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Full body gym workout

Use the whole gym. Keep one clear plan.

A practical gym programme that combines free weights, cables and machines without turning every visit into an equipment tour. Follow two sessions, keep the movement jobs fixed and use the planned alternative when a station is busy.

See the workout Get the free six-week plan

The short answer

The gym gives you options—not a new plan every day.

A useful full body gym workout selects one exercise for each important movement job and repeats it long enough to measure progress. More equipment does not require more exercises. The two sessions below combine stable free-weight and machine movements so beginners and returning lifters can train the whole body without needing advanced barbell technique.

Commercial gyms are unpredictable, so each movement has a planned alternative. When equipment is occupied, swap the tool rather than deleting the legs, push or pull from your session. Record the substitute separately because 30 kilograms on a machine row is not the same training record as 30 kilograms on a cable row.

The programme

Do this workout

Alternate workouts A and B in sequence. Perform one or two lighter preparation sets before the first leg, push and pull exercises. Rest roughly 90–150 seconds between sets and up to three minutes when a demanding compound set needs it.

01

Knee dominant · horizontal push · row · hinge · shoulder press · brace

Workout A — squat, press and row

Use the named exercise as your default; take its planned alternative when the station is busy.
ExerciseSets and repsHow to use it
Leg press or goblet squat3 × 6–10Choose one as your normal version. Use a controlled depth, keep the whole foot supported and record the exact machine or dumbbell load.
Dumbbell bench press3 × 6–10Set the bench before collecting the weights, keep the feet planted and stop before shoulder position becomes uncomfortable.
Chest-supported row3 × 8–12Keep the chest against the pad and pull without throwing the torso backwards. A seated cable row is the direct busy-gym alternative.
Dumbbell Romanian deadlift3 × 8–12Keep the weights close, push the hips backwards and finish the range before the back position changes.
Machine shoulder press2 × 8–12Adjust the seat so the handles start near a comfortable shoulder height; a seated dumbbell press is equally valid.
Cable Pallof press2 × 8–12 / sideStand side-on to a stable cable and resist rotation as the handle moves away from the chest.
02

Hinge · vertical pull · horizontal push · single leg · hamstrings · carry

Workout B — hinge, pulldown and single leg

The equipment changes, but every major movement job remains visible.
ExerciseSets and repsHow to use it
Trap-bar deadlift3 × 5–8Use the high handles while learning when available, reset the position between reps and ask gym staff for setup help if the lift is unfamiliar.
Lat pulldown3 × 8–12Secure the thigh pad, pull the handle in front of you and avoid swinging backwards to finish the set.
Machine chest press3 × 8–12Set the seat before loading so the handles begin around mid-chest. Use a dumbbell floor or bench press when occupied.
Supported split squat2–3 × 8–12 / sideHold a rack upright lightly for balance without blocking active equipment. A leg press is the simpler alternative.
Seated leg curl2–3 × 8–12Align the machine approximately with the knee, secure the thigh pad and control the return rather than letting the stack fall.
Farmer carry3 × 30–40 mWalk only through a designated clear area. Use a cable anti-rotation hold when the gym does not have a safe carry route.
01

Get an induction

Ask gym staff to show unfamiliar machines, safety catches and lifting areas. A written plan does not replace knowing how the specific equipment operates.

02

Keep one default

Pick a normal exercise for each movement and return to it. Alternatives solve availability; they should not create a random workout at every visit.

03

Record substitutes separately

Log the exact exercise, equipment and settings. Progress a cable row against earlier cable rows—not against the number displayed on another machine.

04

Share the space

Follow the gym's rules, return weights and handles, and avoid occupying several stations at once. The programme works with ordinary straight sets.

Fit it into the week

A schedule you can repeat

Three non-consecutive days suit the main system, while two days remain a complete version. The A/B sequence determines the next workout; weekday names are only an example.

  1. Week 1
    Monday A · Wednesday B · Friday AUse the first week to establish repeatable exercises, settings and starting loads.
  2. Week 2
    Monday B · Wednesday A · Friday BContinue alternating instead of assigning one workout permanently to one day.
  3. Two days
    Tuesday A · Friday BBegin the next week with A and keep at least one recovery day between visits.

