Finding a complete four-week workout program for beginners can be time-consuming because there are limited options available on the web and most fitness sites offer only weekly schedules not monthly. That’s why I’ve decided to create an ultimate 4 week beginner workout routine as per my experience and knowledge.
I’ve designed two workout plans, one for building muscle and the other for increasing fat loss; depending on your fitness goal, you can save one of the routines.
You can’t always depend on a gym trainer because he/she has to train many guys and girls at the same time, so it’s better to save this workout.
You can also show this routine to your trainer to make sure whether it is suitable for you or not. Once she/he is okay with it, you can start doing this program.
4 Week Beginner Workout Routine to Build Muscles (Program A)
This program involves performing one different split each week. You’ll do the full body workout in your first week; upper-lower split in the second week, PPL in the third week, and combined body part split in the last week.
- Week 1: Full Body Training
- Week 2: Upper/Lower Split
- Week 3: Push, Pull, Legs Split
- Week 4: Combined Body Part Split
These different splits will keep your training interesting at the start while helping you build muscle and strength.
| Program Duration | 4 Weeks |
| Workout Frequency | 3 Days a Week |
| Split Type | Full Body, Upper/Lower, PPL, and Hybrid |
| Workout Type | Resistance Traning |
| Daily Workout Duration | 45-60 minutes |
| Program Goal | Build Strength and Muscle |
Warm-up: Always start your workout with a quick warm-up exercises. You can do dynamic stretches, lightweight training, and resistance band warm-up exercises before starting the main workout.
Week 1 – Full Body Training
The first week will be your beginning phase, where you do bodyweight and resistance machine exercises to bolster your fundamental strength and improve your fitness level.
If it feels less, do not worry because it is a foundation phase. Once you move ahead, you’ll see challenging workouts.
Day 1 – Monday
| Exercises | Muscles | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodyweight Squat | Quad | 15 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Push Bar Pushup | Chest | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Overhead Machine Press | Shoulder | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Bench Dips | Triceps | 10 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Inverted Row | Back | 10 x 3 | 90-sec |
Day 2 – Wednesday
| Exercises | Muscles | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Lat Pulldown | Back | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated Cable Rowing | Back | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated/Lying Leg Curl | Hamstrings | 10 x 2 | 90 sec |
| Incline Machine Chest Press | Chest | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | Shoulder | 10 x 2 | 2 min |
Note: If you do not have access to perform the incline machine chest press, you can use the Smith machine.
Day 3 – Friday
| Exercises | Muscles | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pushup | Chest | 10 x 3 | 2-min |
| Leg Press | Quad | 12 x 3 | 2-min |
| Chin-up | Biceps | AMRAP x 3 | 2-min |
| Reverse Pec Deck Fly | Rear Delt | 10 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Front Lunges | Legs | 10 x 3 | 1-min |
| Forearm Plank | 30-sec | 45-sec x 3 | 1-min |
Note: Here, AMRAP is an initial of as many reps as possible.
Week 2 – Upper/Lower Split
The second week will be slightly more challenging than the first one. During this week, you’ll train your lower and upper body separately. For example, you’ll do chest, triceps, and shoulder on day one, legs and core on day two, and back, biceps, and shoulder on day three.
Day 1 – Upper Body
| Exercise | Muscles | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push Bar Pushup | Chest | AMRAP x 2 | 2 min |
| Flat Machine Press | Chest | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Pec Deck Fly | Chest | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Machine Shoulder Press | Shoulder | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | Shoulder | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Rope Pushdown | Triceps | 10 x 3 | 90-sec |
Note: You can do flat chest presses on the Smith machine if your gym does not have a chest press machine.
Day 2 – Lower Body
| Exercise | Muscle | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Back Squat | Quad | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Machine Leg Press | Quad | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated Leg Curl | Ham | 12 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Dumbbell Step up | Glutes | 10 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Standing Calf Raises | Caves | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
Day 3 – Upper Body
| Exercise | Muscle | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Lat Pulldown | Back | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated Cable Rowing | Back | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Single-arm DB Rowing | Back | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Reverse Pec Deck Fly | Shoulder | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Chin-up | Biceps | AMRAP x 3 | 2 min |
| Barbell Curl | Bicep | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
Week 3 – Push/Pull/Legs
This week, you’ll be doing push, pull, and leg exercises. Push day includes chest, triceps, and shoulder exercises; pull day includes back, biceps, and rear delt exercises; and leg day comprises quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calf exercises.
