How to Plan a Weekly Workout at Home or Gym

A good weekly workout plan is simple enough that you actually follow it. For most beginners that means three to five sessions a week, a few basic exercises per session, and writing down what you did so you can do a little more next time.

Choose a split

• 3 days a week, full body: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Each session trains legs, push, pull and core. Best for beginners and busy people.
• 4 days, upper and lower: upper body on two days, legs on two days.
• 5 or 6 days, body-part split: chest, back, legs, shoulders, arms and a cardio day. Suits people who have trained for a while.

Pick a few exercises per session

For a full-body day: one leg exercise (squat or leg press), one push (push-ups or bench press), one pull (rows or lat pulldown), and one core exercise (plank). At home, use body weight, a backpack with books, or resistance bands.

Sets, reps and rest

• Strength and muscle: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
• Endurance: 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps with shorter rest.
• Cardio: 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walking, cycling or the treadmill on two or three days.

Start with a weight you can lift with good form for all reps. Form comes first; ask a trainer to check it.

Progress a little every week

When all sets feel comfortable, add a small amount of weight or one or two reps. This is called progressive overload, and it is how you keep improving. Write down every set so you know what to beat next time.

Rest and recovery

Muscles grow during rest, not during the workout. Avoid training the same muscle group hard on two days in a row. Sleep seven to eight hours and drink enough water.

Track a few numbers

Each week, note how many sessions you completed against your plan. Once a month, note weight and a few measurements at the same time of day. Watching the numbers move keeps you going.

Safety first

If you have a health condition, an injury or have not exercised for a long time, check with a doctor or qualified trainer before starting.

Our Gym Workout & Fitness Tracker gives you an Excel log with volume and weekly targets plus printable planner pages.