Supercharge Hypertrophy with Four-Week Fast Track: Build

Get shredded and go for the gains in Tonal’s first-ever September workout challenge.

August 15, 2024

After a summer of sweaty fun in the sun, fall is the time to refocus and get serious about your muscle gains. For the first time ever, Tonal is launching a fall installment of our massively popular Four-Week Fast Track series–and this time, it’s all about packing on major muscle.

Four-Week Fast Track: Build launches September 2, 2024. With two unique tracks, the program is geared toward intermediate and advanced lifters looking to stimulate hypertrophy efficiently. Both tracks are structured around science-backed principles to target all major muscle groups and transform your physique. Utilizing advanced techniques such as giant sets, cluster sets, and shock sets, this program will set you up for big gains—but it won’t be easy.

As always, you can find strength in the struggle by connecting with Tonal coaches and fellow members in the Official Tonal Community on Facebook. Plus, you’ll get a sample meal plan to understand the muscle-building macros you need for training and non-training days, along with weekly expert-approved, protein-packed recipes to give your muscles the fuel they need to repair and regrow.

Here’s a breakdown of the new program and what you can expect from these hypertrophy-targeted workouts.

Fast Track to Pump City

It’s no secret that it takes patience and consistency to build muscle, but with action-packed workouts and dynamic coaching, Four-Week Fast Track: Build will keep you amped up and driven to power through every step on the path to seeing results. With Tonal coaches by your side, putting in the work has never been this much fun.

“You’re going to feel really pumped during the workouts,” says Tim Landicho, Tonal coach and certified personal trainer, describing the immediate gratification you’ll get during the program, which has been designed for long-term success.

As the first Four-Week Fast Track program focused exclusively on muscle growth, Build is centered on strategies proven to drive hypertrophy—specifically, moving lots of volume in your workouts while giving your muscles time to rebuild so you can lift even heavier in your next session.

Choose from Two Tracks

Four-Week Fast Track: Build has two tracks to choose from: Intermediate Level I and Advanced Level II. Both programs emphasize lifting in a moderate rep range to target maximum muscle building. To keep the workouts quick and efficient, the lifts in your main blocks are stacked as giant sets or tri-sets, and followed by an accessory burnout block that’ll leave you feeling toasty and energized.

Level I Intermediate: Push-Pull-Legs

Led by Tonal coaches Tim Landicho, Tanysha Renee, and Kristina Centenari, this intermediate-level track follows a traditional push-pull-legs split with three workouts per week. Here’s the breakdown of each week’s workouts:

Day 1: Upper-Body Push (Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps)

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Upper-Body Pull (Back and Biceps)

The main blocks in these workouts are structured as tri-sets, with three main lifts in a row followed by an active recovery move and strategically programmed rest. The accessory burnout blocks feature either shock sets of 6, 12, and 25 reps or cluster sets to squeeze in as much volume as possible and push your muscles to failure.

Get Printable Level I Calendar

Level II Advanced: Bodybuilder Split

Geared toward advanced lifters, this program features a classic five-day, body-part split and is led by Tonal coaches Kendall “Woody” Wood, Joe Rodonis, Ash Wilking, and Ackeem Emmons. Here’s how each week breaks down:

Day 1: Chest and Triceps

Day 2: Back and Biceps

Day 3: Legs

Day 4: Shoulders and Core

Day 5: Arms

The heart of each workout is a mega set of four exercises stacked back-to-back. “You’re moving between these exercises as fast as you can,” says Jenna Moore, Tonal’s Lead Programming Specialist, adding that you’ll be racking up lots of volume while pumping up your muscles before taking time to rest with an active recovery move.

In the accessory burnout blocks, you’ll find either 6-12-25 rep shock sets to accumulate volume or eccentrics that emphasize moving slowly through the eccentric or lowering portions of each lift to overload your muscle fibers.

Expect plenty of isolation exercises as you focus on burning out each individual muscle for ultimate gains. “This is the most optimized way to build muscle,” says Tonal coach and certified personal trainer Joe Rodonis, explaining that this intentional method maximizes mechanical tension in the specific areas you’re targeting. “It’s a very focused style of lifting,” he says. “You really are building yourself up.”

