Six-day Workout Schedule for Female Muscle Gain

Written by Isobel Krüger

Written by Isobel Krüger

Isobel is a health and fitness writer, and also a health and fitness fanatic in real life. She loves researching the latest health and fitness topics and trends that can make life healthier, happier, and easier.

on November 21, 2022

Fact checked by Pavel Balezin

Fact checked by Pavel Balezin

Pavel Bazelin is a fitness expert at Unimeal. He owns a fitness studio and works as a personal trainer. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in Health, Fitness, and Recreation.

The Unimeal team works to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information. All texts are reviewed by a panel of experts and editors and updated according to the latest research. Only evidenced-based and verified sources of leading medical publications and universities get into the article materials.

If you want to focus on muscle gain and toning, your best bet is using a structured program that ensures you target all the right muscles while gradually increasing your resistance. Need a guide? We’ve got you covered!

Your best bet for becoming more active and transforming your body is using a workout routine to lose weight that includes muscle-building. Muscle building doesn't necessarily mean bulking up, and sticking to a weekly strength training routine and a healthy eating plan can help you achieve your body goals.

Six-day Gym Workout Plan for Muscle Building

Working out six days a week can put a lot of strain on your muscles, which may hinder muscle recovery. However, staying active is essential while ensuring you don't overload your muscles daily.¹Mielgo-Ayuso J, Fernández-Lázaro D. January 20, 2021 Nutrition and Muscle Recovery Nutrients DOI:10.3390/nu13020294

This six-day routine targets your upper and lower body, your core, and the most important muscle—your heart.²Schroeder EC, Franke WD, Sharp RL, Lee DC. January 7, 2019 Comparative effectiveness of aerobic, resistance, and combined training on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0210292Your strength days should be focused on reaching a progressive overload, so as you train, you gradually increase the weight, reps, or sets you're doing to stimulate muscle growth.  

Stay consistent and healthy, keep track of your macros, and you'll start seeing the results you want. 

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Day 1: Upper Body Strength

Workout Guide

Warm up with a 10-minute brisk walk or jog. 

For today's workout, choose weights that are not in your "comfort zone" but also not too heavy. You can change to a lighter or heavier weight at any time. 

Start with three to four sets of ten to twenty reps each. 

Dumbbell Flyes

What you need:

• Dumbbells 
• Bench (you can also do this exercise lying flat on your back on a mat.)

• Lie on the mat or with your head and shoulders supported by the bench. Place your feet flat on the floor.
• Grip the dumbbells directly above your chest with your palms facing inwards. Lower the weights to your sides in an arc out to the sides. Keep the movement controlled while going out as far as you can. 
• Use your pectoral (chest) muscles to reverse the movement back to the starting position. 
• Focus on keeping a slight bend in your elbows throughout and keep your back flat and pressed against the bench.

Bridge With Chest Press

What you need:

• An exercise mat
• Dumbbells

• Start lying down on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart. Hold the weights by your chest.
• Squeeze your glutes as you push your pelvis upwards, coming into a bridge position while keeping your ribs and pelvis aligned.
• Staying in bridge pose, press both weights above your shoulders, then lower them back down in one controlled movement. 
• Be sure to maintain a strong bridge position the entire time, and keep your glutes and abs activated. 

Skull Crushers

What you need:

• An exercise mat
• Dumbbells

• Start by lying down on your back with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Extend your arms towards the ceiling, creating a straight line with each arm.
• Bend your elbows to lower the weights back behind your head and back up. Make sure you use your arms and core to control the movement. 

Plank Dumbbell Rows

What you need:

• Dumbbells

• Start in a plank position with your back straight and legs wider than your hips for stability.
• Hold onto your dumbbells, and keep your wrists locked and your elbows soft. 
• Engage your glutes and core to stabilize yourself, and lift one arm into a row by lifting your elbow towards the ceiling. 
• Bring your arm back down and lift the other arm while keeping your entire body stable. This is one rep. 

Tricep Extensions

What you need: 

• Dumbbells
• Bench (optional)

• Stand or sit on a bench with your feet hip-width apart and hold the dumbbell with both hands. Make sure you're grasping the center of the weight.
• Activate your core by pulling your belly button towards your spine and keep a straight back with a proud chest. 
• To go to starting position, lift the dumbbell, core engaged, and bring it behind your head. Your elbows should be bent with your biceps tight against your ears.
• Now, straighten your arms to lift the dumbbell while maintaining your posture and keeping your core activated. Keep your arms still and only move your forearms to lift the weight. 
• Bend your arms slowly and controlled to lower the weight back to your starting position.

Day 2: Strength HIIT & Core

Workout Guide

Warm up with a 10-minute walk or jog. 

All you need for this session is a set of dumbbells and a mat. Set an interval timer to 30-45 seconds per exercise with ten to fifteen seconds of rest between each exercise. Complete three to four sets, making sure you rest for one minute before doing the next set.  

Mountain Climbers

• Start in a traditional plank position, ensuring your shoulders are directly over your wrists. Maintain a neutral spine, a flat back, and keep your core engaged.
• While maintaining this posture, lift your left knee and draw it towards your chest. Return to plank and do the same with your other knee, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
• Continue switching legs and pick up the pace until you're running in place in a plank position.

Burpee, Squat & Press

• Begin standing with a dumbbell on each side of your body. It's best to start with lighter weights to ensure you can do this exercise while maintaining the correct form. 
• Holding onto the dumbbells, lower down and jump back into a burpee. If this is too challenging, put the weights down and do the burpee with your hands flat on the ground.
• Jump back in with your feet and stand tall with the weight by your sides. 
• Keep your back straight and your core active as you bend your arms upwards with the dumbbells just above your shoulders. 
• Do a squat focusing on resting your weight on your heels while pushing the dumbbells upwards. This is one rep. 

