Reg Park's 5x5 Routine - Get Stronger And Gain Muscle Mass

The rule that we can learn from old-school bodybuilders is: to gain more muscle mass you have to get stronger. If you want to get stronger and bigger you might consider trying Reg Park's 5x5 workout routine. It is great workout routine for size and strength,  that many classic bodybuilders used to build their powerful physique and they were much stronger than bodybuilders today.

Old school bodybuilders also spent most of their time in the gym doing compound exercises and lifting heavy weights, which recruited more muscle fibers, and it is better for muscle growth. In order to only get stronger with this routine, you shouldn't be in caloric surplus which you need if you want to gain muscle mass and strength with this workout program.

Exercises that Reg Park used to do in his training were squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and power cleans. Reg Park believed that training to failure is a mistake, he believed in gradual progression for gains that last longer. The aim of his workout routine is to do 5 sets of 5 reps with the proper weight and if you can do more than 5 reps with that weight then increase the weight on every training day. But, don't increase the weight if you can't lift it for five sets of five reps. First two sets in Reg Park's workout routine were warm ups and last three were primary work sets. For an example, if you lift 200 pounds on bench press it will look like this:

1 Set - 5 Reps with 160 pounds

2 Set - 5 Reps, 180 pounds

3 Set - 5 Reps, 200 pounds

4 Set - 5 Reps, 200 pounds

5 Set - 5 Reps, 200 pounds

First two sets are great for building confidence and last three sets are the real deal. If you can lift more weight in last three sets, it is time to put 5 pounds more on each set. That is the point of Reg Park's progression, more strength with every training day which results in more muscle mass.

Reg Park's Workout Routine was split into three phases.

5x5 Workout Original Routine by Reg Park:

1st Phase:

EXERCISE	SETS	REPS
Back Extension	3	10
Back Squat	5	5
Bench Press	5	5
Deadlift	5	5

Three days per week for three months then start with phase 2.

2nd Phase:

EXERCISE	SETS	REPS
Back Extension	3	10
Front Squats	5	5
Back Squats	5	5
Bench Press	5	5
Military Press	5	5
Deadlift	5	5
Calf Raise	5	25

Train three day per week before starting the last phase.

3rd Phase:

EXERCISE	SETS	REPS
Back Extension	4	10
Front Squat	5	5
Back Squat	5	5
Bench Press	5	5
Bent Over Row	5	5
Deadlift	5	5
Behind Neck Press	5	5
Barbell Curl	5	5
Triceps Extension	5	5
Calf Raise	5	20

As in first two phases, train three times a week for three months and you are done with Reg Park's 5x5 Workout Routine. Write down your progression every time.

Top 10 Exercises To Build Muscle Mass - Gain Muscle Mass Fast

When it comes to building strength and size, one should focus on performing compound movements that work more than one muscle at the same time. If you are looking to build more muscle mass you don't need any of those fancy equipment and machines. You can build muscle by only using a barbell loaded with plates, believe me.

That means that you don't even have to go to the gym if you want to get bigger and stronger. You can buy barbell and couple of plates and build muscle at your own home. 

Some of the best mass-building movements are exercises that are performed with a barbell. Those exercises are always first on every list of best muscle-building exercises. Dumbbells are great, they work, but you can't overload them like a good old barbell. To gain muscle mass you need to get stronger, to get stronger you need to lift heavier. That is the whole thing.

But before you even start lifting, make sure that you read all about muscle-building nutrition. You won't grow your muscles without consuming enough calories and protein.

Check out:   How To Eat To Gain Muscle Mass

                                 Foods That Are Highest In Protein

I already mentioned that best muscle builders are compound exercises. Why? The reason is very simple, compound exercises engage multiple muscle groups at the same time, unlike isolation exercises that isolate a muscle group by concentrating on that one group of muscles. 



When you perform compound exercises, more muscles are recruited per exercise which stimulates the bigger release of the muscle-building hormone. Also, compound movements such as bench press and squat allow bigger loads of weight. 

