A 4-Week Guided Workout Program For Beginners
Whether you’re just starting — or trying to get back into a physical routine — this plan is designed to get you on track to quickly improving your fitness level and physique.
Complete this program 3 to 6 days a week for 4 weeks and get ready to see muscle gains, increased stamina, and enhanced fitness.
Complete 4 Week Strength Training and Endurance Workout Program for Beginners
In the fitness world, 12-week programs are immensely popular. Are three-month workout programs effective? Yes. But how about a program that can get you results in just four weeks? This plan is designed to get you started and set you up for a lifetime of fitness, health, and muscle gains in just a few short weeks of commitment.
Although this 4-week program will be demanding, it is intended to challenge you without overdoing anything. Each week, the plan progresses to different exercises and increased intensity. One month from now, you can look forward to the potential of looking better, feeling better, and having increased stamina.
Whether you have never picked up weight or just need to get back into training after an extended absence, here’s your plan for getting back on track.
4 Week BEGINNER’S WORKOUT Guide: An Overview
- Week 1 – Full Body Split
- Week 2 – Two-day Split — Upper and Lower Body
- Week 3 – Three-day Split — Pull/Legs/Push
- Week 4 – Four-day Split — Fully Body
WEEK 1: Entire Body
The program begins with full-body training in each workout, also known as a full-body training split. All major muscle groups get worked rather than splitting up training.
For three days, one exercise per body part will be performed each session. It is crucial to allow for rest days in between each training session to let your body recover. A possible training routine could be working out on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and taking Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday as rest days.
Week 1 exercises include basic, foundational moves that are suitable for advanced lifters and beginners alike.
To start, a variety of free-weight exercises are present to help master long-term gains. Before beginning any exercises, read the descriptions carefully, get the all-clear from your doctor, and always listen to your body.
For Week 1, three sets of every exercise will be performed in each workout. By the final week, up to nine sets will be performed. Except for abs, 8 to 12 reps will be performed for each set.
As you’ll notice in the workout, the first set calls for eight reps, followed by 10 reps in the second set and 12 in the third. This is called a “reverse pyramid” and refers to the weight being decreased in each set along with higher reps. For instance, if you used 150 pounds for your first set of late pulldowns for eight reps, your second set maybe 10 reps with 130 pounds.
Here’s a breakdown of the actual exercises for a sample workout day, including a breakdown of reps:
1. Dumbbell Bench Press
Equipment Needed – Bench, Dumbbells
3 sets total – 8 reps first set, 10 reps second set, 12 reps third set
2. Lat Pulldowns
Equipment Needed – Adjustable Cable Machine, Lat Pulldown Bar
3 sets total – 8,10,12 reps
3. Overhead Dumbbell Press
Equipment Needed – Dumbbells
3 sets total – 8, 10, 12 reps
4. Leg Press
Equipment Needed – Machine
3 sets total – 8,10,12 reps
5. Lying Leg Curl
Equipment Needed – Machine
3 sets total – 8, 10, 12 reps
6. Rope Pressdown
Equipment Needed – Adjustable Cable Machine, Rope Attachment
3 sets total – 8, 10, 12 reps
7. Barbell Biceps Curl
Equipment Needed – Barbell
3 sets total – 8, 10, 12 reps
8. Standing Calf Raise
Equipment Needed – Box
3 sets total – 8, 10, 12 reps
9. Crunches
Equipment Needed – None
3 sets total – 15 reps
Crunches
WEEK 2 – Two-Day Training Split
For week two, you’ll work your entire body over two days for a total of four days in the week (two upper-body days and two lower-body days). An example would be upper body training on Monday and Thursday, lower body training on Tuesday and Friday, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday as rest days in between.
Week 2 utilizes many of the moves from Week 1, but now compound movements will begin to be added in to challenge muscles differently and target multiple body parts at once.
Again, a reverse pyramid scheme will be utilized for reps, with slightly higher numbers of reps being performed on the third set. These reps will help you boost muscular endurance and continue to build a solid foundation for muscle gains.