Day 1 – Push Workout
| Exercise | Muscle | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Flat Bench Press | Chest | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Incline DB Bench Press | Chest | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | Shoulder | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Bar Dip/Triangle Pushup | Triceps | AMRAP x 3 | 2 min |
| Rope Pushdown | Triceps | 10 x 2 | 1-min |
Day 2 – Pull Workout
| Exercise | Muscle | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Lat Pulldown | Back | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated Cable Rowing | Back | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Chest Supported Row | Back | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Cable Facepull | Upper Back | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Alternating DB Curl | Biceps | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
Day 3 – Legs and Core
| Exercise | Muscle | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Press | Quad | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Leg Extension | Quad | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated Leg Curl | Hamstring | 15 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Calf Raises | Calves | 15 x 3 | 1-min |
| Hanging Knee Raises | Abdominals | 10 x 3 | 1-min |
| Plank | Core | 45-sec x 3 | 30-sec |
Note: Perform back squats with any equipment you like, such as a barbell and Smith machine.
Week 4 – Hybrid Split
The hybrid split is an exercise program where you do a combination of upper and lower body exercises. So it may be challenging but can be effective for growing strength and size.
Day 1 – Chest, Triceps, Glutes, and Calves
| Exercise | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Incline DB Bench Press | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated Pec Deck Fly | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Machine Rear Delt Fly | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Overhead Triceps Extension | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Standing Calf Raise | 15 x 3 | 1-min |
Day 2 – Back, Biceps, and Hamstrings
| Exercise | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Front Lat Pulldown | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated Cable Rowing | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Bent-over Barbell Row | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Barbell Curl | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Cable Curl | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Machine Leg Curl | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
Day 3 – Quads, Shoulder, and Glutes
| Exercise | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Hack Squat | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Leg Press | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| DB Overhead Press | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| 1-arm Cable Lateral Raise | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| DB Rear Delt Raise | 12 x 3 | 2 min |
| Glute Bridge | 10 x 3 | 1-min |
4 Week Weight Loss Gym Workout Plan for Beginners (Program B)
This program involves training four times weekly, two sessions for resistance training and one session each for Zone 2 and Zone 3 cardio.
Resistance training will help you build strength and muscle mass and cardio will help you build endurance and support fat loss.
- Monday: Strength Training
- Tuesday: Zone 2 Cardio
- Wednesday: OFF
- Thursday: Strength Training
- Friday: OFF
- Saturday: Zone 3 Cardio
- Sunday: OFF
| Program Duration | 4 Weeks |
| Workout Frequency | 4 Days a Week |
| Workout Type | Resistance Training & Cardio |
| Daily Workout Duration | 45-60 minutes |
| Program Goal | Build Strength, Muscle and Burn Fat |
| Alternate Plan | 4 Week Fat Loss Workout Plan |
Note: Perform each exercise at your own pace. Use this workout program to build strength and endurance. Once you’re used to it, you can challenge your endurance level.
Week 1
Monday – Strength Training
| Exercise | Duration/Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Squat | 15 x 3 | 2-min |
| Incline Bench Press | 15 x 3 | 2-min |
| Overhead Machine Press | 15 x 3 | 2-min |
| Seated Pec Deck Fly | 15 x 3 | 2-min |
| Walking DB Lunges | 10/leg x 3 | 2-min |
Tuesday – Zone 2 Cardio
| Exercise | Activity |
|---|---|
| Treadmill Run | 20-minute @8-9kmph |
| Stationary Bike | 10-minute @60% MHR |
| Elliptical Trainer | 5-minute @60% MHR |
Here MHR means Maximum Heart Rate. It is calculated by subtracting your age from 220.
Thursday – Strength Training
| Exercise | Time/Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Seated Lat Pulldown | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Seated Cable Rowing | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| 1-arm Side Delt Raises | 10 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Biceps Curl + Leg Curl (SS) | 10 x 3 | – |
| Standing Calf Raises | 15 x 3 | 90-sec |
Here SS means Superset, which involves performing a pair of exercises one after another without taking a break between them.
