Train three nonconsecutive days and alternate workouts A and B: A/B/A in week one, then B/A/B in week two. Each session includes lower-body work, pressing and pulling. Start with manageable loads, finish most sets with about two controlled reps left, and add reps before increasing weight.
This three-day full-body workout is an example for generally healthy adults who have learned the basic movements and can use a gym. It is not an individualized return-from-injury plan. If you are new to lifting, getting help with setup and technique is more useful than guessing a heavy starting weight.
Your first two weeks
| Day | Week one | Week two |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Workout A | Workout B |
| Tuesday | No lifting scheduled | No lifting scheduled |
| Wednesday | Workout B | Workout A |
| Thursday | No lifting scheduled | No lifting scheduled |
| Friday | Workout A | Workout B |
| Weekend | No lifting scheduled | No lifting scheduled |
Other nonconsecutive days work. Keep the order rather than restarting with A every Monday. Across two weeks, you perform each session three times.
You need a rack or a squat alternative, bench, dumbbells, cable or pulldown station, and leg-curl machine or a suitable alternative. A notebook works for tracking. For an iPhone app that puts training alongside nutrition and habits, Beacon is our top recommendation.
Workout A: squat, press and row
The sets below are working sets. Warm-up sets are additional. Complete the sets of one exercise before moving on; this plan does not require holding several gym stations at once.
| Exercise and demonstration | Working sets × reps | Rest between sets |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 × 6–8 | 2–3 minutes |
| Barbell bench press | 3 × 6–10 | 2–3 minutes |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 8–12 | 2 minutes |
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 2 × 8–12 | 2 minutes |
| Standing calf raise | 2 × 10–15 | 60–90 seconds |
| Plank | 2 × 20–40 seconds | 60–90 seconds |
For the plank, stop when you cannot maintain your position; do not extend the timer by letting your lower back sag. Build toward 40 controlled seconds on both holds before choosing a harder variation.
Workout B: hinge, overhead press and pulldown
| Exercise and demonstration | Working sets × reps | Rest between sets |
|---|---|---|
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 6–10 | 2–3 minutes |
| Overhead press | 3 × 6–10 | 2–3 minutes |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 | 2 minutes |
| Leg press | 2 × 10–15 | 2 minutes |
| Leg curl | 2 × 10–15 | 60–90 seconds |
| Dumbbell floor press | 2 × 8–12 | 2 minutes |
The two sessions distribute work differently. B includes a press for the chest as well as overhead pressing, while A includes a second hip-hinge movement. Use the lower-body loads that let you recover for the next session; neither hinge needs to be a maximal effort.
To compare other movements before changing this plan, see the guides to chest exercises, back exercises and leg exercises. They explain the equipment and movement differences; a replacement still needs an appropriate starting load.
These are editorial example workouts. Beacon's Full Body Strength program is a separate A/B/C option with different prescriptions. You can compare it with this plan, but opening that program does not import this article's A/B routine.
Warm up and choose a first-session load
Begin with a few minutes of comfortable movement if it helps you feel ready, then rehearse the first lift with a light load. Take a few progressively heavier warm-up sets without tiring yourself out. For a squat, that might mean an unloaded movement, the empty bar and one or two intermediate loads before your working sets. The exact steps depend on your working weight; a light goblet squat does not require the same buildup as a heavy barbell squat.
Warm up again when a later exercise introduces a new movement or substantially heavier load. Do not count those preparation sets as the working sets in the tables.
Choose a weight that allows the bottom of the rep range with steady technique and roughly two more good reps possible. This estimate is called repetitions in reserve. It is an estimate, especially while learning: you do not need to test failure to find the perfect number. During your first week, keep the effort easier if technique is uncertain and use two working sets instead of three where needed.
Rest longer if breathing or fatigue prevents you from repeating the movement well. The table is a starting prescription, not a reason to rush a difficult squat set. Stop an exercise that produces sharp or worsening pain rather than working through it to finish the table.
Progress with a rep range
Use the same load across an exercise's working sets when practical. Add reps over successive appearances of that exercise. For bench press at 3 × 6–10, a progression might look like this:
| Appearance | Load | Reps in the three sets | Next decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 40 kg total | 8, 7, 6 | Keep the load |
| Later | 40 kg total | 10, 9, 8 | Keep building reps |
| Later | 40 kg total | 10, 10, 10 | Increase only if technique and effort still fit |
| Next | 42.5 kg total | 7, 7, 6 | Build up again |
Those weights are an illustration, not starting-weight advice. For dumbbells, record the weight of each dumbbell consistently. Choose the smallest practical increase; if it takes you below the bottom of the range, the jump was too large for this progression.
The ACSM progression position stand recommends load increases when the current workload becomes manageable beyond the target reps. The precise ranges and progression example here are programming choices, not a trial proving this exact routine is optimal.
If you miss reps once, repeat the load next time. If several appearances worsen, check rest, technique, recent workload and whether the load is appropriate. Reduce it enough to regain controlled reps if needed. Adding more exercises is not the first solution to a lift you cannot yet perform consistently.
Substitute by the job an exercise does
| If this is unavailable or unsuitable | Practical option | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | Goblet squat or leg press | Knee-dominant lower-body work |
| Bench press | Dumbbell floor press | A horizontal press; expect a different range of motion |
| Seated cable row | Dumbbell row | Horizontal pulling; prescribed reps are per side |
| Barbell Romanian deadlift | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | Hip-hinge practice with a manageable load |
| Standing calf machine | A controlled calf raise using available support | Stable balance and deliberate calf work |
Keep the replacement consistent for several sessions so the log means something. New equipment needs a new load choice; do not transfer the same weight from a cable stack to a dumbbell or between machines. If no suitable leg-curl option is available, omit it for that session and review your equipment choices for the ongoing plan rather than pretending a row or squat is the same movement.
How long will the sessions take?
There are 15 working sets in each session. Allow a generous window for learning the setup, warming up, resting and changing stations. As a planning estimate, reserve about an hour or longer at first; this routine has not been timed in your gym and may take substantially longer when equipment is busy.
If your hard limit is 30 minutes, use fewer working sets or choose a shorter routine instead of compressing every rest. For a one-off short visit, perform the first three movements for two working sets each and record the reduced session honestly. Repeatedly using that version is a different workload and deserves its own progression review.
Missing a day does not require doubling the next workout
If Monday A is complete and Wednesday B is missed, do B on Friday. The following Monday is A. Keep a recovery day between these full-body sessions where possible rather than squeezing Wednesday's whole workout into Thursday and still demanding Friday's planned session.
If only two visits are realistic for several weeks, plan two sessions deliberately. If four visits become easier to maintain than long full-body sessions, compare the four-day upper/lower plan. You do not need to change merely because the calendar says you have been a beginner for a certain number of months.
A randomized trial comparing twice-weekly full-body with four-day split training found no advantage for the split in previously untrained women on its measured outcomes. That supports treating schedule fit seriously; it does not promise the same outcome from any two routines.
Put your next session in Beacon
Open Beacon's workout programs to compare existing plans, or use the linked exercise library to check demonstrations before training. Record your actual reps and loads when you train, including substitutions and shortened sessions. The useful next decision comes from what you completed, not what the original table hoped you would complete.