If you are an avid follower of fitness models around the globe, then you must have surely heard the name, Dylan McKenna. Along with being a popular fitness model, he is also a sponsored athlete and online coach. Dylan got started with weight training to improve his sports performance. But very soon he fell in love with bodybuilding when he noticed tremendous improvements in his physique.
His dedication and sincerity for bodybuilding earned him a strong, muscular, and ripped physique over time. People around him not only admired his physique but also got inspired by his amazing physical transformation. Later, he went on to help and guide people all over the world to earn their dream physique through his social media handles and online posts.
We are pretty sure that you must also be looking out to build a physique like that of Dylan’s. Hence, we present before you a detailed overview of Dylan McKenna’s workout routine that can surely aid you in getting strength and hypertrophy gains like never before. So without further ado, let’s get started.
Dylan McKenna’s Workout Principles
Dylan McKenna’s workout program is suited to intermediate and advanced lifters. Lifters who can perform a 200 lbs bench press, 400 lbs deadlift, and 300 lbs squat can gain the most from it. If you are a newbie who is just starting with his lifting journey, this hypertrophy workout program is certainly not for you.
Compound movements, especially the bench press, squat, and deadlift (and their variations) form the crux of this workout program. This is due to the reason that compound movements promote greater strength gains. And if you want to grow your muscle size as a natty, getting stronger on the compound movements becomes mandatory.
With this training program, your body gets exposed to well-structured high-volume workouts that allow you to gain optimum muscular strength and size. In simple words, this training program allows you to kill two birds with one stone.
This workout plan can be run for 18+ weeks. This means that you can run 2+ full training cycles of this workout program. The results, in the end, will surely astonish you.
Dylan McKenna’s Workout Schedule
Dylan McKenna trains for 5 days a week. He follows the conventional PPL routine. Dylan McKenna’s training routine for the week looks like the following:-
- Monday- Legs
- Tuesday- Push 1
- Wednesday- Pull 1
- Thursday- Rest
- Friday- Push 2
- Saturday- Pull 2
- Sunday- Rest
Dylan McKenna Workout Routine
Dylan McKenna’s workout routine does not follow the conventional bro-split in which you train every muscle group once a week. Instead, Dylan prefers to hit them twice a week, the exception being his lower body muscles. This is because his leg days are so intense and strenuous that his lower body muscles require 5-6 days to completely recover and recuperate.
When it comes to performing compound movements such as squats, deadlift, bench press, close-grip bench press, and overhead press, Dylan goes close to maximum effort. By the time he reaches the last rep of his set, he has only 1-2 reps left in the tank. This level of intensity coerces his muscles to grow stronger and bigger.
Dylan McKenna’s PPL workout program runs in 4-week increments. The fifth week is reserved for the deloading phase. In the deloading phase, you train only 4 days a week (every other day) and perform only squat, bench, and deadlift. The deloading phase allows your muscles to take a break from heavy lifting. This provides your CNS with enough time to recuperate and also keeps your motor pathways on point. You lift up to 60% of your 1 RM and perform 3 sets of 3 reps.
After completing them, you can choose to hit your smaller muscle groups such as your biceps and triceps. You can also train your lagging muscle groups after that. Just make sure to not lift excessively heavy on your deloading week.
The following table will give you a more descriptive idea about Dylan McKenna’s workout routine.
Dylan McKenna Workout Plan |
|
Exercises |
Sets x Reps |
Legs |
|
Week 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
|
Squats |
3 x 10 → 4 x 4 → 5 x 2 → 2 x 2 →3 x 3 |
Leg Press |
4 x 12 |
Leg Extensions |
3 x 12 |
Hamstring Curls |
3 x 12 |
Calf Raises |
6 x 30 |
Lunges |
1 x AMRAP |
Push Day 1 |
|
Week 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
|
Bench Press |
3 x 10 → 4 x 4 → 5 x 2 → 2 x 2 →3 x 3 |
Barbell Overhead Press |
3 x 10 → 3 x 8 → 3 x 6 → 3 x 4 →3 x 3 |
Weighted Dips |
3 x 10 |
Dumbbell Side Laterals |
3 x 10 |
Cable Flyes |
3 x 12 |
Pull Day 1 |
|
Week 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
|
Deadlift |
3 x (6,3,1) → 2 x 1 → 3 x 10 → 3 x (5,5,3) →3 x 3 |
Pause Squats |
3 x 8 → 3 x 6 → 3 x 4 → 2 x 2 → 3 x 3 |
Barbell Rows |
3 x (8-10) |
Lat Pulldowns |
3 x 10 |
Pull-Ups |
3 x 10 |
Shrugs |
3 x 12 |
Push Day 2 |
|
Week 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
|
Close-Grip Bench Press |
3 x 10 → 4 x 4 → 5 x 2 → 2 x 2 →3 x 3 |
Push Press |
3 x (8, 6, 4) → 3 x (5, 5, 3) → 3 x (6, 3, 1) → 3 x (4, 4, 2) → 3 x (8, 6, 4) |
Incline Dumbbell Press |
3 x 10 |
Face Pulls |
3 x 10 |
Rope Tricep Pushdowns |
3 x 10 |
Dumbbell Flyes |
3 x (8-10) |
Pull Day 2 |
|
Week 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
|
Deficit Deadlift |
3 x (10, 8, 6) → 3 x 8 → 3 x 6 → 3 x 4 → 3 x 3 |
Dumbbell Rows |
3 x (10,8,6) → 3 x (10, 8, 6) → 3 x 10 → 3 x 10 → 3 x (10, 8, 6) |
T-Bar Rows |
3 x (8-10) |
Chin Ups |
3 x 10 |
Dumbbell Alternating Curls |
3 x 8 |
Hammer Curls |
3 x 16 |
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Dylan McKenna has a decent level of experience when it comes to training. He understands his body well and knows what changes will suit his physical development. Hence, he keeps on mixing up his workout routine to ensure that it doesn’t become monotonous.
Dylan McKenna’s workout routine also utilizes the following points to get him the best results in terms of strength and muscle gains.
Incorporating various intensity techniques
Dylan McKenna incorporates various intensity techniques such as drop sets and supersets into his exercise routine. Such techniques subject the muscles to adequate stress and help in stimulating greater muscle growth.
Choosing lean bulk over dirty bulk
Dylan McKenna espouses lean bulk over dirty bulk. He claims that even though lean bulking can be a bit time-consuming, it serves you well in the long run.
Avoiding set percentages
Dylan McKenna doesn’t rely on performing his exercise routine with set percentages. He believes that having an off day/good day can derail your workout routine if you follow the training protocol of set percentages.
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End Note
Before you get started with following Dylan McKenna’s workout routine, we would recommend you to take the assistance of an experienced coach. Having a decent lifting experience is also crucial before you try out his workout plan.
This will allow you to get the results that you are expecting along with minimizing the risk of injury.
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