3-day full-body workout: a simple plan that works

Three full-body sessions a week is the most reliable schedule in lifting. Each muscle gets trained three times, every session has a day off after it, and missing one workout costs you a third of the week, not a whole muscle group. It suits beginners, busy people and anyone coming back after a break.

How the week looks

Train on three days with a rest day between, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Alternate two sessions, A and B, so week one is A, B, A and week two is B, A, B. Each session has one squat or leg press, one hinge, one push and one pull, plus a little extra if you have time.

Workout A

• Back squat: 3 sets of 5 to 8
• Bench press: 3 sets of 5 to 8
• Barbell row: 3 sets of 8 to 10
• Romanian deadlift: 2 sets of 8 to 10
• Plank: 2 holds of 30 to 45 seconds

• Back squatQuads, Glutes
• Barbell bench pressChest
• Barbell rowUpper back, Lats
• Romanian deadliftHamstrings, Glutes
• PlankAbs

Workout B

• Deadlift: 2 sets of 5
• Overhead press: 3 sets of 5 to 8
• Lat pulldown or pull-up: 3 sets of 8 to 10
• Walking lunge: 2 sets of 10 a side
• Barbell curl: 2 sets of 10 to 12

• DeadliftHamstrings, Glutes, Lower back
• Standing overhead pressFront delts
• Lat pulldownLats
• Dumbbell walking lungeQuads, Glutes
• Barbell curlBiceps

How to add weight

Use the rep ranges. When you get the top of the range on every set, add the smallest jump your gym allows next time (2.5 kg or 5 lb on the big lifts, less on presses), and work back up the range. This is called double progression, and it keeps working long after adding weight every session stops.

Tip: Leave one or two reps in the tank on most sets. You'll recover between sessions and still make steady progress. See reps in reserve.

How long it takes

About 45 to 60 minutes with warm-up sets and two to three minutes of rest between the heavy sets. Short on time? Pair the push and the pull as a superset.

When to move on

Full body three days a week can carry you for years. Move to four days, like an upper/lower split, only when you want more weekly sets than three sessions can hold, or you'd rather train shorter sessions more often.