A beginner gym workout plan: 3 days a week, full body

Beginners grow fastest with three full-body sessions a week: alternate two workouts of five big exercises, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add a rep or the smallest weight step whenever you reach the top of the range.

Walking into a gym for the first time can feel like walking into an exam you did not study for. The good news is that beginners do not need a complicated programme. You need a few big exercises, done well, three times a week, with a little more weight over time.

Why full body, three days a week

When you are new, your muscles respond to almost any good training. Hitting each muscle two or three times a week grows it faster than one long "chest day" a week. Three full-body sessions, with a rest day between each, also leave plenty of time to recover.

A simple week: Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, or any three days with a day off in between.

The plan

Alternate between workout A and workout B. Week one is A, B, A. Week two is B, A, B.

Workout A

1. Goblet squat or barbell squat: 3 sets of 8 to 10
2. Dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 8 to 10
3. Seated cable row: 3 sets of 10 to 12
4. Romanian deadlift with dumbbells: 3 sets of 8 to 10
5. Plank: 3 holds of 30 to 45 seconds

Workout B

1. Leg press: 3 sets of 10 to 12
2. Lat pulldown: 3 sets of 8 to 10
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press: 3 sets of 8 to 10
4. Hip thrust or glute bridge: 3 sets of 10 to 12
5. Dumbbell curl and triceps pushdown: 2 sets of 12 each

Each session takes about 45 to 60 minutes.

How heavy?

Choose a weight you can lift for the target reps with about two reps left in the tank. The last reps should feel hard, but your form should not break. If you can do more than the top of the rep range with good form, the weight is too light.

How to progress: double progression

This is the simplest way to keep getting stronger (more in our guide to progressive overload):

1. Start at the bottom of the rep range, for example 3 sets of 8.
2. Each session, try to add a rep or two.
3. When you can do all sets at the top of the range, for example 3 sets of 10, add the smallest weight step: 2.5 kg on a barbell, or the next dumbbell up.
4. Drop back to the bottom of the range and build up again.

Write down every set. You cannot beat last week's numbers if you do not know them.

Warm up and rest

• Warm up with 5 minutes of easy cardio, then one or two light sets of your first exercise.
• Rest about 2 minutes between sets of big lifts and 60 to 90 seconds for smaller ones.

Common beginner mistakes

• Changing the plan every week. Stick with it for at least 8 to 12 weeks.
• Going too heavy too soon. Your joints and tendons adapt more slowly than your muscles.
• Skipping legs. Your legs and back are your biggest muscles, and training them pays off everywhere.
• Not eating enough protein. Aim for about 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram of bodyweight a day.

Sources

• The American College of Sports Medicine position stand on progression in resistance training: ACSM, 2009
• How often to train each muscle a week: Schoenfeld et al., 2016

The takeaway

Three full-body sessions a week, a handful of big exercises, a little more weight or reps each time, and good sleep and food. That is the whole secret for the first year. Shulah builds a plan like this from six questions, sets your next weights from every set and rating you log, and catches your new records for you.

Want it on paper? Download a free weekly gym schedule as a PDF: 3, 4 or 6 days.