Building Your First Workout Routine

Creating your first workout routine can feel overwhelming. With thousands of exercises and conflicting advice online, where do you even start? This guide will walk you through building a simple, effective routine that actually works.

The Principles of a Good Routine

• •Train each muscle group 2-3x per week
• •Include compound movements as your foundation
• •Balance push and pull movements
• •Allow adequate recovery between sessions
• •Keep it simple and sustainable

Choosing a Training Split

Full Body (3x/week)

Train your entire body each session. Best for beginners and those with limited time. Example: Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Upper/Lower (4x/week)

Alternate between upper and lower body days. Great balance of frequency and recovery. Example: Upper Monday/Thursday, Lower Tuesday/Friday.

Push/Pull/Legs (6x/week)

Train push muscles, pull muscles, and legs on separate days. Best for intermediate to advanced lifters with more time.

Essential Exercises to Include

Build your routine around these compound movements that work multiple muscle groups:

• •Squat or Leg Press (Quads, Glutes)
• •Hip Hinge: Deadlift or Romanian Deadlift (Hamstrings, Back)
• •Horizontal Push: Bench Press or Push-Ups (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
• •Horizontal Pull: Rows (Back, Biceps)
• •Vertical Push: Overhead Press (Shoulders, Triceps)
• •Vertical Pull: Pull-Ups or Lat Pulldowns (Back, Biceps)

Sample Beginner Full Body Routine

Here's a simple 3-day routine you can start with:

• •Squat: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
• •Bench Press: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
• •Barbell Row: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
• •Overhead Press: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
• •Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
• •Plank: 3 sets x 30-60 seconds