Progrevia6-day hypertrophy routine
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A hypertrophy routine over 6 days is built to build muscle: enough sets per muscle group, close to failure, with a little more load each week.
Parameters the engine applies
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Assigned structure | PPL + Upper / Lower |
| Reps per set | 6-12 |
| Sets per exercise | 3-4 |
| Rest between sets | 60-180 s |
| RIR (reps in reserve) | 2-4 |
| Intensity | 65-80% 1RM |
| Share of compound exercises | 65 % |
These are not generic recommendations: they are the exact parameters the engine uses to build this routine, and they change with the goal you pick.
How your week looks
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Push |
| Day 2 | Pull |
| Day 3 | Legs A |
| Day 4 | Upper |
| Day 5 | Legs B |
| Day 6 | Upper Accessories |
The engine splits muscle groups across sessions according to the structure that matches your available days.
Exercise table: the week the engine builds
This is the routine Progrevia builds for an intermediate lifter with a full gym and 60-minute sessions: 30 exercises and 100 sets per week. Yours adapts to your level, your equipment and your time, so it may differ.
Day 1 · Push
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted push-up | 4 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Z-bar overhead press | 3 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Bench dips | 3 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Decline dumbbell flyes | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
| Dumbbell pullover | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
Day 2 · Pull
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell row | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Pull-ups | 3 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Farmer carry | 3 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
| Cable pullover | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
Day 3 · Legs A
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hack squat | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Good mornings | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell lunges | 3 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Single-leg leg extension | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
| Leg extension | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
Day 4 · Upper
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine press | 4 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Gironda row | 4 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Pec deck flyes | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
| Cable crossover | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
Day 5 · Legs B
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-leg RDL | 4 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Sumo goblet squat | 4 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Sumo barbell squat | 3 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Landmine rotation | 3 × 5-8 | 3-4 | 150 s |
| Standing cable leg curl | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
Day 6 · Upper Accessories
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close-grip bench press | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Cable high row | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Landmine rotation | 3 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Barbell curl | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
| Seated overhead dumbbell triceps extension | 3 × 8-15 | 3-4 | 105 s |
Weekly sets per muscle group
| Muscle group | Sets per week |
|---|---|
| Chest | 20 |
| Back | 14 |
| Quads | 13 |
| Hamstrings | 11 |
| Shoulders | 10 |
| Triceps | 10 |
| Glutes | 7 |
| Abs | 6 |
| Biceps | 6 |
| Traps | 3 |
Each set is counted on the exercise's main muscle. It is the most direct way to compare this routine with another: at equal effort, weekly volume is what weighs most on the result.
What changes compared with the 5-day routine
With 6 days the week adds up to 100 sets; with 5, 92. These are the differences per muscle group:
- Hamstrings: 4 → 11
- Quads: 7 → 13
- Glutes: 4 → 7
- Chest: 17 → 20
- Shoulders: 8 → 10
- Triceps: 8 → 10
- Traps: 4 → 3
- Abs: 8 → 6
- Calves: 3 → 0
- Lower back: 4 → 0
- Back: 19 → 14
Sessions in the 5-day routine: Push A, Pull A, Legs, Push B, Pull B + Core.
Hypertrophy in 6 days: weekly sets, proximity to failure and progression
To build muscle, well-executed weekly volume matters most. In the meta-analysis by Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger (2017, Journal of Sports Sciences), more weekly sets per muscle were associated with more growth, and 10 or more sets beat fewer than 5. Effort counts too: Robinson and colleagues (2024) found more hypertrophy the closer to failure sets ended. That is why the engine keeps few reps in reserve and raises volume gradually.
With 6 days, each group is hit twice (shoulders three times), with shorter sessions and a lot of weekly volume spread out.
The week the engine builds has 6 sessions, 30 exercises and 100 sets in total. Counting sets and rest, each session takes about 45 minutes, not including the warm-up.
| Week | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your 6 sessions (Push, Pull, Legs A, Upper, Legs B, Upper Accessories) with sets at 3-4 reps in reserve | Dial in weights without piling up fatigue |
| 2 | Same weight and more reps within the range, starting with z-bar overhead press and barbell row | Double progression: reps first, then load |
| 3 | Sets closer to failure (1-2 in reserve) on isolation work | More stimulus where the risk is lower |
| 4 | Add weight where you hit the top of the range; if fatigue builds, drop to about 60 of the 100 sets | Start the next cycle with new loads |
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2017;35(11):1073-1082.
