Full body workout: three ready sessions for the gym, home and a short lunch break

Why full-body training works

The case for full-body sessions rests on two findings. First, the meta-analysis by Schoenfeld, Grgic and Krieger found that how many times a week you train a muscle makes little difference to growth once the total weekly volume is the same. Second, the 2024 meta-analysis by Ramos-Campo and colleagues compared split and full-body routines directly and found no meaningful difference in strength or muscle size at equal volume. The authors concluded that people can choose the routine they prefer.

The practical advantage is resilience. If you train each muscle once a week and miss a session, that muscle goes two weeks without work. With full-body sessions, a missed day costs a third or half of the week, not all of the work for one muscle group. For anyone whose diary changes without notice, that matters more than any detail of exercise selection.

How to build a session

The ACSM recommends doing large muscle groups before small ones, and multi-joint exercises before single-joint ones. A full-body session follows a simple template:

1. A knee-dominant leg exercise: squat, leg press, split squat.
2. A hip-dominant exercise: Romanian deadlift, hip thrust, kettlebell swing.
3. An upper-body push: bench press, push-up, overhead press.
4. An upper-body pull: row, pulldown, pull-up.
5. A core exercise: plank, side plank, dead bug.
6. An optional accessory: curls, triceps, calves, lateral raises.

Two to four sets per exercise, 6 to 15 repetitions, and one to three repetitions in reserve on most sets.

Session 1: the gym (about 50 minutes)

1. Back squat or leg press: 3 sets of 6 to 10, rest 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Bench press: 3 sets of 6 to 10, rest 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Lat pulldown or pull-up: 3 sets of 8 to 12, rest 2 minutes.
4. Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 8 to 10, rest 2 minutes.
5. Seated dumbbell shoulder press: 2 sets of 10 to 12, rest 90 seconds.
6. Cable row: 2 sets of 10 to 12, rest 90 seconds.
7. Plank: 2 holds of 30 to 45 seconds.

Session 2: dumbbells at home (about 40 minutes)

1. Goblet squat: 3 sets of 10 to 15, rest 90 seconds.
2. Push-up (feet raised if too easy): 3 sets of 8 to 15, rest 90 seconds.
3. One-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10 to 12 per arm, rest 60 seconds between arms.
4. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 10 to 15, rest 90 seconds.
5. Reverse lunge: 2 sets of 8 to 12 per leg, rest 90 seconds.
6. Side plank: 2 holds of 20 to 30 seconds per side.

With light dumbbells, use the higher end of each range. The meta-analysis by Schoenfeld and colleagues on load found similar muscle growth with light and heavy loads when sets are taken close to failure. The push-ups guide gives progressions for that exercise.

Session 3: 30 minutes with supersets

Iversen and colleagues report that supersets, which pair two exercises for different muscles back to back, roughly halve training time compared with traditional sets while keeping the same volume. Do each pair as A1, then A2, rest 60 to 90 seconds, and repeat for 3 rounds.

1. A1 Goblet squat, 10 to 12, and A2 Dumbbell row, 10 to 12 per arm.
2. B1 Dumbbell bench press or push-up, 8 to 12, and B2 Romanian deadlift, 10 to 12.
3. C1 Overhead press, 10 to 12, and C2 Plank, 30 seconds.

Warm up with one light set of the first exercise rather than a long general routine: the same review recommends exercise-specific warm-ups and stretching only when flexibility is a goal.

Arranging the week

• Three sessions: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, alternating two versions (A and B) so that each exercise appears once or twice a week.
• Two sessions: Tuesday and Friday, with three or four sets on the main lifts to keep weekly volume up. The WHO recommends muscle strengthening on at least two days a week.
• Four sessions: possible with shorter sessions, or switch to an upper and lower split, as described in the muscle building program.

Leave at least one day between two full-body sessions where possible, so that the same muscles are not loaded hard on consecutive days.

Progressing on a full-body plan

Use double progression: when you reach the top of the repetition range on every set, add the smallest available weight. The ACSM recommends increases of 2 to 10% when you can complete one or two repetitions more than your target. Change exercises every few months if you like, but keep the template. More detail in progressive overload and sets and reps.

If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a joint problem or have been inactive for a long time, ask your doctor before starting a strength programme and begin with light loads.

Your full body workout with Never Skip Club

The best full-body plan is the one you repeat every week. Create your free account and launch a guided session in a minute: choose the whole body, your level, 20, 30 or 45 minutes, and whether you are at the gym, at home or in a hotel. Start a crew with friends at two or three sessions a week; a session counts from 30 minutes. If you want your squat or deadlift checked, book a coach from our network, or sign in to plan your week.