Beginner workout plan: 2 or 3 days a week

A beginner workout plan works best when it is simple, written down and practical to follow. This full-body plan has three workouts you can rotate through over 2 or 3 days a week, without having to come up with a new plan every week.

Why should a beginner workout plan be simple?

As a beginner, you do not need ten different chest exercises or a complicated split that gives every muscle its own day. You need repetition, good technique and gradual increases in weight. Full-body training works well for this because you practice each major movement several times a week.

The idea behind this plan is simple: you learn to press, pull, squat, hinge at the hips and keep your core braced. Heavier weights come later. First, your body needs to understand what you are asking it to do.

Jason Ferruggia makes a relevant point about beginners here. He prefers shorter sets because a beginner’s technique can quickly break down when a set goes on too long. If fatigue sets in before you have mastered the movement, you end up learning it incorrectly. Honestly, this is easy to spot in the gym: the first half of a set looks solid, but by the end, the shoulders, back and knees start doing their own thing.

This does not mean every beginner has to stick to sets of five. But 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 reps are all perfectly reasonable for beginners. The traditional 10 – 15 reps is not a bad approach, but it does not have to be the only one.

Beginner workout plan: Days A, B and C

The plan is divided into three workouts. Do them in order: A, B, C, then back to A. If you can fit in 3 workouts a week, you will complete all three. If you can fit in 2, simply continue with the next letter.

Day A

1. Barbell bench press – 4 x 7/3 x 9
2. Pull-ups (3 x 5 – 8) or seated behind-the-neck lat pulldown – 3 x 10/3 x 12/3 x 15
3. Barbell hack squat or conventional deadlift – 4 x 7/3 x 9
4. Lying or standing leg curl – 4 x 7/3 x 9
5. Cable triceps pushdown – 3 x 10/3 x 12/3 x 15
6. Standing dumbbell hammer curl (palms facing each other) – 4 x 7/3 x 9
7. Ball knee tucks (feet on the ball) or ball taps on either side of your body – 3 x 40 – 60 seconds
8. Standing calf raise on a Smith machine or calf raise machine – 4 x 7/3 x 9

Day B

1. Barbell floor press with a medium (close) grip – 4 x 7/3 x 9
2. Seated row – 3 x 10/3 x 12/3 x 15
3. Barbell back squat – 4 x 7/3 x 9
4. Dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift – 4 x 7/3 x 9
5. Lying triceps extension from behind your head (palms facing each other or lying down) – 4 x 7/3 x 9
6. Seated incline dumbbell curl – 4 x 7/3 x 9
7. Plank (also use a weight on your hips) – 2 – 3 x 40 – 60 seconds

Day C

1. Seated shoulder press with dumbbells, on a Smith machine or on a shoulder press machine – 4 x 7/3 x 9
2. One-arm row with the end of a barbell or a dumbbell – 4 x 7/3 x 9
3. Front squat – 4 x 7/3 x 9
4. Good mornings with a barbell across your upper back – 4 x 7/3 x 9
5. Parallel bar dips with an emphasis on the triceps or dips between benches – 4 x 7/3 x 9
6. Standing barbell curl – 4 x 7/3 x 9
7. Machine crunches or sit-ups – 3 x 10/3 x 12/3 x 15
8. Seated calf raise – 2 – 3 x 40 – 60 seconds

How do you fit the beginner workout plan into your week?

If you train 3 days a week, this classic schedule works well:

• Monday – A (Tuesday – A)
• Wednesday – B (Thursday – B)
• Friday – C (Saturday – C)

If you train 2 days a week, do not try to squeeze all three workouts into one week. Simply keep working through the sequence:

• Monday – A
• Thursday – B
• Monday – C
• Thursday – A
• Monday – B
• Thursday – C

You can also do 2 workouts one week and 3 the next. The sequence keeps rolling in the same way:

• Monday – A
• Wednesday – B
• Friday – C
• Monday – A
• Thursday – B
• Monday – C
• Wednesday – A
• Friday – B

So what actually matters? It’s not whether you train on Monday or Wednesday specifically. What matters is keeping the workouts in order and giving your muscles time to recover.

