The best full body workout trains a squat or leg press, a hip hinge, a chest press, a row or pulldown and a few small-muscle moves across the week, 2 to 4 days a week, with most sets ending 1 to 2 reps short of failure. Three days of heavy, moderate and light sessions suits most people. If your week is tight, run two longer days or four short ones instead.
Lifters with a full gym and three free days a week who want one plan that builds muscle and strength together.
Each day uses a different rep zone: heavy barbell lifts for 5 to 10 reps on day A, dumbbells and cables for mostly 8 to 12 on day B, machines and single-leg work for 10 to 20 on day C. Light and heavy sets build similar muscle when they end close to failure, so spreading the zones over the week keeps every day productive while only one day loads your joints heavily. Chest, back and quads each get 9 hard sets a week and hamstrings get 7.
Full Body A: Heavy
Exercise
Sets × reps
RIR
Rest
Barbell Back Squat2 warm-up sets firstBrace before you unrack, same depth every rep
3 × 5–8
2
3 min
Barbell Bench Press2 warm-up sets firstTouch the same spot on your chest every rep
3 × 5–8
2
3 min
Barbell RowTorso stays put, pull the bar to your belly
Train A, B and C in that order with a rest day after each, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you miss a day, run the next workout in the order rather than skipping it.
How to progress
When every set of an exercise hits the top of its rep range at the target RIR, add the smallest weight jump next time. On day C, add reps first, since the high rep ranges leave room for them.
EquipmentBarbells, Flat Bench, Lat Pulldown, Dumbbells +6
People who can reliably train twice a week and want every major muscle trained in both sessions.
With two days, each session has to carry more sets, so the main lifts get 4 sets instead of 3 and chest, back and quads still get 8 hard sets a week, with 6 for hamstrings and side delts. Weekly sets drive growth far more than how many days you spread them over, so two full sessions can do the job of three shorter ones. Pairing a push with a pull, and two small-muscle moves together, keeps the extra sets from dragging out each session.
Day 1: Squat and Bench
Exercise
Sets × reps
RIR
Rest
Barbell Back Squat2 warm-up sets firstBrace before you unrack, same depth every rep
Run Day 1 and Day 2 with at least two rest days between them, such as Monday and Thursday. In a pair, do one set of each with the listed rest after each set, then repeat.
How to progress
Use double progression: once all sets reach the top of the range at the target RIR, add weight and drop back to the bottom of the range. Because you only see each lift twice a week, log every set so you know exactly what to beat.
Gym-goers who can't spare long sessions but can get to the gym four times a week, for example on a lunch break.
Each session is only 15 working sets, built from machines, cables and dumbbells that take seconds to set up, and most of it runs as push-pull pairs and small-muscle pairs. Supersets cut session time without costing muscle growth, so four short days still add up to 9 hard sets a week for chest, quads and hamstrings and 12 for your back. Without heavy barbell squats or bench, you also need fewer warm-up sets.
Short Day 1
Exercise
Sets × reps
RIR
Rest
Leg Press1 warm-up set firstLower until your hips want to curl up
Train four days, for example Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, running the sessions in order. In a pair, do one set of each with the listed rest after each set, then repeat.
How to progress
Add reps first, then weight: once every set reaches the top of the range at the target RIR, go up one pin on the stack or the next dumbbell. Keep the rests as written, since shrinking them is what makes the sessions short, not what makes them work.
Muscle gain comes from weekly hard sets, so count them per muscle, with each set ending 0 to 2 reps short of failure. The 3-day plan gives chest, back and quads 9 each, and the 4-day plan pushes your back to 12. Light and heavy sets both work if you take them close to failure, so pick rep ranges you can push hard with good form. When a muscle stalls for two weeks running, add a set to it rather than a new exercise.
Two days a week works if each session carries more sets: 4 on the main lifts instead of 3. Spread across two days, the same weekly sets build about as much muscle as three or four shorter sessions. Pair your press with a pull and rest between each set of the pair to fit the extra work in. Leave at least two rest days between the sessions so you start each one fresh.
When time is the limit, keep every exercise and cut the waiting instead. Use machines and cables that set up in seconds, pair a push with a pull, and skip heavy barbell lifts that need long warm-ups. Supersets shorten sessions without costing muscle, and four short days still reach 9 to 12 weekly sets for the big muscles.
Each exercise has swaps in its guide below. Keep the movement type the same: a squat for a squat, a vertical pull for a vertical pull. If you have dumbbells only, use the dumbbell plans linked at the bottom of this page instead of swapping everything.
Bring up a lagging muscle
Add one or two sets to that muscle's exercise on the day it comes earliest in the session. Don't add a new exercise at the end, where you are most tired. Give it two to three weeks before judging.
Missed a session
Run the next workout in the order the next time you train. Don't double up two workouts in one day to catch up.
Pick a starting weight
In week one, choose loads that leave about 3 reps in reserve on every set, then move to the plan's RIR target from week two. Starting a bit light costs you nothing and gives you room to add weight every week.
Questions
Which exercise is best for full body?
No single exercise trains everything well. A squat or leg press, a Romanian deadlift, a chest press and a row or pulldown together cover most of your muscle; add lateral raises, a curl, a triceps move and calf raises for what the compounds miss.
Are 4 exercises enough for full body?
Four compounds (a squat, a hinge, a press and a pull) can carry a short session, but your side delts, arms and calves will get little direct work. Add one or two small exercises per session, or rotate them across the week as the plans here do.
How many days a week should I do a full body workout?
Two to four. With the same weekly sets, training each muscle more often builds about as much muscle as training it less often, so choose the number of days you can keep up and size each session to match.
Can I do a full body workout every day?
Not with hard sets on every muscle. Training everything close to failure daily leaves no easy days to recover, which is why the plans here put rest days between workouts or rotate heavy and light sessions.
Is full body better than a split?
Neither wins when weekly sets are equal. Full body fits best when you train 2 to 4 days a week; with 5 or 6 days, a split lets each session focus on fewer muscles.
How many sets per exercise in a full body workout?
Mostly 2 to 4. Main lifts get 3 to 4 sets and small muscles 2 to 3, because each session has to cover every muscle. Count the total per muscle across the week rather than per session.
