The best workout routine for the days you can train
Published October 13, 2026
The best workout routine is the one that fits the days you can actually train: full body on 3 days, upper/lower on 4, push/pull/legs on 6. All three train every major muscle with squats, hinges, presses and rows across the week, with most sets ending 0 to 2 reps short of failure. More days let you fit more weekly sets per muscle, which is what drives growth.
EquipmentBarbells, Lat Pulldown, Dumbbells, Incline Bench +8
Newer lifters, and anyone whose week only has room for three gym sessions.
With three days, every session has to train your whole body, so each muscle gets a few sets at a time: 9 hard sets a week for chest and back, 8 for quads, 7 for hamstrings, 6 for side delts, and 4 direct sets each for biceps, triceps and calves, with presses and rows adding more arm work on top. That is the low end of the range on purpose, enough to grow on early, with sessions short enough to recover from. Each day leads with a different big lift, and Day C moves side delts and arms near the front so they get one fresh slot a week.
Day A: Squat First
Exercise
Sets × reps
RIR
Rest
Barbell Back Squat2 warm-up sets firstBrace before you unrack, same depth every rep
3 × 6–10
2
3 min
Lat PulldownPull the bar to your upper chest, not your neck
Leg ExtensionPause one second with your legs straight
2 × 12–15
1
75 s
How to run it
Train A, B and C in order with a rest day after each, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In the arm pair, do one set of each with the listed rest after each set, then repeat.
How to progress
When every set of an exercise reaches the top of its rep range at the target RIR, add the smallest weight jump next session.
Lifters with a year or so behind them who can train four days a week and want more sets per muscle than full body fits.
Splitting the body in half gives each session fewer muscles, so weekly sets rise to 12 for back, 10 for chest and quads, 9 for hamstrings, and 6 direct sets each for side delts, biceps, triceps and calves. The upper days cap at 16 and 18 sets, so Upper A leads with presses, Upper B opens with arms and pulls, and the side-delt sets and an extra curl ride on the lower days, which have room to spare. Every muscle still gets trained twice a week.
Upper A: Press First
Exercise
Sets × reps
RIR
Rest
Barbell Bench Press2 warm-up sets firstTouch the same spot on your chest every rep
Run Upper A, Lower A, rest, Upper B, Lower B, then two rest days, for example Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. In a superset pair, do one set of each with the listed rest after each set, then repeat.
How to progress
Use double progression: once all sets hit the top of the range at the target RIR, add weight and drop back to the bottom of the range. Track the last exercise of each upper day closely, since that is where reps stall first.
Experienced lifters who can train six days a week and want the most weekly sets without any single session running long.
Each day trains only a few muscles, so you can stack more weekly sets without long sessions: 16 for chest and back, 12 for quads and hamstrings, 10 each for side delts, biceps and triceps, and 6 for rear delts and calves. Most sets end 1 to 2 reps short of failure, and lateral raises, pressdowns and hammer curls go to failure, since sets closer to failure tend to build more muscle and those moves are safe to push all the way. Calves come third on leg day and lateral raises show up on push and leg days so neither is always the last thing you do.
Push
Exercise
Sets × reps
RIR
Rest
Barbell Bench Press2 warm-up sets firstTouch the same spot on your chest every rep
Run push, pull, legs, push, pull, legs on Monday to Saturday and rest on Sunday, so each workout comes up twice a week. A fixed calendar keeps your weekly set count steady from one week to the next.
How to progress
Add reps first, then weight: when every set reaches the top of its range at the target RIR, go up one small jump. Each workout runs twice a week, so compare a session with the same day last week, not with the run three days earlier.
In a full gym, use barbells for the lifts you load heaviest (squat, bench press, Romanian deadlift) and machines and cables for much of the rest, since they let you push close to failure safely and set up in seconds. Choose the plan for your number of days first, then check your weekly hard sets per muscle: about 10 to 20 suits most intermediates, with fewer while you are new. If a station is taken, use the swaps in each exercise guide rather than waiting.
No other lift loads your quads and glutes this heavily at once, so it opens a leg-focused day in all three plans.
How to do it
Set the bar at mid-chest height in the rack, step under it and rest it across your upper back below the bony knob of your neck.
Grip a little wider than your shoulders, stand up to lift it off the hooks and walk back two short steps.
Plant your feet about shoulder width with your toes turned out a touch, then breathe in and tighten your midsection.
Sit your hips down and back until your thighs reach parallel or slightly lower.
Push the floor away through your whole foot until you stand tall, then breathe again before the next rep.
