Workout Summary
- Main GoalBuild Muscle
- Workout TypeFull Body
- Training LevelIntermediate
- Program Duration8 weeks
- Days Per Week3
- Time Per Workout75-90 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells
- Target Gender Male & Female
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
As Shakespeare so beautifully put it, “to be or not to be, that is the question”.
However, for lifters it looks more like this:
“To train for strength or to train for hypertrophy, that is the question.”
It’s a dilemma we all face too often. But, who’s to say we can’t have it all? When I recently took a second to dissect my workout, I decided going forward I’ll always have a split that has it all and by sharing it, you’ll have it too. The next time you decide you want to build up your strength, without sacrificing your striations, return to this workout. It’s the total package, a 3-day full body workout.
Recommended: Need help building muscle? Take our Free Muscle Building Course
Breaking Down The 3 Day Full Body Workout
The total package workout is a simple concept, really.
You want gains.
You’re told to get muscle gains, you have to train in an 8-12 rep range for muscle hypertrophy.
Related: Fast Mass Program - The 4 Day Superset Split Workout
But you’re also told you need to be functional. You need to be strong. And to accomplish this you have to train in the 1-5 rep range to increase your central nervous systems capabilities to elicit force output, aka strength gains.
Seems like a lot of confusing and conflicting circumstance. However, you can accomplish both.
How? I’m glad you asked.
The Frequency of the Total Package
We’re going to start off by switching from your traditional bodybuilding or strength split to full body workouts three days a week. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “But, Josh! Full-body workouts are so… are so… beginner level!”
Stop right there, my friend. Sure, a lot of coaches and personal trainers put their clients through an initial full-body program to ensure they fix any muscular imbalances a client may have, but there are so many benefits to full-body workouts that we can all benefit from.
Instead of hitting the gym 5 times a week, we narrow it down to just 3 days. You’ll be thanking me when you start seeing gains in your social life to go along with the gains you’ll earn through this workout.
Plus, those three days are packed with two huge components (I’ll get to them shortly) that will leave you jacked! Not only that, the more often you can stimulate the muscle (especially true for natty lifters), recover fully, and repeat that muscle protein synthesis, the more gains you’re going to see!
So, now that you’re sold on working out 3 days a week, let’s move on to the two major components that make this program the total package.
The Strength Component
Each day begins with a 5x5 rep scheme of one of the big three lifts (squat, bench, and deadlift). The 5x5 rep scheme is used in a lot of programs and is seen as one of the key foundations of a strength-based workout.
We’re going to split up each day to be paired with its own big lift. On Mondays, you’re going to come in and hit some squats.
I’m a big fan of squatting on Mondays; usually you tend to be the strongest you’ll be coming off dual rest days from the weekend and you tend to be more energized due to the extra calorie consumption most of us are guilty of on the weekends. Also, the squat racks tend to be free as everyone else is participating in international chest day.
Wednesday is your bench press day. Nothing like getting your #pumpday swole from some heavy bench pressing. It also will give you some extra time to allow your legs to recover from squats before we hit deadlifts on Friday.
The strength portion of the Total Package Workout ends with deadlifts on Friday. Deadlifts, for most, are a lifter’s strongest lift. So, by doing them on Friday you can burn some extra calories before going into the weekend.
The Hypertrophy Component
While we split up the big three lifts, we also hit each muscle group with just the right amount of volume to elicit a hypertrophic response.
This is where the full-body component comes in and also where you’re going to see most of your physical gains. You’ll be doing a 4x10 rep scheme for all of the large muscle groups, with a 3x10 rep scheme hitting the smaller groups.
It’s certainly no easy task. You’re going to be dog-tired from performing the strength component of this workout. So, make sure you go lighter on the weight, focus on the range of motion while you’re lifting, and really try to create a pump in each muscle group.
Rest Days
Some people still think there shouldn’t be such a thing as a rest day. I kind of sit on both sides of that fence. I don’t like to lift weights every day, but I like to keep my body in motion.
On your rest days for this program, you’re going to refrain from touching the weights (you’re probably going to be too sore to want to anyway). Instead, go for a very light jog and/or walk. Keep the pace slow and really try to benefit from the active recovery.
Shoot for about 30-45 minutes of low-intensity cardio on your off days and also be sure to hit the foam roller afterward to further promote your recovery.
3 Day Full Body Split FAQs
How long should I take for rest periods in between sets?