High Knees

• Stand with a straight back and feet hip-width apart. Lift up one knee to your chest.
• Switch to lift the other knee to your chest. Keep our arms at a 90-degree angle and move our opposite arm in a running movement. 
• Speed it up until you're running on the spot. 

Bicycle Crunches

• Start by lying flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and pull your belly button towards your spine. 
• Put your hands behind your head, and bring your knees towards your chest while lifting your shoulder blades off the ground. 
• Straighten one leg to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body in the opposite direction. Bring your elbow to the opposite knee. If you feel any strain on your neck, don't force them to touch. 
• The movement should be based in your upper body and not your arms.
• Now switch sides and make the same movement to the other side. This is one rep.

Mountain Climbers

Into your plank again. Keep going!

Bear Crawl

Time to get on the ground and unleash your inner animal. Who knew that crawling around was so tough yet effective? You won't look at crawling babies the same way after this exercise.

• Start on the ground in a push-up position, with your knees underneath your hips but hovering off the ground.
• At the same time, bring forward your opposite hand and knee, alternating the motion to move forward. Be sure to keep your hips level with your shoulders throughout the entire movement.
• Crawl for five yards, then reverse the motion, crawling backward to your starting spot.

High Knees

Get those knees up in the air! 

Day 3: LISS

Today, you're going to focus on doing LISS or a low-intensity-steady-state exercise. Choose a cardio activity, like walking or using the elliptical, and make sure your session is between 30 and 45 minutes long. 

Day 4: Lower Body Strength

Workout Guide

Do a light warm-up to ensure your legs are ready to tackle today's lower-body session. 

Romanian Deadlifts

What you need:

• Dumbbells
• Exercise mat

• Stand upright, holding a pair of dumbbells in each hand. Keep your arms at your sides, knees slightly bent.
• Slowly hinge at the hips and lower the weights as far as possible while keeping a straight back. 
• Instead of relying on your back, squeeze your glutes to pull yourself up slowly.

Weighted Sumo Squat Pulses

What you need:

• A dumbbell
• Exercise mat

• Stand feet shoulder-width apart and turned out slightly to both sides. Hold the weight between your legs with your arms fully extended.
• Bend your knees, then raise them a few inches. Keep your arms straight, your chest open, and your core engaged. 
• Maintain a controlled pulsing movement by avoiding going all the way up. 

Bulgarian Split Squats

What you need:

• Bench, chair, or plyo box to elevate one leg

• Place the toes of your left foot on a chair, bench, stair, or plyo box, with your right leg straight.
• Your right foot should be placed far enough for your knee to remain directly above your ankle as you lower down.
• Bend your right knee, squeeze your left glute, and lower your pelvis toward the ground.
• Press your right heel into the floor to straighten your right knee.
• Repeat the required reps on one side and then on the other.  

Skaters

What you need:

• A slip-free surface

• Start in a slight squat.
• Jump sideways to the left, landing on your left leg.
• Bring your right leg behind your left ankle without touching the floor.
• Reverse the direction by jumping to the other side with your right leg. Jumping to both sides equals one rep. 

Barbell Squats

What you need: 

• Smith machine (optional)
• Barbell

• You can use only the barbell if you're a beginner or load it if you want some extra resistance.
• Grip the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart, using an overhand grip.
• Rest the bar on your lower neck/upper back.
• Lift the barbell off the rack with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Shift your weight back into your heels. Engage your core and start lowering into a squat with a neutral spine. Try to reach a 90-degree angle with your legs.  
• Control your stance with an engaged core, and slowly drive your legs back up, keeping the weight in your heels. Squeeze your glutes when you reach your standing position. 

Day 5: Strength HIIT & Core

Workout Guide

What you'll need:

• A dumbbell, medicine ball, or a kettlebell. 
• An exercise mat

Mountain Climbers

You know the drill! Go for it. 

Lateral Shoot-through

• Start on all fours, with your legs at a 90-degree angle and your wrists in line with your shoulders. 
• Keep your core engaged, and use your abs to control the movement.
• Turn your body to the right while keeping your right foot and left hand on the ground. 
• Lift your right hand and push your left foot and leg out, kicking to the side across your body. Both sides equal one rep.  

High Knees

Stay strong, and keep those knees up!

Russian Twists

• Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt.
• Slowly recline backward until you feel your lower abs engage, and keep your back straight. 
• Hold the weight or medicine ball in front of you. 
• Pull your belly button toward your spine, and twist slowly to one side without using your arms. Then, rotate to the other side to complete one rep. 

Mountain Climbers

Ready, set, and GO!

Plank Leg Lifts

• Lower into an elbow plank and lift your left foot off the floor while keeping your core engaged and your pelvis parallel to the floor. 
• Hold for three seconds, then lower the leg. Repeat on the other side. This completes one rep.

High Knees

Ramp up your heart rate again while keeping a perfect posture.

Day 6: LISS

It's LISS day again! Choose a cardio activity, and ensure your session lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. 

Day 7: Rest

This is your day off. Congratulations on putting in the work! Make sure to keep your body moving to avoid soreness, but have a relaxing and mindful rest.

Conclusion

Consistency brings change, and by keeping your body hydrated and nourished, this 6-day full-body workout will help you become stronger and faster³Atakan MM, Li Y, Koşar ŞN, Turnagöl HH, Yan X. July 5, 2021 Evidence-Based Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Exercise Capacity and Health: A Review with Historical Perspective Int J Environ Res Public Health DOI:10.3390/ijerph18137201 while isolating single muscles to tone and sculpt your perfect body. Make it a habit and commit weekly for the best results.