Beginner Full-Body Barbell, 3 days
This beginner program has three weekly full-body barbell workouts. Add weight once every set hits the top of the rep range, and rest two to three minutes between sets.
- Level
- Beginner
- Goal
- Fundamentals
- Days per week
- 3 days/week
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Equipment
- Gym
Week at a glance
Squat and Bench Press
Train on alternate days – for example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
5 exercises- Barbell Back Squat3 sets × 6–10 reps2 warm-up setsRest 2:30
Brace before every rep and keep the whole foot planted; if your gym has no squat rack, do the goblet squat instead.
- Barbell Bench Press3 sets × 6–10 reps1 warm-up setRest 2:30
Plant your feet, keep the shoulder blades pinched under the bar, and lower to a light chest touch; if no bench is free, use dumbbells.
- Bent-Over Barbell Row3 sets × 8–12 reps1 warm-up setRest 2:30
Hinge until your torso is near parallel, keep the back flat, and pull the weight to your lower ribs without heaving.
- Lying Leg Curl3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:00
Line your knee up with the machine's pivot, set the pad just above the heels, and curl through the full range.
- Plank3 sets × 40 secRest 1:00
Hold a straight line from head to heels with the glutes and abs tight; stop the set when the hips start to sag.
Deadlift and Overhead Press
This workout trains the back, shoulders, quads, and core, starting with the deadlift and the overhead press.
5 exercises- Deadlift3 sets × 5–8 reps2 warm-up setsRest 3:00
Start with the bar over mid-foot, brace, and push the floor away; if pulling from the floor is uncomfortable, use the trap bar.
- Standing Barbell Overhead Press3 sets × 6–10 reps1 warm-up setRest 2:30
Brace your glutes and abs so the ribs stay down, and press to a full lockout overhead without leaning back.
- Lat Pulldown3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:30
Set the thigh pad snug, lean back slightly, and pull the bar to the top of the chest without swinging.
- Leg Extension3 sets × 10–15 repsRest 1:00
Line your knees up with the machine's pivot and set the pad on the shins just above the ankles.
- Dead Bug3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:00
Press your lower back into the floor and lower the opposite arm and leg slowly; stop before the back arches.
Leg Press and Incline Press
This workout repeats the same movement patterns with different exercises, training quads, chest, back, hamstrings, and abs.
5 exercises- Leg Press3 sets × 10–15 reps2 warm-up setsRest 1:30
Set the seat so the knees can bend deep without your lower back rounding off the pad; no leg press – use the hack squat.
- Incline Barbell Bench Press3 sets × 6–10 reps1 warm-up setRest 2:30
Set the bench between thirty and forty-five degrees and lower to the upper chest without flaring the elbows.
- Seated Cable Row3 sets × 8–12 repsRest 1:30
Sit tall with knees slightly bent and pull the handle to your lower ribs; the shoulders stay down, the torso still.
- Romanian Deadlift3 sets × 8–12 reps1 warm-up setRest 1:30
Push your hips back with soft knees until the hamstrings stretch, keeping the weight close to your legs the whole way.
- Cable Crunch3 sets × 12–15 repsRest 1:00
Kneel facing the machine, hold the rope by your head, and curl your ribs toward the hips – the hips stay still.
