Your First Workout Program: A Complete 8-Week Plan for Beginners

You've decided to start training. Now what? The internet offers thousands of programs, and it's overwhelming.

Here's a simple, effective 8-week program designed specifically for beginners. No complicated periodization, no confusing exercises—just fundamentals that work.

Program Overview

Frequency: 3 days per week (e.g., Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thu/Sat)
Style: Full body each session
Duration: ~45 minutes per workout
Equipment: Basic gym equipment (machines and dumbbells to start)

The Exercises

Lower Body

• Goblet Squat: Squat holding a dumbbell at chest
• Leg Press: Machine for leg pushing
• Romanian Deadlift: Hip hinge with dumbbells
• Walking Lunges: Alternating forward lunges

Upper Body Push

• Dumbbell Bench Press: Pressing from flat bench
• Machine Chest Press: Alternative to barbell/dumbbell pressing
• Overhead Press: Pressing dumbbells overhead

Upper Body Pull

• Seated Cable Row: Pulling toward torso
• Lat Pulldown: Pulling bar down to chest
• Dumbbell Row: Single-arm rowing

Core

• Plank: Static hold on forearms
• Dead Bug: Alternating arm/leg while on back

Weeks 1-2: Learning Phase

Workout A:

1. Goblet Squat: 2×10
2. Machine Chest Press: 2×10
3. Lat Pulldown: 2×10
4. Walking Lunges: 2×8 each leg
5. Plank: 2×20 seconds

Workout B:

1. Leg Press: 2×10
2. Dumbbell Row: 2×10 each arm
3. Overhead Press: 2×10
4. Romanian Deadlift: 2×10
5. Dead Bug: 2×8 each side

Week 1: A-B-A
Week 2: B-A-B

Focus: Learn the movements. Use light weights. Prioritize form over load.

Weeks 3-4: Building Phase

Workout A:

1. Goblet Squat: 3×10
2. Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×10
3. Seated Cable Row: 3×10
4. Walking Lunges: 3×8 each leg
5. Plank: 3×30 seconds

Workout B:

1. Leg Press: 3×10
2. Lat Pulldown: 3×10
3. Overhead Press: 3×10
4. Romanian Deadlift: 3×10
5. Dead Bug: 3×10 each side

Week 3: A-B-A
Week 4: B-A-B

Progression: Add one set to each exercise. Begin increasing weights when 10 reps feels comfortable.

Weeks 5-6: Progression Phase

Workout A:

1. Goblet Squat: 3×12
2. Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×10
3. Seated Cable Row: 3×12
4. Romanian Deadlift: 3×10
5. Walking Lunges: 3×10 each leg
6. Plank: 3×45 seconds

Workout B:

1. Leg Press: 3×12
2. Lat Pulldown: 3×12
3. Overhead Press: 3×10
4. Dumbbell Row: 3×10 each arm
5. Goblet Squat: 2×10
6. Dead Bug: 3×12 each side

Weeks 5-6: Continue alternating. Increase weight when you can complete all reps with good form.

Weeks 7-8: Challenge Phase

Workout A:

1. Goblet Squat: 4×10
2. Dumbbell Bench Press: 4×10
3. Seated Cable Row: 4×10
4. Romanian Deadlift: 3×10
5. Walking Lunges: 3×10 each leg
6. Plank: 3×60 seconds

Workout B:

1. Leg Press: 4×10
2. Lat Pulldown: 4×10
3. Overhead Press: 4×10
4. Dumbbell Row: 3×10 each arm
5. Goblet Squat: 3×10
6. Side Plank: 2×20 seconds each side

Weeks 7-8: Push weights up. If 10 reps is comfortable, add 5-10 lbs.

How to Choose Weights

Starting point: A weight where you could do 12-15 reps but stop at 10.

When to increase: When you complete all sets and reps with good form and the last rep doesn't feel challenging.

How much to increase: 5 lbs for upper body, 10 lbs for lower body.

Warm-Up Protocol

Before every workout:

1. 5 minutes cardio (treadmill walk, bike)
2. Arm circles: 10 each direction
3. Leg swings: 10 each leg
4. Bodyweight squats: 10
5. Push-ups (or incline): 5-10

Cool-Down Protocol

After every workout:

1. 5 minutes easy cardio or walking
2. Static stretches: hold each 30 seconds
   • Quad stretch
   • Hamstring stretch
   • Chest doorway stretch
   • Lat stretch

Rest Between Sets

• Beginners: 60-90 seconds between sets
• Compound exercises: Up to 2 minutes if needed
• You should feel recovered before starting the next set

What Happens After 8 Weeks?

After completing this program:

• You'll have solid movement foundations
• You'll understand how to progress
• You can move to intermediate programming
• Consider adding a 4th training day

Common Questions

What if I miss a workout?
Just continue where you left off. Don't try to "make up" missed sessions.

What if an exercise hurts?
Stop that exercise. Try a similar alternative. Pain is not "gains."

What if I can't do an exercise?
Substitute a similar movement. Dumbbell bench instead of barbell, leg press instead of squats, etc.

The Bottom Line

This 8-week program will build your fitness foundation. Follow it consistently, focus on learning proper form before adding weight, and progress gradually. After 8 weeks, you'll be ready for more advanced training.