TrainersBookBeginner gym workout plan: 3 days a week for 12 weeks
Walking into a gym without a plan usually means wandering between machines and repeating whatever feels familiar. This plan gives you two full-body workouts to alternate three days a week, the sets and reps for all twelve weeks, a simple rule for when to add weight, and a version to print with a log sheet.
The plan on one page
Train three days a week with at least one rest day between workouts, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Alternate the two workouts: week 1 is A, B, A and week 2 is B, A, B. Each workout takes 45 to 60 minutes with the warm-up.
Workout A
| Exercise | Weeks 1–4 | Weeks 5–8 | Weeks 9–12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 10–12 | 3 × 8–10 | 4 × 6–8 |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 10–12 | 3 × 8–10 | 4 × 6–8 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10–12 | 3 × 8–10 | 3 × 8–10 |
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 2 × 10–12 | 3 × 10–12 | 3 × 8–10 |
| Plank | 2 × 20–30 s | 3 × 30–45 s | 3 × 45–60 s |
Workout B
| Exercise | Weeks 1–4 | Weeks 5–8 | Weeks 9–12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg press | 3 × 10–12 | 3 × 8–10 | 4 × 6–8 |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 10–12 | 3 × 8–10 | 4 × 6–8 |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 10–12 | 3 × 8–10 | 3 × 8–10 |
| Hip thrust | 2 × 10–12 | 3 × 10–12 | 3 × 8–10 |
| Dead bug | 2 × 6 a side | 3 × 8 a side | 3 × 10 a side |
Effort and rest
| Weeks | End each set with | Rest between sets |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | 3 reps left | 90 seconds |
| 5–8 | 2 reps left | 2 minutes on the first two exercises, 90 seconds on the rest |
| 9–12 | 1 to 2 reps left | 2 to 3 minutes on the first two, 90 seconds on the rest |
Four rules
- Weeks 1 and 2: do two sets of every exercise. The third set starts in week 3.
- Add weight when you reach the top of the rep range on every set. Use the smallest step: 2.5 kg (5 lb) on machines, the next dumbbell up on dumbbell lifts.
- Week 8 is lighter: one set less of each exercise, same weights.
- Write down every set: the weight and the reps. Next time, beat it by one rep or one step.
The printout is the plan above plus a log sheet, one per four-week phase. The spreadsheet has all 36 workouts, one row per exercise, with empty columns for your weights and reps. Open it in Google Sheets with File, Import, or in Excel or Numbers.
Log sheet · weeks ___ to ___
Write the weight and the reps of each set, for example 16 × 12, 12, 11. Each four-week phase has six A workouts and six B workouts.
Workout A
| Exercise | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | ||||||
| Goblet squat | ||||||
| Dumbbell bench press | ||||||
| Lat pulldown | ||||||
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | ||||||
| Plank |
Workout B
| Exercise | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | ||||||
| Leg press | ||||||
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | ||||||
| Seated cable row | ||||||
| Hip thrust | ||||||
| Dead bug |
Machine settings (seat height, pin, handle): ______________________________________________
How the twelve weeks work
Every workout trains the whole body: a squat or leg press, a push, a pull, a hip hinge or hip thrust, and one exercise for the trunk. Training everything three times a week gives you lots of practice at the movements, which is what a beginner needs most. It also means a missed day costs little, because the next workout covers the same ground.
The twelve weeks are three phases of four weeks:
- Weeks 1–4, learn. Higher reps, lighter weights, three reps left at the end of each set. The goal is to own the movements and find your weights. Most of the early gains come from getting better at the exercises.
- Weeks 5–8, build. Slightly fewer reps and a little heavier. Sets end closer to the limit, with two reps left. Week 8 is lighter, to start the last phase fresh.
- Weeks 9–12, get stronger. The first two exercises in each workout go to four sets of 6 to 8. These are the lifts where you will see the biggest numbers move.
When the rep range drops at the start of a new phase, go up in weight so that the new range ends with the reps left the phase asks for. That is usually one or two steps up.
"Reps left" means how many more you could have done with good form. It takes a few weeks to judge it well, and that is fine. If the last rep was slow and you could not have done another, you had zero left. If you stopped and felt you could have kept going for a while, you had four or more.
If you have a medical condition or have not exercised for a long time, check with your doctor before you start.
Warm-up
Five to eight minutes is enough. It gets you warm, and the lighter sets let you practise the first lift before the work sets count.
- Five minutes on a bike, rower or treadmill, at a pace where you could still talk.
- Two lighter sets of the first exercise: 8 reps at about half your working weight, then 4 reps at about three quarters.
- One light set of 6 to 8 before each of the other exercises, for the first two weeks or whenever an exercise is new.
Find your starting weights
The first two weeks are for finding your weights, not for proving anything. Start lighter than you think. A weight that is too light costs you one workout. A weight that is too heavy costs you good form and confidence.
- Pick a weight you are sure you can lift 12 times.
- Do the set and count how many more reps you think you could have done.
