuilding, high volume, a ton of different exercises).

Additionally with the RPT style of training your primary focus would be to increase strength in the initial set over a couple of weeks.

Now, the question is: Would this minimalist approach provide an adequate amount of training volume for individuals seeking hypertrophy, and what about those who can't progress on this small amount of sets.

So given all these facts at the time I started out LeanGains I didn't do the suggested RPT training.

Instead, I decided to create a workout based on a Regular Pyramid where you're increasing the weights and lowering the number of repetitions with each set.

So the first set, for example, you would do:

  1. 140kg deadlifts for 10 reps
  2. 160 kg for 7 reps
  3. 180kg for 4-5 reps

This would be an ascending pyramid style and it's the system the workout you'll see in this article is built around.

Note: There are many ways of doing it. You can go for linear sets (keeping the sets and reps the same), ascending pyramid, descending pyramid but for this article, I just wanted to show what gave me success initially.

How many sets, reps and what rest period to use?

In his, article Martin mentions a relatively low set and low reps in this routine. And the rest period is 3-5 min (basically take how much you need to lift the maximum weight you can with good form).

The low set/low repetition scheme will work wonders to increase your strength, but regarding optimal hypertrophy, it might not work for the majority of people.

As for the rest period 3-5 minutes this would be necessary for those tops sets.

I would personally recommend taking as much rest as you need. Sometimes you might feel like you're ready after 2 minutes and that's okay as long as the rest period isn't limiting your performance.

Choosing the right exercises

I'm going with Martin on this one, the routine I've made contains the basic compound movements and is focused on improving on five main lifts:

  • Bench press
  • Pull-ups / Chin-Ups
  • Deadlift
  • Overhead Shoulder Press
  • Barbell Squat

These lifts are proven to build great physiques over the last several decades and are the base of best workout routines.

The fundamental difference between the workout I created and the one Martin hinted was that he doesn't use any direct work on arms and uses only a couple of lifts per body part.

Now, let's get into the process.

Creating the Modified Leangains Workout Routine

In the above section, I've explained the reasons behind some of the modifications I'm gonna make in this routine, so it fits the main goal which for me is more about building muscle than purely focusing on strength.

Don't get me wrong this workout will skyrocket your strength as well, same as it did for me.

Additionally, I choose to do a 4-day split because it fits my schedule better.

3 or 5 days can also work, and it depends on what is sustainable for you. I'm used to going to the gym 4-5 times a week and been doing it like that for years.

Bottom line: Choose a split that you can do consistently, everyone has a different life, and I don't think everyone can follow this routine.

So without further delay here is the full Leangains Workout routine:

Leangains Workout Routine

Leangains Workout Routine Sample

Couple of words on Proper Exercise Form

Proper form is a must.

You will not progress optimally with this plan or any other plan if you're not doing the exercises with the full range of motion.

Additionally, safety comes first. None of the sets should require you to use a spotter as you won't go for failure.

Day 1 (Chest) Reviewed:

Chest day is built around the Flat bench press and this is the lift you will be aiming to progress.

On this, I would recommend having someone to spot you since you're gonna be going pretty heavy and safety comes first.

If I had 50 cents for every time I've heard how someone injured their shoulders during the bench press, I'd be owning an island now next to Richard Branson.

The easiest way to increase your max on bench press is by perfecting your technique and focusing on getting quality reps without going to failure.

And then you vary the repetitions every few weeks. So you focus on 6 reps for 4 weeks and then you increase that to 8 reps for 4 weeks.

This will allow you to go through a variety of different repetition ranges and weights.

The only exercise that you might not be familiar with here is the Gironda dip, this is an amazing movement targeting the wide portion of your lower portion of chest muscle.

If you're not familiar with the movement check out the YouTube video:





Day 2 (Back) Reviewed:

Weighted wide grip pull-ups are my favorite exercise in the gym.

Even thinking about it causes my lat muscles to contract, it's a very hard but extremely rewarding exercise when done right. This exercise was my Achilles heal when I first entered the gym as I couldn't do a single pull-up without assistance.

This was driving me insane. And even when I could do my weight on the lat pull-down machine for 8 reps the pull-up would destroy me after just a few reps.

When I started this routine, I could do 8 reps with proper form on my first set of pull-ups with only body weight.

After about 4 months of following the routine, I've managed to increase this to 5 reps with 30 kg attached.

As CT Fletcher would say you have been too obsessed with something to get it, I was obsessed like madmen with mastering the pull-up.

Day 3 (Shoulders/Triceps) Reviewed:

This routine you start off with the king of shoulder exercises, the Overhead Barbell Press.

As for the 2nd exercise, I choose Arnold press which is done sitting down with your backup pressed up against a bench.

