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Program

12 Week Strength Build

Twelve weeks of dumbbell strength and muscle, four days a week.

  • 12 weeks
  • 4 workouts a week
  • 42–45 min
  • Intermediate
  • Dumbbells, Bench, Yoga block
  • With Dan & Tiff
Do it in the app: 7 days free
12 Week Strength Build

Who it's for

This is for intermediate lifters who want strength and muscle and will stick with it for twelve weeks. You'll train four days a week, and each session runs 42 to 48 minutes. If you want something shorter or less structured, try the 6 Week Full Body Series. If you want a shorter run with dumbbells only, try the 8 Week Stronger Challenge.

What you need

You'll need dumbbells in a light, medium and heavy pair, plus a bench. Go heavy for presses, rows, squats, deadlifts and hip thrusts. Go lighter for flys, raises, curls and lunges. A yoga block helps on some leg days. A sturdy box can stand in for the bench on some leg moves, like step-ups and Bulgarian split squats.

How it works

Each week has four workouts: Upper Body Strength, Lower Body Strength, Upper Body Hypertrophy and Lower Body Hypertrophy. The twelve weeks are four 3-week phases. You repeat the same four workouts within a phase, so you can add weight each time. Every week ends with a new finisher, such as the AMRAP in week 1, the Goblet Drop Set in week 7 and the Gauntlet in week 12. Most work is timed intervals, like 40 seconds on and 30 seconds off, or 30 seconds each. Sessions grow from 42 minutes early on to 48 by the end. Every video shows two levels: Tiff lower impact, Dan harder. This is weeks 25 to 36 of 52FIT.

  • Write down your weights in the first week of each phase, then beat them when the workouts repeat.
  • Pick a heavier pair for presses, rows, squats and deadlifts, and keep a lighter pair close for flys, raises and curls.
  • Treat the finisher as its own round, since it changes every week, and save a little for it.

The schedule

Every workout, week by week. In the app it's scheduled around your days, with timers, music you can turn off, and your progress saved.

Week 1

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: AMRAP Finisher · 42 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Power Legs Finisher · 42 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Delt Destruction Finisher · 43 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Quad Burner Finisher · 43 min

Week 2

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: 90s Ladder Finisher · 42 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: 90s Ladder Finisher · 42 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Push Burnout Finisher · 43 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Glute Destruction Finisher · 43 min

Week 3

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Gorilla Grind Finisher · 42 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Grind Finisher · 42 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Biceps Pump Finisher · 43 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Split Squat Finisher · 43 min

Week 4

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Push, Pull & Press Finisher · 45 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Hinge & Squat Finisher · 45 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Chest Burnout Finisher · 43 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Splits & Lunges Finisher · 43 min

Week 5

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Killer Arms Finisher · 45 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: 2 Min Ladder Finisher · 45 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Rear Delt Burn Finisher · 43 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Quads & Hams Finisher · 43 min

Week 6

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Shoulder Burnout Finisher · 45 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: AMRAP Finisher · 45 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Arms Ladder Finisher · 44 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Unilateral AMRAP Finisher · 44 min

Week 7

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Chest Burnout Finisher · 47 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Squat Burnout Finisher · 47 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Shoulder Burnout Finisher · 46 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Goblet Drop Set Finisher · 46 min

Week 8

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Biceps Burnout Finisher · 47 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Glute Burnout Finisher · 47 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Push & Pull Finisher · 46 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Sumo Drop Set Finisher · 46 min

Week 9

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Delt Burnout Finisher · 47 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Quad Burnout Finisher · 47 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Bicep 21s Finisher · 45 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Diabolical Deadlifts Finisher · 46 min

Week 10

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: No Drop Complex Finisher · 48 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Burn Finisher · 48 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Iso Hold Gauntlet Finisher · 46 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Lunge Clock Finisher · 47 min

Week 11

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Push & Pull Challenge Finisher · 48 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Glutes on Fire Finisher · 48 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: 1-1-2 Arms Finisher · 46 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: 2-2-4 Glutes Finisher · 47 min

Week 12

  1. Day 1Upper Body Strength: Final Countdown Finisher · 48 min
  2. Day 2Lower Body Strength: Strength to Power Finisher · 48 min
  3. Day 3Upper Body Hypertrophy: Gauntlet Finisher · 47 min
  4. Day 4Lower Body Hypertrophy: Gauntlet Finisher · 48 min