3 Day Full Body Workout Plan for Lifters Over 40 (Plus a 2 Day Version)
A 3 day full body workout trains every major muscle in every session, three times a week, with a rest day between each one. It is the simplest plan that works, it is hard to fall behind on, and for most people coming back to lifting after 40 it is the right place to start. If three days is too many right now, the 2 day version at the bottom still gets results.
This is the plan most people should restart with: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, a squat, a press, a pull, a hinge and a carry, and a walk on the days in between. It is not glamorous, but it is the easiest plan to stick with, mostly because a missed day never throws the whole week off.
Why a 3 day full body workout works
- Every muscle, three times a week. Research on training frequency has found that working a muscle at least twice a week builds more muscle than once. Full body gets you there on just three days.
- A full rest day between sessions. Muscles, tendons and joints recover more slowly after 40. Training Monday, Wednesday and Friday gives them 48 hours every time.
- Missing a day costs less. On a split, skip leg day and your legs go a week untrained. On full body, the next session covers everything anyway.
- It matches the guidelines. The NSCA's position statement on older adults recommends two to three sessions a week covering the major muscle groups, which is exactly this.
How to build a full body session
Every session covers the same five jobs, with a different exercise for each job on each day:
- Squat (front of the legs): goblet squat, leg press, split squat.
- Hinge (back of the legs and hips): Romanian deadlift, hip thrust, leg curl.
- Push (chest, shoulders, triceps): bench press, incline press, landmine press.
- Pull (back and biceps): rows and pulldowns.
- Carry or core: farmer's walk, wood chop, side plank.
Put the hardest lift first, while you are fresh, and keep each session to five or six exercises.
A 3 day full body workout plan
Day A (Monday)
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Easier on the joints |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 x 8-12 | Box squat to a bench |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 x 8-12 | Floor press |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 x 8-12 | Seated cable row |
| Hip thrust | 3 x 8-12 | Glute bridge |
| Farmer's walk | 3 x 30-45 s | Lighter, shorter walks |
Day B (Wednesday)
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Easier on the joints |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 3 x 8-10 | Cable pull-through |
| Landmine press | 3 x 8-12 | Incline dumbbell press |
| Lat pulldown | 3 x 10-12 | Neutral-grip pulldown |
| Dumbbell step-up | 3 x 8-10 each leg | Lower box |
| Cable wood chop | 3 x 10-12 each side | Pallof press |
Day C (Friday)
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Easier on the joints |
|---|---|---|
| Leg press | 3 x 10-12 | Shorter range, feet higher |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 x 8-12 | Neutral grip |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 x 8-12 | Chest-supported row |
| Lying leg curl | 3 x 10-12 | Stability ball curl |
| Hammer curl + triceps pushdown | 2 x 10-15 each | Band versions |
Rest about two minutes after the first two exercises and 60 to 90 seconds after the rest. End each set with one or two good reps still in you. A session should take 45 to 60 minutes including a short warm-up.
Print it, or snap it
Get this plan as a one-page sheet with room to log four weeks of weights. Print it for the gym, or take a photo of it in Liftspan: the app reads the plan, swaps any move that loads a joint you flag, sets your starting weights and coaches it from there. Your first import is free.
The 2 day full body workout
Some weeks three sessions will not happen. Two full body days still train every muscle twice a week, which is the minimum the research supports. Run Day A and Day B above with one extra set on each exercise, on two days at least two days apart (Monday and Thursday, or Tuesday and Friday). Keep walking on the days in between.
A two-day week is not failure. It keeps your strength and your habit alive through the busy stretches, and you can go back to three days when things calm down. As I wrote in the guide on how many days a week to lift, the plan you actually follow beats the perfect plan you skip.
How to progress it
Pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the rep range with good form. Keep it until you can do the top of the range on every set, then go up by the smallest jump you can load and start again at the bottom of the range. When the jump is big compared with the weight, like going from 15 to 20 pound dumbbells, let the reps climb a little past the top of the range first. Every fourth to sixth week, take a lighter deload week.
Full body or a split?
If you can train four days a week, an upper lower split is a good next step: shorter sessions, still twice a week for every muscle. A 2024 meta-analysis found no meaningful difference in strength or muscle growth between full body and split routines when the total work was the same, so pick whichever one fits your week.
Start the 3 day or 2 day plan free
Liftspan has two free starter programs built on this idea: Full Body, 3 days and Busy Week, 2 days, which puts a little more into each of two sessions. Both are built for your equipment and around the joints you tell it about. Liftspan sets every weight, moves it up as you earn it, and plans your deload weeks. Switch between them whenever your week changes, and every weight you have worked up to comes with you.
Common questions
Is a 3 day full body workout enough to build muscle?
Yes. Three full body sessions a week train every muscle three times, which is more often than most split routines. As long as you add weight or reps over time and recover well, it is enough to build muscle and strength at any age.
Is a 2 day full body workout enough?
For most people, yes. Two sessions a week still train every muscle twice, which is the minimum the research on frequency supports. Add a set to each exercise to make up some of the volume, and keep walking on the other days.
Should I do full body on consecutive days?
Try not to, especially after 40. Leave at least one rest day between full body sessions so your muscles and joints recover. Monday, Wednesday and Friday is the classic layout.
How long should a full body workout take?
About 45 to 60 minutes, including a short warm-up. Five or six exercises with three sets each is plenty. If sessions run much longer, trim an exercise rather than rushing your rest.
Sources: Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger 2016, Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy (Sports Medicine); Ramos-Campo et al. 2024, Efficacy of split versus full-body resistance training on strength and muscle growth (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research); NSCA, Resistance training for older adults (position statement, 2019). General information, not a substitute for a clinician.
Keep reading: upper lower split · how many days a week to lift after 40 · all guides