The gym

[Muzzy_no7]

38 minutes ago, BrummieFOX said:

Does anyone have a decent full body, 2/3 times a week porgramme they could share? 

 

I am relatively new to the gym and have just started to get into resistance training. I'm currently fairly limited to Bench press, incline shoulder press, bicep curls and some leg press/extension. I'm keen to incprorate more into the routine to get a good full body workout.

 

I am relatively fit for my age (39) and was playing football once a week and running 3 times a week, but after a pretty rubbish knee injury (2 fractures, ACL avulsion and meniscus tear) there's very little I can do outside beyond a brisk walk.

 

 

Does it have to be full body? 
 

If you go 3 times a week I’d go:

 

1. Chest and arms

2. Shoulders and back

3. legs and abs

 

Repeat. 

[BrummieFOX]

13 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Does it have to be full body? 
 

If you go 3 times a week I’d go:

 

1. Chest and arms

2. Shoulders and back

3. legs and abs

 

Repeat. 

It doesn't have to be know, but my thinking was if its only 3 and sometimes (minimum) 2 times a week, do my chest and arms need a full weeks rest in between sessions? Feels doable to do full body?

 

I might be wrong here so appreciate any guidance.

[Tommy G]

56 minutes ago, BrummieFOX said:

Does anyone have a decent full body, 2/3 times a week porgramme they could share? 

 

I am relatively new to the gym and have just started to get into resistance training. I'm currently fairly limited to Bench press, incline shoulder press, bicep curls and some leg press/extension. I'm keen to incprorate more into the routine to get a good full body workout.

 

I am relatively fit for my age (39) and was playing football once a week and running 3 times a week, but after a pretty rubbish knee injury (2 fractures, ACL avulsion and meniscus tear) there's very little I can do outside beyond a brisk walk.

 

 

@JonnyBoy

[Guesty]

Push, Pull, Legs routines are quite popular. You can sort of pick the exercises you prefer in each section. Sort of is what it says on the tin. One day you push the weights and next day you pull them and then a day of legs.

 

Eg: Push: bench press, incline press, overhead press, raises (for shoulders), push ups. Pull: Rows, deadlift, pull ups, lat pull downs (if you have access to the machine), bicep and hammer curls, face pulls. Legs: squat (back, front or single leg/split), lunges, calf raises can also put deadlifts here too I think. There's more exercises for each section - this was just off the top of my head; you don't have to do them all, just find ones you enjoy.

 

I'm not an expert but with a push pull routine you can do it 3 or 6 days a week - or if you miss out legs just 2. 

 

But maybe look up push, pull routine on youtube and google there's loads of information. Sometimes it can be information overload. I've found getting a pull up bar really helped me - just one of those exercises I really enjoy; a low risk of injuring yourself but a good test of overall upper body condition..

 

Consistency is one of the most important things I've found; so finding exercises you enjoy is important. So is diet, but thats a whole other subject.

 

Good luck.

 

Edited 15 September 2025 by Guesty

[grobyfox1990]

2 hours ago, BrummieFOX said:

Does anyone have a decent full body, 2/3 times a week porgramme they could share? 

 

I am relatively new to the gym and have just started to get into resistance training. I'm currently fairly limited to Bench press, incline shoulder press, bicep curls and some leg press/extension. I'm keen to incprorate more into the routine to get a good full body workout.

 

I am relatively fit for my age (39) and was playing football once a week and running 3 times a week, but after a pretty rubbish knee injury (2 fractures, ACL avulsion and meniscus tear) there's very little I can do outside beyond a brisk walk.

 

 

Check out some of the hyrox type sessions 

[Unabomber]

2 hours ago, BrummieFOX said:

Does anyone have a decent full body, 2/3 times a week porgramme they could share? 

 

I am relatively new to the gym and have just started to get into resistance training. I'm currently fairly limited to Bench press, incline shoulder press, bicep curls and some leg press/extension. I'm keen to incprorate more into the routine to get a good full body workout.

 

I am relatively fit for my age (39) and was playing football once a week and running 3 times a week, but after a pretty rubbish knee injury (2 fractures, ACL avulsion and meniscus tear) there's very little I can do outside beyond a brisk walk.

 

 

If you’re going 3 x a week then best to hit all the main muscle groups each time.

Squat or leg press

bench

barbell rows or pull ups

overhead press

barbell or db curls

rope pull downs or tricep kick backs

 

One session go heavier on say chest and the next session heavier on back. You don’t want to only hit each muscle once a week. 

 

 

[UniFox21]

Just now, Unabomber said:

If you’re going 3 x a week then best to hit all the main muscle groups each time.

Squat or leg press

bench

barbell rows or pull ups

overhead press

barbell or db curls

rope pull downs or tricep kick backs

 

One session go heavier on say chest and the next session heavier on back. You don’t want to only hit each muscle once a week. 

 

 

I'd either go this or an upper, lower, full body split.

