Starting a workout program can be intimidating, especially if you're new to exercise. But with the right plan in place, you can ease into a routine that will help you build strength, improve your fitness, and boost your overall health. Here is a beginner-friendly workout program to get you started on your fitness journey
Advantages of Engaging in Full Body Workouts
Progressive Overload
Full body workouts involve redistributing volume rather than reducing it. For instance, if you typically do 8-10 sets for your chest on a dedicated "chest day," with full body training, you can distribute that volume over 2-3 days. This strategy maximizes muscle-building signals. Furthermore, when following body part splits, fatigue may set in by the time you reach the final exercises, limiting the weight or reps you can manage. By spreading out your sets over several days, you approach each exercise with more vigor, enabling you to lift heavier weights or aim for more repetitions. Given that progressive overload is crucial for muscle growth, this method proves highly effective in aiding you to achieve that.
Increased Frequency
For novice weightlifters, regular practice of each lift is essential. During the initial stages of training, strength gains occur rapidly as your neuromuscular system becomes more adept at executing movements. Practicing these lifts 2-3 times a week heightens your chances of mastering these movement patterns, as opposed to only doing them once weekly.
Consistency and Flexibility
An often overlooked aspect in beginner workout routines is adherence. Missing a workout in a body part split regimen can disrupt your entire schedule, potentially leading to a 1-2 week gap in targeting a specific muscle group. Conversely, full body workouts offer more flexibility. Even if you skip a day, you will still be engaging all major muscle groups 1-2 additional times that week, allowing you to maintain consistency without worrying about missed sessions.
Effective Stimulus
Another reason why beginners can benefit from full body workouts is that they only require the minimum effective amount of stimulus. Since your body is new to weightlifting, even a lower volume of work (around 8-10 sets per muscle group weekly) will yield noticeable growth. More advanced lifters need significantly more volume to see marginal gains, whereas beginners can experience growth with fewer sets. Attempting to increase volume prematurely can lead to "junk volume"—extra work with no added benefits.
Sample Workout
Below is a sample full body workout to kickstart your routine.
Frequency: 2-3x a week (keep 1-2 days of rest in between to recover)
Length: 4 week cycle with one week deload
Sets & Reps: 2-5 sets with 3-6 reps per exercise (rest up to 3 minutes between sets)
Exercises:
Day 1 -
Barbell Squats 4x5
Bench Press 4x5
Weight/Assisted Pull-ups 3x5
Shrugs 3x3-6
Barbell Curls 2x6-8
EZ Bar Skullcrushers 2x6-8
Day 2 -
Deadlifts 4x5
Overhead Press 4x5
Seated Row 3x5
Dumbbell Shrugs 3x3-6
Dumbbell Hammer Curls 2x6-8
Dips 2x6-8
Day 3 (only if you aren’t sore and are recovering from Day 2) -
Romanian Deadlifts 4x5
Lunges 4x6-8
Incline Bench 4x5
One Arm Dumbbell Row 3x5
Lateral Raises 3x6-8
Preacher Curls 2x6-8
Tricep Pushdowns 2x6-8
