A beginner gym plan
you can walk in with.
Three days a week, written so you can arrive at a gym you have never used and know exactly what to do. Print it, take it with you, and work down the list.
- Length
- 90 days
- Days a week
- 3
- Sessions listed
- 9
- Equipment
- A gym with barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines.
The plan
Everything below is the actual programme, not a summary of one. Work down each session in order. The sets and reps shown are the starting prescription for that phase.
Foundation
Create an enjoyable base of strength, mobility and comfortable aerobic work.
Full Body A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 10 |
| Push-up / chest press | 3 × 10 |
| Cable row | 3 × 12 |
| Hip hinge | 3 × 10 |
| Easy cardio | 10 min |
Cardio + Mobility
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Brisk walk / bike | 30 min |
| Hip mobility | 8 min |
| Shoulder mobility | 8 min |
| Dead bug | 3 × 10 |
Full Body B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Step-up | 3 × 10/side |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10 |
| Hip thrust | 3 × 12 |
| Shoulder press | 3 × 10 |
| Farmer carry | 4 × 30 m |
Progression: Move at a pace that lets you finish feeling better than you started. Consistency beats intensity. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Build
Improve stamina and total-body strength with balanced, varied sessions.
Strength A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Back squat | 4 × 8 |
| Dumbbell bench | 4 × 8 |
| Cable row | 4 × 10 |
| Plank | 3 × 45 sec |
Intervals
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Warm-up | 8 min |
| Fast / easy intervals | 8 × 1 min |
| Cooldown | 8 min |
| Mobility | 10 min |
Strength B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Trap-bar deadlift | 4 × 6 |
| Overhead press | 3 × 8 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10 |
| Walking lunge | 3 × 10/side |
Progression: Progress one variable weekly: a little more load, one extra rep, or five extra cardio minutes. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Perform
Combine strength and conditioning into confident all-round performance.
Strength + Power
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Front squat | 4 × 6 |
| Push press | 4 × 5 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8 |
| Medicine-ball slam | 4 × 8 |
Aerobic Base
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Zone 2 cardio | 45 min |
| Mobility flow | 12 min |
| Breathing reset | 5 min |
Mixed Circuit
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Kettlebell swing | 5 × 12 |
| Push-up | 5 × 10 |
| Row | 5 × 12 |
| Step-up | 5 × 10/side |
Progression: Choose one benchmark in week 9 and repeat it in week 12: 2 km row, 5 km walk/run, or strength circuit. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
How to run it
Warm up for five to ten minutes before the first working set: light cardio, then the first exercise of the day with an empty bar or very light weight for one or two sets. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between accessory exercises and two to three minutes after main lifts.
Leave about three reps in reserve for the first fortnight of each phase. When the top of the rep range is clean on every set, add load. When you stall on the same weight for two sessions running, keep the weight and add a rep instead, or take an easier week and come back to it. Progressive overload covers this in more detail.
Record what you lift. A plan you cannot compare to last week is a workout, not a programme.
Who this suits
- You have a gym membership and no idea what to do with it.
- You want a plan on paper rather than a video to follow.
- You can commit to three sessions a week.
Who it does not
- You have no gym access. Use the home or bodyweight plan.
- You are already comfortable programming your own training.
Swapping exercises
These are the substitutions Phasebuilt itself makes when your equipment or your joints call for it, rather than a generic list.
| Situation | Prescribed | Swap to |
|---|---|---|
| If you train at home | Back squat | Dumbbell front squat |
| If you train at home | Leg press | Goblet squat |
| If you train at home | Cable row | One-arm dumbbell row |
| If you train at home | Lat pulldown | Band pulldown |
| If you train at home | Machine press | Dumbbell floor press |
| If you train at home | Sled push | Loaded carry |
| If you have almost nothing | Back squat | Tempo bodyweight squat |
| If you have almost nothing | Front squat | Split squat |
| If you have almost nothing | Leg press | Wall sit |
| If you have almost nothing | Bench press | Push-up variation |
| If you have almost nothing | Dumbbell bench press | Push-up variation |
| If you have almost nothing | Cable row | Towel / band row |
| If you have almost nothing | Barbell row | Band row |
| If you have almost nothing | Lat pulldown | Band pulldown |
| If you have almost nothing | Deadlift | Single-leg hip hinge |
| If you have almost nothing | Trap-bar deadlift | Backpack deadlift |
| If you have almost nothing | Machine press | Push-up variation |
| If you have almost nothing | Hip thrust | Single-leg glute bridge |
| If you have almost nothing | Sled push | Bear crawl |
If something hurts
Pain is not something to train through. These swaps keep the session intact while working around a sore joint. If pain persists, that is a question for a clinician, not a programme.
| If you have | Instead of | Do |
|---|---|---|
| Sore knees | Back squat | Box squat to comfortable depth |
| Sore knees | Front squat | Supported sit-to-stand |
| Sore knees | Walking lunge | Low step-up |
| Sore knees | Bulgarian split squat | Supported split squat |
| Sore knees | Running | Cycling |
| Sore lower back | Deadlift | Cable pull-through |
| Sore lower back | Romanian deadlift | Hip thrust |
| Sore lower back | Barbell row | Chest-supported row |
| Sore lower back | Kettlebell swing | Sled push / bike |
| Sore shoulders | Bench press | Neutral-grip floor press |
| Sore shoulders | Overhead press | Landmine press |
| Sore shoulders | Push press | Landmine press |
| Sore shoulders | Push-up | Incline push-up |
| Need low impact | Running | Incline walking |
| Need low impact | Bike sprint | Bike tempo interval |
| Need low impact | Kettlebell swing | Sled push / fast walk |
Make it yours
The plan above is one configuration. Phasebuilt will rebuild it around your bodyweight, equipment, training days, session length and any injuries, and set the calorie and protein targets alongside it. It is free, takes about a minute, and runs entirely in your browser.