Cues
Knees travel over your toes
Chest and hips rise together
Same depth every rep
Common mistakes
Losing depth as the bar gets heavier: keep the depth from your warm-up sets, and lighten the bar if you can't.
Heels lifting at the bottom: widen your stance a little and turn your toes out more.
Swap for: Hack Squat, Smith Squat, Goblet Squat
Quads, low skill
Leg Press
Quads, Glutes
You can push your quads close to failure with no balance to manage and no bar on your back, which is why it carries the second leg day.
How to do it
Sit in the horizontal leg press with your back flat on the pad and your feet hip width on the platform.
Push the platform out until your legs are almost straight, without locking your knees.
Let your knees bend toward your chest under control until your lower back is about to peel off the pad.
Drive back out through your heels and midfoot.
Cues
Lower back stays on the pad
Knees point the same way as your toes
Smooth turn at the bottom, no bounce
Common mistakes
Going so deep your hips roll up: stop each rep just before your lower back leaves the pad.
Snapping your knees straight at the top: stop a hair short so the load stays on your legs.
Swap for: Hack Squat, Bulgarian Split Squat, Goblet Squat
Quads, direct
Leg Extension
Quads
It adds quad sets that need no warm-up and put no load on your back, so it finishes a session cheaply after the big leg lift.
How to do it
Set the back pad so your knees line up with the machine's pivot and the shin pad sits just above your ankles.
Hold the side handles and sit back against the pad.
Straighten your legs until they are fully extended and hold one second.
Lower slowly until your knees are bent past 90 degrees.
Cues
Squeeze your thighs at the top
Hips stay down on the seat
Two seconds on the way down
Common mistakes
Swinging the weight up with your hips: lighten it and pause at the top of every rep.
Cutting the bottom short: let the pad come all the way back before the next rep.
Swap for: Single-Leg Leg Extension, Bulgarian Split Squat
Hamstrings and glutes, stretched
Romanian Deadlift
Hamstrings, Glutes
It loads your hamstrings and glutes through a long stretch with a heavy bar, so it leads Day C of the 3-day plan and anchors the hinge in the other two.
How to do it
Stand tall holding the bar in front of your thighs, hands just outside your legs and feet about hip width.
Soften your knees slightly and keep that bend fixed for the whole set.
Push your hips straight back and let the bar slide down your thighs, keeping it in contact with your legs.
Stop when your hips can't travel back any farther, usually just below the knees.
Drive your hips forward to stand up, keeping your back the same shape the whole way.
Cues
Bar stays against your legs
Hips back, not down
Long spine, ribs down
Common mistakes
Rounding your lower back to reach lower: end the rep where your hips stop moving back.
Turning it into a squat: keep the small knee bend from the start and let your hips do the moving.
Swap for: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Stiff-Leg Deadlift
Hamstrings, knee bend
Seated Leg Curl
Hamstrings
Romanian deadlifts train your hamstrings through the hip; the leg curl trains them through the knee, and the seated version does it with almost no setup.
How to do it
Set the back pad so your knees sit right at the machine's pivot and the lower pad rests just above your heels.
Lower the thigh pad until it pins your legs firmly to the seat.
Curl your heels down and under the seat as far as they will go and hold one second.
Let the pad rise slowly until your legs are almost straight.
Cues
Lean your chest forward a little
Pause with heels tucked
Slow on the way up
Common mistakes
Letting the stack slam between reps: control the pad up and keep tension at the top.
Hips lifting off the seat: tighten the thigh pad and use a weight you can hold still.
Swap for: Lying Leg Curl, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Calves
Standing Calf Raise
Calves
Calves get almost nothing from squats and presses, so every plan gives them direct sets, done slowly through a full stretch.
How to do it
Stand on the edge of a step or calf block with only the balls of your feet on it, holding something steady for balance.
Let your heels sink below the edge until you feel a deep stretch, and hold two seconds.
Push up onto your toes as high as you can and squeeze for a second.
Lower slowly back into the stretch. Hold a dumbbell or use the machine once bodyweight gets easy.
Cues
Pause in the stretch
Rise straight up, not forward
Slow reps, no bouncing
Common mistakes
Bouncing out of the bottom: hold the stretch for two seconds every rep.
Half reps at the top: lower the weight until you can use the full range.
Swap for: Seated Calf Raise, Smith Machine Calf Raise
Chest, main press
Barbell Bench Press
Chest
It lets you load the chest, front delts and triceps heavier than any other press, which makes it the lead lift on press days.
How to do it
Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar and your feet flat on the floor.
Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and keep a small arch.
Lift the bar off the hooks and hold it over your shoulders with straight arms.