Make it work next month

Compare like with like and progress it

Use double progression on your default exercises. A busy-gym substitution creates its own record; do not force the same displayed load or expect an unfamiliar alternative to match your normal movement immediately.

Step 1

Set a controlled baseline

Choose loads that reach the bottom of each range with two or three good repetitions left. Record machine settings, bar or dumbbell weight and completed reps.

Step 2

Build the repetitions

Keep the exercise and load unchanged while adding reps where possible. When every working set reaches the top of its range, the increase has been earned.

Step 3

Add the smallest load

Increase by the smallest practical plate, dumbbell or stack step and return to the lower rep target. Resume your previous record when returning from a substitute.

Real-life rule

The next letter survives a missed gym visit.

If workout B is missed, complete B the next time you enter the gym. Do not restart at A or repay the missed session with double volume. After roughly two weeks away, keep familiar exercises but use a lighter load and one fewer working set during the first visit back.

Keep the movement

Useful substitutions

Choose the alternative in the same row when your default is unavailable. The aim is to preserve the movement job while keeping the session moving—not to imitate the exercise perfectly.

Movement neededUse thisOr use this
Knee-dominant legsLeg press or goblet squatHack squat or supported split squat
Hip hinge / hamstringsDumbbell Romanian deadliftSeated leg curl or cable pull-through
Horizontal pushDumbbell bench pressMachine chest press or cable press
Upper-body pullChest-supported rowSeated cable row or lat pulldown
Vertical pushMachine shoulder pressSeated dumbbell shoulder press
Trunk / carryFarmer carryCable Pallof press or anti-rotation hold

Why this is a sensible starting point

Simple, repeatable and evidence-informed

The NHS recommends muscle-strengthening activity for all major muscle groups on at least two days each week. Its guidance recognises bodyweight, resistance bands, free weights and gym machines as valid ways to train.

ACSM’s 2026 resistance-training update places consistency ahead of unnecessary complexity. The most useful programme is one you can perform safely, progressively and often enough to repeat.

NHS activity guidance ↗ACSM resistance-training update ↗

Choose the next useful guide

Keep training connected

Use a related version when your equipment, available time or preferred session format changes. You do not need to restart your progress.

Prefer fixed-path equipment

Machine-only workout

Use machines and cables exclusively, with exact setup records and stack-specific progression.

Open guide →Need one equipment type

Dumbbell workout

Follow the same movement logic with one pair of dumbbells and no bench required.

Open guide →Want a strength emphasis

Full body strength workout

Give lower-rep priority lifts longer rests and a more specific strength progression.

Open guide →

Practical questions

Before you start

What is a good full body workout at the gym?+

A good gym workout covers a knee-dominant leg exercise, a hip hinge or hamstring exercise, an upper-body push, an upper-body pull and trunk or carry work. Five or six repeatable exercises are usually more useful than trying every machine or changing the programme at each visit.

Should a full body gym workout use machines or free weights?+

It can use both. Free weights, cables and machines are tools, not competing programme types. This plan chooses stable exercises that are practical in a commercial gym and gives an equivalent alternative when a station is occupied.

How many days a week should I do this gym workout?+

Use two non-consecutive sessions while learning the exercises, then move to three if your recovery and schedule are reliable. Alternate workouts A and B in order, so missing a weekday does not reset the programme.

How long should a full body gym session take?+

Allow roughly 45 to 60 minutes for the six exercises in this plan. If time runs short, complete the first four movements and continue with the next scheduled workout rather than rushing every rest period or adding the skipped exercises tomorrow.

What should I do when gym equipment is busy?+

Use the alternative that preserves the same movement job, and record it as a separate exercise. You can also move a later exercise forwards when that does not compromise a heavy or unfamiliar lift. Avoid changing the entire workout simply because one bench or machine is unavailable.

Do I need to train to failure at the gym?+

No. Most sets in this plan should finish with roughly two controlled repetitions still possible. That effort is challenging enough to progress while making it easier to repeat technique and recover for the next full body session.