12-Week Upper Body Mass Gain

COACH NOTES

12-Week Upper Body Mass Gain — Arms & Shoulders Priority

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PROGRAM GOAL

This program is designed to maximise upper-body hypertrophy, with specific emphasis on shoulders and arms, while maintaining chest and back.
Progression is linear, volume is hypertrophy-biased, and fatigue is managed via planned deloads.

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WEEKLY STRUCTURE
	•	Train 4 days per week
	•	Rest days as needed (e.g. Day 1 / Day 2 / Rest / Day 3 / Day 4)
	•	Expect sessions to last 70–90 minutes

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INTENSITY & EFFORT GUIDELINES
	•	Weeks 1–2: Stop with ~2 reps in reserve (RIR 2)
	•	Week 3: RIR 1 on most sets
	•	Week 4: Push close to failure only on the final set
	•	Deload weeks: RIR 4 (very easy)

Do not train to failure on compound presses except where stated.

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PROGRESSION RULES (VERY IMPORTANT)
	•	Stay within the prescribed rep ranges
	•	When you hit the top of the rep range on all sets, increase load next week
	•	If load increases stall:
	•	Add +1 rep per set
	•	Then add load once reps are capped
	•	Isolation lifts progress reps first, then weight

Consistency beats chasing PRs.

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PERIODISATION OVERVIEW

Weeks 1–4 — Accumulation
	•	Build volume and work capacity
	•	Focus on clean reps and strong mind-muscle connection
	•	Shoulder and arm volume is intentionally high

Week 5 — DELOAD
	•	Cut total sets by ~50%
	•	Reduce load by 10–15%
	•	No intensity techniques
	•	You should finish the week feeling fresh and hungry to train

Weeks 6–9 — Overload
	•	Restart slightly heavier than Week 1
	•	Aim to beat Week 4 numbers with better form
	•	Pumps should be significant but joints should feel stable

Week 10 — DELOAD
	•	Same deload rules as Week 5
	•	Treat this as injury insurance, not lost progress

Weeks 11–12 — Specialisation Peak
	•	Extra focus on delts and arms
	•	Push top-end reps and controlled intensity
	•	Last set AMRAP allowed on safe isolation movements only

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SPECIALISATION RULES (DELTS & ARMS)

Applied in Weeks 4, 9, 11, and 12
	•	Add +1 extra set to:
	•	Lateral raises
	•	Rear delt movements
	•	Cable curls
	•	Triceps pushdowns / overhead extensions
	•	Use one intensity technique on the final set only:
	•	Rest-pause OR drop set (not both)

If joints feel irritated → skip intensity, keep volume.

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EXERCISE EXECUTION PRIORITIES
	•	Lateral raises: Control the eccentric, stop swinging
	•	Curls: Full elbow extension unless specified
	•	Presses: Stable torso, no excessive lower-back arch
	•	Rear delts: Prioritise feel over load

Load only matters if tension stays where intended.

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RECOVERY EXPECTATIONS
	•	Mild soreness is normal
	•	Persistent elbow or shoulder pain is not
	•	If recovery drops:
	•	Reduce isolation volume by 1 set
	•	Keep compounds unchanged

Sleep and calories drive growth.

BODYWEIGHT & PROGRESS CHECKS
	•	Target gain: ~0.25–0.5 kg per week
	•	By Week 6:
	•	Sleeves tighter
	•	Better delt cap visibility
	•	By Week 12:
	•	Noticeable arm measurement increase
	•	Pressing strength clearly higher

If scale weight isn’t moving → increase calories.

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Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Seated Overhead Press (Barbell)

Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)

Upright Row (Cable)

Bench Press (Close Grip)

Overhead Tricep Extension (Cable)

Tricep Pushdown (Cable)

SHOULDERS + TRICEPS (HEAVY)

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

Lat Pulldown

Single Arm Row (Dumbbell)

Bicep Curl (Barbell)

Incline Curl (Dumbbell)

Bicep Curl (Cable)

BACK + BICEPS

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Chest Press (Machine)

Chest Fly (Cable)

Arnold Press

Lateral Raise (Cable)

Rear Delt Fly (Cable)

CHEST + SHOULDERS (VOLUME)

Bicep Curl (EZ Bar)

Alternating Dumbbell Curl

Skull Crusher (Barbell)

Single-Arm Cable Pushdown

Bench Dip

ARMS (SPECIALISATION)

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