Intermediate full body workout: a free 3-day plan

Three different full body workouts a week. Day A is heavy, built around the squat and bench press. Day B sits in the middle, around the Romanian deadlift, overhead press and pull-ups. Day C is lighter, with single-leg work and higher reps. Every muscle is trained three times a week, with more sets and more variety than a beginner plan.

Days per week: 3
Level: Intermediate
Session: 60–75 min
Equipment: Free weight, Machine, Bodyweight, and Cable

Who it’s for

Lifters with six months to a few years of training who can only get to the gym three days a week, or who simply prefer full body to a split. If you are new to lifting, start with the beginner 3-day full body plan: it repeats the same lifts more often, which is what you need first.

Weekly schedule

Mon · Full body A
Tue · Rest
Wed · Full body B
Thu · Rest
Fri · Full body C
Sat · Rest
Sun · Rest

Full body A

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Back Squat	4	4–6
Barbell Bench Press	4	4–6
Barbell Row	4	6–8
Lying Leg Curl	3	8–12
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3	12–20
Dumbbell Curl	2	10–15
Hanging Leg Raise	2	10–15

Full body B

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Romanian Deadlift	4	6–10
Overhead Press	3	6–10
Pull Up	4	6–10
Leg Press	3	10–12
Incline Dumbbell Press	3	8–12
Rope Triceps Pushdown	3	10–15
Standing Calf Raise	3	10–15

Full body C

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bulgarian Split Squat	3	10–12
Leg Extension	2	12–15
Seated Leg Curl	3	12–15
Dumbbell Bench Press	4	10–15
Seated Cable Row	4	10–15
Cable Lateral Raise	3	15–20
Face Pull	2	15–20
Hammer Curl	2	12–15

Weekly sets per muscle

Counted the way Musclist counts them: a full set for the muscle an exercise mainly trains, half a set for each muscle that helps.

Muscle	Sets per week
Quads	12
Chest	11
Upper back	11
Biceps	11
Triceps	10
Hamstrings	10
Front delts	8.5
Lats	8
Forearms	7.5
Glutes	7
Calves	6
Side delts	6
Adductors	5
Traps	3
Abs	2
Lower back	2
Rear delts	2

How to progress

Each day has its own rep range: heavy on Day A (4 to 6 reps on the main lifts), moderate on Day B, light on Day C (10 to 20). Training the same muscles at different loads through the week lets you push hard three times without your joints taking a beating every session.

Use double progression on every exercise. Keep the weight until you reach the top of the rep range on every set, then add the smallest step your equipment allows. At this stage the big lifts go up by a few kilos a month, not every session.

Run A, B and C in that order. If you miss a day, pick up where you left off instead of skipping a workout.

Every 6 to 8 weeks, or when weights stall and you feel worn down, take an easier week with about half the sets.

Run it in Musclist

In the app, open My routine and add one workout for each day: Full body A, Full body B, and Full body C, with the exercises in the order above. Musclist then suggests the next workout every time, starts each exercise from last time’s weight and reps, and shows the muscles you trained after each session. The app keeps the exercises and their order, not the sets and reps, so keep this page handy for those.

Questions

How is this different from the beginner full body plan?

The beginner plan alternates two workouts with the same lifts, because practising them often matters most at first. This one has three different workouts, more sets per muscle and a heavy, a medium and a light day. That helps once adding weight every session has stopped working.

Is 3 days a week enough for an intermediate lifter?

Yes, for most people. Three full body sessions train each muscle three times a week, with enough sets to keep growing. You need more days only if you want more than about 15 hard sets per muscle a week, or shorter sessions.

Can I change the order of the days?

Keep A, B and C in order and a rest day between sessions. If you would rather have the heavy day at the end of the week, start with C and finish with A, but do not put two sessions back to back.

Should I switch to Upper / Lower instead?

Only if you can train four days a week. Upper / Lower spreads about the same sets over four shorter sessions. With three days, full body trains each muscle more often than any split.

Other programs

Not sure which one? Read How to choose a workout split.