You’ll want to be sure to take 2-3 minutes of rest in between your 5x5 sets. For the rest of the hypertrophy workout, try to limit rest to 45-60 seconds. At the end of the day, if you need to take a longer rest, it’s better safe than sorry.
How should I progress the weight used for these workouts?
You can do this in a number of ways and it really depends on your level of fitness. Personally, I like to add 5lbs for each set on the strength component. Each week, I’ll begin my working sets with the second lightest set from the previous week.
However, you can do sets where the weight remains the same throughout and try to increase by 5lbs each week too. This is how I prefer to progress with the hypertrophy sets of this workout.
Can I substitute (body part specific lift) with (lift in the program)?
Absolutely! I wouldn’t swap out any of the main lifts unless you have a legitimate reason to do so, but for the hypertrophy lifts, you can swap out whichever exercise for an exercise targeting the same body part that you want to. You know your body’s weaknesses better than I do, so by all means swap away.
One thing that I’d like to note, no two lifts are the same day each day. If you decide to make alterations, try to make each exercise that you are doing on each day different, and consistently do them week in and week out so you can track improvements.
Related: Muscle & Strength Full Body Workout Routine
Can I add in additional lifts?
I wouldn’t recommend it. This program is pretty serious as is and you’re going to want to limit taking the rep count any higher. If you want to do a lift bad enough, sub it in for one and do it. Your gains will thank you in the long run.
Can I do HIIT Cardio/additional cardio than what is recommended on rest days?
Again, I wouldn’t recommend it. But if you feel like you can and still recover efficiently enough to where it won’t affect your performance doing these lifts, give it a go!
Is this program good for someone looking to lose fat/build muscle?
This program is perfect for both of those scenarios. Your ability to lose fat and build muscle is going to be highly dependent on what you do outside of the gym. You’ve got to make sure your diet is aligned with your goals, you're getting enough sleep each night, and you're doing everything possible to allow your muscles to recover.
The Total Package 3 Day Full Body Workout
Day 1
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Squat | 5 | 5 |
| 2. Dumbbell Bench | 4 | 10 |
| 3. Dumbbell Row | 4 | 10 |
| 4. Seated Dumbbell Press | 4 | 10 |
| 5. Lunge | 4 | 10 |
| 6. Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 10 |
| 7. Standing Barbell Tricep Extension | 3 | 10 |
| 8. Calf Raise | 3 | 12 |
| 9. Plank | 5 | 20 secs |
Day 2
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bench Press | 5 | 5 |
| 2. Machine Pec Deck | 3 | 12 |
| 3. Leg Extension | 4 | 10 |
| 4. Leg Curl | 4 | 10 |
| 5. Pullup | 4 | 10 |
| 6. Seated Lateral Raise | 4 | 10 |
| 7. Dumbbell Hammer Curls | 3 | 10 |
| 8. Rope Extension | 3 | 10 |
| 9. Plank | 5 | 20 secs |
Day 3
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Deadlift | 5 | 5 |
| 2. Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 10 |
| 3. Lateral Raise | 4 | 10 |
| 4. Pulldown | 4 | 10 |
| 5. Leg Press | 4 | 10 |
| 6. EZ Bar Curl | 3 | 10 |
| 7. Skullcrushers | 3 | 10 |
| 8. Dumbbell Shrugs | 3 | 12 |
| 9. Plank | 5 | 20 secs |
Conclusion
The Total Package Workout is the perfect workout if you’re looking to get the most out of your workouts without spending every day in the gym.
It targets both strength and hypertrophy by utilizing a 5x5 rep scheme followed by a full body routine three days a week. It also allows you to work on your cardiovascular health during your low-intensity recovery days.
While I certainly didn’t come up with these principles, I like putting them together. Strength, size, and health, what more could you ask for?
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below!
1.5K Comments
Thank you for the program, looks like it does work for me.
One question - it doesn’t have abs exercises, do you think abs gets enough training from “side effects” of push ups, pull ups, planks and so on?
Actually, bonus ab work can be beneficial, and we have a lot of workouts you can add to this at the link below. Feel free to take one of these and add them to this program.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/abs
I feel like I wrote this program,more or less exactly what I have been doing. I think its worth saying this is especially good for busy lifters that are 40 plus as it allows adequate rest between sessions and doesnt stress your life out not getting in the gym 6 days a week anymore.
