Beginner gym workout plan
If this is your first time in a gym, what matters most in the first two months is learning the movements and showing up every week, not lifting a lot. That is why this plan relies mostly on machines and dumbbells: they guide the path of the movement, adjust in seconds and let you focus on technique without needing someone next to you.
There are two sessions, A and B. Two days a week is enough to make progress; if you can go three times, alternate A, B and A one week and B, A and B the next. Each session works legs, a push (chest or shoulders), back and core in about 45 minutes. Every exercise links to its own page, with how to do it and the most common mistakes.
Session A
- Leg press
Sets 3 · Reps 10 to 12 · Rest 90 s
Alternatives: Hack squat
- Chest press machine
Sets 3 · Reps 10 to 12 · Rest 90 s
Alternatives: Dumbbell bench press
- Lat pulldown
Sets 3 · Reps 10 to 12 · Rest 90 s
- Leg curl
Sets 3 · Reps 12 to 15 · Rest 1 min
- Dead bug
Sets 3 · Reps 8 per side · Rest 1 min
Session B
- Hack squat
Sets 3 · Reps 10 to 12 · Rest 90 s
Alternatives: Leg press
- Machine row
Sets 3 · Reps 10 to 12 · Rest 90 s
Alternatives: Dumbbell row
- Dumbbell shoulder press
Sets 3 · Reps 10 to 12 · Rest 90 s
- Back extension
Sets 3 · Reps 12 to 15 · Rest 1 min
- Crunch
Sets 3 · Reps 12 to 15 · Rest 1 min
The first two weeks
Do two sets per exercise instead of three and pick weights that feel easy; from week three, do three sets. It is normal for your muscles to be sore the next day, especially your legs: that soreness goes away on its own in two or three days and mostly disappears once your body adjusts, usually from the second week on. It doesn't mean you trained better, and it doesn't mean you have to stop. If what hurts is a joint, or the pain is sharp, drop that exercise and get it checked by a doctor or physiotherapist.
How to use the machines
Before your first set, adjust the seat or back pad so the joint that moves lines up with the machine's pivot (your knee on the leg curl) and the range of motion doesn't force you at the end; on the chest press, the handles sit at mid-chest height. Write down the seat position and the weight for each machine: next time you start from there instead of testing again. If a machine is taken, use the alternative listed next to the exercise.
When to add weight
Once you complete all three sets at the top of the range with clean technique (for example, 3 sets of 12 on the leg press), move to the next step on the machine or the next pair of dumbbells in your following session, and go back to the bottom of the range. At first you will be able to go up almost every week. That is normal: much of that early progress is your body learning the movement, and over time the jumps get further apart.
After 8 weeks
If you reach week eight training consistently, you know the movements and have a base. That is a good point to move to a three-day plan with barbell lifts such as the squat, bench press and row, with fewer reps and longer rests. If you'd rather stay on machines, that works too: what matters most is that the weight keeps going up.
Frequently asked questions
How many days a week should a beginner train?
Two days is enough to make progress, and three is better if you can keep it up. Consistency matters most: two days every week does more than five one week and none the next.
Should I do cardio before or after weights?
After, or on a different day. A long cardio session before lifting tires you out and makes you lift less. Five to ten easy minutes on the bike or treadmill before you start work well as a warm-up.
Are machines worth it, or only for starting out?
They build strength and muscle at any stage. For beginners, their advantage is that they guide the movement and the weight changes in seconds. Barbells and dumbbells add stability and coordination, which is why it pays to bring them in later.
Gojan builds the routine and changes it when you tell it your week falls apart. Download Gojan