Looking for a 3-day full body workout routine? This article outlines the benefits of such a program and also provides tips for eating, cardio, and more.
For the average Joe or Jane, the full body workout routine is the best way to train. It allows you to hit all the major muscle groups in a single session, and it’s perfect for those who are short on time.
The key to making this style of training work is to focus on quality over quantity. That means lifting heavy weights and using exercises that challenge your entire body.
This 3-day full body workout routine is perfect for beginners and intermediates who want to build strength and muscle. It’s also a great option for experienced lifters who are looking for a change of pace.
The BetterMe team prepared this read to help you explore how to split your training if you’re following a 3-day full body workout routine.
What Is A 3-Day Full Body Workout?
A 3-day full body workout is a training split that hits all the major muscle groups in a single session. For 3 days each week, you will perform exercises that work your chest, back, legs, shoulders, and arms. This type of training is ideal for busy gym-goers who want to get the most out of their time in the gym.
How To Split Your Training For A 3-Day Full Body Workout Routine
There are a few different ways to split your training if you’re following a 3-day full body workout routine. One common method is to divide your workouts by muscle group, performing two exercises for each major muscle group (chest, back, legs, shoulders, and arms).
Here are the three muscle groups you’ll target:
- Larger muscle groups like chest, back, shoulders, quads
- Smaller muscle groups like triceps, biceps, calves, abs, hamstrings
- Smallest muscle groups like rear delts, traps, and forearms
How long should your sessions be? Depending on your level of fitness, you’ll want to aim for about 30-60 minutes per session.
If you’re a beginner, you may find it helpful to pair your full body workouts with 4-5 days of light cardio (like walking or jogging). This will help improve your overall conditioning and endurance.
While this 3-day full body workout routine is great for building strength and muscle, be sure to give yourself plenty of recovery time between workouts. If you’re feeling overly sore or fatigued, take a day or two off before your next session. And always make sure to follow a healthy diet that supports muscle growth and repair.
What To Do If You Miss A Day In A 3-Day Split Workout?
The 3-day full body workout is ideally a Monday/Wednesday/Friday affair. But life happens, we get busy, and sometimes we have to miss a day.
If you miss a day in your 3-day split workout, don’t sweat it! Just pick up where you left off at the next session. There’s no need to make up for lost time or try to catch up on missed workouts. Just stay consistent and make sure you’re giving yourself enough rest between sessions.
And remember, it’s always better to work out consistently rather than excessively. So even if it means slightly reducing the intensity of your workouts, aim for consistency first and foremost. That will help you achieve your fitness goals in the long run!
Warm-Up Before A Full-Body Workout
Before you start your full-body workout, it’s important to warm up properly. A good warm-up will help increase your heart rate, loosen your muscles and joints, and prepare your body for the strenuous exercise ahead.
To warm up for a full-body workout, perform 5-10 minutes of light cardio (such as jogging or cycling) followed by some dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching is a form of stretching that involves moving your body through a full range of motion. This type of stretching is ideal for preparing your muscles and joints for lifting weights.
Some examples of dynamic stretches you can do before a workout include:
- arm circles
- leg swings
- trunk twists
When it comes to warming up before a full-body workout, be sure you’re focusing on quality over quantity. Keep it simple and stick to the essentials!
3-Day Full-Body Workout Routine For Beginners
A beginner is defined as someone who has been lifting weights for 3 months or less. If you’re a beginner, it’s important to start slow and focus on learning a proper exercise form before progressing to more advanced exercises.
The following 3-day full-body workout routine is designed for beginners. It hits all the major muscle groups and can be performed 3 times per week.
Note that each workout session comprises the following types of lifts:
- Two compound lifts – these are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time and are typically the cornerstone of any good weightlifting routine. The squat, deadlift, and bench press are all examples of compound lifts.
- Two or more isolation lifts – these exercises target specific muscle groups and are often used as “finishers” to exhaust a particular muscle group after performing compound lifts. Bicep curls and tricep extensions are both isolation lifts.
- Rest periods – be sure to rest for 1-2 minutes between sets of the same exercise, and for 2-3 minutes between sets of different exercises.
Day 1 – Full Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Barbell squat – 4 sets, 12 reps each set
- Romanian deadlift or snatch grip deadlift – 3 sets, 10 reps each set
- Front squat or goblet squat – 3 sets, 12 reps each set
- Barbell bicep curl or dumbbell hammer curls – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Shoulder press – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Tricep pushdown or overhead dumbbell extension – 3 sets, 12 reps each set
Day 2 – Full Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Deadlift or sumo deadlift – 4 sets, 10 reps each set
- Barbell bench press or dumbbell bench press – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Incline barbell press or incline dumbbell press – 3 sets, 12 reps each set
- Barbell bicep curl or dumbbell hammer curls – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Tricep pushdown or overhead dumbbell extension – 3 sets, 12 reps each set
Day 3 – Full Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Barbell squat – 4 sets, 12 reps each set
- Overhead press – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Dumbbell row or barbell row – 3 sets, 12 reps each set
- Pull-up or lat pulldown – 3 sets, 10 reps each set
- Barbell bicep curl or dumbbell hammer curls – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Dumbbell tricep extension or skull crushers – 3 sets, 12 reps each set
Remember to take at least 1 day of rest between workout days. And of course, always be sure to consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine!
3-Day Full Body Workout Routine Intermediate
Once you’ve developed good form and consistently been lifting weights for 3 months or more, you can start to move on to an intermediate full-body workout routine.
As an intermediate lifter, you will generally be able to use slightly heavier weights for the same number of repetitions as compared to beginners. So instead of focusing on getting in a certain number of sets and reps per exercise, you can focus on increasing the weight you’re lifting over time.
