How to Create a Workout Plan (Even If You Know Nothing About Fitness)

Creating a workout plan feels overwhelming when you don't know where to start. There's so much conflicting information online — bro splits, PPL, full body, upper/lower, 5x5, German Volume Training — that most beginners give up before they even start.

Here's the truth: every effective workout plan answers the same 5 questions. If your plan answers all 5, it will work. The specific exercises matter less than having a structured approach.

This article teaches you how to answer those questions and build a plan yourself. And if that still feels like too much work, I'll show you how MySetPlan does it in 2 minutes.

The 5 Questions Every Workout Plan Must Answer

Before writing a single exercise, your plan needs to address:

1. How many days per week? — This determines your split.
2. Which muscles each day? — This is your training split.
3. What exercises? — The specific movements you'll perform.
4. How many sets and reps? — The volume and intensity.
5. How do you progress? — How you get stronger over time.

Let's answer each one.

Step 1: Pick Your Days

How many days can you realistically commit to? Be honest. Four days sounds good, but if your schedule only allows three, plan for three.

3 days per week: This is the sweet spot for beginners. You train, rest, train, rest, train, rest. Full recovery between sessions. Maximum results for minimum time investment.

• Schedule options: Mon/Wed/Fri, Tue/Thu/Sat, Sun/Tue/Thu

4 days per week: Good for intermediates who have been training 6+ months and want more volume.

• Schedule options: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri, Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat

5-6 days per week: Only for advanced lifters who recover well and have built up to this over time. Not recommended for beginners.

If you're new, start with 3 days. You can always add more later. You can't un-burn yourself out.

Step 2: Choose Your Split

Your "split" is how you divide muscle groups across training days. Here are the most effective options:

Full Body (Best for 3 Days)

Train all major muscle groups every session. This is ideal for beginners because:

• You get more practice on each movement pattern (squat, push, pull, hinge)
• You can train muscles while they're fully recovered
• If you miss one day, you haven't skipped an entire muscle group for a week

Sample structure:

• Day 1: Squat pattern + horizontal push + horizontal pull
• Day 2: Hinge pattern + vertical push + vertical pull
• Day 3: Squat pattern + horizontal push + pulling variation

Upper/Lower (Best for 4 Days)

Split workouts between upper body and lower body:

• Day 1: Upper Body
• Day 2: Lower Body
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Upper Body
• Day 5: Lower Body
• Days 6-7: Rest

This allows more volume per muscle group while maintaining good recovery. Good for intermediate lifters.

Push/Pull/Legs (Best for 6 Days)

• Day 1: Push (chest, shoulders, triceps)
• Day 2: Pull (back, biceps, rear delts)
• Day 3: Legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves)
• Repeat

Advanced split that requires solid recovery and training experience. Not recommended for your first year.

For beginners: Start with full body 3x per week. Research shows beginners gain equal muscle from 3 full body sessions as from 5-6 split sessions — with better adherence and less injury risk.

Step 3: Select Your Exercises

This is where most people overthink. You don't need 50 exercises. You need 5-7 per workout that cover the major movement patterns:

Movement Patterns to Include:

1. Squat (quad-dominant) — Goblet Squat, Barbell Back Squat, Leg Press
2. Hinge (hip-dominant) — Romanian Deadlift, Conventional Deadlift, Hip Thrust
3. Horizontal Push — Bench Press, Dumbbell Bench Press, Push-Ups
4. Horizontal Pull — Barbell Row, Dumbbell Row, Seated Cable Row
5. Vertical Push — Overhead Press, Dumbbell Shoulder Press
6. Vertical Pull — Pull-Ups, Lat Pulldown

Rule of thumb: 2 compound exercises per major muscle group + 1 isolation if you want extra work.

A full body day might look like:

1. Goblet Squat (squat pattern)
2. Dumbbell Bench Press (horizontal push)
3. Lat Pulldown (vertical pull)
4. Romanian Deadlift (hinge pattern)
5. Dumbbell Row (horizontal pull)
6. Plank (core stability)

That's 6 exercises covering every major muscle group.