Progression and adding weight

We use two progression schemes:

1. TM 27/28 = 4 x 7/3 x 9
2. TM 30 – 45 = 3 x 10/3 x 12/3 x 15

Most exercises follow the 4 x 7/3 x 9 scheme. Start with 4 x 7 at your chosen weight. The next time you do that exercise, perform 3 x 9 with the same weight. Only add weight on the third occasion.

Take the squat in workout B, for example. If you start with 75 kg and do 4 x 7, you’ll do 3 x 9 with the same 75 kg in your next B workout. Once you’ve done that, add 2.5 – 5 kg the next time around. If the first workout felt too easy, don’t abandon the scheme. Focus on cleaner reps and, if needed, add 5 kg next time instead of 2.5 kg.

Exercises that need longer sets use the 3 x 10/3 x 12/3 x 15 scheme. Do 3 x 10 the first time, 3 x 12 the next time and 3 x 15 the third time. Only add weight once you can complete 3 x 15 with good form, then start again at 3 x 10.

Why not add 3 x 11, 3 x 13 and 3 x 14 in between? For a beginner, there’s little point. A simple system is better than a precise but confusing one.

Follow the same approach for timed sets. Start with 3 x 40 seconds at your chosen weight, then progress to 3 x 50 seconds and finally 3 x 60 seconds. Once you can complete 3 x 60 seconds, add weight and start again at 3 x 40 seconds.

For pull-ups, stick to 3 x 5 – 8 if you can manage them. First, aim for 3 x 5 bodyweight reps, then 3 x 6, then 3 x 7 and finally 3 x 8. Once you’ve completed 3 x 8, add a very small amount of weight. Even a 1 kg weight plate in your pocket is enough of an increase for a beginner.

Practical tips for beginners

Here’s a simple truth: keep a workout log. If you don’t know what weight you used last time, you’ll soon be training haphazardly, going by feel. That works for a few workouts, but not for months on end.

Your choice of weight is personal. No one can honestly say that everyone should start pressing with 80 kg. Some people are strong from day one; others need more time to develop coordination. Choose a weight that lets you complete every rep with good form while keeping some reps in reserve.

Keep rest intervals simple to begin with: 60 – 70 seconds, or 1.00 – 1.10. That should be enough for a beginner for quite some time. Gentle stretching is fine before and after your workout, but don’t turn it into a demanding workout of its own.

You can confidently follow this plan for 16 – 20 weeks (4 – 5 months). Some people move on sooner; others need a full year to feel comfortable in the gym, master the exercises and develop a sense of how hard they’re working. This isn’t a race.

Each of the three workouts – A, B and C – should be doable in an hour, or 60 minutes, at minimum. If your workout takes much longer, look first at your rest breaks and phone scrolling, rather than the plan itself.

Be patient. As a beginner, your goal isn’t to set a personal record with poor form. It’s to learn to push yourself while maintaining your technique, even when the set gets tough.

FAQ: beginner workout plan

Is it better to do 2 or 3 workouts a week?

Both work. If you recover well and your schedule allows it, train 3 days a week. If life is busy or your body needs more rest, train 2 days a week and keep working through workouts A, B and C in order.

Can a beginner follow this plan for longer than 16 – 20 weeks?

Yes. 16 – 20 weeks (4 – 5 months) is a useful guideline, not a limit. If you’re lifting more weight, your technique is improving and you’re recovering well, there’s no need to replace a plan that’s working just for the sake of variety.

What should you do if you can’t manage pull-ups yet?

Start with smaller steps. Do single reps, negative reps or use an assisted pull-up machine if your gym has one. The main thing is to keep the exercise in your plan, even if it’s difficult at first.

Author: Janar Rückenberg

Source:Turg.Fitness.ee

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