Full Body Workout Plan
Three sessions a week, every major muscle group trained in each one. It is the most efficient structure in existence for the first year of training, and the best option for anyone who cannot guarantee more than three gym days.
- Level
- Beginner
- Goal
- Build muscle
- Days / week
- 3
- Session
- 55m
- Exercises
- 15
Is this the right plan for you?
Run this if
- Included: Anyone in their first year of structured lifting
- Included: People who can only train three days a week
- Included: Lifters coming back after months away from the gym
Pick something else if
- Not included: Advanced lifters chasing high weekly volume per muscle group
- Not included: Anyone training five or more days a week, who should use a split
Weekly schedule
Day A, rest, Day B, rest, Day C, rest, rest
Equipment needed: Barbell, dumbbells, a machine or two
The sessions
Session 01
Day A
Squat, press, row
Barbell Squat
Learn the depth with an empty bar before adding plates.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 5-8
- Rest
- 180s
Barbell Bench Press
Use a spotter or a rack with safety pins from day one.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 5-8
- Rest
- 180s
Bent Over Barbell Row
Hinge to roughly 45 degrees and hold that angle for the whole set.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-10
- Rest
- 120s
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Light. This is a finisher, not a main lift.
- Sets
- 2
- Reps
- 12-15
- Rest
- 60s
Plank
Stop the set when the hips start to sag, not when the clock runs out.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 30-45 seconds
- Rest
- 45s
Session 02
Day B
Hinge, vertical press, vertical pull
Romanian Deadlift
Learn this before you attempt heavy conventional deadlifts.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 6-10
- Rest
- 180s
Barbell Overhead Press
Move the head back out of the way, then push it through once the bar passes.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 6-8
- Rest
- 150s
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Build toward unassisted pull-ups.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-12
- Rest
- 120s
Dumbbell Lunge
Hold a rail for balance until the pattern feels stable.
- Sets
- 2
- Reps
- 10 each leg
- Rest
- 90s
Dead Bug
Keep the lower back flat on the floor the whole time.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-10 each side
- Rest
- 45s
Session 03
Day C
Squat pattern, horizontal push and pull
Front Squat
Goblet squats are a fine substitute while you learn the rack position.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 6-8
- Rest
- 180s
Incline Dumbbell Press
Dumbbells are kinder to the shoulders than a barbell here.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-12
- Rest
- 120s
Seated Cable Row
Chest up, no rocking backwards.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10-12
- Rest
- 120s
Dumbbell Bicep Curl
Control the lowering.
- Sets
- 2
- Reps
- 10-12
- Rest
- 60s
Triceps Dip
Use the bench version if bodyweight dips are too hard.
- Sets
- 2
- Reps
- 8-12
- Rest
- 60s
How to progress
- 01Add a small amount of weight to each main lift every session while form holds.
- 02When you miss the rep target twice in a row, repeat the same weight until you hit it.
- 03After three misses, cut ten percent and build back up.
Questions about this plan
- Is a full body workout three times a week enough to build muscle?
- Yes, and for the first year it usually builds muscle faster than a split, because every muscle group is trained three times a week instead of once or twice.
- Should I train full body on consecutive days?
- No. Leave at least one rest day between sessions. Monday, Wednesday, Friday is the standard arrangement.
- How long before I should switch to a split?
- When progress on the main lifts stops coming session to session, usually somewhere between nine and eighteen months. Until then a split gives you no advantage.
Want this adjusted to you?
This is a fixed template. The generator writes the same structure around your level, goal, available days and equipment, and it is free for the first plan.
Other routines
Push Pull Legs (PPL)
The highest-frequency split that still gives each muscle group two sessions a week. Push days train chest, shoulders and triceps. Pull days train back and biceps. Leg days train everything below the waist.
6 days
Upper Lower Split
Four sessions a week, each muscle group trained twice. It is the split most intermediate lifters should run: enough frequency to grow, enough rest days to recover, and it survives a missed session better than a six-day plan.
4 days
Dumbbell Only Workout Plan
A full training week built entirely from dumbbell and bodyweight movements. Everything here works in a spare room with one adjustable pair, and it covers every major muscle group without a barbell, rack or cable stack.
3 days
Bodyweight Workout Plan
A complete training week that needs no equipment at all. Progress comes from harder variations and higher reps rather than heavier loads, so it keeps working long past the first month.
3 days
Weight Loss Workout Plan
Losing weight is decided by your diet. What training decides is whether the weight you lose is fat or muscle. This plan keeps heavy compound lifting at the centre and adds conditioning around it, which is the arrangement that protects muscle in a calorie deficit.
4 days