Starting a fitness journey can feel overwhelming. With endless advice on what to do, how often to train, and which exercises are best, it’s easy to get stuck before you even start. This guide provides a structured, evidence-based beginners’ workout schedule. We’ll break down exactly how to start, what a balanced week looks like, and how to progress safely and effectively. You’ll learn what to do and why it works, empowering you to take control of your fitness in the long term.
Starting a workout program requires a strategic approach that is focused on safety, consistency, and building foundational movement patterns. Before you jump into intense exercise, you must prepare your body and establish a sustainable routine. Here’s a clear, step-by-step process.
Your first goal is to learn how to perform fundamental exercises correctly. Focus on mastering the form of squats, hinges, pushes, and pulls. Poor technique under heavy loads is a fast track to injury, which can derail your progress entirely (1).
Choose 3-4 days a week that you can realistically commit to exercising. Consistency is more important than intensity when you’re starting out.
A 2021 study on training frequency highlighted that spreading your workout volume across more sessions per week can make each workout feel easier and improve the quality of your repetitions (2). This is a powerful strategy for beginners to build habits without feeling overwhelmed.
Instead of guessing how hard to work, use the reps in reserve (RIR) scale. RIR is the number of repetitions you could have completed before reaching muscular failure (3).
For beginners, aiming for a 2-3 RIR on most exercises is ideal. This means that you finish a set knowing you could have done 2 or 3 more clean reps. This ensures the stimulus is strong enough to cause adaptation, but not so taxing that it compromises recovery or form.
A balanced program is essential for overall health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidelines in 2024, recommending adults accumulate 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, plus at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities (4).
Your schedule should reflect this balance.
Read more: Does Pilates Give You Abs? Here’s What Science Says
Creating a balanced workout schedule involves integrating different types of training to develop a well-rounded fitness base. This means programming for strength, cardiovascular health, and daily movement.
Here’s how to structure your schedule:
Component 1: Full-Body Strength Training
For beginners, full-body workouts performed 2-3 times per week are highly effective (5). This approach allows you to train major muscle groups frequently throughout the week, which is ideal for motor learning and stimulating growth without creating excessive soreness.
Volume and Frequency
A landmark 2024 meta-regression confirmed that while more weekly sets lead to more muscle growth, there are diminishing returns (6).
For beginners, a starting target of 8-12 total “working sets” per major muscle group per week is a productive range (5). By distributing these sets across 2-3 sessions, you will be aligned with the 2025 frequency research that showed that shorter, more frequent sessions preserve rep quality and reduce perceived effort (7).
BetterMe: Health Coaching app helps you achieve your body goals with ease and efficiency by helping to choose proper meal plans and effective workouts. Start using our app and you will see good results in a short time.
Exercise Selection
Your workouts should include a compound movement for each primary movement pattern:
Component 2: Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardio training is essential for heart health, endurance, and recovery (8).
Your weekly plan should include a mix of different intensities, as defined by their energy cost in Metabolic Equivalents of Task (METs). The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities provides standardized MET values, where 1 MET is the energy used at rest (9).
Zone 2 (Moderate-Intensity Cardio)
This is activity at a conversational pace, corresponding to a MET value of 3.0-5.9 (10).
Brisk walking (3.5-5.0 METs) or light cycling are great examples. Aim for 2-3 sessions of 30-60 minutes each week to build your aerobic base. These minutes contribute directly to the WHO’s 150-300-minute weekly goal.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
This involves short bursts of vigorous effort (≥6.0 METs) followed by recovery periods (10).
A beginner HIIT session may look like 6-8 rounds of 30 seconds of hard effort on a stationary bike, followed by 90 seconds of easy pedaling. One optional HIIT session per week is plenty. Remember, each minute of vigorous activity counts as two minutes toward the WHO’s weekly target.
Component 3: Daily Movement and Active Recovery
What you do outside the gym matters just as much as your workouts. Reducing sedentary time is a key recommendation from global health authorities (11).
