Why 3 Days A Week Full Body Workouts Are BEST For Most People
When most people think about building muscle, getting stronger, or losing fat, their mind often jumps to 5–6 days a week of intense training. And while that can work for some, for the vast majority of us — especially those balancing work, family, and real life — a simple 3-day full body workout plan is actually the smartest and most sustainable choice.
As someone who’s spent years in the fitness space — both in the gym training myself and helping others — I can confidently say: Training full body three days a week is not just “good enough”; it’s incredibly effective. Here’s why.
1. You Hit Your Muscles More Often
One of the biggest mistakes I see is people training a body part once a week (the typical “bro split”). They crush chest on Monday, and then wait another full week before working it again. The problem? Muscle protein synthesis — the process that repairs and grows muscle — only stays elevated for about 24–72 hours after a workout.
If you’re only hitting a muscle once every seven days, you’re missing out on multiple opportunities to grow.
Training your full body three times a week means you’re stimulating growth more frequently — and that adds up over time. It’s a smarter way to build muscle without having to live in the gym.
2. More Strength Gains, Faster
If you want to get stronger, you have to practice the key lifts more often. Think about it: Would you get better at playing guitar by practicing once a week? Probably not.
Strength is a skill — and full body workouts naturally have you squatting, pressing, pulling, and hinging multiple times a week.
This repetition sharpens your form, reinforces good habits, and builds real-world strength much faster than low-frequency plans.
3. Way Easier To Recover
Training 6 days a week sounds hardcore, but most people end up dragging through sessions half-recovered, not fully energized.
With full body 3x a week, you have a built-in recovery system.
You push hard on Monday. Rest and recover on Tuesday. Hit it again Wednesday. Recover again. This rhythm lets your body bounce back stronger, not weaker.
Less joint pain, less burnout, better sleep, better results.
That’s the name of the game if you want to stay consistent for years — not just weeks.
4. Fits a Busy Life
Let’s be honest: life gets hectic. Work meetings run late. Kids get sick. Your car needs unexpected repairs.
Most people can’t realistically hit the gym 5–6 times a week forever.
But three? Three sessions a week? That’s doable for almost anyone.
In fact, many of the clients I’ve coached have told me that the simplicity of 3 full body days gave them the freedom to finally be consistent.
It’s sustainable. It’s flexible. And consistency, more than anything, is what separates people who get in shape from those who keep starting over.
5. You Burn More Calories Per Workout
Another hidden benefit most people don’t realize: Full body workouts torch a lot more calories than split routines.
You’re using big compound movements (squats, deadlifts, presses, rows) that recruit tons of muscle groups at once.
More muscles working = more energy burned.
If you’re also trying to lose fat while building strength, this style of training gives you much more bang for your buck.
My Recommended Structure
A simple effective full body routine could look something like this:
- Squat Variation (e.g., back squat, goblet squat)
- Push Variation (e.g., bench press, overhead press)
- Hinge Variation (e.g., deadlift, Romanian deadlift)
- Pull Variation (e.g., rows, pull-ups)
- Accessory/Core Work (e.g., planks, bicep curls, lunges)
3–4 sets of each, focusing on good form and progressive overload.
That’s it. No fluff. No wasting time.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, there’s no “perfect” workout plan — but for most people who want maximum results in minimum time, full body workouts three days a week are unbeatable.
It’s how I train myself when life gets busy.
It’s what I recommend to most people starting out (and even to many advanced trainees).
And it’s a system built for real-life humans — not just fitness influencers with six hours a day to train.
Train smart. Stay consistent. Trust the process.
- H.S. Dhillon
