Workout Routines for Men: Begginers

Lateral raises (from “Day 1: full body” workout below)

Starting out in the gym can seem intimidating, but with proper guidance the process becomes more approachable — and even invigorating.

As a beginner, you can progress very quickly because almost any exercise promotes muscle and strength gains. Still, it’s important to avoid overexertion, which can lead to injuries or decreased performance.

This workout routine has you in the gym 3 days per week (such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), with full-body sessions completed each day. This allows you to get used to new movements, focus on proper form, and take time to recover.

You can add reps and sets as needed as you progress.

The beginner phase should last as long as you continue to improve. Some people may plateau at around 6 months, whereas others may continue to see results for over a year.

Equipment required: fully-equipped gym

Rest periods: 90–180 seconds for main movements, 60–90 seconds for accessories

Intensity: Select a weight that allows you to complete the prescribed reps while leaving about two solid reps in the tank.

Day 1: full body

• Legs: barbell back squats — 5 sets of 5 reps
• Chest: flat barbell bench press — 5 set of 5 reps
• Back: seated cable rows — 4 sets of 6–8 reps
• Shoulders: seated dumbbell shoulder press — 4 sets of 6–8 reps
• Triceps: cable rope tricep pushdowns — 3 sets of 8–10 reps
• Shoulders: lateral raises — 3 sets of 10–12 reps
• Calves: seated calf raises — 3 sets of 10–12 reps
• Abs: planks — 3 sets of 30 second holds

Day 2: full body

• Back/hamstrings: barbell or trap bar deadlifts — 5 sets of 5 reps
• Back: pullups or lat pulldowns — 4 sets of 6–8 reps
• Chest: barbell or dumbbell incline press — 4 sets of 6–8 reps
• Shoulders: machine shoulder press — 4 sets of 6–8 reps
• Biceps: barbell or dumbbell bicep curls — 3 sets of 8–10 reps
• Shoulders: reverse machine fly — 3 sets of 10–12 reps
• Calves: standing calf raises — 3 sets of 10–12 reps

Day 3: full body

• Legs: leg press — 5 sets of 5 reps
• Back: T-bar rows — 3 sets of 6–8 reps
• Chest: machine or dumbbell chest fly — 3 sets of 6–8 reps
• Shoulders: one-arm dumbbell shoulder press — 3 sets of 6–8 reps
• Triceps: dumbbell or machine tricep extensions — 3 sets of 8–10 reps
• Shoulders: cable or dumbbell front raises — 3 sets of 10–12 reps
• Calves: seated calf raises — 3 sets of 10–12 reps
• Abs: decline crunches — 3 sets of 10–12 reps

Don’t forget nutrition

While working out in the gym provides the stimulus for muscle and strength gains, nutrition plays a major role in recovery and exercise optimization.

Thus, it’s important to ensure that your food intake is adequate to meet the demands of your training.

This can be done by ensuring sufficient calorie, protein, carb, and fat intake based on your training intensity and physique goals. You can use a calorie counter to calculate your needs.

In order to gain muscle, it’s best to be in a calorie surplus, or eat more than your body needs to sustain itself. A surplus of 10–20% over your baseline calorie needs should be sufficient to promote muscle gains (4Trusted Source).

If you’re trying to lose body fat instead, maintaining your baseline or adopting a slight calorie deficit is generally recommended (4Trusted Source).

Nutrient timing, which involves eating at specific times to yield results, may also be vital to maximize muscle gains. For example, many experts recommend eating a well-balanced meal or snack within 2 hours of a workout, ideally both before and after (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

If you want to ensure proper dietary intake or create an individualized plan to help you meet your goals, consider consulting a registered dietitian.