Get Printable Level II Calendar

Built-In Rest for Maximum Gains

The workouts in both tracks also include built-in rest in the form of active recovery moves or prescribed rest periods. “Resting is an integral part of building muscle,” Moore explains. “Proper rest between sets ensures you’re able to complete all the prescribed reps and sets so you accumulate sufficient volume to stimulate hypertrophy.” These intentional breaks give your muscles time to recover between sets, which means you can go all-out when it’s time to lift.

Stimulate Hypertrophy and Shift Body Composition

Both programs follow an ABAB cadence, with similar exercises appearing in weeks one and three, and in weeks two and four. Alternating the movements each week challenges you to recruit different muscle fibers, stimulating hypertrophy without continuously adding reps or sets. “We’re using exercise variation as one of the main means of progression in this program,” says Moore. This makes each workout extra effective without taking up too much of your time.

But that doesn’t mean you won’t accumulate more volume as the program goes on. “Tonal is going to add in those additional pounds when you’re ready,” says Moore, explaining that you’ll likely end up lifting more week over week as you get stronger.

Packing in all that volume into a relatively short amount of time has the sneaky benefit of making these workouts metabolically challenging, so they’re also beneficial if your primary goal is getting lean or shifting body composition. “Hypertrophy training is the best way to make aesthetic changes,” says Moore. “If you’re looking to get lean, it’s going to be some combination of building muscle and reducing fat.” You’ll definitely build muscle in this program, and tackling lifts back-to-back-to-back will also have you breathing hard while getting your heart rate up for an extra cardiovascular boost.

New Bonus Leg Day Workouts

Tonal will also release new bonus leg day workouts each week that can be added to either track. “If you are looking to further develop the legs, then you’ll have that option to drive more volume into that area,” says Rodonis, who personally trains legs twice a week. While lifters have a habit of skipping leg day, he warns that doing so can mean missing out on big benefits such as the metabolic boost that comes from developing the large muscles of the lower body. While both program tracks include a solid leg day, the bonus workouts are designed to complement these sessions by challenging your lower body with different movement patterns. Note that the bonus leg days aren’t required to complete the program and they won’t count toward your program stats (although they do earn you bragging rights).

How Beginners Can Join

If you’re a beginner and want to join in on the challenge, Moore recommends taking the Level I track and starting these workouts with Recovery Weight activated to make the load more manageable, or take an extra recovery day or two between workouts. It might take you longer than four weeks to complete the program, but you’ll still be successful if you move at your own pace.

Protein-Packed Recipes

When you’re pushing your muscles to the limit during Four Week Fast Track: Build, it’s important to properly nourish your body while getting enough protein to rebuild those muscle fibers. Tonal is partnering with certified sports nutritionist and body recomposition expert Chris Barakat on a protein-forward meal guide with macronutrient suggestions that can be tailored to several body types. Every week, you’ll receive a new, easy-to-follow recipe that pairs with the meal guide to help inspire you in the kitchen. These recipes can be a stepping stone for solo meal prepping or make a filling breakfast, lunch, or dinner for the family.

Live Sessions for Expert Guidance

To encourage you to stay on track and stay connected during all four weeks of challenging workouts, join the Official Tonal Community on Facebook where you can find an accountability buddy, talk with fellow members, and get advice from Tonal coaches. See below for the schedule of events, which will be streamed in both the OTC and on Tonal’s Youtube channel.

August 22 at 7 p.m. ET: Four-Week fast Track: Build Info Session with Jenna Moore and coaches

August 26 at 6 p.m. ET: Macros and Muscle-Building Tonal Talk with Chris Barakat, MS, ATC, CISSN

September 12 at 6 p.m. ET: Challenge Q&A with coaches Joe Rodonis and Kristina Centenari

September 24 at 6 p.m. ET: Challenge Q&A with coaches Tim Landicho and Ackeem Emmons