Strength training 101: build your first program from scratch
Informational content: this is not a substitute for medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a training program, especially if you have a health issue or any pain.
Your first months of lifting are when you will progress fastest, as long as you do not overcomplicate them. This guide covers what you need to get started: a complete three-day programme, how many sets and reps to do, how long to rest, how to pick your weights and how to keep progressing.
Three rules before anything else
Consistency beats the programme. Three sessions a week kept up for six months are worth more than a perfect programme dropped after three weeks.
Technique comes before load. The first weeks are for learning the movements. A light weight lifted well sets you up for what follows, a heavy weight lifted badly undermines it.
Progress has to be measured. Starting out means regularly adding a little weight or a few reps. To do that, you need to know what you did last time.
The programme: two alternating sessions
The best format for beginners is full body: every session trains the whole body. You alternate two sessions, A and B, over three days a week.
| Session A | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| Squat, or leg press | 3 x 6 to 8 |
| Bench press, barbell or dumbbell | 3 x 6 to 8 |
| Dumbbell row | 3 x 8 to 10 |
| Lateral raises | 2 x 12 to 15 |
| Plank | 3 x 30 to 45 seconds |
| Session B | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| Romanian deadlift | 3 x 8 to 10 |
| Dumbbell overhead press | 3 x 8 to 10 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 x 8 to 10 |
| Lunges | 2 x 10 per leg |
| Curls and triceps extensions | 2 x 10 to 12 each |
Every other week the order flips: A, B, A in the first week, then B, A, B in the next. Keep at least one rest day between sessions, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
If an exercise causes trouble because of equipment or discomfort, swap it for a movement that works the same muscles: leg press instead of squats, seated cable row instead of dumbbell rows.
Sets, reps and rest
The rep ranges are not rough guides: they act as your progression rule, as explained further down.
| Type of exercise | Reps | Rest between sets |
|---|---|---|
| Compound: squat, presses, pulls, Romanian deadlift | 6 to 10 | 2 to 3 minutes |
| Isolation: raises, curls, extensions | 10 to 15 | 1 to 1.5 minutes |
The rest will feel long at first. It is what lets you keep the same weight from one set to the next. Our article on rest times explains why.
Choosing your starting weights
In your first session, find a weight for each exercise that would let you do two or three more reps than required. Start light, add weight from set to set, and note the weight you settle on.
That margin is deliberate. It leaves room to learn the movement, and it ensures the following weeks are weeks of progress rather than stagnation.
Progressing week after week
The simplest method is called double progression. Take the bench press at 3 x 6 to 8:
- Start with a weight that lets you do 6 reps on every set.
- Each session, try to add a rep to one or more sets.
- Once you reach 8 reps on all three sets, increase the weight.
- With the new weight, go back to 6 reps, and the cycle starts again.
How much should you add? On barbell lower body exercises such as the squat or Romanian deadlift, add 2.5 kg in total, which means a 1.25 kg plate on each side. The upper body progresses more slowly: add the smallest load available, 1 to 2.5 kg on the bar, or the next pair of dumbbells up, often 2 kg more per dumbbell. This principle, adding a little weight as soon as you hit your target reps, is called progressive overload, and it is what produces results.
Warming up
Five minutes of light activity to raise your temperature, then two or three ramp-up sets on the first exercise of the session: the empty bar, then about half your working weight. These sets do not count towards the sets in the programme. Our article on warming up covers the method.
What to avoid at the start
- Going to failure on every set. Keeping one or two reps in reserve is plenty and reduces fatigue.
- Changing exercises every week. You lose the reference points that let you measure progress.
- Adding sessions. Three well-run sessions are enough. Muscle is built during recovery.
- Neglecting sleep and protein. Without them, even the best programme gives disappointing results.
How long to follow this programme
For as long as you keep progressing. For most beginners that means four to six months, often longer. The signal to change comes when your weights stall for three weeks on several exercises despite decent sleep and food. You can then move to a four-session layout, as covered in our article on which programme suits your frequency.
Frequently asked questions
How many sessions a week should a beginner do?
Three full body sessions, with a rest day between each. That is enough to progress quickly and leaves time to recover. Two sessions also work if your schedule demands it.
How long does a session last?
Between 45 minutes and an hour, warm-up included. Rest periods take up a good share of that time, which is normal.
Should you add cardio?
It is not needed to progress in the gym, but it is good for your health. If you do some, put it after the session or on another day, at a moderate intensity.
What if I miss a session?
Simply shift the rest by a day. A training week does not need to start on a Monday. What matters is picking the programme up where you left off.
Musku offers ready-made programmes, filterable by level, which you can import straight into your workouts. During a session, the app shows the weights and reps from last time for each exercise, keeps warm-up sets separate from working sets and starts the rest timer between sets. At every set you know whether it is time to add a rep or raise the weight.