Full Body Workout: Sets, Reps and Evidence

Quick answer

A full body workout trains every major muscle group in one session, usually 2 to 3 times a week. A 2026 overview linked muscle growth to 10 or more sets per muscle a week, so three days at 4 sets per muscle reach 12. Pooled trials found frequency made no meaningful difference once weekly sets matched.^1,2,3

Key facts

A 2026 overview of 137 systematic reviews by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) linked muscle growth to 10 or more sets per muscle per week.²
When weekly sets were matched across 25 studies, training frequency made no meaningful difference to muscle growth.³
In 21 resistance-trained men over 10 weeks, a full body routine and a split routine both raised strength and muscle thickness.⁴
Free weights and machines gave similar strength and muscle growth in 13 studies, with gains specific to the equipment used.⁵
Each extra weekly set was linked to about 0.37% more muscle growth in a pooled analysis of 15 studies.⁶
ACSM advises 2 to 3 days a week for novices and 3 to 4 for people with about six months of training.¹

How many days a week for a full body workout

A full body workout trains the legs, the push muscles, the pull muscles and the trunk in the same session, so each muscle gets worked every time you lift. ACSM advises 2 to 3 days a week for novices and 3 to 4 for people with about six months of consistent training. Because every session covers every muscle, the weekly total per muscle depends mostly on how many days you train.¹

A 2026 overview of 137 systematic reviews linked muscle growth to 10 or more sets per muscle per week. The table shows how that arithmetic works out for a full body routine.²

Weekly sets per muscle, by sets in each session²
Sets per muscle per session	2 days a week	3 days a week
2 sets	4	6
3 sets	6	9
4 sets	8	12
5 sets	10	15

Three days at 4 sets per muscle reaches 12 a week, and two days at 5 sets reaches 10. In a pooled analysis, each extra weekly set was linked to about 0.37% more muscle growth, and the trials found diminishing returns at higher volumes.^6,7

Sets, reps and rest in a full body workout routine

Reps: novices use loads in an 8 to 12 repetition range, and ACSM allows a wider 1 to 12 range with experience.¹
Sets for strength: 2 to 3 per exercise, with loads of 80% of the one-repetition maximum or more producing the largest strength gains.²
Sets for muscle size: enough to reach 10 or more a week across the sessions.²
Rest: 60 to 120 seconds for people new to lifting, and over 2 minutes seemed to matter more for trained people chasing strength.⁸
Going to failure: across the reviews, training to failure did not consistently change results, so it is not required.²

Full body workout or a split routine?

The trials do not show a clear winner. In 21 resistance-trained men, a full body routine and a split routine both raised strength and muscle thickness over 10 weeks. One strength test favored the full body group, and leg muscle thickness favored the split group.⁴

Pooled results point the same way. When weekly sets were matched across 25 studies, training frequency made no meaningful difference to muscle growth. Training each muscle twice a week beat once a week in ten earlier studies, which is why a 3-day full body routine is a common choice: every muscle is trained 3 times a week.^3,9

For strength the picture leans a little toward frequency. A 2026 analysis of 67 studies found strength gains rose with weekly frequency, with diminishing returns, while the effect of frequency on muscle size was compatible with little or no effect.⁷

Full body workout with dumbbells at home

Dumbbells are enough. In 21 studies where every set went to failure, light loads of 60% of the one-repetition maximum or less grew muscle about as much as heavy loads, although heavy loads gave larger strength gains. A home routine with a few dumbbell weights can therefore work for muscle size, though heavier dumbbells matter more for strength.¹⁰

A dumbbell-only full body workout^1,2
Movement	Exercise	Sets and repetitions
Legs, knee dominant	Goblet squat or reverse lunge	3 sets of 8 to 12
Legs, hip dominant	Dumbbell Romanian deadlift	3 sets of 8 to 12
Push	Dumbbell bench press or push-up	3 sets of 8 to 12
Pull	One-arm dumbbell row	3 sets of 8 to 12
Overhead	Dumbbell shoulder press	3 sets of 8 to 12
Core	Plank or dumbbell farmer carry	3 holds or walks

Three days at 3 sets gives 9 sets per movement a week. Add a fourth set to the movements you most want to grow once the first month feels manageable, to reach 12.²

Full body workout with machines at the gym

A gym version swaps each dumbbell lift for a machine with the same movement. In 13 studies with 1,016 adults, machines and free weights gave similar strength and muscle growth, but strength gains were specific to the kind of equipment trained on. If you lift on machines, test strength on machines. If you want to be strong with free weights, include some.⁵

A machine-based full body workout⁵
Movement	Machine exercise
Legs, knee dominant	Leg press
Legs, hip dominant	Seated or lying leg curl
Push	Chest press machine
Pull	Seated row machine or lat pulldown
Overhead	Shoulder press machine
Core	Cable crunch or plank

Full body workout for women

The same routine applies. When men and women followed one program in 10 studies, muscle growth did not differ, and women had a larger relative gain in upper-body strength in 17 studies. In 22 studies on frequency, strength gains in women rose with frequency, though the review concluded that the effect was mostly down to the extra volume that more days bring.^11,12

Across 126 studies of 4,019 women, strength gains were similar in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.¹³

Keeping a full body workout routine progressing

Use the 2 to 10% rule: once you can do one or two repetitions more than your target on every set, raise the weight by 2 to 10%. If the load is already at the top of your equipment, add a set or slow the lowering phase instead.¹

Soreness is common when you start or change a program and can last a day or two. A review of soreness advised easing off for 1 to 2 days after a session that leaves you very sore.¹⁴

Stop and ask a doctor if

Stop and get help right away if you feel pain, extreme shortness of breath or dizziness while lifting.¹⁵
Check with a doctor before starting if you have trouble moving or balancing, or you worry that exercise might not be safe for you.¹⁵
Ask a doctor or physical therapist about pain in the shoulder, lower back, knee, elbow or wrist that lasts or limits movement. Those were the sites hurt most often in weight-training sports.¹⁶

Questions people ask

What is a good full body workout routine?

Six movements covering legs, push, pull, overhead and core, done on 2 to 3 days a week with 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions, matches ACSM's advice for novices, and 4 sets on 3 days reaches the 10 or more weekly sets linked to muscle growth.^1,2

Can you do a full body workout with dumbbells at home?

Yes. In 21 studies, light loads taken to failure grew muscle about as much as heavy loads, though heavy loads gave larger strength gains. Raise the weight when your target repetitions feel easy.¹⁰

Is there a full body workout for women?

The same workout fits. In 10 studies with the same program, muscle growth did not differ between men and women.¹¹

Can a full body workout be done with machines only?

Yes. In 13 studies with 1,016 adults, machines and free weights gave similar strength and muscle growth, with strength gains specific to the equipment used.⁵

How many rest days does a full body workout need?

ACSM advises 2 to 3 sessions a week for novices, which leaves rest days between. Soreness from unfamiliar exercise can last a day or two, and a review of soreness advised easing off for 1 to 2 days after a session that leaves you very sore.^1,14

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This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.