 

Hits everything twice, and significantly less repetitive than a full body. Gives decent rotation, allows a day more focused on stretch style and another on moving heavier weights. 

[Unabomber]

Otherwise I would say push pull legs split.

[Unabomber]

Just now, UniFox21 said:

I'd either go this or an upper, lower, full body split.

 

Hits everything twice, and significantly less repetitive than a full body. Gives decent rotation, allows a day more focused on stretch style and another on moving heavier weights. 

Yeah good shout. I do think full body 3 x a week is good when starting out though. 

[BrummieFOX]

Cheers all that have replied, some useful suggestions. 

[JonnyBoy]

4 hours ago, BrummieFOX said:

Does anyone have a decent full body, 2/3 times a week porgramme they could share? 

 

I am relatively new to the gym and have just started to get into resistance training. I'm currently fairly limited to Bench press, incline shoulder press, bicep curls and some leg press/extension. I'm keen to incprorate more into the routine to get a good full body workout.

 

I am relatively fit for my age (39) and was playing football once a week and running 3 times a week, but after a pretty rubbish knee injury (2 fractures, ACL avulsion and meniscus tear) there's very little I can do outside beyond a brisk walk.

 

 

depends what your goal is and how new you are, if you are looking at getting into more shape and strength you really can’t go wrong with compound exercises. I do legs quite a bit to help with running 

 

 

[Mickyblueeyes]

Kettlebells wow. Been doing combinations with them for two months and it’s incredible. 20 minutes every other day. Progressively increasing the weight. Flipping the movements but maintaining a basic swing to start off. 
 

So many benefits from one piece of kit. Highly recommend if you’re short of time and get bored easily. 

[Grebfromgrebland]

6 hours ago, BrummieFOX said:

Does anyone have a decent full body, 2/3 times a week porgramme they could share? 

 

I am relatively new to the gym and have just started to get into resistance training. I'm currently fairly limited to Bench press, incline shoulder press, bicep curls and some leg press/extension. I'm keen to incprorate more into the routine to get a good full body workout.

 

I am relatively fit for my age (39) and was playing football once a week and running 3 times a week, but after a pretty rubbish knee injury (2 fractures, ACL avulsion and meniscus tear) there's very little I can do outside beyond a brisk walk.

 

 

This sounds like a job for AI. Get yourself a free perplexity subscription via PayPal. 

 

Tell it what you want to do and get it to draw up a plan for you. 

 

Have it in voice mode and you can verbally update your reps etc as you go.

[BrummieFOX]

11 hours ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

This sounds like a job for AI. Get yourself a free perplexity subscription via PayPal. 

 

Tell it what you want to do and get it to draw up a plan for you. 

 

Have it in voice mode and you can verbally update your reps etc as you go.

This sounds like a shout cheers. 

[bmt]

Stronglifts 5x5 (although id add a couple of extra exercises at the end of each session) is a great way to start off and increase strength quickly before moving onto another programme, and is 3 days a week

[Unabomber]

1 hour ago, bmt said:

Stronglifts 5x5 (although id add a couple of extra exercises at the end of each session) is a great way to start off and increase strength quickly before moving onto another programme, and is 3 days a week

Would second this. 

[DAS Boot]

On 16/09/2025 at 09:51, bmt said:

Stronglifts 5x5 (although id add a couple of extra exercises at the end of each session) is a great way to start off and increase strength quickly before moving onto another programme, and is 3 days a week

Stronglifts is a fantastic system and is really effective.  Although you’ll absolutely hate squats by the end of it!

 

Good follow up is a heavy duty workout.  Only two days a week as you need a lot of time to recover.

 

Chest, triceps, legs on one day

Back, bicep, shoulders on the other.

 

Go all out heavy to failure.

[FoxesWalk]

I go three times a week and do a pull, push and leg day. 3 sets of each exercise, last set to failure on each exercise. One 5-10km run and one game of 6 a side in the gaps for cardio. 
 

I’m in mid 30s but have been achieving good progress in terms of gaining muscle mass, happy to share routines for each day if interested. Diet makes a big difference, to me anyway. 

Edited 19 September 2025 by FoxesWalk

[Mickyblueeyes]

On 15/09/2025 at 21:47, Mickyblueeyes said:

Kettlebells wow. Been doing combinations with them for two months and it’s incredible. 20 minutes every other day. Progressively increasing the weight. Flipping the movements but maintaining a basic swing to start off. 
 

So many benefits from one piece of kit. Highly recommend if you’re short of time and get bored easily. 

I’ve been on kettlebells for some time now - coming up to 3 months of just pure kettlebell training and didn’t realise how awesome it was before I started. Guy in the gym I started talking to recommended them and started off with a few YouTube videos and went from there. 
 

