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Are you ready to design your own muscle building workout program which will allow you to get leaner while adding muscle at the same time? Your ideal routine will be based upon your goals and the equipment you have available at your home or commercial gym. Let’s move through the steps required to build such a successful routine.

First you will have to ensure you are hitting all of your major muscle groups. Select exercises for chest (bench press or dumbbell press of flat or incline variety), back (deadlifts and lat pulldowns), shoulders (military press and DB side raises), biceps (curls), triceps (cable pressdowns), thighs (squats, leg press and leg extensions), hamstrings (lying leg curls), and calves (calf raises of seated or sled variety).

Split up these muscle groups so that they are spread out over the week. Common routine splits involve Monday (chest), Tuesday (back), Wednesday (shoulders), Thursday (arms) and Friday (legs).

Next you will want to select the right set & repetition range for these exercises. You will wish to use about 12 sets per day per muscle group. Each set should include 8 to 12 repetitions of the particular exercise. Going heavier results in adding strength and ‘bulk’ but not necessarily getting any leaner. Going higher than 15 or 18 reps per set means you are probably not building up any new levels of appreciable muscle mass.

Finally, you will want to put it all together in a cohesive workout plan that you can use consistently. Just showing up is half the battle when it comes to making your best possible gains. You do that, and you are going to see the benefits you desire, even as you learn to use proper intensity and training techniques. You don’t have to be perfect in the gym, but you do have to show up consistently!

Don’t forget the importance of nutrition, cardiovascular exercise and supplementation when looking to get lean with your new muscle workout program. Train for 20 to 30 minutes, 4-5 times each week with the treadmill or elliptical machine. Cut back your fat and carb intake while keeping your proteins high, all while enjoying plenty of water and fiber. Supplements such as ECA (25 mg ephedrine, 200 mg caffeine, and 350 mg aspirin) are also extremely effective for fat burning. Above all, an overall commitment to shedding fat through a balanced training and diet routine is what will work best!