BUT SERIOUSLY...

Here we go again! Just like in the first split plan of this series, each muscle group is put to work 2 times a week. From week 4, increase the number of sets and decrease the number of repetitions. Make your exercises heavier and divide your rest for serious results. Let your muscles know that split happens!

Schema highlights

If you have completed 2x2 building split #01, then you can take on the entire gym after this schedule. Pro tip: first look for the same exercises as in the first schedule. These will be the benchmarks of your progress. Can you do more repetitions with the same weight or increase the weight with the same number of reps? Then you know for sure that your muscle mass is increasing.

Featured exercises

Also in this muscle-building schedule, we choose big exercises, supplemented with essential isolation exercises, to achieve as much muscle growth as possible. Below are two highlighted exercises, the rest you will of course find in the app.

Standing barbell shoulder press

Een hele sterke oefening voor het trainen van je schouderspieren. Sterker nog, bijna alle spieren van je lichaam zijn actief wanneer je de stang boven je hoofd uitstrekt.

1Grab the bar around 1-1.5x wider than shoulder width.
2During the exercise, keep your wrists straight and your elbows under your hands.
3Extend your arms straight above your shoulders, for your feel you are pushing the bar behind your head.
4Lower the bar under control towards your collarbone.

Deadlift

Als onderdeel van de "Big 3" lifts, kan een deadlift slechts in weinig schema's ontbreken. Serieus een van de beste oefeningen voor het strekken van je heup. Je bilspieren en hamstrings doen het meeste werk en bijna alle andere spieren van je lichaam zijn actief om je skelet stabiel te houden. Echt een topper van een oefening!

1Keep your back straight during the exercise (neutral back position).
2Push your buttocks back while leaning forward.
3Tighten your buttocks hard during the upward movement and finish upright (i.e. don't lean backward).
4Your feet are completely on the ground from heel to big toe throughout the movement.

Basic principles of your workout plan: Muscle Building

Your body won't change until you seriously challenge it. This workout schedule certainly does that, but only if you commit to it. All you need to do is commit to the following three things:

Try to perform the exercises to the best of your ability. Technique is more important than weight.
Unless another weight is indicated, choose a weight that allows you to finish the number of repetitions prescribed. Moreover, make sure you can do every final repetition safely on your own. Does it say 10 reps and you find that you can only do 8, or go as high as 12? Then do 8 or 12 reps and adjust the weight for the next set. This sounds trickier than it is. You’ll have found the right weight after a few tries and after that, the app will remember it for you.
As your muscle mass grows, you'll be able to lift more weight. In order to keep challenging your muscles, the goal throughout the schedule is to continue to (slightly) increase the weight of the exercises.

Just to eliminate any doubt; when doing exercises with your own body weight, just do the number of reps indicated. Do you see 'max reps'? Then that literally means as many reps as you can do.

How serious are you really?

Let’s be serious. Muscles don't grow without a strong nutrition plan. If you want to get seriously muscular, you will have to eat a little more than your body requires. Although there is no best ‘diet’ for everyone, the basics are usually the same:

Create a small calorie surplus (10-20% above maintenance). This means that, if your weight is stable at the moment, you're going to increase each meal by 10 to 20%. Just keep in mind: your muscle will not necessarily grow faster if you eat even more than that!
Try to consume about 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Spread this out across at least 4 meals.
Experiment with different ratios of fats and carbohydrates. The ratio doesn't need to be super accurate, it's okay if it varies daily. Easy peasy.
Focus on natural nutrients rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre.
We know this is a toughie but, avoid high-calorie, ultra-processed foods whenever you can. These include candy, cookies, savoury snacks, chips, pizza, chocolate, pastries, sweet dairy drinks, sodas, and sweet breakfast cereals.
Drink plenty of water, black and green tea and reduce your coffee intake.
Make sure that you are able to stick to your diet!

For specific questions, or to create a personal nutrition plan, we always recommend that you contact a qualified (sports) dietitian. Never change your entire nutrition plan by yourself. Seriously.