new to the gym, where do i start
Beginner gym plan:
3 days, full body.
A free full body workout plan for your first months in the gym: three sessions a week with a rest day between each, every set and rep range written out, how to pick your starting weights and how to add more. It is the Full body 3 days plan from the Physiqo app.
The week
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Full body A |
| Wednesday | Full body B |
| Friday | Full body C |
| Other days | Rest, or a walk |
Any three days work, as long as there is a rest day between sessions. Each session takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Full body A
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 3 x 6 to 8 | 3 min |
| Bench press | 3 x 6 to 8 | 2 min |
| Barbell row | 3 x 8 to 10 | 2 min |
| Lateral raise | 2 x 12 to 15 | 75 sec |
| Barbell curl | 2 x 10 to 12 | 75 sec |
Full body B
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3 x 5 to 6 | 3 min |
| Overhead press | 3 x 6 to 10 | 2 min |
| Lat pulldown | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Leg press | 3 x 10 to 12 | 3 min |
| Tricep pushdown | 2 x 10 to 15 | 75 sec |
Full body C
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 x 8 to 10 | 3 min |
| Face pull | 2 x 12 to 15 | 75 sec |
| Hanging leg raise | 2 x 8 to 12 | 75 sec |
Rest times: about 3 minutes on squats, deadlifts and the leg press, 2 minutes on the main presses, rows and pulls, and about 75 seconds on smaller lifts.
Your first week
- Start light. Use the empty bar or light dumbbells and learn how each lift should feel. You are practising, not testing yourself.
- Find a weight that leaves two reps in the tank. If you could only just finish the set, it is too heavy. If you could have done five more, go up next time.
- Write everything down. The weight and reps for every set. Next week's plan comes from this week's numbers.
- Ask for help. Many gyms offer an induction: book it, and ask a member of staff to show you how to set up the squat rack, the bench and the cable machines.
- Expect some soreness. Aching muscles for a day or two in the first weeks is normal. Sharp pain, or pain in a joint, isn't: stop that lift and get it checked.
Not comfortable with a lift yet? Use the nearest machine for now: the leg press for squats, a chest press machine for bench press, or a seated row for barbell rows. Keep the same sets and reps.
How to add weight: double progression
Every lift has a rep range, such as 6 to 8. Pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the range with good form and stay on it until you hit the top of the range on every set. Then add the smallest step and start again from the bottom.
- Every set at the top of the range: add one step next time, and go back to the bottom of the range.
- Somewhere in the range: keep the weight and chase one more rep on each set.
- No set reaches the bottom of the range, or the reps fall away fast (10, 7, 5): take one step off.
A step is 5 kg on squats, deadlifts and the leg press, 2.5 kg on most other barbell, machine and cable lifts, and 2 kg on dumbbells. For example, bench press 4 x 6 to 8 at 60 kg: once all four sets reach 8, the next session is 62.5 kg for 6.
Finish most sets with 1 or 2 reps left in the tank rather than going to failure, and do 2 or 3 lighter warm-up sets before the first big lift of the day.
Gym etiquette in 30 seconds
- Put your weights back when you finish: plates off the bar, dumbbells on the rack.
- Wipe down benches and handles after you use them.
- Ask before you jump in.
how many sets have you got left?
ormind if I work in?
is normal, and most people are happy to share. - Don't camp on kit scrolling your phone between sets when it is busy.
- Give people room in front of the dumbbell rack and the mirror.
Nobody is watching you as much as you think. Everyone in there had a first week.
Training at home instead
No gym? Swap each lift for the nearest one with a pair of dumbbells and keep the same sets and rep ranges.
| At the gym | At home |
|---|---|
| Bench press | Dumbbell floor press |
| Barbell row | Dumbbell row |
| Overhead press or seated dumbbell press | Standing dumbbell press |
| Lat pulldown or pull-up | Dumbbell row (or pull-ups if you have a bar) |
| Incline dumbbell press | Push-up or dumbbell floor press |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | Dumbbell row |
| Tricep pushdown | Overhead dumbbell extension |
| Barbell curl | Dumbbell curl |
| Squat or leg press | Goblet squat |
| Deadlift or Romanian deadlift | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift |
| Leg extension | Reverse lunge |
| Lying or seated leg curl | Glute bridge or single-leg Romanian deadlift |
| Calf raise | Dumbbell calf raise |
| Cable crunch or hanging leg raise | Dead bug |
When to move on
Stay on this plan while the weights keep going up. When progress slows and you can train four days a week, the 4 day upper lower split is the natural next step.
A coach in your pocket for the first months
This plan is one of the templates in Physiqo, or Ari drafts one around you: say build me a training plan
and tell her how many days you can train, your kit and your goal. Log a set by typing it, like squat forty for eight
, and every exercise has a How to and a rest timer. She can't judge your form from a photo or video, and she isn't a physio, so for pain or anything medical see someone qualified. More in the workout tracker app guide and AI personal trainer app.
Plans and availability
Physiqo is £14.99 a month, £29.97 for 3 months or £95.88 for 12 months, after a free trial whose length the App Store sets. There is no free plan. Pricing, the free trial and how to cancel
Physiqo is coming soon to iPhone. Join the waitlist and you'll get one email the day it's on the App Store.
Last updated:
quick answers
Fair questions.
How many days a week should a beginner go to the gym
Three is plenty for most beginners: three full body sessions with a rest day between each. It is enough to make steady progress and easy to fit around a week.
What weight should I start with at the gym
Start light, with the empty bar or light dumbbells, and find a weight you can lift for the reps with about two reps left in the tank. Add weight once every set reaches the top of the rep range.
How long should a beginner workout be
About 45 minutes to an hour, including rests. The sessions on this page have five or six exercises each.
Do I need a personal trainer as a beginner
Not necessarily. A gym induction and a simple plan like this one cover the basics. A trainer helps most with form, which an app can't see.
Something else? help@physiqoai.com
Be first through the door.
Join the waitlist and you'll get one email the day Physiqo is on the App Store.
- Free to join
- One email when it's out
- iPhone only
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