Step 4: Sets, Reps, and Rest

This is simpler than the fitness industry makes it seem. Check out our detailed guide on sets, reps, and rest for the full breakdown.

For beginners focused on building muscle:

• Sets: 3 sets per exercise
• Reps: 8-12 reps per set
• Rest: 90 seconds between sets for compounds, 60 seconds for isolation

What "8-12 reps" means in practice: Pick a weight where 8 reps feels challenging and 12 reps would be near failure. You're not going to absolute failure — stop with 1-2 reps left in the tank.

Total weekly volume target: 10-12 sets per major muscle group per week. With a 3-day full body plan, that's 3-4 sets per muscle per workout.

Step 5: Plan Your Progression

This is the step most people skip — and why most people don't make progress.

The simplest progression model: Double Progression.

How it works:

1. Start at the bottom of your rep range (8 reps)
2. Each workout, try to add reps
3. When you hit the top of the range (12 reps) on all sets, increase weight by 5lbs
4. Drop back to 8 reps and repeat

Example over 4 weeks:

• Week 1: 50lbs × 8/8/8 reps
• Week 2: 50lbs × 10/9/8 reps
• Week 3: 50lbs × 12/11/10 reps
• Week 4: 50lbs × 12/12/12 reps → Next workout: 55lbs × 8/8/8 reps

That's it. You don't need periodization or complicated percentage-based programs. This progression model works for years.

Sample Beginner 3-Day Full Body Plan

Here's a complete plan you can start using today:

Workout A (Monday)

1. Goblet Squat — 3×8-12
2. Dumbbell Bench Press — 3×8-12
3. Lat Pulldown — 3×8-12
4. Romanian Deadlift — 3×8-12
5. Plank — 3×30-60 seconds

Workout B (Wednesday)

1. Leg Press — 3×8-12
2. Overhead Press — 3×8-12
3. Seated Cable Row — 3×8-12
4. Dumbbell Row — 3×8-12 each arm
5. Dead Bug — 3×10 each side

Workout C (Friday)

1. Barbell Back Squat — 3×8-12 (or Goblet Squat)
2. Dumbbell Bench Press — 3×8-12
3. Pull-Up or Lat Pulldown — 3×8-12
4. Barbell Hip Thrust — 3×8-12
5. Face Pull — 3×15-20

The Shortcut: Let AI Do It

Everything I just described takes 30-60 minutes to build yourself — assuming you already know exercise selection, progression models, and appropriate volume.

Or, answer 5 questions and let MySetPlan do it in 2 minutes.

You tell us:

• Your goal (build muscle, lose fat, get stronger)
• Your experience level
• Your available equipment
• How many days you can train
• Any limitations or preferences

The AI generates a periodized monthly plan with:

• All exercises selected for your equipment
• Sets, reps, and rest periods programmed
• Progressive overload built in automatically
• Deload weeks scheduled appropriately
• Nutrition targets calculated for your goals

Unlike Fitbod which generates random workouts daily, MySetPlan creates a structured monthly program with real progression. You know exactly what you're building toward.

Take the 2-minute quiz and see your plan.

FAQ

How long should each workout be?

For a beginner full body program, 45-60 minutes including warmup. If your workouts are taking 90+ minutes, you're either resting too long, doing too many exercises, or talking too much.

Can I create a plan without a gym?

Yes. Home workouts work if you have minimal equipment (dumbbells, resistance bands, pull-up bar). The exercise selection changes, but the principles stay the same. Our home workout plan is built specifically for this.

How often should I change my workout plan?

Beginners: Stick with the same plan for 8-12 weeks minimum. You need consistency to learn movements and track progression. Changing exercises every week makes it impossible to know if you're improving.

After 3+ months: You can adjust exercise selection every 4-8 weeks while keeping the structure similar.

What if I can only train 2 days per week?

Two days still works. Run 2 full body sessions with slightly more volume per workout (4 sets instead of 3). You'll progress slower than 3 days, but you'll still progress. Consistency on 2 days beats inconsistency on 4 days.

For more guidance on training frequency, see our guide on how many days per week to work out.