Friday – Zone 3 Cardio
| Exercise | Activity |
|---|---|
| Treadmill Run | 15-minute @9-10kmph |
| Stationary Bike | 5-minute @70% MHR |
| Elliptical Trainer | 10-minute @70% MHR |
| Battle Rope | 5 sets of 30-sec |
| Jumping Rope | 5 sets of 50 jumps |
Week 2
Monday – Strength Training
| Exercise | Time/Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Bench press | 12 x 3 | 2-min |
| Cable Parallel Fly | 12 x 3 | 2-min |
| Military Press | 12 x 3 | 2-min |
| Hack Squat | 15 x 3 | 2-min |
| Leg Press | 15 x 3 | 2-min |
Tuesday – Zone 2 Cardio
| Exercise | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Low Intense Cardio | 20 minutes | 2-min |
| Treadmill | 10-15 minutes | 2-min |
| Bicycling | 5-10 minutes | 2-min |
Thursday – Strength Training
| Exercise | Reps x Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Rack Pull | 10 x 3 | 2-min |
| Single-arm DB Row | 10 x 3 | 2-min |
| Chest Supported Row | 10 x 3 | 2-min |
| Reverse Pec Deck Fly | 10 x 3 | 2-min |
| Plank | 1-min x 2 | 1-min |
Friday – Zone 3 Cardio
| Exercise | Activity |
|---|---|
| Treadmill Run | 15-minute @9-10kmph |
| Stationary Bike | 5-minute @70% MHR |
| Wall Ball Shots | 10 reps x 10 sets |
| Battle Rope | 5 sets of 30-sec |
| Jumping Rope | 5 sets of 50 jumps |
Week 3
Monday – Strength Training
| Exercise | Reps x Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Bench press | 15 x 3 | 2 min |
| Barbell Push Press | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Machine Leg Press | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| High to Low Cable Chop | 10 x 3 | 1-min |
| Hanging Knee Raises | 10 x 3 | 1-min |
Tuesday – Zone 2 Cardio
| Exercise | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Low Intense Cardio | 20 minutes | 2-min |
| Treadmill | 10-15 minutes | 2-min |
| Bicycling | 5-10 minutes | 2-min |
Thursday – Strength Training
| Exercise | Time/Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Machine Row | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| T-Bar Row | 10 minutes | 2 min |
| FDL Raises | 8-10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Barbell Jammer | 8-10 x 3 | 2 min |
Friday – Zone 3 Cardio
| Exercise | Activity |
|---|---|
| Treadmill Run | 15-minute @9-10kmph |
| Stationary Bike | 5-minute @70% MHR |
| Wall Ball Shots | 10 reps x 10 sets |
| Battle Rope | 5 sets of 30-sec |
| Jumping Rope | 5 sets of 50 jumps |
Week 4
Monday – Strength Training
| Exercise | Reps x Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Bench press | 15 x 3 | 2-min |
| Dumbbell Thruster | 10 x 3 | 2-min |
| Leg Extension | 15 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Leg Curl | 15 x 3 | 90-sec |
| Cable Crunches | 15 x 3 | 1-min |
Tuesday – Zone 2 Cardio
| Exercise | Activity |
|---|---|
| Treadmill Run | 20-minute @8-9kmph |
| Stationary Bike | 10-minute @60% MHR |
| Elliptical Trainer | 10-minute @60% MHR |
Thursday – Strength Training
| Exercise | Time/Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Machine Row | 10 x 3 | 2 min |
| T-Bar Row | 10 minutes | 2 min |
| FDL Raises | 8-10 x 3 | 2 min |
| Barbell Jammer | 8-10 x 3 | 2 min |
Friday – Zone 3 Cardio
| Exercise | Activity |
|---|---|
| Treadmill Run | 15-minute @9-10kmph |
| Stationary Bike | 10-minute @70% MHR |
| Battle Rope | 5 sets of 30-sec |
| Jumping Rope | 5 sets of 50 jumps |
Download The Beginner’s Free Gym Workout Plans PDF
You can save this article using the form (above the first heading) to use the updated routine whenever needed.
