By the Bodywise Coach teamLast updated 9 min readGeneral guidance for adults 18+
You do not need a complicated split, a pre-workout shelf or six days in the gym. Three full-body sessions a week, the same handful of movements, and a small increase in weight when the last set feels easy will take a complete beginner a very long way. Here is the plan, the reasoning behind it, and what to eat and track alongside it.
A good beginner gym workout plan is three full-body sessions a week, five or six exercises per session, three sets of 8 to 12 reps, stopping each set with one or two reps left in you. Log every weight, then add the smallest increment once every set of an exercise feels controlled.
Before you start
This is general fitness guidance for healthy adults aged 18 and over, not medical advice. Speak to a health professional first if you are pregnant or recently gave birth, recovering from surgery, injury or illness, taking medication, living with a heart, lung, metabolic or joint condition, or have a history of disordered eating.
Two full-body sessions a week is enough to get stronger when you are starting out; three is a good target once the habit is in place. Choose days you can protect for the next month, leaving at least one rest day between sessions.
A beginner does not need a body-part split. One squat, one hinge, one push, one pull and a little trunk work in each session covers the whole body, keeps sessions to about 45 minutes and gives every muscle group several chances a week to grow.
For your first week, pick a weight you could lift about four more times than the plan asks for, and stop each set with two or three repetitions left in the tank. Your first sessions are for learning the movement, not testing your limit.
When you can complete every set at the top of the rep range with clean technique, add the smallest available increment next time — usually 1–2.5 kg on an upper-body movement or 2.5–5 kg on a lower-body one. That is progressive overload, and it is the whole game.
Muscle needs a reason and the raw material. Spread protein across the day, aim for a sensible daily total based on your bodyweight, and avoid aggressive dieting while you are learning to train — you will feel weaker and recover worse.
Log your sets, weigh yourself under similar conditions a few times a week, and judge progress on a weekly average. Bodyweight moves day to day for reasons that have nothing to do with fat or muscle.
You do not need a long routine before lifting. Raise your temperature, move the joints you are about to load, then ramp up the first exercise.
1. 5 minutes easy cardio
Bike, rower or brisk walk until your breathing lifts slightly and you feel warm.
2. Two mobility drills
Something for the hips and something for the shoulders — for example bodyweight squats and arm circles, 8–10 slow reps each.
3. Two ramp-up sets
On your first exercise only, do one set with an empty or very light load and one at about half your working weight.
Run sessions A, B and C on non-consecutive days — for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you only have two days, alternate A and B. Rest 90 seconds between sets, and stop any set where your technique breaks down.
Squat, push, pull
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg press or goblet squatPush through the whole foot, knees tracking over the toes. | 3 | 8–12 | 90–120 s |
| Chest press machine or dumbbell bench pressElbows about 45° from your body, controlled two-second lower. | 3 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| Seated row machinePull to the lower ribs, keep the chest tall. | 3 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell shoulder pressRibs down, press just in front of your ears. | 2 | 10–12 | 60–90 s |
| PlankSqueeze glutes, stop when the hips start to sag. | 2 | 20–40 seconds | 45 s |
Hinge, vertical pull, single leg
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian deadlift (light dumbbells)Push the hips back, stop when the hamstrings tighten. | 3 | 8–12 | 90–120 s |
| Lat pulldown or assisted pull-upLead with the elbows, no leaning back. | 3 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| Split squat or step-upHold something for balance in week one. | 2 per leg | 8–10 | 60–90 s |
| Incline dumbbell pressBench at 30°, wrists stacked over elbows. | 2 | 10–12 | 90 s |
| Dead bug or cable rotationMove slowly; keep the lower back flat. | 2 | 8–10 per side | 45 s |
Repeat A with slightly more load
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg press or goblet squatMatch Session A depth before adding weight. | 3 | 8–12 | 90–120 s |
| Chest press or push-up variationFull range beats extra load. | 3 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| Seated row or single-arm rowPause for a beat at the end of each pull. | 3 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| Hamstring curl or hip thrustFinish the movement rather than rushing it. | 2 | 10–12 | 60–90 s |
| Side plankStack the shoulders and hips in one line. | 2 | 15–30 seconds per side | 45 s |
Keep the same exercises and change only the load. This is what a sensible first month looks like on paper.
| Week | Load | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Very light — 4 reps in reserve | Learn the movements and record every weight you use. |
| Week 2 | Same or slightly heavier | Repeat the same sets with better control; add a little only where every set felt easy. |
| Week 3 | Top of the rep range | Aim to reach the top of each range with 1–2 reps left in reserve. |
| Week 4 | Add the smallest increment | 1–2.5 kg upper body, 2.5–5 kg lower body, then rebuild reps from the bottom of the range. |
After week four, repeat the cycle. Most beginners can keep adding small amounts of weight for several months before anything more complicated is needed.
Common guidance for people doing resistance training is roughly 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Use the table as a starting point, then adjust based on appetite, results and how well you recover.
| Bodyweight | Daily protein | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 96–132 g | Roughly 1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight |
| 70 kg | 112–154 g | Spread across three or four meals |
| 80 kg | 128–176 g | Higher end helps when eating in a deficit |
| 90 kg | 144–198 g | Use a starting point, then adjust by results |
If choosing your first weights is the part you are unsure about, work through sets, reps and how much weight to lift.
Four numbers cover almost everything a beginner needs. Record them consistently and you will always know whether the plan is working before the mirror tells you.
| What | How often | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Weight and reps per set | Log every set as you finish it | It is the only way to know whether you are progressing. |
| Bodyweight | 3–4 mornings a week, same conditions | Judge the weekly average, never one reading. |
| Waist measurement | Once a week, at the navel | Shows composition change when weight is flat. |
| Sleep and energy | A one-tap score after each session | Poor recovery explains most bad sessions. |
Aim for seven to nine hours. A run of short nights shows up as heavier warm-up sets and lower motivation long before it shows up in your results.
Full-body training needs about 48 hours before you repeat the same patterns. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, both work well.
Easy movement helps recovery and appetite control without adding fatigue. It also keeps your weekly activity steady when a session gets missed.
If weights stall for two weeks and everything feels heavy, repeat your sets with about 10 per cent less load for one week and then build again.
Two full-body sessions still build strength and muscle for a beginner. Adjust like this:
You have the plan. These three guides cover the weights you should be lifting, the food that supports them, and how to get through day one.
0 of 3 read · next up: Sets, reps and how much weight to lift.
Bodywise Coach takes the same principles and does the work: it builds your programme from the days and equipment you actually have, picks your starting weights, adds load when you have earned it, works out your energy and protein targets, plans meals from foods you already eat, and explains every change in plain English.