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Full-Body Workout Routine: 3-Day Plan with Exercises

Updated · General information, not medical advice.

A full-body workout routine trains all your major muscle groups in every session, usually two or three days a week with rest days between. It is the simplest way to practice the big lifts often and works well for beginners and busy people. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests 2 to 3 training days per week for novices [1].

How it works

Each session includes a lower-body lift (squat or lunge), a hinge (deadlift pattern), a push (bench or overhead press), a pull (row or pulldown), and some core work. You alternate two versions, A and B, so exercises change a little without the plan becoming complicated.

Because you train each muscle several times a week, you can spread weekly sets across sessions. Keep sessions focused and leave a rest day between them.

Who it suits

  • Beginners. Frequent practice can help you learn technique, and the ACSM's novice guidance points to 2 to 3 days per week [1].
  • Busy lifters. Missing a day costs less, because every session covers everything.
  • Lifters returning after a break. It is an easy way to ramp back up.
  • People who run or play sports. Two or three lifting days leave room for other training.

For general health, U.S. guidelines say adults need muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days each week [2]. A two-day full-body plan meets that bar.

Is training a muscle three times a week too much?

Not for most people, if total weekly volume is sensible. A 2016 meta-analysis found that training a muscle twice a week beat once a week, though it did not control for total volume, and it left open whether three times beats twice [3]. A 2019 meta-analysis of 25 studies found no meaningful difference between frequencies when volume was equated, so you can choose based on what fits your life [4].

Sample week: 3 days, A/B/A

| Day | Session | |---|---| | Mon | Workout A | | Tue | Rest | | Wed | Workout B | | Thu | Rest | | Fri | Workout A | | Sat and Sun | Rest or light activity |

Next week, start with B: B, A, B. Over two weeks, you do each workout the same number of times.

Workout A

Workout B

If you like arm work, add barbell curl and triceps pushdown at the end. Keep the whole session to what you can recover from.

For a two-day version, do Workout A and Workout B once each, with at least one rest day between them.

Sets, reps, and rest

For novices, the ACSM recommends loads around 8 to 12 RM, and for hypertrophy training an emphasis on 6 to 12 RM [1]. A common starting layout is 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, which is similar to the layout used in a study of resistance-trained men [5]. It is an example, not a prescription.

Pick weights that leave you able to do about the reps you planned. Then use double progression: when you reach the top of the range on every set, add a small amount of weight. The ACSM gives a 2 to 10 percent load increase once you can beat your target by one to two reps [1]. The progressive overload guide explains this in detail.

Common mistakes

  • Too many exercises. More is not better if you cannot recover. Start with five or six lifts.
  • Training on back-to-back days. Leave a rest day between sessions at first.
  • Never changing anything. Add reps or weight when you can.
  • Skipping rest. In one 8-week study of trained young men, 3-minute rests produced larger strength and thigh-size gains than 1-minute rests [5].

When to move on

Move to an upper/lower or four-day split when:

  • You want more volume per muscle than a full-body session can hold.
  • Sessions are getting too long.
  • You have more days available.

To compare options, see how to choose a workout split.

Doing this in Liftrung

Liftrung's workout logger shows what you did last time beside every set. Its gem ladder tracks each muscle group against your own baseline.

Key points

  • Full body means every major muscle, every session, 2 to 3 days a week.
  • Alternate Workout A and B and keep a rest day between sessions.
  • Use 6 to 12 reps for most lifts and add weight when you reach the top of the range [1].
  • When weekly volume is equal, frequency made no significant difference for muscle growth in a 2019 meta-analysis [4].

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19204579/
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition: Top 10 things to know. https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines/current-guidelines/top-10-things-know
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med, 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172/
  4. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci, 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30558493/
  5. Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res, 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26605807/

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