5-day body recomposition routine

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body recomposition5 days/weekfree

A body recomposition routine over 5 days is built to gain some muscle and lose fat at the same time, with moderate volume and good recovery.

Parameters the engine applies

Parameter	Value
Assigned structure	5-day PPL
Reps per set	6-15
Sets per exercise	3-4
Rest between sets	60-120 s
RIR (reps in reserve)	2-3
Intensity	65-80% 1RM
Share of compound exercises	70 %

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 A
Day 2	Pull A
Day 3	Legs
Day 4	Push B
Day 5	Pull B + Core

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 A

Exercise	Sets × reps	RIR	Rest
Incline dumbbell bench press	4 × 6-8	3-4	120 s
Z-bar overhead press	4 × 6-8	3-4	120 s
Bench dips	3 × 6-8	3-4	120 s
Decline dumbbell flyes	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s
Dumbbell pullover	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s
Face pull	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s

Day 2 · Pull A

Exercise	Sets × reps	RIR	Rest
Barbell row	4 × 8-12	3-4	90 s
Pull-ups	4 × 8-12	3-4	90 s
Farmer carry	3 × 8-12	3-4	90 s
Preacher curl	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s
Cable pullover	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s
Straight-arm pulldown	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s

Day 3 · Legs

Exercise	Sets × reps	RIR	Rest
Dumbbell lunges	4 × 12-15	3-4	60 s
Good mornings	4 × 12-15	3-4	60 s
Sumo deadlift	3 × 12-15	3-4	60 s
Leg press calf raise	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s
Single-leg leg extension	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s
Leg extension	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s

Day 4 · Push B

Exercise	Sets × reps	RIR	Rest
Parallel bar dips	4 × 8-12	3-4	90 s
Arnold press	4 × 8-12	3-4	90 s
Bench dips	3 × 8-12	3-4	90 s
Landmine rotation	3 × 8-12	3-4	90 s
Pec deck flyes	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s
Cable crossover	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s

Day 5 · Pull B + Core

Exercise	Sets × reps	RIR	Rest
Gironda row	4 × 12-15	3-4	60 s
Lat pulldown	4 × 12-15	3-4	60 s
45° back extension machine	3 × 12-15	3-4	60 s
Landmine rotation	3 × 12-15	3-4	60 s
Overhead cable curl	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s
Cable pullover	3 × 8-18	3-4	75 s

Weekly sets per muscle group

Muscle group	Sets per week
Back	25
Chest	20
Shoulders	11
Quads	10
Abs	6
Biceps	6
Triceps	6
Hamstrings	4
Glutes	3
Lower back	3
Calves	3
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 4-day routine

With 5 days the week adds up to 100 sets; with 4, 85. These are the differences per muscle group:

Back: 15 → 25
Chest: 14 → 20
Shoulders: 7 → 11
Biceps: 3 → 6
Lower back: 0 → 3
Traps: 0 → 3
Triceps: 3 → 6
Abs: 4 → 6
Quads: 14 → 10
Glutes: 8 → 3
Hamstrings: 14 → 4

Sessions in the 4-day routine: Upper A (Push), Legs A, Upper B (Pull), Legs B.

Body recomposition in 5 days: building muscle while you lose fat

Recomposition works best with a small deficit, high protein and progressive strength training, and it pays off most for beginners, people returning after a break or those with more body fat. The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (Jäger and colleagues, 2017) puts protein for people who train at 1.4-2 g per kilo per day, and the review by Helms, Aragon and Fitschen (2014) recommends a slow loss, around 0.5-1% of bodyweight per week, to preserve muscle mass.

With 5 days, the stimulus is high; a small deficit can sustain it, but if sleep or strength suffer, eating at maintenance is the better trade.

The week the engine builds has 5 sessions, 30 exercises and 100 sets in total. Counting sets and rest, each session takes about 40 minutes, not including the warm-up.

Your first four weeks on the 5-day body recomposition routine
Week	What to do	Why
1	Calories slightly below maintenance, high protein every day and your 5 sessions (Push A, Pull A, Legs, Push B, Pull B + Core)	A stable base to train well
2	Progress reps or load on every exercise, starting with z-bar overhead press and barbell row	Strength climbs even if bodyweight barely moves
3	Measure your waist as well as your weight	In recomposition the scale misleads: the waist drops first
4	Review: if weight goes up, adjust calories; if strength drops, raise them	Keep the balance between losing fat and building muscle

References

Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2014;11:20.
Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:20.

How the week is split

Push, pull and legs, plus a second push day and a pull day with core: the upper body is trained twice a week and the legs once. This week, 6 of the 12 muscle groups with their own exercise are trained twice or more and 6 once.

What your routine includes

Sessions of 6 exercises and 20 sets.
No exercise goes above 6 sets a week: the volume is spread across several.
Reps of 6 to 18 and rests of 60 to 120 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 5 sessions of about 60 minutes, 5 hours a week, with 100 sets in total: about 20 per session. It fits if you can set aside those 5 days consistently; if not, look at the 4-day routine.

Exercises it usually includes

Other routines you may like

Generate yours for free

Progrevia creates your personalized body recomposition routine of 5 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

Bulk or cut: where to start, myth-free

Frequently asked questions

How many days a week should I train?

It depends on your availability and recovery. 5 days a week is a balanced option for a body recomposition goal.

Can I do the 5-day recomposition routine at home?

Yes, as long as there is progression: more reps, more load or harder exercises every week. Progrevia adapts the exercises to your equipment and logs what you do so it knows when to push.

When will I see recomposition results?

More slowly than with a single goal: your weight may barely move for weeks. The reliable signs at 4-8 weeks are a smaller waist and more strength.

How many sets per week does the 5-day body recomposition routine have?

100 sets spread over 30 exercises and 5 sessions. The group that gets the most work is back, with 25 weekly sets.

Can I build muscle and lose fat at the same time on the 5-day recomposition routine?

Yes, especially if you are a beginner, returning after a break or have some fat to lose. The conditions are a small deficit, high protein (1.4-2 g per kilo per day) and progress every session. The scale may barely move: the good sign is your waist going down while your strength goes up, starting with z-bar overhead press and barbell row.

Create my free routine

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