At Iron Cowboy, our core service will always be CrossFit. That’s our foundation, our community, and our primary training philosophy.
But we also offer a stand-alone bodybuilding program—something that works great for:
- Members who want additional muscle-specific work
- Anyone looking to escape the “typical” global gym environment
- Those who want 24/7 access but prefer structured lifting over classes
This blog will help you understand the different pieces of our bodybuilding program and how to use them based on your goals.
Understanding the Structure of Our Bodybuilding Programming
We break the bodybuilding track into a few clear categories. Each one serves a different need depending on time, goals, and training style.
1. The Standard Bodybuilding Program (6 Days/Week)
This is the classic split-style approach you’ll see most bodybuilders follow:
- 6 days per week, focused on specific muscle groups
- One day with optional recovery work
- Designed to maximize muscular stimulus while managing fatigue
- Built around simple, proven tools: barbells, dumbbells, rack, cable stack, pull-up bar
We don’t have every machine under the sun—and you don’t need them.
Old-school bodybuilding was built on fundamentals, not 12 variations of a pec fly. If your goal is pure bodybuilding, this is the track for you.
2. Functional Pumps (3 Days/Week)
You’ll see these three days a week in the program.
These sessions are:
- Functional movement–based
- Shorter (always under an hour)
- Designed to give you a serious pump
- Intended to be your ONLY workout of the day
If you’re someone who wants the look of bodybuilding but prefers more dynamic or functional movements, these days fit perfectly.
Do all three per week and you’ll get a strong bodybuilding effect without committing to a full 6-day split.
3. The “Mini Pumps”
Mini pumps are:
- Condensed versions of the main bodybuilding sessions
- Quick options when you’re short on time
- Great accessory pieces to add to your CrossFit WOD
- A simple way to build more muscle without adding another full workout
If you’re doing CrossFit but want to add some more specific movements to add slabs of muscle on certain body parts, the mini pumps are gold 💪🏻
Why This Matters: The Real Role of Muscle
Regardless of which track you follow, building muscle is one of the best investments you can make in your body. Muscle improves:
- How you feel
- How you perform
- How your body looks
- How well you age
- Your everyday confidence—physically and mentally
And here’s the truth most people need to hear:
If you’re not seeing physical changes, the answer is almost never “eat less and do more cardio.”
What usually happens is:
- Someone doesn’t see progress fast enough.
- They get discouraged and check the scale.
- The number hasn’t moved (or gone up).
- They panic, start eating less, and add more cardio.
- They stall even harder.
Building muscle is work.
It requires:
- Fuel
- Consistency
- Heavy weights
- Progressive overload
When you stack good eating and consistent lifting day after day, something cool happens:
- Lean muscle goes up
- Body fat goes down
- You start to look tighter, leaner, and more athletic
- Your clothes fit differently
- Photos look better
- Strength goes up
- Confidence goes way up
And the whole time…
The scale might be heavier. And that’s a good thing.
Quit worrying about the scale. Focus on the work.
Muscle changes everything.