How to Build a Workout Routine From Scratch

Building a workout routine from scratch sounds intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Most effective routines follow a handful of simple principles. Once you understand those principles, you can design a program that fits your goals, schedule, and experience level — or evaluate whether a pre-built program is right for you.

Step 1: Decide How Many Days You Can Train

This is the most important decision because it determines everything else. Be honest with yourself — pick a number you can sustain for months, not a number that sounds impressive.

• 3 days/week: Full body or a 3-day push/pull/legs rotation
• 4 days/week: Upper/lower split
• 5–6 days/week: Push/pull/legs (run twice) or a specialised split

More days isn't automatically better. Three well-structured sessions per week with progressive overload will outperform six mediocre sessions without a plan.

Step 2: Choose Your Exercises

Every session should be built around compound movements — exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once. These give you the most training stimulus per exercise and should take priority.

Primary compound movements:

• Squat variations (barbell squat, goblet squat, leg press)
• Hinge variations (deadlift, Romanian deadlift)
• Horizontal push (bench press, dumbbell press)
• Horizontal pull (barbell row, dumbbell row, cable row)
• Vertical push (overhead press)
• Vertical pull (pull-up, lat pulldown)

After compound work, add 1–3 isolation exercises targeting smaller muscles or areas you want to emphasise:

• Bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, lateral raises, leg curls, calf raises, face pulls

A good session has 4–6 total exercises. Going beyond that usually means you're either doing junk volume or your sessions are running too long to be sustainable.

Step 3: Set Your Reps and Sets

For most people, these ranges work:

Compound exercises: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps Isolation exercises: 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps

Rest 2–3 minutes between compound sets (you need it for recovery). Rest 60–90 seconds between isolation sets.

These aren't rigid rules. The important thing is having a target range so you know when to add weight — once you hit the top of your range on all sets, increase the weight next session.

Step 4: Structure Your Week

Here's what a practical 4-day upper/lower routine looks like:

Upper Day A:

• Bench press — 4 × 8
• Barbell row — 4 × 8
• Overhead press — 3 × 10
• Face pulls — 3 × 15
• Bicep curls — 2 × 12

Lower Day A:

• Squat — 4 × 8
• Romanian deadlift — 3 × 10
• Leg press — 3 × 12
• Leg curls — 3 × 12
• Calf raises — 3 × 15

Repeat with slight variations for Upper B and Lower B — different exercises, different rep ranges, or different emphasis.

Step 5: Plan for Progression

A routine without a progression plan is just a list of exercises. You need a system for getting stronger over time.

The simplest approach:

1. Pick a rep range for each exercise (e.g., 8–12 reps)
2. Start at the bottom of the range with a challenging weight
3. Add reps each session until you hit the top of the range on all sets
4. Add weight and drop back to the bottom of the range
5. Repeat

This is called double progression and it works for the vast majority of lifters.

Step 6: Track Everything

Without tracking, you're guessing. You won't remember what you benched three weeks ago, and you'll default to comfortable weights instead of pushing your limits.

Log every session: exercise, weight, sets, reps. Review your numbers before each workout so you have a specific target to beat. This turns your routine from a vague plan into a system that drives measurable progress.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Too many exercises per session. Stick to 4–6. Quality over quantity.

No progression plan. Doing the same weight for months isn't training — it's maintenance.

Changing routines too often. Give a routine at least 6–8 weeks before deciding it's not working. Adaptations take time.

Skipping muscle groups. If it's not in your routine, it's not getting trained. Make sure every major muscle group is covered across your weekly schedule.

Not tracking. This one bears repeating. Tracking is the difference between training with intention and just exercising.

The Bottom Line

A good workout routine doesn't need to be complicated. Pick a split that matches your schedule, fill it with compound movements plus a few isolation exercises, set rep ranges, plan your progression, and track everything. That's it.

The routine that works best is the one you actually follow, consistently, with data to prove you're getting better.

Related reading:

• Best Workout Split for Muscle Growth
• What Is Progressive Overload and Why Does It Matter?
• 5 Gym Tracking Mistakes That Are Holding You Back

Hercules makes tracking effortless — log during your rest periods, review your history before each session, and let the app handle the progressive overload math. Download Hercules free on Google Play.