Very functional and paired with the correct diet keeps your physique, makes small gains, although not the same as bulking or heavy single muscle group training works very well for me being a 45 year old healthconcious experienced lifter with poor time and the need for more recovery if you dont want to crash every 5 or so weeks. Also worth noting you won't smash pbs but at my age its more about not getting injured.
We appreciate you reading and sharing your thoughts and feedback, Mark. Hopefully someone here benefits from your experience.
I only have adjustable dumbbells that range from 5-52.5 lbs this what I have to work with since I do my workouts at home, so how would I do this 3 day workout plan with dumbbells only?
Hi Andrew, our exercise section has dumbbell exercises for every major muscle group. You can go there, find exercises you can do that have similar functions as those you need to replace (flye for flye, row for row, etc.) and then stick with the sets and reps. You should still see positive results from this, even with dumbbells only.
Thank you
Hi, what weight should I be using?
Hi Joel, use a weight that would provide a challenge but not so much that you would reach failure. If you get within two reps of failure, you found the sweet spot. I hope this helps!
Was wondering about rest times. Two minute rest between the first lifts and minute and a half rest between everything else?
That would work, Shane. If you have the time for training, feel free to take two minutes between all lifts so you can maximize strength throughout the session. If time is short, then 90 seconds would be fine for the other exercises.
I hope this helps!
Can I follow this workout using 2 dumbbells at home. I have completed 8 weeks of 3 day workout at home using dumbbell
As long as you can do exercises that are similar to the machine movements you would need to replace, then yes. I hope this helps!
Hello my chest is a bit smaller. And in this program, more emphasis has been given to chest exercises. My chest is not developing well, but the progress in the other parts of my body is just amazing. Would you still recommend this program for me?
Sure would, Rafail. You could do something like pushups in between sets to put a little more chest volume in. That may break the plateau and make the pecs grow.
I hope this helps!
Hello. I've been back in the gym for 9 weeks. I haven't touched a weight - HIIT only. I have lost over 40 lbs. I'm feeling so much better, but I really want to start lifting again. I still have a lot of fat (pretty much everywhere) that I want off my body. I am 5'9" and currently 195 lbs. I want to try this 3-day full-body workout and continue the HIIT cardio on my off days (if I'm capable). My main goal remains to lose the rest of this fat on my body. So, I understand that I will not be bulking in the kitchen. However, to get the most out of this program I think I would need to increase my current calorie intake. I am currently eating at a large deficit - tracking my macros and hitting between 1K - 1.3K calories per day (50% Protein, 35% Fat, 15% Carbs). I am eating clean and I am not hungry. Can you best guide me in how you would change the diet as I begin this program next week? Thank you in advance!
Hey Jason, thanks for reading M&S!
You definitely need to get the calories up, and I would start with 1600 with the majority of the new calories being in protein. You could add some carbs in pre-workout and postworkout as well. I would actually suggest even more than that, but depending on how long you've ate that low, I don't want to overwhelm the digestive system. This would be a moderate increase that will help support the training. After a week, go up to 1800, then 2000. You might want to go 50/25/25 protein/fats/carbs as well once you get the calories up.
There isn't much gluten work there. Could I add some?
Hi Nancy, you can add one for each day in the program. What did you have in mind, or would you like some suggestions?
Hey,
This looks like a great program for me to get back into working out after nearly 2 years out of it! Just wondering what to do if I can’t do a Wednesday or a Friday one week? My work and coaching schedule gets too busy, is it a problem to do back to back days some weeks? Or should I avoid this at all costs?
Thanks!
Hey Ben, as long as you feel you recover well enough, do what you need to do. If not, take the days off. I would rather you miss workouts for the sake of recovery then shortchange recovery in order to train more. Thanks for reading M&S!
Starting this workout on Wednesday 10/9! Any diet recommendations to make the most of the gains? Many thanks and kind regards, Eddie M.
Hey Eddie, which is the bigger priority, fat loss or building muscle? We have guides for each.
Fat Loss - https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/fat-loss
Increase Mass - https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/complete-guide-how-to-increas...
Many thanks!
As someone who cant do heavy bench, could I substitute the 5x5 Bench for 5x5 Shoulder Press?
Hi Levi, I imagine that would be fine. Hope it helps!
If I'm pressed for time, would there be any issues with cutting the hypertrophy components down to 3 sets?
Hi Taylor, you can do three sets on some if it will shave a few minutes for you. Hope this helps!
