Intermediate Workout Plan

If you have been lifting more than 6 months, an intermediate routine is appropriate for you.  At this stage you have the feel for the exercises and are starting to push yourself harder so you get sore the day after the workout.  Because you are pushing yourself harder, it takes you longer to recover between workouts so only work each body part once a week to allow the muscles time to rebuild themselves. You need very little equipment for these workouts, just a used set of dumbbells and maybe a protein supplement if you don't have time for 6 real meals a day.
The only equipment you need to do these workouts is a pullup bar and a used weight set from a garage sale. Please don't waste money on new equipment, you can get it used for pennies on the dollar from craigslist. For a used weight set, expect to pay 10 cents to 50 cents per pound. If you cant find a used weight set then you can buy a new weight set but don't pay more than $1/lb!. You can make your own pullup bar with $5 of metal toprail from a hardware store or buy a no-mar, door mount pullup bar.
Remember, your muscles don't care if your weights are new, shiny, and chrome or rusty, used, and cast iron - don't waste money on stuff, buy used and save money!

	Intermediate Home Workout
Mon	Chest:  3 sets of dumbbell flys, 8-12 reps per set with 60s between sets.  3 sets of dumbbell press, 8-12 reps per set with 60s between sets. 3 sets of pushups, as many reps as you can do with 60s between sets. Triceps: 3 sets of french press, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets. 3 sets of dumbbell kick backs, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets Abs: 4 sets of crunches, as many as you can do with 60s rest between sets Cardio: 20 min - jog, brisk walk or bike Time Required - 60 minutes (40min weights, 20min cardio)
Tue	Cardio: jog, brisk walk or bike Time Required - 30 minutes
Wed	Back: 3 sets of overhand pullups (pull-ups), as many reps as you can do with 60s rest between sets.  3 sets of dumbbell rows, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets. Biceps: 3 sets of dumbbell curls, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets.  3 sets of underhand grip pullups (pull-ups), as many reps as you can do with 60s rest between sets. 3 sets of barbell curls, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets. Abs: 4 sets of crunches, as many as you can do with 60s rest between sets Cardio: 20 min - jog, brisk walk or bike Time Required - 60 minutes (40min weights, 20min cardio)
Thu	Cardio: jog, brisk walk or bike Time Required - 30 minutes
Fri	Shoulders: 3 sets of alternate shoulder press, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets.  3 sets of side raises, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets. 3 sets of reverse flys, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets. Legs: 6 sets of lunges, 8-12 reps per set with 60s rest between sets Abs: 4 sets of crunches, as many as you can do with 60s rest between sets Cardio: 20 min - jog, brisk walk or bike Time Required - 60 minutes (40min weights, 20min cardio)
Sat	Cardio: jog, brisk walk or bike Time Required - 30 minutes
Sun	Cardio: jog, brisk walk or bike Time Required - 30 minutes
	time = 5.0hrs/week

If you have been doing my beginning workout, you will notice that the main difference with this intermediate workout is that each muscle is only being worked out once a week rather than three times a week as it was in the beginning workout, most people have trouble with this concept - less is more! You are working out far less often but you are working out each muscle with much more intensity and for a longer duration. In the beginning workout, you were only working out chest for about 5minutes but doing it 3 times a week (15min total/week). In the intermediate workout you only workout chest once a week but do it for 20 minutes. Since you are working out much more intensely, the body needs much more time to recuperate and rebuild your muscles.

Bodybuilding does not end when you leave the gym!

Many bodybuilders make the mistake of thinking that their work ends when they leave the gym, wrong! If you have followed the advice on my beginning workout plan you have already made a good start in learning about nutritional basics. As an intermediate you need to continue learning, again, spend at least an hour a week reading about nutrition and bodybuilding. Try to get to the point that you can look at a meal and accurately guess the calories, grams of protein, grams of fiber and grams of fat. Start learning about some more advanced bodybuilding techniques like drop sets and supersets. 

You spend at least 5 hours in the gym a week, why not maximize your results by doing an hour of research each week? The more you read and learn, the faster your bodybuilding progress will be! Start with this website but don't stop here, I'm just one person.

So how do you know when its time to move on to my advanced workout plan? Well in rough number, you should do this workout for four to twelve months before moving up. A better way to know is by decreasing progress. If you strength gains decrease to the point where you have gone an entire month without being able to move up a single pound or do one more rep, then its time.