Model plan

Cover Model

Lean and defined: abs, shoulders and arms

5 days a week
8 weeks
Intermediate
For men
Gym

About this program

Cover-model definition is low body fat plus enough muscle in the shoulders, arms, chest and abs to show it. Five days: heavy presses and rows, extra shoulder and arm work in supersets, direct ab work three times a week and cardio after lifting. Lose 0.5–1% of your weight a week and keep protein high; the water-cutting tricks used before photo shoots are not part of this plan.

Who it’s for

You already train regularly and want more volume and intensity.
Written with men in mind; anyone can follow it.
A gym with machines, cables and free weights.
5 sessions a week, about 55 minutes each.
10k steps a day on top of the workouts.

The week

Warm up for 5–7 minutes first. Rest is the pause between sets. A1 and A2 (B1 and B2) are supersets: do one set of each back to back, then rest. Rest days: walk and recover.

Monday Push: Chest, shoulders & triceps

Chest · shoulders · triceps · about 60 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Bench PressUse the safety bars or a spotter on heavy sets.	4 × 6–⁠8	2.5 min
Incline Dumbbell Press	3 × 8–⁠10	90 s
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3 × 8–⁠10	90 s
Cable Chest Fly	3 × 12–⁠15	60 s
A1 Lateral Raise	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 Rope Triceps Pushdown	3 × 12–⁠15	60 s

Cardio after: Stationary Bike, 10 min · 30/30 s. 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy.

Tuesday Pull: Back, rear delts & biceps

Back · rear delts · biceps · abs · about 60 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Lat Pulldown	4 × 8–⁠10	90 s
Seated Cable Row	3 × 8–⁠10	90 s
One-Arm Dumbbell Row	3 × 10 per arm	60 s
A1 Face Pull	3 × 15	—
A2 Dumbbell Biceps Curl	3 × 10–⁠12	60 s
Forearm Plank	3 × 45 s	45 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 15 min · 12%. Steady incline walk.

Wednesday Legs & abs: Squat, hinge & core

Quads · hamstrings · glutes · abs · about 60 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Back SquatLeg press or goblet squat if the racks are busy.	4 × 6–⁠8	2.5 min
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 8–⁠10	2 min
Leg Press	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Lying Leg Curl	3 × 10–⁠12	60 s
A1 Cable Crunch	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 Captain's Chair Knee Raise	3 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Cardio after: StairMaster, 10 min. Steady pace, no rails.

Friday Shoulders & arms: Pump day

Shoulders · arms · about 55 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3 × 10–⁠12	75 s
Lateral Raise	4 × 12–⁠15	45 s
Reverse Dumbbell Fly	3 × 15	45 s
A1 Cable Biceps Curl	3 × 10–⁠12	—
A2 Overhead Cable Triceps Extension	3 × 10–⁠12	60 s
B1 Hammer Curl	3 × 12	—
B2 Dip (assisted if needed)	3 × 8–⁠12	60 s

Cardio after: Stationary Bike, 12 min · steady. Easy steady pace.

Saturday Conditioning: Full-body circuit & abs

Full body · grip · abs · about 50 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Goblet Squat	3 × 12	60 s
Push-Up	3 × 10–⁠15	60 s
One-Arm Dumbbell Row	3 × 12 per arm	60 s
Farmer's Walk	3 × 40 steps	60 s
A1 Side Plank	3 × 30 s	—
A2 Dead Bug	3 × 8 per side	45 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 20 min · 12%. Long steady incline walk.

How to progress

Double progression: add reps within the range first. When every set reaches the top of the range with clean form, add a little weight (about 5–10 lb on lower-body lifts, 2.5–5 lb on upper-body lifts) and start again at the bottom.
Stop most sets 1–2 reps short of failure. Beginners stop 2–3 reps short for the first weeks.
Every 6–8 weeks, or when you feel run down, take an easier week: half the sets, same weights.

Food

About 400–500 kcal below maintenance, 1.8–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, most carbs around training and 7–9 hours of sleep. Weigh yourself every morning and watch the weekly average, not single days.

Find your numbers with the free TDEE calculator, the macro calculator and the protein calculator.

Modeled on how actors and models get ready for a role or a shoot. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any actor, model or studio. They also have coaches and chefs, so results vary.