Your beginner’s 7-day gym plan to start strength training

Every athlete starts somewhere. And that’s why we built this strength training gym plan for beginners. You’re at the start of an awesome journey - and using our playbook means you’ll have the right foundations in place. 

Whether you’ve never walked through the doors of a gym before, are getting back into fitness, or want to add more strength training to your cardio sessions, our gym routine for beginners covers the essentials. 

Gyms can feel intimidating - especially if you’re unsure how to use the equipment. Don’t worry. Most of it is pretty straightforward once you understand the basics. 

This guide covers the essentials of strength training and includes a 7 day starter gym workout routine too.

Beginner’s workout plan for strength: What to know before you get started

When you’re starting out on your strength training journey, there are a few essentials to understand before you hit the gym for the first time. 

What actually happens when you do strength training

We don’t need to get deep into the science here, but you should have a basic understanding of what happens when you do strength training. 

When you put your muscles under stress, microscopic tears appear in the tissue. This might sound bad, but actually it’s totally natural and necessary. Your body repairs this damage, and makes your muscle fibres thicker and stronger. This means that, next time, your muscles are able to handle more pressure. 

Progressive loading

To get stronger, you can either increase the weight you're lifting, or the amount of time you spend lifting weights. This is called progressive loading. 

To begin with, you should be choosing lighter weights that you feel reasonably comfortable using. There is no point in trying to do bicep curls with a 30kg dumbbell if you haven’t built up to it. Instead, start on lower weights and work up over time. 

Results come fast… and slow

It’s important to have realistic expectations about how soon you’ll get results. On the plus side, experts says that most beginners notice quite a significant improvement in their strength in just the first three weeks of training. But it can also take up to 12 weeks to notice visible changes in muscle size. 

The point is, don’t expect to look ‘ripped’ after a couple of weeks. But trust that the results will come in time. 

Rest is critical

Any good quality gym schedule for beginners will include plenty of rest. Your body needs time to recover. If you train too hard, you’ll increase your chances of injury. Your muscles will also feel really sore. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

If you’re unsure how to use a machine, lift a weight or perform a move, ask for help. All good gyms should have staff available for precisely this reason.

Know basic good form

There are endless exercises you can do, and the exact posture and positioning for each will vary - which is why you should check with gym staff if you’re unsure. But the basic principle for most starter workouts at a gym are the same:

• Bend with your knees, not your back
• Keep your spine in a neutral ‘straight’ position (rather than bending side to side or unnaturally far back or forward)
• Engage your core during each lift
• Exhale when pushing/pulling, inhale during the ‘relaxed’ phase of a rep
• Perform reps in a slow, controlled way
• Listen to your body - there’s a difference between a challenging lift and real pain (stop if you feel the latter)

Set goals and track your progress

This will help you train in a more consistent way. Set a goal (for example, to be able to bench press 40kg in six months’ time), then gradually work towards it. Track your progress by noting down how many reps of different weights you do at each session. 

Wear appropriate gear

Strength training shoes and performancewear are a little different to other kinds of sportswear. Shoes tend to have grippy soles and more of the surface area in contact with the ground - which equals better balance and stability. Apparel tends to be form fitting and sweat wicking, but loose enough to avoid constricting your movements. 

Learn more: What to wear to the gym

Diet and hydration

This is essential for a better recovery. When you’re just starting out, you don’t need to worry about protein shakes - just focus on eating a healthy balanced diet with some protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, yoghurt etc.) in each meal. Drink more water to help with recovery. Again, at this early stage of your journey, you don’t need to worry about sports drinks - plain old water will do everything you need.  

Machine, bodyweight or free weight

All three options are excellent, and the choice ultimately depends on personal preference and goals. 

• Machines have the advantage of being more controlled, so you can learn movements easier
• Free weights make you engage more muscles than machines, but can be harder to use correctly
• Bodyweight exercises are often (but not always) easier, but offer less resistance 

Suggested: 10 benefits of bodyweight exercises

The fundamentals of a gym routine for beginners

When you hit the gym, here’s what you’ll actually be doing during the workout itself:

• Warming up: Always essential, spend 5-10 minutes doing some light cardio. A cross trainer machine is a good option since it works both your legs and arms so blood will flow to them. 
• Reps: A rep (repetition) is an individual movement. It could be one squat, one barbell curl, one deadlift, one crunch or whatever. 
• Set: A set is a number of reps. You’ll typically do three sets of 10 reps on each exercise. This is enough to cause those tiny tears in your muscles, but not so much that you risk injury.
• Rest between sets: You need to give your body time to recover before you go again. Depends on how you feel, but 30-45 seconds is usually enough. 
• Time at the gym: To start out, we wouldn’t recommend spending more than 45 minutes on your entire workout (including warm up and cool down). There’s no need to spend hours at the gym in your first week. 