1. Barbell Deadlift

Also Read:  The Best Back Workout For Mass - Target Every Muscle

2. Barbell Squat

Also Read: The 10 Rules Of Building Muscle Mass

3. Barbell Bench Press

Also Read:  How To Increase Your Bench Press - Build A Bigger Chest Fast

4. Wide Grip Pull-Up

Also Read: Top 5 Exercises For Building Bigger Lats

5. Barbell Shoulder Press

Also Read: How To Get Bigger Shoulders - Tips and Shoulder Workout For Mass

6. Barbell Bent-Over Row

7. Parallel Bar Dips

Also Read: Top 5 Muscle-Building Triceps Exercises

8. Lat Pulldown

9. Biceps Barbell Curl

Also Read: How To Get Bigger Biceps - Tips And Exercises

10. Standing Calf Raise

The Best Back Workout For Mass - Target Every Muscle

In this article, I am going to discuss tips for building a big back and best back exercises that are essential for building a powerful and attractive looking back. It is very important that you not only choose the right exercises when performing a back workout for mass but to also perform these exercises with the right form to target the right muscles.

Building a strong and big back is the foundation for big gains.  Back is one of the largest muscle groups and having strong and fully developed back will increase your power in all compound exercises such as squat, deadlift, bench press, and barbell row. I guess that you already know the importance of compound exercises for building muscle mass.

In addition, the stronger your back muscles are, the more your opposing muscle groups (such as chest) can fully develop.

There are four main groups of muscles in your back - erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and trapezius. You need to make sure you are performing the back exercises that focus on building each component of your back.

Also read: How To Eat To Gain Muscle Mass

1. Deadlift

Deadlifts will develop your entire back like no other exercise. But be careful when performing deadlifts, make sure that you have learned the correct deadlift form to avoid back pain and injuries. 

Deadlift is more than a back exercise, it is one of the best mass-building exercises that hit the entire posterior chain from your upper calves to your upper traps. It is the absolute best back exercise for mass and strength, so don't avoid it. I recommend performing deadlifts as your first exercise in your back workout as heavy deadlifts require much more energy than many other exercises.


Tip: Go heavy with deadlifts in a 6-8 rep range or perform drop sets.

2. Bent-Over Barbell Row

Bent-Over Row is probably the second-best exercise when it comes to building a thick and big back. Performing bent-over barbell rows will work larger muscle groups of the upper and lower back muscles equally which makes barbell row a great overall back builder.

Same like deadlift, bent-over barbell row requires an excellent form.


Tip: Perform bent-over rows as one of the first exercises in your back workout in lower rep ranges (6-8).


Also read: The Best Chest Workout For Mass - Build A Bigger Chest Fast



3. Pull-Up


Pull up is a great exercise for putting emphasis on the upper lats. Work your way up until you can perform 8-12 reps per one set which is the best rep range for building muscle. If you master this exercise with your own bodyweight you can start adding more weight to force your body to adapt and grow. 



Don't forget to perform pull-ups with a good form. In the starting position, you should pull your shoulders down and toward each other for a better lats activation. 



Tip: Do pull-ups with varying grips to hit all upper back muscles. If you are trying to hit your lower lats, a wide-grip pull-up is the best variation and close-grip chin-up is a great variation for hitting the upper lats.

4. Lat Pull-down


After performing first 3 exercises from this list which are the three best and hardest back exercises you can do lat pull-downs in a higher rep range (8-12 reps). This is also a great muscle-building back exercise. 


Tip: Slow down the rep tempo, squeeze hard at the bottom of each rep, and allow a good stretch at the top.




5. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row


This exercise will be a great finisher in your workout, but you can do it anywhere from the middle to the end of your workout with a relatively higher rep range (10-12). One-arm dumbbell rows emphasize the whole lat, the upper back and trap muscles. Try to perform this exercise without using the momentum, lift the dumbbell as slowly as you can. Don't use a too much heavy dumbbell and perform it with a bad form, that can screw your back and that won't help you build a bigger back.




Here is an example of a back workout for mass that includes these five exercises:


- Deadlift, 3 sets of 6-8 reps

- Bent-over row, 3 sets of 6-8 reps

- Wide-grip pull-up, 3 sets of maximum reps

- Close-grip pull-down, 2 sets of 8-12 reps

- One-armed dumbbell row, 2 sets of 10-12 reps