If you’re looking for workout routines for beginners at home that require no special equipment, we have you covered.
Learn more by reading our guide to a beginner workout at home without equipment.
Here’s a sample weekly schedule designed to balance all the components we’ve discussed. This plan is structured with three full-body strength days and dedicated time for cardio and recovery, which makes it a great beginners’ workout schedule for men and women alike.
Weekly Overview:
Monday: Strength A + Zone 2 Cardio
| Exercise | Sets and Reps | Rest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 x 8-10 | 90 secs | 2-3 RIR. Focus on depth and an upright torso |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 x 8-10 | 90 secs | 2-3 RIR. Full range of motion |
| Romanian deadlift (RDL) | 3 x 10-12 | 75 secs | 2-3 RIR. Hinge at the hips, slight knee bend |
| Dumbbell row | 3 x 8-10 / side | 60 secs | 2-3 RIR. Pull elbows toward the hips, avoid twisting |
| Plank | 3 x 30-60s hold | 60 secs | Maintain a straight line from head to heels |
| Zone 2 walk | 30 minutes | - | Brisk pace, able to hold a conversation |
Tuesday: Active Recovery
Wednesday: Strength B
| Exercise | Sets and Reps | Rest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell hip thrust | 3 x 10-12 | 90 secs | 2 RIR. Squeeze the glutes at the top |
| Lat pulldown | 3 x 10-12 | 75 secs | 2 RIR. Pull the bar to the upper chest, chest up |
| Push-up or incline push-up | 3 x as many reps as possible (AMRAP) | 90 secs | 2-3 RIR. Stop when form breaks down |
| Split squat | 3 x 8-10 / side | 60 secs | 2-3 RIR. Keep the front foot flat, back knee drops |
| Dead bug | 3 x 10 / side | 60 secs | Keep the lower back pressed into the floor |
Thursday: Active Recovery
Friday: Strength C
| Exercise | Sets and Reps | Rest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg press | 3 x 10-12 | 90 secs | 2 RIR. Control the negative, don't lock the knees |
| Seated cable row | 3 x 10-12 | 75 secs | 2 RIR. Pull to the sternum, squeeze the shoulder blades |
| Dumbbell overhead press | 3 x 8-10 | 75 secs | 2-3 RIR. Press overhead without arching the back |
| Back extension | 3 x 12-15 | 60 secs | 2 RIR. Use the glutes and hamstrings to lift |
| Bicep curl + tricep pushdown | 2 x 12-15 (superset) | 60 secs | Perform back-to-back, then rest |
Saturday: Long Zone 2 Cardio
Sunday: Full Rest
This structure is an excellent gym workout plan for beginners male and female, as the exercises and principles are universal.
For those who are interested in bodyweight-only training, a similar approach would be taken, as hypertrophy comes from progressively challenging your muscles and you can achieve this through bodyweight-only training. However, there will be modifications to adhere to the no-equipment rule and allow you to complete your strength session from the comfort of your home.
Discover how to build strength using just your body with our calisthenics beginner workout plan.
Program Exercise Instructions:
1. Goblet Squat
2. Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
3. Push-Up
4. Dumbbell Row (Single Arm)
5. Barbell Hip Thrust
6. Split Squat
7. Lat Pulldown
8. Plank
9. Dead Bug
10. Leg Press
11. Seated Cable Row
12. Dumbbell Overhead Press
13. Back Extension
Reasons why BetterMe is a safe bet: a wide range of calorie-blasting workouts, finger-licking recipes, 24/7 support, challenges that’ll keep you on your best game, and that just scratches the surface! Start using our app and watch the magic happen.
14. Bicep Curl + Tricep Pushdown (Superset)
Bicep Curl:
Tricep Pushdown:
Use these execution steps to reinforce a safe, efficient technique and maximize the benefits of your workout plan.
Your body adapts quickly, so your training must evolve (15). Follow this progression to ensure continued results.