Here’s a simple, intermediate-level full body workout routine to try:
Day 1 – Full Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Back squat or front squat – 4 sets, 10 reps each set
- Deadlift or Romanian deadlift – 3 sets, 8 reps each set
- Bench press or incline dumbbell press – 4 sets, 10 reps each set
- Bent over row or barbell row – 4 sets, 10 reps each set
- Dumbbell shoulder press or overhead press – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
Day 2 – Full Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Barbell squat or front squat – 4 sets, 10 reps each set
- Hang clean or power clean – 4 sets, 8 reps each set
- Push press or overhead dumbbell press – 3 sets, 10 reps each set
- Dumbbell row or barbell row – 4 sets, 10 reps each set
- Pull-up or lat pulldown – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
Day 3 – Full Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Deadlift or Romanian deadlift – 4 sets, 10 reps each set
- Dumbbell bench press or incline dumbbell press – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Barbell row or chin-up – 3 sets, 12 reps each set
- Low cable row or upright barbell row – 3 sets, 12 reps each set
- Alternating dumbbell curl or hammer curls – 3 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Dumbbell tricep extension or overhead dumbbell press – 3 sets, 10-12 reps each set
As with the beginner routine, be sure to take at least 1 day of rest between workout days. As always, consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine!
3-Day Full-Body Workout Routine For Mass
What is commonly referred to as “mass” is really just a combination of muscle size and strength. So if you’re looking to build mass, then you should focus on both increasing the size of your muscles while also getting stronger.
One effective way to do this is by following an intermediate-level full body workout routine that focuses on heavy compound movements like the squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press.
Ideally, a pull, push, and supersets of a lower and upper body exercise should be included in each workout. Here’s an example of a full-body workout routine that is designed to help you build mass:
Day 1 – Push Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Bench press – 4 sets, 6-8 reps each set
- Incline dumbbell press – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
- Dips – 3 sets, to failure each set
- Close grip bench press – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
Day 2 – Pull Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Barbell row – 4 sets, 6-8 reps each set
- Chin-up or pull-up – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
- Dumbbell row – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
- Hammer curl – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
Day 3 – Superset Lower Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Barbell squat – 6 sets, 4-6 reps each set with 60 seconds of rest between each set
- Romanian deadlift – 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set with 60 seconds of rest between each set
- Calf raise or leg press – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set with 30 seconds of rest between each set
Keep in mind that this is just one example of a full body workout routine for building mass. There are endless variations and exercises that you can use to create your own routine.
Again, be sure to consult with your doctor before starting any new workout routine!
3-Day Full Body Workout Routine for Weight Loss
Weight loss is all about burning more calories than you consume, and regular exercise can help boost your metabolism while also helping to build muscle.
One effective approach to weight loss is following an intermediate-level full body workout routine that is designed to engage as many muscles as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Here’s an example of a 3-day full body workout routine that can help you lose weight:
Day 1 – Upper Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Dumbbell bench press – 4 sets, 6-8 reps each set
- Bent over row or barbell row – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set
- Overhead press – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
- Dips – 3 sets, to failure each set
Day 2 – Lower Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Barbell squat or goblet squat – 4 sets, 6-8 reps each set
- Deadlift – 3 sets, 8-10 reps each set
- Walking lunge – 4 sets, 10-12 reps each set with 60 seconds of rest between each set
- Leg curl or glute bridge – 3 sets, 12-15 reps each set
Day 3 – Total Body Workout
- Warmup: 5-10 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretches (see above)
- Wall squat – 10-30 seconds, with 60 seconds of rest between each set
- Pushup or decline pushup – 4 sets, 6-8 reps each set
- Burpee – 3 sets, to failure each set
- Plank – 1 minute, with 30 seconds of rest between each set
What Are the Benefits of a 3-Day Workout Split?
There are a few key benefits that come with following a 3-day workout split:
- You can focus on each muscle group more frequently.
- You have more time to recover between workouts.
- It’s simple and convenient to follow
- You can still train other aspects of fitness (e.g., cardio, flexibility).
- Reduced risk of overtraining
6.You can tailor your routine to meet specific fitness goals (e.g., strength, endurance, muscle growth).
Overall, a 3-day workout split can be an effective way to achieve your fitness goals by helping you build and tone muscle, improve strength and endurance, and burn more calories.
How Should Eating Habits Be On A 3-Day Full-Body Workout Routine?
A calorie deficit is key for weight loss, and eating a diet that is rich in whole, nutrient-dense foods can help you achieve this goal.
In general, it’s recommended to base your diet on whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables. Additionally, it’s important to stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
Aim to consume around 0.5-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and 10-20% of your total daily calories should come from healthy fats.
If you’re looking to bulk up and build muscle mass, you may need to consume more calories than someone who is trying to lose weight. In this case, aim to consume around 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and 20-30% of your total daily calories should come from healthy fats.
No matter what your fitness goals are, it’s important to fuel your body with the right nutrients to support your workout routine.
What About Cardio?
Incorporating cardio into your workout routine is also an important component of overall fitness. There are many different types of cardio activities that you can choose from, such as running, cycling, swimming, high intensity interval training (HIIT), and more.
Consider your goals and choose a type of cardio that will help you achieve them. For example, if your goal is to build endurance, you may want to focus on activities like running or cycling. If your goal is to burn fat, HIIT may be a better option.
Additionally, it’s important to mix up your cardio routine to avoid boredom and plateauing. Rest days can also be a good opportunity to try new activities.
The Bottom Line
A 3-day workout split can be an effective way to improve strength and build muscle. It’s important to focus on each muscle group equally and give yourself adequate time to recover between workouts. Additionally, eating a healthy diet and incorporating cardio into your routine is also key for overall fitness.
If you’re struggling to figure out how to split up your workouts, download the BetterMe app today for customized fitness and nutrition plans!
