45-Minute Hypertrophy Express

Overview

You do not need 90 minutes in the gym to build muscle. This upper/lower split uses shorter rest periods and supersets to deliver serious hypertrophy stimulus in 45 minutes per session.

Train 4 days per week.

Schedule

• •Monday: Upper
• •Tuesday: Lower
• •Thursday: Upper
• •Friday: Lower

Upper A (Monday)

• •Superset: Barbell Bench Press 4x8 + Barbell Row 4x8 (75s rest)
• •Superset: Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3x10 + Lat Pulldown 3x10 (60s rest)
• •Superset: Lateral Raise 3x15 + Face Pulls 3x15 (30s rest)
• •Superset: Barbell Curl 2x12 + Tricep Pushdown 2x12 (30s rest)

Lower A (Tuesday)

• •Barbell Back Squat: 4x8 (90s rest)
• •Superset: Romanian Deadlift 3x10 + Leg Extension 3x12 (60s rest)
• •Superset: Leg Curl 3x12 + Walking Lunges 3x10/leg (60s rest)
• •Standing Calf Raise: 3x15 (30s rest)

Upper B (Thursday)

• •Superset: Incline DB Press 4x10 + Cable Row 4x10 (75s rest)
• •Superset: Arnold Press 3x10 + Pull-Ups 3x8 (60s rest)
• •Superset: Cable Flyes 3x12 + Reverse Flyes 3x15 (30s rest)
• •Superset: Hammer Curl 2x12 + Overhead Tricep Extension 2x12 (30s rest)

Lower B (Friday)

• •Conventional Deadlift: 4x5 (2min rest)
• •Superset: Front Squat 3x8 + Leg Curl 3x10 (60s rest)
• •Superset: Bulgarian Split Squat 3x8/leg + Calf Raise 3x15 (60s rest)
• •Plank: 3x45s (20s rest)

Why Short Rest Works for Hypertrophy

For heavy compound lifts, longer rest (2+ minutes) is ideal for strength. But for hypertrophy, moderate rest (60-90 seconds) creates metabolic stress that contributes to muscle growth. The supersets pair opposing muscle groups so each muscle still gets adequate recovery between sets.