For a beginner, the optimal workout frequency is 3 to 4 days per week. This frequency provides a perfect balance between stimulating muscle growth and allowing for adequate recovery.
The 2025 study on training frequency demonstrates that distributing a fixed training volume across more sessions reduces the perceived difficulty of each workout (7).
For example, performing 12 weekly sets for your legs divided into three sessions of 4 sets each feels easier and allows for better performance than doing all 12 sets in one grueling session. This is a crucial insight for a beginners’ workout schedule for males or females, as it makes sticking to the plan much more manageable.
Training a movement pattern such as a squat or a hinge three times a week accelerates motor learning. This is far more effective than training it only once a week, as frequent practice reinforces proper neurological pathways (16).
Working out 3-4 days per week allows for rest days in between sessions, which is when your muscles repair and grow stronger. This schedule prevents the cumulative fatigue that can lead to overtraining and burnout (17).
For a time-crunched workout plan for beginner females, focusing on 3 full-body sessions per week is a highly effective and efficient strategy.
Read more: How to Lose Weight with Pilates: Complete Guide and Sample Workout
Yes, beginners absolutely need rest days. Rest days are just as important as workout days. This is when the physiological adaptations you stimulate during training actually occur.
Resistance training creates microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. During rest, your body repairs these fibers, which makes them thicker and stronger to better handle future stress. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy (18). Without adequate rest, you’re only breaking your muscles down, not building them up.
Intense exercise is demanding on your central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is responsible for recruiting muscle fibers and coordinating movement (19, 20). Rest days allow your CNS to recover, which ensures you can perform with optimal strength and coordination in your next session.
Your muscles store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, which is the primary fuel source for high-intensity exercise. Rest days give your body time to replenish these crucial energy stores from the food you eat (21).
Overtraining without rest leads to chronic fatigue, poor form, and an increased risk of injury (22). Rest days are a proactive measure to keep you healthy and training consistently (23).
A good rule of thumb for beginners is to take at least one full rest day after every 1-2 consecutive training days (24). Your weekly schedule should include 2-3 dedicated rest or active recovery days.
If you’re ready to take your training to the next level, a structured challenge may be the perfect motivator.
Check out our 30-day workout challenge for beginners to get started.
Sleep is a crucial component of daily recovery (25), but it doesn’t replace a full rest day. A rest day is a 24-hour period with no structured, intense training, allowing both your muscular and nervous systems to fully recover (23). Sleep is the time when most of this recovery happens (25), but a full day off from training provides a larger window for these processes. Yes, muscles grow during periods of rest, not during the workout itself. Exercise provides the stimulus for growth by causing micro-damage to muscle fibers. On rest days, your body initiates a process called muscle protein synthesis to repair this damage, which makes the fibers larger and more resilient (26). This is why adequate nutrition, hydration, and sleep on rest days are essential for muscle hypertrophy. No, taking two rest days in a row is not bad, particularly for a beginner. It can be highly beneficial for ensuring complete recovery after a particularly tough block of training. Listening to your body is key. If you feel fatigued, sore, or mentally drained, two consecutive days of rest can help you come back stronger for your next workout. The best time to work out is the time you can consistently stick to. Physiologically, there are minor differences – some studies have shown a slight performance peak in the late afternoon due to higher core body temperature (27, 28). However, for a beginner, the benefits of consistency far outweigh these small physiological variations. Choose a time that fits with your schedule and energy levels.Frequently Asked Questions
Does sleep count as a rest day?
Do muscles grow bigger on rest days?
Is taking two rest days in a row bad?
Is it better to work out in the morning or at night?
Building a successful fitness foundation isn’t about finding the “perfect” workout, but about applying proven principles with consistency. By structuring your week with a balance of full-body strength training, purposeful cardio, and dedicated rest, you’ll create a sustainable system for progress. Start with mastering your form, guide your intensity with RIR, and progress your training volume and load methodically over time. This evidence-based approach will empower you to move beyond the beginner phase and build a lifetime of strength and health.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.
You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.