Who Can Follow These Plans?
Being strong and fit is the ultimate goal of every human being, irrespective of gender. Some people join the gym to reduce body fat; some want to gain muscles, and some like to stay fit and maintain their physique. And keeping yourself fit means protecting yourself from many health issues.
Everyone’s physique is different, so their goal is. That is why I have designed two gym workout routines for beginners, one for muscle gain and the other for fat loss, and designed them in a way that they can work for everyone. So depending on your goal, you can follow one of the routines to start developing your physique.
Along with the workout plan, I’ve also shared a list of weight loss and muscle gain foods that you can incorporate into your nutrition program.
Muscle Gain and Weight Loss Nutrition for Beginners
Diet plays an important role in muscle building and weight loss. A proper diet helps you achieve your fitness goal faster.
The first step to achieving your best physique is to know what nutrition you’re getting from the foods you eat. Knowing how many calories you consume throughout the day helps you maintain your calorie intake based on your goal.
Your daily nutrition must include macro and micronutrients, such as carbs, protein, fats, fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
This article is primarily about workout routines, so I can’t include all the information here, but I can share some macros info that can help you understand what you should eat.
Macros for Muscle Building
High-protein foods are essential for the growth of the muscles, while fats and carbs are also important sources of energy.
If you want to gain muscle and increase your body mass, you should consume more calories every day than your body needs.
Here is an example of Macros.
| Nutrients | Protein | Carbs | Fats |
| Breakfast | 30-40 grams | 50-60 grams | 15-20 grams |
| Lunch | 30-40 grams | 70-100 grams | 15-20 grams |
| Dinner | 30-40 grams | 40-50 grams | 10-15 grams |
| Pre-Workout | 30 to 40 grams of protein 30 minutes before training. | 40 to 50 grams of carbs 30 minutes before training. | No |
| Post-Workout | At least 30 to 40 grams of protein in your post-workout meal. | 1 gram per kilogram of body weight in your post-workout meal. | No |
Examples of Protein Sources: Chicken Breast, Eggs, Whey Isolate, Soya Chunks, Oatmeal, Nuts butter, Legumes, Lentils, Salmon
Examples of Carbs: Brown Bread, Oats, Rice, Banana, and sweet potatoes.
Examples of Micronutrients Foods: Avocados, Spinach, Borcalli, Cucumber, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Other green veggies.
Try to consume at least 3 meals each day as well as 2 snacks (one of which should be protein) throughout the day so that your body can get all of the nutrients and vitamins from foods.
Nutrition for Weight Loss
Diet is crucial when it comes to weight loss. Only working out won’t going to help you much if your aim is weight loss.
A weight loss diet should contain lean meats, whey protein isolates, low-fat dairy products, and plenty of fruit and vegetables so that your body can get everything it needs to function properly while helping you lose weight.
The macros of weight loss depend on several things, such as your body mass index (BMI), basal metabolic rate (BMR), activity throughout the day, and age.
A general rule of fat loss is to consume fewer calories than your body burns throughout the day.
You can check out an article on Healthline.com about weight loss macros to learn more about what you should consume depending on your fitness level and goal.
Related: The Best Lowest Calorie Foods For Weight Loss
The Last Words and Tips for Beginners
1. This plan may be challenging, but you have to complete it to take your fitness to the next level.
2. You’ll feel pain in the first week of your training, But don’t worry, it’s normal. Once your body gets used to it, you’ll start enjoying it.
3. Drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Try to include some juice or watery fruits like watermelon to keep yourself hydrated and full during the day.
3. To prevent injuries, avoid lifting too much weight initially. Always start with lightweight than your ability. Moreover, lift the weight gently, neither too hasty nor too slowly.
4. For better performance during the workout, do warm-up exercises before lifting weights because they help adjust your muscles, increase your heart rate and blood flow, and reduce the risk of injuries.
5. Imagine that you have achieved your best physique twice a day.
6. Last but not least, everyone’s body responds differently; some people see quick results, while for others, it takes more time. So, do not panic, keep patience, work consistently, and feed your muscles optimum nutrition and you’ll surely see the results.