This exercise has worked wonders for my overall shoulder development if you're a newbie be warned that it's a bit tricky to execute this exercise with heavy dumbbells so look up the form first and incorporate the lift in your warm-up, so you get used to the movement.

As for the rest, the transition exercise from shoulders to triceps is the Close grip bench press which besides destroying the triceps works the front delt muscle fairly well, so it made sense to use this exercise on this day.

The way I do is keep my elbows pointing to feet and use the grip where all the fingers are on one side; this makes me feel the exercise in my triceps a lot more.

The last exercise is the classic triceps dip.

Day 4 (Biceps/Legs) Reviewed:

Martin is totally against using exercises that directly target arms, but I didn't agree with this. I simply wanted to work more on my arms.

It was a body part that I felt needed more focus.

Since I started going heavy on barbell curls right at the start of day 4 my biceps has exploded in size and strength. And it looked fuller and dense, just the way I like it.

Hammer curl is one of my favorite biceps exercises, you can do them facing forward or going for the side hammer curl, both variations are great, and it's good to mix that up every 2-3 weeks.

The reason why I choose biceps before legs are because it's a smaller muscle group and it won't tax me too much. I can still hit legs pretty hard afterward.

And on this day for legs, you'll be doing 4 very taxing lifts: Barbell Squat, RDLs and two variations of lunges.

You are all familiar with the benefits of squatting but most people are unaware of how well the Romanian Deadlift works. I call it the ultimate hamstring destroyer. 🙂

I've experimented with at least a dozen exercises for hamstring, but this one hits the spot.

For lunges, they're pretty self-explanatory.

Do them with proper form; you'll develop great balance, size, and strength. Also, they'll work wonders for your tight hips and posture.

As for calf raises, you can do them either on a standing or a sitting machine, for me it works a lot better if I'm standing if I also bend my knees a bit and position the feet so that the toes go outwards.

Where are the Abs????

You can include abs after every workout. I personally this twice a week randomly every time I have time and energy left.

My Abs workout is a circuit routine made out of 4 exercises.

So, for example, the 3-set will be:

  • Hanging Leg Raises / Hanging Knee Oblique Raises
  • Cable Crunches / Plate Loaded Sit-Up
  • V Sit Ups / Side Dumbbell Oblique Raises
  • Plank / Side Plank

The way I execute this is do all 5 exercises one after another without any rest between then take 2 minutes rest.

Additionally, I will alternate the exercises every 2-3 weeks.

If you have some Ab exercise that you prefer then feel free to throw in the mix.

How to shock your body, so it doesn't get used to this workout?

Here are some tools I've used successfully to run this routine for a long time:

  • Every 6th week switch your target repetitions. – So if you aimed for 6 reps on bench press on week 5 you go for 8 and on week 10 you go for 10 reps. This will allow you to work all rep ranges.
  • Rest pauses – For example on bench press after you can't do any more rest the weight on your hands for a bit and push out 1-2 more reps (always use a spotter)
  • Switch the order of exercises – For example, swap the incline with flat bench press as the first workout
  • Replace some of the dumbbell assistance work with cables.
  • Switch the order of the days. – Putting Back in front of Chest day will add some extra novelty.

All these methods are tools in your arsenal which you can experiment with to ensure that the workout is pushing your body to the limits and beyond.

I see a lot of guys get stuck in the same routine for several months, and then they wonder why the progress is slowing down.

If the thing isn't working then change something. It's that simple.

My results with intermittent fasting and this workout

First off my strength just skyrocketed, after just 2 months I couldn't believe the numbers.

Compared to my old bodybuilding style 8 – 12 rep training when I started doing this 6 rep sets the strength just increased massively.

Every two weeks I was hitting PRs either it was more reps with the same weight or doing more weight.

Besides this, I pushed my body to the absolute limits, with this lower volume you have to squeeze to most out of the working reps.

This workout has worked wonders for my physique and here's a photo of how that looked:

Leangains workout results

Leangains Workout Results After 6 Months

I think the three keys that made this workout so successful for me were:

  • Consistency – Didn't skip any days.
  • Working on technique – Before every session I was watching videos to learn better form
  • Progressively adding weight to the bar – This where the magic lies, the more weight you lift the better you're gonna look.

Conclusion

The main reason why I decided to write this was to help you overcome the struggle of figuring out a workout to fit the Leangains diet.

And I know it would've helped me a lot if I had something like when I first started.

Hope you enjoyed reading this and that you'll use this workout routine to make new gains.

It's not the easiest plan, and it will require you to push yourself with heavy weights, but it produces insane results.

Good luck with your fitness goals and stay awesome!

-Mario

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