Full-body 3-day routine
Two alternating full-body workouts, three days a week. Every muscle is trained about every other day, so progress shows up fast and a missed session costs you little.
- Days per week
- 3
- Session length
- 55-70 min
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
- Schedule
- Mon A / Wed B / Fri A, then B / A / B the next week
Who it is for
- New lifters who want a plan they can follow without thinking.
- Busy lifters who can only train three days and want every session to count.
- Anyone returning after a break who wants to ramp up with low weekly volume.
The workouts
Day A · Squat, bench, row
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 | 5-8 |
| Barbell bench press | 3 | 5-8 |
| Barbell row | 3 | 6-10 |
| Lateral raise | 2 | 12-20 |
| Plank | 2 | 30-60 sec |
Day B · Hinge, press, pull
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 6-10 |
| Overhead press | 3 | 5-8 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 8-12 |
| Leg press | 2 | 10-15 |
| Barbell curl | 2 | 8-12 |
| Triceps pushdown | 2 | 10-15 |
Weekly volume
Direct sets per week for each muscle that an exercise targets first. Secondary work, such as triceps during pressing, adds to this but is not counted.
| Muscle | Sets per week |
|---|---|
| Lats | 9 |
| Quads | 7.5 |
| Shoulders | 7.5 |
| Chest | 4.5 |
| Hamstrings | 4.5 |
| Abs | 3 |
| Biceps | 3 |
| Triceps | 3 |
How to progress
- Use double progression: stay at one weight until every set hits the top of the rep range, then add the smallest jump you can.
- On the first lift of each session, leave one or two reps in the tank. Save true all-out sets for the last set of the lift.
- If you miss the bottom of the range twice in a row on a lift, drop the weight by about 10% and build back up.
Questions
Is a 3-day full-body split enough to build muscle?
Yes. Training each muscle about three times in two weeks with a few hard sets per session is enough stimulus for most beginners and many intermediates. Add sets slowly once progress stalls.
Can I add a fourth day?
Yes. Add a light day of accessories or cardio, or move to an upper/lower four-day split once your three-day progress slows.
What if I miss a day?
Do the next workout in the sequence and carry on. Missing a session does not break the plan; skipping the same lift for weeks is what slows progress.
Run it and keep the numbers.
Log each session in Fortis, see your weekly volume and strength trends, and know whether the plan is working.
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