Im over 40, dad, husband, pretty busy life. I use to do a lot of training when I was younger but with a group and it was great fun. Push pull legs, pb competition etc. I then ballooned, got into running (which I still enjoy) and got back down to a decent weight and wanted to get stronger. I restarted in the gym and without a group, caring about hitting personal targets etc., I’m going to be Frank, I found it ****ing boring and kept falling off. Add to that the less time I had compared to when I was younger, it was a losing battle.

 

I’ve  got abs again, started playing 5-a side which I thought was no longer possible against younger guys and I don’t think I’ve ever been this fit.

 

20/30 minutes, 5 different movements, range between 3-5 reps on each and just go for it. Have a 30 secs to a minute rest between each round. Build strength, get your cardio in. I’m gasping for breath by the end of it. Dripping of sweat. 3 days a week,

 

Increase the kettlebell weight to ensure progressive overload. Try two at a time to add more variations. 
 

Anyone of similar circumstances, really really recommend looking into it and starting. 

[HowardsBulletHeader]

17 hours ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

I’ve been on kettlebells for some time now - coming up to 3 months of just pure kettlebell training and didn’t realise how awesome it was before I started. Guy in the gym I started talking to recommended them and started off with a few YouTube videos and went from there. 
 

Im over 40, dad, husband, pretty busy life. I use to do a lot of training when I was younger but with a group and it was great fun. Push pull legs, pb competition etc. I then ballooned, got into running (which I still enjoy) and got back down to a decent weight and wanted to get stronger. I restarted in the gym and without a group, caring about hitting personal targets etc., I’m going to be Frank, I found it ****ing boring and kept falling off. Add to that the less time I had compared to when I was younger, it was a losing battle.

 

I’ve  got abs again, started playing 5-a side which I thought was no longer possible against younger guys and I don’t think I’ve ever been this fit.

 

20/30 minutes, 5 different movements, range between 3-5 reps on each and just go for it. Have a 30 secs to a minute rest between each round. Build strength, get your cardio in. I’m gasping for breath by the end of it. Dripping of sweat. 3 days a week,

 

Increase the kettlebell weight to ensure progressive overload. Try two at a time to add more variations. 
 

Anyone of similar circumstances, really really recommend looking into it and starting. 

I'd be interested to know more if you have time. The quicker, 30 minute ish sessions are something that appeals to me.

[izzymuzzet]

On 16/09/2025 at 09:51, bmt said:

Stronglifts 5x5 (although id add a couple of extra exercises at the end of each session) is a great way to start off and increase strength quickly before moving onto another programme, and is 3 days a week

100% agree with this. I only started lifting weights in my early 30s and used 5x5 as my first programme. It’s incredible how quickly you start to feel strong. 
 

The only issue is I was ravenously hungry all the time once I started lifting fairly heavy. Now I’m in my 40s I find I have to watch what l eat much more so have to switch up the routine a bit more regularly.

[Mickyblueeyes]

14 hours ago, HowardsBulletHeader said:

I'd be interested to know more if you have time. The quicker, 30 minute ish sessions are something that appeals to me.

Sure. Find a kettlebell which is slightly challenging but you’re able to lift. I’d go onto YouTube and just type on 20 mins kettlebell training - there are loads. The ones for beginners are great starts. You’ll learn the movements and be able to build your own complex from there. It’s really a simple way to start a routine. When I initially started, I did the 20 minute video (probably with a bit more rest than the video said in between sets) and then a 5/10 min press up/sit up routine. 
 

This combined with a calorie deficit 80% of the time will get you some good results

[foxfanazer]

I feel really self conscious at the gym. Not so much about my physique as I'm not in completely awful shape but more the fact I get in my head whether I'm doing the right technique with the weights and machines etc. Feel too embarrassed to ask people and they probably don't wanna be bothered as they're there to do their own workouts.

 

I end up just using the treadmill and the machines that have clear illustrations of what you're meant to do 

[Unabomber]

9 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

I feel really self conscious at the gym. Not so much about my physique as I'm not in completely awful shape but more the fact I get in my head whether I'm doing the right technique with the weights and machines etc. Feel too embarrassed to ask people and they probably don't wanna be bothered as they're there to do their own workouts.

 

I end up just using the treadmill and the machines that have clear illustrations of what you're meant to do 

I guarantee if you ask people they will be more than happy to help you.  

[Mickyblueeyes]

45 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

I feel really self conscious at the gym. Not so much about my physique as I'm not in completely awful shape but more the fact I get in my head whether I'm doing the right technique with the weights and machines etc. Feel too embarrassed to ask people and they probably don't wanna be bothered as they're there to do their own workouts.

 

I end up just using the treadmill and the machines that have clear illustrations of what you're meant to do 

An alternative if you don’t want to ask people, see a machine you’re interested in - usually has a label etc. and stick in YouTube - there will be loads of videos showing how to use it. Works the same for exercises, deadlifts etc. 

 

However, as someone said above, there will be loads of people happy to help. and in person tutorial does help on technique as someone can watch you real time and point out the mistakes. 
 

Believe me, there are plenty of people who have been doing it for years still trying to master the technique.