- Level
- Beginner
- Days a week
- 3 days
- Goal
- General fitness
- Equipment
- Full gym
- How long
- 3–6 months
- Created by
- Splyt
This is Splyt’s own beginner program for people who want to get fit and strong without committing to a barbell-only plan. Three times a week you train your whole body: a squat or leg press, a hinge, a push, a pull and some core work, using a mix of machines and free weights.
Three rotating sessions keep it varied while you practise each movement pattern three times a week. That frequency is what makes beginners improve quickly.
This program is Splyt’s own. Use it, share it and adapt it as you like.
Who it’s for
Complete beginners, people coming back after years off, and anyone who finds barbell-only programs intimidating. Machines make it easy to start safely; free weights come in as you get comfortable.
If your main goal is a heavy squat, bench and deadlift, a barbell linear progression will get you there faster.
The weekly schedule
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Day A |
| Wednesday | Day B |
| Friday | Day C |
Every workout
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10–12 | |
| Romanian deadlift | 2 × 10 | Dumbbells or barbell |
| Plank | 3 × 30–45 s |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Leg press | 3 × 10–12 | |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 10–12 | |
| Walking lunge | 2 × 10 each leg | |
| Face pull | 2 × 15 |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 × 6–8 | Or keep the goblet squat |
| Machine chest press | 3 × 10–12 | |
| Dumbbell row | 3 × 10 each arm | |
| Leg curl | 2 × 12 | |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 | Superset with pushdowns |
| Triceps pushdown | 2 × 12 |
Sessions take 45–60 minutes. Rest about two minutes between sets of the first two exercises and 60–90 seconds on the rest. Every exercise links to a page showing how to do it.
How to progress
Use double progression. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, go up to the next dumbbell or the next pin on the machine, and build back up from the bottom of the range.
Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. Your first month is about learning the movements; the weights will climb on their own.
Write down every set. The single biggest difference between people who make progress in their first year and people who don’t is whether they know what they did last time and try to beat it.
Stalls and deloads
If a lift stops moving for two or three sessions, take about 10% off and rebuild over a week or two. If everything feels flat, take a lighter week before pushing on.
How long to run it
Three to six months, or until you are adding weight only every couple of weeks. By then you know the lifts and can choose a program around a goal.
What to do next
For strength, move to GZCLP or 5/3/1 for Beginners. For size, the 4-day upper/lower program is the natural next step.
Common mistakes
Changing the program every week
Progress comes from repeating the same lifts and beating last week’s numbers. Stick with it for at least eight weeks.
No log
Without last week’s numbers you can’t progress them. Log every set.
Skipping legs because they’re hard
Squats, lunges and leg press do more for fitness than any other part of the session.
Running it in Splyt
Build each workout above as a template in Splyt. When you finish a session, the weights you actually lifted carry into the next run of that template, so every set shows last time’s numbers beside it and you can see at a glance whether to add weight. Log on iPhone or Apple Watch, and the Watch counts your reps for you.
Have the program in a spreadsheet or screenshot already? Import it and Splyt turns it into editable templates. Use the one-rep max calculator to set a training max, the warm-up calculator for warm-up sets in whole plates, and strength standards to see where your lifts sit for your bodyweight.
Questions
Is full body three times a week good for beginners?
It is the best-supported option for beginners. You train each muscle three times a week with short sessions, and a missed day costs little.
Can I do this program at home?
Not as written, since it uses machines. The home dumbbell program covers the same patterns with just dumbbells.
How long should a beginner workout be?
About 45 to 60 minutes. Longer sessions usually mean too much rest or too many exercises.
How heavy should I start?
Choose a weight you could lift for about three more reps than the target on the first set. It should feel easy for the first week or two. You will catch up quickly.
Similar programs
- Home dumbbell program — beginner, 3–4 days
- 4-day upper lower program — intermediate, 4 days
- 5/3/1 for Beginners — beginner, 3 days
- StrongLifts 5×5 — beginner, 3 days
- Every program, by level and days
More for your training
- Workout splits: how push pull legs, upper/lower and full body compare
- Ready-made workouts for every muscle and piece of equipment
- The exercise library: how to do every lift above
- Strength standards by lift and bodyweight
Run this program in Splyt, the workout tracker for iPhone and Apple Watch that remembers what you lifted. Get Splyt free on the App Store