5-Day Strength Workout Plan at Home
This plan is built around a few main lifts done heavy and often, with lighter accessory work to keep the joints and weaker links keeping up.
Five sessions a week is for when training is a priority and recovery — sleep, food, stress — is in good shape to support it.
All you need is a pair of dumbbells — adjustable ones are ideal, because the plan needs heavier weights for legs than for shoulders.
At a glance
- Days per week
- 5 days
- Split
- Upper / Lower / Full body / Upper / Lower
- Session length
- 60–75 min
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells (adjustable is ideal)
Your week
- Monday — Upper body A
- Tuesday — Lower body A
- Wednesday — Full body C
- Friday — Upper body B
- Saturday — Lower body B
Why this split
Five days around an upper/lower split, with a full-body day in the middle as a lighter practice session. The main lifts each come round twice, and the middle day keeps the week from stacking three heavy sessions back to back.
The sessions
Monday · Upper body A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps or time | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell floor press | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| Half-kneeling one-arm press | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell pullover on the floor | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Hammer curl | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
Tuesday · Lower body A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps or time | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| Single-leg dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell reverse lunge | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Single-leg calf raise holding a dumbbell | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Dead bug | 3 | 30–45 s | 60 s |
Wednesday · Full body C
| Exercise | Sets | Reps or time | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempo goblet squat (3-second lowering) | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| Push-up | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Single-leg dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Dead bug | 3 | 30–45 s | 60 s |
Friday · Upper body B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps or time | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing dumbbell press | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| High-elbow dumbbell row | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| Push-up | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Two-dumbbell bent-over row | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Overhead dumbbell triceps extension | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
Saturday · Lower body B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps or time | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| Tempo goblet squat (3-second lowering) | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell split squat | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Single-leg calf raise holding a dumbbell | 3 | 8–10 | 90 s |
| Suitcase carry | 3 | 30–45 s | 60 s |
How to progress
Strength comes from adding load to the main lifts over time. Use double progression: when you complete every set at the top of the rep range with one or two reps left in reserve, add the smallest weight jump you have next session.
If a lift stalls for two weeks running, do not grind harder. Drop the load by about 10% and build back up — the second run almost always passes the old ceiling.
- Main lifts: finish each set with 1–2 reps in reserve.
- Add 2.5 kg to lower-body lifts and 1–2.5 kg to upper-body lifts when the top of the range is reached.
- Every fourth to sixth week, cut sets by a third for a lighter deload week.
Work out your starting weights with the one rep max calculator
When the week does not go to plan
No plan survives a real week unchanged. A bad night of sleep, a late meeting or a sore knee is not a reason to abandon the plan — it is a reason to change the next session while keeping the goal fixed.
Milo builds a plan like this one from your goal, the days you have and the equipment you own, then proposes changes when your sleep, schedule or progress say it should. You see the reason behind every change and decide whether to take it.
Questions
Is 5 days a week enough for strength?
It is more than enough. The extra days add practice and volume, so the limit is no longer time in the gym but recovery — protect your sleep and do not skip the deload weeks.
How long should I follow this plan?
Run it for 8–12 weeks, with a lighter week every four to six. After that, retest your main lifts and either keep progressing the same structure or move to a plan with more days.
What if I miss a session?
Skip it and carry on with the next session in the order. With four or five days, each session repeats later in the week or the next, so one missed day costs very little — doubling up the next day costs more.
How should I warm up?
Five minutes of easy cardio, then two or three lighter sets of the first exercise building up to your working weight. Sets of later exercises need at most one warm-up set.
General guidance for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, check with a professional before you start.