Last Updated On January 1, 2026
With so many fitness personalities out there, it can be difficult to stand out.
A lot of us feel uncomfortable in our own skin, and when looking for role models, it can be easy to relate to the underdog.
David Laid may currently possess one of the most aesthetic bodies of all time, but this social media influencer was once a skinny kid with low self-confidence.
Let’s dive deep into David’s workout, diet, background, and more.
- DUP Quick Workout Summary
- David Laid’s Workout Routine (Splits & Schedule)
- Who Is David Laid? (+ Why Social Media Loves Him)
- Current Body Stats & Physique
- What Is DUP? (David Laid Workout Philosophy)
- Career Achievements
- David Laid’s Nutrition Plan
- What Supplements Does David Laid Take?
- David Laid Workout & Diet FAQs
- Conclusion
DUP Quick Workout Summary
Main Workout Goal | Building Lean Muscle Mass, Strength, and Overall Athleticism |
Program Duration | 9-10 weeks |
Workout Days Per Week | 5 |
Time Per Workout | 60-120 minutes |
Equipment Required | Dumbbells, Barbells, EZ Bar |
Recommended Supplements | Protein Powder Creatine Pre-Workout BCAA's |
David Laid’s Workout Routine (Splits & Schedule)
David has been quoted as saying,
“Ditch the pump and fluff workouts and cookie-cutter bro splits…Stick to a workout regimen that integrates the most optimal methods to fulfill your long-term fitness and physique goals."
He believes that people tend to overthink routines and that it's best to go back to basics when it comes to gaining strength and muscle mass.
You'll find that David Laid's training routine of fundamental exercises focuses heavily on compound exercises with dumbbells and barbells which are ideal for increasing raw strength and size.
David Laid’s workout routine does not feature a standard push-pull legs split, but rather focuses more on the chest, back, arms, legs, and shoulders as their own individual muscle groups for training purposes.
If you notice, his chest and shoulders are very developed, which is the clear result of this style of routine.
There are also a lot of nice “detail” workouts like EZ bar curl exercises and other favorite exercises that help more with aesthetics and striations than strength, per se.
Monday: Chest
Going to failure - flat bench press and incline bench press at the end are crucial in really pushing the muscle fibers to grow stronger.
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Incline bench press | 5 | 5 | 20-30 secs |
Dumbbell incline press | 5 | 8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Flat bench press | 5 | 6-8 | 20-30 Secs |
Incline bench press | 3 | burnout | 20-30 Secs |
Flat bench press | 3 | burnout | 20-30 Secs |
Tuesday: Back
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Dumbbell rows | 4 | 6-8 | 20-30 Secs |
Seated wide-grip lat pulldown | 4 | 6-8 | 20-30 Secs |
Seated cable row | 4 | 8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Close grip chin-up reps until failure | 4 | failure | 20-30 Secs |
Hex bar shrug | 4 | 8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Cable shrug | 4 | 8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Close grip lat pulldown | 4 | 6-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Wednesday: Shoulders
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Seated dumbbell press | 4 | 8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Seated behind the neck overhead press | 4 | 8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Dumbbell lateral raise | 4 | 8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Seated machine overhead press | 4 | 8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Cable lateral raise | 4 | 10-12 | 20-30 Secs |
Front plate raise | 4 | 10-12 | 20-30 Secs |
Rear delt seated fly machine | 4 | 10-12 | 20-30 Secs |
Rear delt seated cable row | 4 | 10-12 | 20-30 Secs |
Thursday: Legs
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Barbell squat with pause | 4 | 3 | 20-30 Secs |
Barbell squat | 6 | 5 | 20-30 Secs |
Machine leg press | 3 | 20 | 20-30 Secs |
Lying hamstring curls | 5 | 10 | 20-30 Secs |
Friday: Arms
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Seated Hammer Curl | 3 | 6-8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Bodyweight dips | 3 | 15 | 20-30 Secs |
EZ bar curl | 3 | 6-8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Triceps cable pushdown | 3 | 6-8-10 | 20-30 Secs |
Barbell curl | 2 | burnout | 20-30 Secs |
Dumbbell seated triceps extension | 2 | burnout | 20-30 Secs |
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest
David Laid is a fitness model who essentially started out at zero.
He had a rather rough childhood as his father passed away when he was 2 years old, and he was constantly being bullied for his 90-pound thin frame.
Around the young age of 14, he began to watch YouTube fitness videos and was inspired by the likes of Greg Plitt, Jeff Seid, and other fitness models.