Here’s an example of an upper-body day during week two:
1. Barbell Bench Press
Equipment Needed – Barbell, Bench
3 sets total – 10 reps on first set, 12 on the second, and increase reps to 15 on the third set
2. Dumbbell Fly
Equipment Needed – Bench, Dumbbells
3 sets total – 10, 12, and 15 reps
3. Barbell Bent-Over Row
Equipment Needed – Barbell
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
4. Lat Pulldown
Equipment Needed – Adjustable Cable Machine, Lat Pulldown Bar
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
5. Overhead Dumbbell Press
Equipment Needed – Dumbbells
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
6. Lateral Raise With Dumbbells
Equipment Needed – Dumbbells
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps each set
7. Barbell Biceps Curl
Equipment Needed – Barbell
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
8. Preacher Curl with Cable
Equipment Needed – Adjustable Cable Machine, EZ-Bar, Preacher Bench
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
9. Lying EZ Bar Triceps Extension
Equipment Needed – Bench, EZ-Bar
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
10. Rope Pressdown
Equipment Needed – Adjustable Cable Machine, Rope Attachment
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
11. Crunches
No Equipment Needed
3 sets – 15 to 20 reps per set
Here’s an example of a Lower Body Day During Week 2:
1. Leg Press
Equipment Needed – Leg Machine
3 total sets – 10, 12, 15 reps
2. Lying Leg Curl
Equipment Needed – Leg Machine
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
3. Seated Leg Curl
Equipment Needed – Leg Machine
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15
4. Standing Calf Raise
Equipment Needed – Box
3 sets total – 15 to 20 reps per set
5. Seated Calf Raise
Equipment Needed – Bench
3 sets total – 15 to 20 reps per set
Lat Pulldown
Week 3 – Three Day Split
The third week features the three-day training split – Full body, a back and biceps day, and a lower body day, with each body part getting trained twice during the week. This makes week 3 another six-day training period with one recovery day.
More angles are added this week to target new muscles and promote gains and development. Each muscle group will get hit with 3 to 4 sets of two exercises. The total will be 16 sets for the week for larger body parts and 12 sets for smaller body parts. Reps will be in the 8 to 15 range.
Here’s an example day for exercises for Week 3:
1. Incline Barbell Bench Press
Equipment Needed – Barbell, Bench
4 sets total – 10 on the first set, 10 reps on the second set, 12 reps on the third set, 15 reps on the fourth set
2. Dumbbell Fly
Equipment Needed – Bench, Dumbbells
4 sets total – 10, 10, 12, 15 reps
3. Overhead Dumbbell Press
Equipment Needed – Dumbbells
4 sets total – 10, 10, 12, 15 reps
4. Smith Machine Upright Row
Equipment Needed – Smith Machine
4 sets total – 8, 8, 10, 12 reps
5. Lying EZ Bar Triceps Extension
Equipment Needed – Bench, EZ-Bar
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
6. Dumbbell Kickback
Equipment Needed – Dumbbells
3 sets total – 10, 12, 15 reps
Week 4 – Crank It Up With A Full Body Split
For the final week of the program, four days of training will hit each body part once(aside from abs and calves, which get trained twice).
Four-day splits are commonly trained among more experienced lifters as they focus on fewer body parts per workout. This gives each muscle group sufficient attention and allows for higher training volume.
Week 4 does not introduce any new exercises. This is intended to allow you to focus on proper form and intensity rather than learning new moves.
This bump in rep volume will ensure sufficient muscle overload to promote growth and enhance stamina.
Sample Day Week 4:
1. Overhead Dumbbell Press
Equipment Needed – Dumbbells
4 sets total – 12 reps each set
2. Smith Machine Upright Row
Equipment Needed – Smith Machine
3 sets total – 8, 10, 12 reps
3. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Equipment Needed – Dumbbells
3 sets total – 10 reps each set
4. Seated Calf Raise
Equipment Needed – Bench
10 sets – 10 reps each
Final Thoughts
We hope this 4-week guided workout program helps get you on track to your fitness goals. Have you ever followed a fitness program? Are you just getting started after an absence from training? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
— By Brad Russell, Owner of IsaTonic & Nutritional Cleanse