7-day beginner’s workout plan for the gym

We’ve designed this 7-day gym schedule workout for beginners to help you get started on your strength training journey. You’ll notice there are only three days of actual strength training. That’s because you need time to rest and let your body recover. 

Day 1: Full body intro

You want to hit the ground running. This first day will give you a fun, challenging intro to strength training, and includes all major muscle groups. 

Warm up: Spend 10 minutes doing light cardio on the cross trainer or an exercise bike. 

Legs:

• 3 x 10 bodyweight squats
• 3 x 10 weighted lunges, alternating legs (hold a 3kg dumbbell in each hand)
• 3 x 10 leg press

Arms:

• 3 x 10 machine arm curls (with a weight that feels challenging but not too hard)
• 3 x 10 machine assisted dips

Back:

• 3 x 10 lat pull down with machine

Chest: 

• 3 x 10 dumbbell bench press (with a weight that feels challenging but not too hard)

Core: 

• Planks: hold a low plank for 20 seconds, rest then repeat twice more

More ideas: The best chest exercises

Day 2: Rest

You might start to feel some soreness in your muscles - that’s normal and shows your body is recovering well. Treat this as an active rest day. Do some light stretching and go on a 30 minute walk. 

Day 3: Lower body (‘legs day’)

You’ll mainly be focusing on leg strength in this session, although other muscle groups will get worked. 

Warm up: 15 minutes cardio using an exercise bike or cross trainer.

Legs:

• 3 x 10 Bulgarian split squat holding dumbbells in each hand
• 3 x 10 leg press machine 
• 3 x 10 kettlebell swings (choose a light weight and focus on form)
• 3 x 10 glute bridge
• 3 x 10 Romanian deadlift with a barbell (choose a light weight or just a bar without weights attached - form is most important)
• 3 x 15 standing calf raise (bodyweight only)
• Jumping squats (bodyweight only) - as many as you can do in 1 minute

Day 4: Rest

You are going to be feeling it in your legs today, so take it easy. Some light stretching is beneficial, but you’ve earned your rest. 

Day 5: Active rest

You won’t be going to the gym today, but you will be doing some light cardio. Spend at least 30 minutes on light aerobic exercise - walking is fine, or a combination of running and walking is even better. If you swim, then a visit to the pool could also be a great option. Cycling is also a decent choice. 

Day 6: Upper body 

The focus of today’s workout is your upper body - your arms, core, chest and back. 

Warm up: 10 minutes light cardio that works your arms and back - rowing machine or a cross trainer are ideal.

Chest:

• 3 x 10 push ups (put your knees on the ground to make it easier)
• 3 x 10 dumbbell bench press (choose light weights, focus on good form)

Core: 

• 3 x 30 seconds bicycle crunches, with 30 second break between each set
• 3 x 10 leg lifts

Arms: 

• 3 x 10 standing bicep curls with dumbbells
• 3 x 10 lateral raises with very light dumbbells

Back:

• 3 x 10 chin up machine
• 3 x 10 lat pull down with machine

More ideas: The best back exercises

Day 7: Rest

Again, you’re going to be feeling pretty sore after yesterday’s upper body training - so it’s totally fine to have a day off. But, if you can, do some light stretching and a 30 minute walk. 

Gym schedule for beginners

We’ve summarised our 7 day fitness schedule for beginners into this table. Remember to always warm up before each workout - and check the information above for more detail.

Reminder: the benefits of strength training

Everyone can benefit from strength training. In fact, the UK government recommends doing it at least two days a week. 

Strength training has tons of benefits:

• Improves your overall health and cuts risk of illness according to tons of studies
• Research shows it makes your bones stronger, as well as your muscles
• Studies suggest it can boost your mental health
• It also gives you greater strength to use in your everyday life
• It will change your body composition, as countless studies have shown

Dig deeper: Why lift weights?

Helping you get better

Following our gym plan for beginners will give you an exciting, challenging and inspiring start to your strength training journey. Once you have that first week under your belt, you’ll have the foundations to increase the difficulty and gradually try more advanced movements like deadlifts, bench press, barbell curls or weighted squats. 

Under Armour training gear is built to help you get more out of every gym workout. It is engineered to help you lift, push and pull with more focus and confidence. Explore our training shoes, performancewear and accessories for men and women.