- Robinson ZP, Pelland JC, Remmert JF, Refalo MC, Jukic I, Steele J, Zourdos MC. Exploring the dose-response relationship between estimated resistance training proximity to failure, strength gain, and muscle hypertrophy: a series of meta-regressions. Sports Medicine. 2024;54(9):2209-2231.
6-day hypertrophy routine with frequency 2: how it is split and why
Training six days does not mean hammering each muscle six times. The 6-day hypertrophy gym routine the engine generates splits the week into Push, Pull, Legs A, Torso, Legs B and Upper accessories, and the result is that every main muscle group is trained twice a week — shoulders three times, since they work in the push day, the torso day and the accessories. That is what people mean by a 6-day hypertrophy routine with frequency 2.
| Muscle group | Sessions per week | In which sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Chest | 2 | Push and Torso |
| Back | 2 | Pull and Torso |
| Shoulders | 3 | Push, Torso and Upper accessories |
| Biceps | 2 | Pull and Upper accessories |
| Triceps | 2 | Push and Upper accessories |
| Quadriceps | 2 | Legs A and Legs B |
| Hamstrings | 2 | Legs A and Legs B |
| Glutes | 2 | Legs A and Legs B |
Why twice rather than once has direct backing. Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger published a meta-analysis on training frequency in Sports Medicine in 2016 and concluded that training each muscle group twice a week produced more hypertrophy than once; whether three times beats two was, in the authors' own words, left undetermined.
The same group added a nuance in 2019 that is worth keeping in mind so frequency does not become a magic number. In their meta-analysis of twenty-five studies in the Journal of Sports Sciences, when weekly volume was equated, frequency no longer had a significant effect. What splitting each muscle over two days genuinely gives you is the chance to do more total sets, and to do them fresh, instead of piling them into one session where the last ones arrive with no strength left.
Practical conclusion: this routine makes sense if you can genuinely train six days and recover from them. If not, a 4-day upper/lower routine reaches the same frequency 2 with two fewer sessions, and by that same data you lose nothing as long as weekly volume stays the same.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2016;46(11):1689-1697.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2019;37(11):1286-1295.
How the week is split
Push, pull and legs, plus an upper-body day, a second leg day and an upper-body accessory day: almost every group is trained twice. This week, 9 of the 10 muscle groups with their own exercise are trained twice or more and 1 once.
What your routine includes
- Sessions of 5 exercises and 16 to 17 sets.
- The exercise with the most sets this week: Landmine rotation, with 6.
- Reps of 5 to 15 and rests of 90 to 150 seconds, depending on the exercise and the day.
- RIR 3-4 in the first week, 2-3 in the second and 1-2 in the third; in the deload it rises to 4-6.
- The engine suggests the load for each session from what you log (double progression).
Who is this routine for?
That is 6 sessions of about 60 minutes, 6 hours a week, with 100 sets in total: about 17 per session. It fits if you can set aside those 6 days consistently; if not, look at the 5-day routine.
Exercises it usually includes
Other routines you may like
- 5-day hypertrophy routine
- 6-day strength routine
- 6-day fat loss routine
- 6-day body recomposition routine
Generate yours for free
Progrevia creates your personalized hypertrophy routine of 6 days in under a minute, no mandatory sign-up and no card. With a free account you can download it as a PDF.
Learn the theory
Muscle hypertrophy: the 3 mechanisms that drive it
Frequently asked questions
How many days a week should I train?
It depends on your availability and recovery. 6 days a week is a balanced option for a hypertrophy goal.
Can I do the 6-day hypertrophy routine at home?
Yes. Muscle responds more to the effort of each set than to the type of equipment: with dumbbells, bands or bodyweight you grow if sets end close to failure. Progrevia adapts the exercise selection to what you have.
How long until the muscle shows?
Visible changes usually take 8-12 weeks of consistent training; before that, what goes up is strength. Measuring arms and legs every month gives a clearer signal than the mirror.
How many sets per week does the 6-day hypertrophy routine have?
100 sets spread over 30 exercises and 6 sessions. The group that gets the most work is chest, with 20 weekly sets.
How many sets per muscle do I do each week on the 6-day hypertrophy routine?
The ones in the week the engine builds for your level; the volume table above shows this routine's numbers. The evidence suggests 10 or more weekly sets per muscle produce more growth than fewer than 5, as long as each set gets close to failure. Progrevia starts at a recoverable volume and raises it based on what you log. This week adds up to 100 sets over 6 sessions.
Progrevia builds gym routines from your own data: periodization, RIR and week-by-week progression. Free, no card.