Hi, would this routine be suitable for someone walking 15 KMs
A day and working physical demanding job in construction
And concreting??
Lot of manual work sledgehammer swinging and lifting
Hi Steve, if you don't try to exhaust yourself and train within the energy limits you have, I think you would be fine. Just don't go without warming up and don't max out on all sets. Keep 1-2 away from failure at least.
Hi,
I saw some gains on this program, but I didn't feel "sore" very often. Was I not doing enough weight?
I love this program. btw!
Hi Laurel, thanks for reading M&S, and I'm glad you love the program.
Soreness doesn't always indicate the quality of a training session. As you progress, your body is better prepared for the rigors of training, which results in less soreness. So, as long as you hit the intended targets and feel you challenged yourself, you accomplished the day's mission. Now, if you're still using the same weight for several weeks in a row, then it may be time to assess things.
I hope this helps!
Hi Josh, this looks exciting and think it adapts to my goals.
I started hitting the gym 10 years ago, im 31 now.
This last year, I stopped going to the gym and went for 4-5 HIIT training days at home , without weight, just my body.
I would like to reintegrate to the gym, im in good shape, and quite lean but have been wanting to get a bit bigger, while maintaining my lean.
Do you think I can keep doing hiits at home on the rest days?
thank you
Sebastián
Hi Sebastian, you definitely need one complete day off for recovery. However, I see no issues with doing HIIT on the other days. I hope this helps!
Beginner here. Is it ok to switch the workout excercise routines to different days? For example, can I start the week or end the week with the benchpress day instead of Wednesday? or are the order of workout in the order they are in for a reason? hope my question makes sense.
Hi Raj, first and foremost, glad you are here on M&S and thank you for sharing your fitness journey with us.
I can't speak for the author on this, but my guess is there are in place for a reason. However, you can try to swap them occasionally to keep the workouts interesting. I think you would still see results either way.
Hope that helps, and please keep us posted on your progress!
Female here: starting to work out after I had decompression therapy ( 3 month) were I wasn’t allowed any workout with weights.
I lost glute muscle and deep core muscles , which now impact exercises negatively ,like squates etc. Should I add on the 3 days a week more glide and deep core excercises or rather on the off days ( tue/ thur/ sat/sun)?
Thank you !
Hi Ro, glad you are training now and I hope the therapy went well.
I think you could do the glide and core exercises either way. If your schedule allows the extra training, then do them on the three days you train. If it suits you best to do them on the other off days, then go for it. Either way, I hope you will keep us posted on the progress.
For the lunges, is it 5 per legs or 10 per leg?
10 per leg, Michael. I hope this helps.
Hello can this work as a 2 day per week routine if on one day I do dead and chest and squat the other ?
Hi Nigel, I am not sure if you would see the same results as you would doing it as Josh wrote it. If two days is all you have to train, then you could do a hybrid of both workouts in one. You could potentially still see some form of improvement. I Hope this helps!
What weights do you use for the Hypertrophy session? Do you do 65% of your PB or strong lift
I don't believe there is a recommended weight, Nigel, but 65 sounds good to me. Go with it, but don't be afraid to adjust it if needed.
Program says the duration is 8 weeks. I am about to finish my 8th week, do I keep going and adjust this program in some way or should I switch to some other one?
Hi Dan, that is ultimately up to you. If you are still seeing results, then you can stick with it. If not, or if you have new goals, then we can help you find a new program. We have many to choose from at this link.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
Hi There,
I have tried traditional squats many times, and each time I end up inflaming my knee. When I do the 45 degree leg press, this is more comfortable on my knee and I don’t have any issues. Would the 45 degree leg press be a good substitute for the squats on Monday? Would I get similar results in doing this? Thanks!
Hey Aaron, squats would definitely be the better movement, but I would rather you be able to train consistently. So, if leg press is what will help with that, then do leg press instead.
BTW, have you tried squatting with knee sleeves? I have had several knee injuries over the years, and they helped me.
How much weight should we start on these exercises, especially squats. I am a beginner lifter. Thanks!
Hey Carlos, if you are a beginner, then start with a weight that you would bet money you could do. Once you get the form down and you are more comfortable with the exercises, start working up to a point that you can use more weight. A solid range at this point would be within two reps of failure. So, if you have a set of 10 reps, use weight that you can do for 12.
I hope that helps!