Lower it to your lower chest with your elbows angled about 45 degrees from your body.
Press back up and slightly back toward your face until your arms are straight.
Cues
Shoulder blades pinned
Touch the same spot every rep
Feet pushing into the floor
Common mistakes
Elbows flared straight out: tuck them to about 45 degrees so your shoulders stay comfortable.
Bouncing the bar off your chest: touch lightly and press, no rebound.
A fly keeps tension on your chest without loading the triceps, so it adds chest sets after the presses without tiring your arms further. The demo uses low pulleys, sweeping up toward your upper chest.
How to do it
Set both pulleys at the lowest point, take a handle in each hand and step forward into a split stance.
Start with your arms down and out to the sides, palms facing forward, elbows slightly bent.
Sweep your hands up and in until they meet in front of your upper chest.
Open your arms back down slowly until you feel a stretch across your chest.
Cues
Elbows keep the same slight bend
Hands meet at chin height
Slow on the way back
Common mistakes
Turning it into a press by bending your elbows more: lighten the stack and keep the arm angle fixed.
Cutting the stretch: let your arms open until your chest feels stretched, not just your shoulders.
Presses barely train the side of your shoulders, so lateral raises appear in every plan, and in the 4- and 6-day plans they also go on leg days, where they don't compete with pressing.
How to do it
Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in, elbows slightly bent.
Raise your arms out to the sides, leading with your elbows.
Stop when your arms are level with your shoulders and hold one second.
Lower slowly to your sides.
Cues
Lead with your elbows
Stop at shoulder height
No body swing
Common mistakes
Swinging the weights up with your hips: use lighter dumbbells and a one-second pause at the top.
Shrugging the weight up: keep your shoulders down and away from your ears.
It's the easiest triceps exercise to load and push hard, and with your elbows at your sides it can be paired with a curl without either setup getting in the way.
How to do it
Attach a straight bar to a high cable and grip it palms down, hands about shoulder width.
Stand close, lean forward slightly and pin your elbows to your sides with your forearms about level with the floor.
Push the bar down until your arms are straight and squeeze for a second.
Let the bar rise slowly until your forearms pass level again.
Cues
Elbows pinned to your sides
Squeeze at the bottom
Only your forearms move
Common mistakes
Elbows drifting forward and back: lighten the stack until they stay still.
Leaning over the bar to push it down: stand tall enough that your body weight stays out of it.
Run the 4-day plan and add a fifth session by repeating whichever upper day leads with the muscle you most want to grow. Keep at least one rest day between the two repeats of that day. For a full five-day structure, read the PPLUL post linked below.
Moving up a plan
Switch from 3 to 4 days, or 4 to 6, only after a month of hitting every scheduled session. Carry your working weights across for the exercises the plans share, and start new ones about 3 reps short of failure.
Missed a session
Pick up with the next workout in the order the next day you can train. Don't squeeze two workouts into one day to catch up.
Swap for what your gym has
Every exercise has swaps in its guide below. Keep the movement type the same, a vertical pull for a vertical pull, a hinge for a hinge, so the weekly set counts still land where the plan puts them.
Questions
What's the most effective workout schedule?
The one you can keep every week. With equal weekly sets, spreading a muscle over two sessions grows it at least as well as one, so 3 to 6 days all work. Pick the number of days you can attend for months, then use the plan built for it.
What is a good workout routine for the gym?
One that trains a squat, a hinge, a horizontal and vertical press, a horizontal and vertical pull, plus side delts, arms and calves across the week, with most sets taken 0 to 2 reps short of failure. The plans on this page cover the squat, hinge, presses and pulls on every schedule; the 4- and 6-day plans add a vertical press and more isolation work because they have more sessions to fit it in.
What are the big 4 workouts?
Most people mean the squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press. They are good main lifts, but four lifts alone leave your side delts, rear delts, arms, calves and the knee-bending side of your hamstrings undertrained, which is why the plans here add isolation work for the ones each schedule has room for.
How many days a week should I work out?
Three is enough to grow if every session trains your whole body. Four or more lets you fit more weekly sets per muscle without long sessions. Start with the number you can sustain, then add days once three or four feel routine.
Is push/pull/legs better than upper/lower?
Not when weekly sets are equal. Both train each muscle twice a week; push/pull/legs needs six days and keeps sessions shorter, while upper/lower fits four days with longer upper sessions. Choose by how many days you can train.
How long should a workout be?
Long enough for the plan's sets with full rests, usually under about 20 working sets per session. Past that, the last exercises get your leftovers, which is why the 4-day plan moves some upper-body sets onto leg days.