- Four or more left: go up one step for the next set. Two or three left: that is your weight. One or none left, or the form slipped: go down one step.
- Write down the weight that landed in the right place. That is where you start next time.
For the plank, hold until your hips start to sag or your back starts to arch, and start the next workout at that time. For the dead bug, move slowly and keep your lower back against the floor.
When to add weight
The plan uses double progression. You keep the weight the same and add reps until you reach the top of the range on every set. Then you add the smallest weight step and build the reps up again. It is the simplest way to get stronger week after week without guessing. Progressive overload explains the idea in more depth.
| Workout | Goblet squat, 3 × 10–12 (example data) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 16 kg × 12, 11, 10. Not every set at 12, keep the weight. |
| 2 | 16 kg × 12, 12, 11. Closer, keep the weight. |
| 3 | 16 kg × 12, 12, 12. Top of the range on every set. |
| 4 | 18 kg × 10, 10, 9. New weight, build the reps up again. |
Two things make this work. First, you need to know what you lifted last time, so write it down during the workout, not after. How to track your workouts covers what to note. Second, only add weight when the reps left still match the phase. Twelve reps that turned into a grind count as eleven.
For dumbbells, the next step up may be a bigger jump than on a machine. If the next dumbbell is too heavy for the bottom of the range, stay at the current one and add a set's worth of reps first, or slow down the lowering part of each rep.
Swaps when a machine is taken
A busy gym rarely has every machine free. Swap for an exercise that trains the same thing, and write the swap in your log so you compare like with like next time.
| Exercise | Swap for |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | Leg press, or a squat to a bench holding a dumbbell |
| Dumbbell bench press | Machine chest press, or push-ups with your hands on a bench |
| Lat pulldown | Assisted pull-up machine, or a single-arm cable pulldown |
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | Cable pull-through, or a 45-degree back extension |
| Leg press | Goblet squat, or a split squat holding dumbbells |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | Machine shoulder press |
| Seated cable row | Chest-supported dumbbell row, or a row machine |
| Hip thrust | Glute bridge on the floor, with a dumbbell on your hips |
| Plank or dead bug | Each other, or a bird dog |
When the goblet squat outgrows the heaviest dumbbell, usually in the last phase, move it to a barbell squat if someone can show you the setup, or to the leg press with the higher reps.
Your first day at the gym
Most of the nerves come from not knowing where things are. A little preparation takes care of that.
- Go at a quiet time the first few times. Many gyms show their busiest hours online, or the staff can tell you.
- Ask the staff to show you the leg press, the cable row and the lat pulldown. Seat height and pin positions make a big difference, and the staff are used to the question.
- Note your machine settings in your log. Next time you set up in seconds instead of guessing.
- Bring the plan, on paper or on your phone, so you never have to think about what comes next.
- Bring water and a towel, wear shoes with a flat, firm sole, and wipe the bench when you are done.
- Ask to work in if someone is resting on the machine you need. You take turns between sets, and it is normal.
Missed workouts and slow weeks
Twelve weeks rarely go exactly to plan. What matters is that the plan survives the weeks that do not.
- Missed one workout: do the next workout in the order on your next gym day. Do not squeeze two into one.
- Missed a week: repeat the last week you completed, with the same weights.
- Missed two weeks or more: go back about 10 percent on every weight and build back up. It comes back faster than it took the first time.
- Same weight and reps three workouts in a row: look at sleep and food first. Then take about 10 percent off that exercise and build back up with the same rule.
Getting to the gym is often harder than the workout itself. How to stay consistent with training has ideas for the weeks when motivation is low.
Common questions
Is three days a week enough for a beginner?
Yes. Three full-body workouts a week train every major muscle group more than once a week, with a rest day between workouts. For most beginners that is enough to get stronger week after week, and easy enough to keep up.
Should a beginner do full body or a split?
Full body. You practise each movement more often, a missed day costs less, and three workouts a week cover everything. Splits make more sense later, when you want more sets per muscle than one workout can hold.
How much weight should I start with?
A weight you are sure you can lift 12 times. Do the set, count the reps you had left, and adjust by one step until the set ends with two or three left. Use the first two weeks to find your weights.
How long should a beginner workout take?
45 to 60 minutes with the warm-up. Five exercises of two to four sets, with 90 seconds to 3 minutes of rest, fits in that time.
Is there a printable PDF of the plan?
Yes. The button under the plan prints it with a log sheet for each four-week phase. For a PDF, choose Save as PDF in the print dialog.
Is this plan for women or men?
Both. The exercises, sets and reps are the same. What differs from person to person is the starting weight, and you find yours in the first two weeks.
Can I do the plan with machines only?
Yes. The leg press, lat pulldown and cable row already are machines. For the rest, use the swaps: machine chest press, machine shoulder press, leg press for the goblet squat and a 45-degree back extension for the Romanian deadlift.
What should I do after the 12 weeks?
Keep going with the phase 3 sets and reps while the weights still go up. When they stall, change some of the exercises, add a fourth training day, or look at how many sets you do per muscle. How many sets per week helps you plan the next step.