From YouTube, he was able to create a workout routine and embarked on his fitness journey.
He started his own YouTube channel chronicling his journey through strength training and gaining immense muscle mass and strength.
The video chronicling his insane transformation from age 14 to 17 currently has over 48 million views, and countless people around the world felt motivated by him to achieve their own fitness goals.[1]
On social media, he does a great job at detailing things that work for him and sharing advice, whereas many others tend to guard their tips.
Related Article - Jay Cutler Workout And Diet Plan
His helpfulness and likable personality make him one of the most popular people to follow.
Current Body Stats & Physique
Stat | Measurement |
|---|---|
Height | 6”2’ |
Weight | 185 - 195 lbs |
Age | 24 |
Biceps | 18 inches |
Waist | 27 inches |
Chest | 41 inches |
What Is DUP? (David Laid Workout Philosophy)
David Laid’s DUP program is an intense, 6-day push-pull-legs (PPL) split which follows general strength and hypertrophy principles.[2]
Many of the heavy compound movements are programmed to 85%+ most weeks which is a pretty typical powerlifting routine (keeping basics in mind). Check our article on how to build a powerlifting gym to do these exercises at home.
Standing for "daily undulating periodization," DUP is a wonderful workout routine for improving strength and packing on muscle.
While it's not perfect, it's also very effective for improving or maintaining aesthetics.
Career Achievements
David is definitely not a one-trick pony and is much more than a fitness model.
He is also a bodybuilder, GymShark sponsored athlete, supplement brand owner, and social media celebrity.
His enormous social media following consists of over 1 million on Instagram and 1.5 million on YouTube.
Related Article - Dana Linn Bailey Exercise Routine And Diet Plan
David Laid’s Nutrition Plan
As David naturally has an ectomorph body type, it's very important that he consumes enough calories.[3]
He relies on nutrient-dense food to achieve his caloric requirements and follows "IIFYM" or "if it fits your macros."
This refers to a diet that focuses less on the type of food and more on the macronutrients it includes.
Another aspect that sets David Laid's diet very far apart from most other bodybuilders is the fact that he's gone mainly vegan.
It should be noted that he didn't make his initial transformation on a vegan diet, but he has adopted an almost exclusively vegan diet over the last 2 years, and it seems to be doing well for him.
He relies heavily on plant-based protein powder shakes to get enough protein in, which is essential for maintaining and building upon the muscle he currently has.
Related Article - Chris Bumstead Diet Program And Workout
While at one point he was completely vegan, he now fluctuates between a vegan and a non-vegan diet.
Breakfast
Vegan
Non-Vegan
Lunch
Vegan:
Non-Vegan:
Snack
Dinner
Vegan:
Non-Vegan:
Snack
What To Go For
What To Avoid
Related Article - Dorian Yates Diet And Workout Routine
What Supplements Does David Laid Take?
David Laid’s supplement brands and formulas do change, but the types of supplements he takes do not seem to.
Just like with his workout session routine, his meal plan is also quite straightforward.
Related Article: Creatine Vs Pre-Workout – Which Is Best For Lifting?
David Laid Workout & Diet FAQs
He was diagnosed with scoliosis in his teenage years, which is when he turned to fitness to help fix the problem.
He has a lot of tech house, deep house, dubstep, and other types of electronic music on his playlists. You can check out his Gymshark playlist on Spotify to give you an idea.[6]
David can work out up to 6 hours per day, no matter if it’s a chest workout, arm workout, etc.
He began working out at 14 years old, and ended up completing a full transformation by age 17.
We’re unable to say. What we can say is that he has always claimed he was natty. While his transformation from age 14 to 20 was certainly shocking and didn’t occur overnight, there’s no evidence proving he took anything.
Read Also - Ronnie Coleman Workout Routine
Conclusion
It's easy to see why David Laid is so popular, even looking beyond his impressive physique from an early age.
If you're looking to gain some serious strength and size, it's a smart idea to look into his supplementation, diet, and routine of basic exercises to implement the physical changes you're looking to achieve.
His transformation videos and workout vlogs are incredibly helpful, and we know you will find more videos from him to be useful, as well.
Reference:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-uWtKO6JDo
2. https://davidlaid.com/products/dup
3. https://blog.nasm.org/fitness/body-types-how-to-train-diet-for-your-body-type
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2048496/
5. https://euphoriapre.com/
6. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5vEASV21KIBG9KJBwh7PFT
