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Want a gym routine that works your whole body, fits into three days a week, and tells you exactly what to do when you walk in? You’re in the right place.
This is a full body gym workout for women. Every session works your legs, glutes, back, chest, shoulders and core, and each one takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
It’s built for beginners and for anyone coming back after a break. The first two weeks ease you in gently, then the plan gets a little harder each week for eight weeks.
Keep reading for the full plan, how to pick your weights, and answers to the questions we hear most.
The plan at a glance
| Level | Beginner to intermediate |
| Gym days | 3 a week, with a rest day between each |
| Session length | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Length | 8 weeks, then repeat heavier |
| Warm-up | 5 to 10 minutes before every session |
| Rest between sets | 90 sec (first two lifts), 60 sec (the rest) |
| Protein | 0.6 to 0.9 g per lb bodyweight a day (1.4 to 2.0 g per kg) |
| Equipment | Commercial gym |
Let’s quickly clear up “toning”, because it gets used a lot. Toning really means two things: building some muscle, and, if you want to, losing some of the fat that sits on top of it.
This plan takes care of the first part. Food does most of the second, and we’ve covered that further down.
Your week
You’ll alternate between two workouts, A and B. Here’s how your first two weeks look:
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A | B | A |
| Week 2 | B | A | B |
Then just repeat. Any three days work, as long as there’s a rest day between sessions. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday is just as good.
The workouts
The first two exercises in each workout are your main lifts. These are the big ones, so you do them first while you’re fresh. Everything after them is an accessory, or a smaller exercise that fills in the gaps.
Workout A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat (or barbell back squat) | 3 | 8-10 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 3 | 10-12 |
| Seated cable row | 2 | 12-15 |
| Plank | 3 | 20-40 sec |
Workout B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell or dumbbell hip thrust | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell shoulder press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Leg press | 3 | 10-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 | 10-12 each arm |
| Walking lunge | 2 | 10 each leg |
| Dead bug | 3 | 8 each side |
Each workout has one squat movement and one hip movement. That way your legs and glutes get worked every session, without leaving you too sore for the next one. Workout A leads with the squat, and Workout B leads with the hip thrust.
Your core is built in too: planks on A, dead bugs on B. So there’s no need for a separate ab day.
Never done a dead bug? Lie on your back with your arms pointing up and your knees bent over your hips. Then slowly lower your opposite arm and leg toward the floor, keeping your lower back pressed down the whole time. Swap sides and repeat.
How the 8 weeks progress
The workouts stay the same for all eight weeks. What changes is how hard you push them.
| Weeks 1 to 2 | Weeks 3 to 5 | Week 6 | Weeks 7 to 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Learn the moves | Build | Deload | Push |
| Main lifts | 2 x 10, light | 3 x 8-10 | 2 x 8, lighter | 4 x 6-8 |
| Accessories | 2 x 12 | 3 x 10-12 | 2 x 10 | 3 x 10-12 |
| Effort | Easy, 4+ reps left | 2 to 3 reps left | Easy | 1 to 2 reps left |
“Reps left” just means how many more good reps you could have done when you stopped the set. It’s the easiest way to judge your effort without a coach standing next to you.
Week 6 is a deload, or an easier week. You do the same sessions with fewer sets, at about 60% of your normal weight.
It might feel like you’re slacking. You’re not! It gives your body time to catch up, so weeks 7 and 8 actually feel strong. After week 8, head back to week 3 with the heavier weights you’ve earned.
Brand new to the gym? The first two weeks
If you’ve never lifted before, think of weeks 1 and 2 as practice. Pick a weight that feels almost too easy.
Right now you’re learning where to put your feet, how to brace, and where each machine is. That’s plenty for two weeks.
- Ask a member of staff to show you the leg press and lat pulldown on your first visit. Most gyms are happy to do this for free.
- Film one set of each main lift on your phone. Check that your back stays flat and your knees point the same way as your toes.
- Finish every session feeling like you could have done more. That’s exactly the point of these two weeks.
How to pick your weights
Choose a weight where the last two or three reps are hard, but your form holds.
- If you finish every set at the top of the rep range and feel you had five more, go heavier.
- If your form falls apart halfway through, go lighter.
When should you add weight? Once you hit the top of the rep range on every set, two sessions in a row. Add the smallest jump your gym has, usually 2.5 to 5 lb (1 to 2.5 kg), then work your way back up the rep range.
Why full body three times a week works
Because it gets all the work done in just three visits.
Here’s the thing: what builds muscle is the total amount of hard work each muscle does across the week. How you split it up matters much less than you might think.
A meta-analysis of 25 studies found that when the weekly work was the same, training a muscle more or less often made no meaningful difference to how much it grew.
So full body isn’t magic. It’s just efficient.
Three sessions cover every muscle. You practice each main lift several times a week, which is how you get good at it. And if you miss a session, you’ve lost a third of your week, not your whole leg day.
It also ticks off the WHO recommendation of strength work for all the major muscle groups on two or more days a week.
Curious how it compares with other ways to split your training? Take a look at the workout split guide for women, or try full body every other day for the same idea on a rolling schedule.
“Will lifting make me bulky?”
Short answer: no. But rather than just reassure you, here’s what the research says.
When researchers pooled the studies on men and women doing the same training, women gained muscle and lower-body strength at a similar rate to men, relative to where they started. In relative terms, women actually gained more upper-body strength.
So why doesn’t that make women bulky? Women start with less muscle, so the same percentage gain adds up to a smaller amount of actual muscle.
In real life, that means you’ll get stronger quickly while your shape changes slowly. Looking “bulky” takes years of training aimed at exactly that, plus eating for it. It won’t sneak up on you!
Weight training for women goes into this in more depth if you’re curious.
Cardio and food, briefly
Cardio. It isn’t required for this plan, but it’s great for your health, and walking counts! The WHO recommends 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate activity, or movement that gets you breathing harder but still able to chat. That’s roughly 20 to 40 minutes a day. Do it on your rest days or after lifting. If fat loss is your main goal, the best cardio for weight loss will help you pick.
Protein. Aim for 0.6 to 0.9 g per pound of bodyweight a day (1.4 to 2.0 g per kg), the range the International Society of Sports Nutrition gives for most people who train. For a 143 lb (65 kg) woman, that’s about 90 to 130 g a day. Try to spread it across your meals rather than saving it all for dinner.
Want to lose some fat too? You’ll need to eat a little less than you burn. The female body toning meal plan does the planning for you. And if you’re wondering what to expect, take a look at how long it takes to get toned.
No access to that machine?
| Instead of | Do |
|---|---|
| Lat pulldown | Assisted pull-up, or band-assisted pull-up |
| Leg press | Goblet squat or dumbbell step-up |
| Seated cable row | Chest-supported dumbbell row |
| Barbell hip thrust | Dumbbell hip thrust or glute bridge |
| Dumbbell bench press | Push-up (on knees, or hands on a bench) |
Questions people ask
Can I add a fourth day?
Not for the first eight weeks. Add a walk instead. If you’re hungry for more after that, the 12 week fat loss gym plan for women is a four day plan.
Can I train on back-to-back days?
Now and then, sure. But make it a habit and your second session will suffer. Keep a rest day between them when you can.
Do I do the whole thing in order?
Yes. Main lifts first while you’re fresh, then the accessories.
What if I miss a session?
No stress. Just do the next workout in the rotation on your next gym day. There’s no need to double up.
Happy lifting, and enjoy watching those numbers go up!
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, have an injury, or have a medical condition, check with a doctor before starting a new training plan.
