Gym workout plan

3-Day Full Body Workout Plan

Written by the GymStreak coaching teamUpdated

Days
3 days a week
Session
50–65 min
Level
Beginner to intermediate
Equipment
Full gym

The short answer

A 3-day full body plan trains your whole body in every session, three non-consecutive days a week. You alternate two workouts (A and B), each with 5–6 exercises at 2–3 sets of 6–12 reps and 1–3 minutes of rest. It fits beginners and busy lifters, and it matches the ACSM advice that novices train the whole body 2–3 days a week.

01 / Who it’s for

Who this plan is for

  • Beginners who have learned the basic lifts and want a simple, complete plan.
  • Busy people: every session trains everything, so a missed day costs less.
  • Anyone who wants each muscle trained about 3 times a week without long sessions.

02 / Schedule

Weekly schedule

DaySession
MonWorkout A
TueRest
WedWorkout B
ThuRest
FriWorkout A
SatRest (or light cardio)
SunRest

Next week starts with Workout B (B, A, B), so both workouts come up equally often. Keep at least one rest day between sessions.

03 / The workouts

The workouts

Warm-up

  • 5 minutes of easy cardio (bike, rower or brisk walk) to get warm.
  • For the first exercise of the day, do 2–3 lighter warm-up sets: for example an empty bar or about 50% of your working weight for 8 reps, then about 70% for 3–5 reps.
  • Later exercises that use the same muscles usually need only one light "feeler" set.

Workout A

Squat, bench press, row

3-day full body, Workout A: exercises with sets, reps and rest
ExerciseSetsRepsRest
Barbell Squats36–102–3 min
Barbell Bench Press36–102–3 min
Bent Over Rows38–102 min
Lying Leg Curls210–1290 s
Lateral Dumbbell Raises212–1560 s
Plank230–45 s45 s

Workout B

Hinge, overhead press, pulldown

3-day full body, Workout B: exercises with sets, reps and rest
ExerciseSetsRepsRest
Barbell RDL (Romanian Deadlift)38–102 min
Standing Barbell Shoulder Press36–102 min
Lat Pulldown38–1290 s
Dumbbell Lunges28–10 each leg90 s
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press28–1290 s
Dead Bug28 each side45 s

Tap any exercise for step-by-step form cues and the muscles it works.

04 / How hard

How hard to train

  • Pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the rep range with good form and about 1–3 reps in reserve (you could have done 1–3 more). Beginners should stay nearer 3 until technique is solid. See reps in reserve.
  • Rest the time shown. Longer rest on the big lifts helps you keep your reps up; you can shorten it on small isolation exercises.
  • Stop a set when your form breaks down, not when you hit a number.

05 / Progression

Progression rules

  • Use double progression. Keep the weight the same and add reps each session until you reach the top of the rep range on every set.
  • Then add weight. Once you hit the top of the range on all sets, ideally in two sessions in a row, add the smallest step you can: roughly 2–5% (often 1–2.5 kg / 2.5–5 lb on upper-body lifts, a little more on squats and deadlifts). Drop back to the bottom of the rep range and build up again.
  • Progress one thing at a time. More weight or more reps, not both, and never at the cost of form.
  • If you stall for 2–3 sessions on a lift, check sleep, food and stress first. If those are fine, take a lighter week (about half the sets, same weights) and then carry on. See deload.

This plan is general fitness guidance, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, an injury, are pregnant or are new to exercise and unsure, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first. Stop any exercise that causes sharp or joint pain.

06 / FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is a 3-day full body workout enough to build muscle?

For most people, yes. You train each muscle about 3 times a week, and the 2–3 hard sets per exercise add up to a reasonable weekly volume. Research links more weekly sets to more growth, so once progress slows you can add a set to the exercises you care most about.

Can I do full body workouts on consecutive days?

It’s better not to. A day off between sessions gives your muscles time to recover before you train them again. The ACSM guidelines suggest at least 48 hours between sessions for the same muscle group.

How long should I follow this plan?

As long as you keep making progress, often many months. When most lifts stop moving for a few weeks despite good sleep and food, try the upper/lower split for more volume per muscle.

Can I swap exercises?

Yes, swap like for like: a squat for a leg press or goblet squat, a barbell press for a dumbbell bench press, a row for a seated cable row. Keep the same sets and reps.

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 11th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2021.
  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;46(11):1689-1697.
  4. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci. 2017;35(11):1073-1082.

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  1. 1. Download GymStreak and answer the set-up questions.
  2. 2. Choose 3 training days, your session length and your equipment (full gym).
  3. 3. GymStreak builds your weekly plan, with a demo for every exercise.
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