Monday
Full body
- Goblet Box SquatsQuads
- Dumbbell Floor Chest PressChest
- Single Arm Dumbbell Bent Over RowLats
- Seated Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder PressShoulders
- Ab CrunchAbs
- Incline Treadmill WalkingCardio
All this plan asks for is a pair of adjustable dumbbells, a bench and somewhere to walk. Three full body sessions a week for 8 weeks, built for someone new to lifting: squats, presses and rows with dumbbells, a little core work and a brisk walk to finish.
In the app: this program as your plan. The week, its workouts and the next one to start.
- Days a week
- 3
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- 8 weeks
- Session in week 1
- 36 min
- Equipment
- Dumbbells, a bench
- Goal
- Build muscle
Week 1, day by day
Every exercise of the first week, in the order you do them. Sets × reps, and the rest is the pause after each set.
The weights next to the exercises are an example for one woman: 30 years old, 64 kg, new to lifting. Yours start from your own body in the app and then follow what you log.
Week 1 is a practice week. It teaches the movements, so the same 4 base lifts open every session and only the core and cardio change. From week 2 the lifts start to change, and by week 3 each day has its own main lifts.
Wednesday
Full body
- Goblet Box SquatsQuads
- Dumbbell Floor Chest PressChest
- Single Arm Dumbbell Bent Over RowLats
- Seated Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder PressShoulders
- Toe Touch CrunchAbs
- Treadmill WalkingCardio
Friday
Full body
- Goblet Box SquatsQuads
- Dumbbell Floor Chest PressChest
- Single Arm Dumbbell Bent Over RowLats
- Seated Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder PressShoulders
- Kneeling Plank HoldAbs
- Incline Treadmill WalkingCardio
Built by the Coach.AI engine, version 55da4102.
Coach.AI
This is how the program looks in the app
Real screens from Coach.AI with this program in week 1: the overview of every workout, with each exercise, its sets, reps and rest.
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01 Day 1 · Full body
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02 Day 2 · Full body
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03 Day 3 · Full body
Scroll inside the screen to see the whole workout
The first week of your .AI plan is free.
How the program moves on
Here is week 1 next to the weeks after it, from the same run of the engine. Each cell is sets × reps.
- Goblet Box Squats, a main lift: 2 × 10 in week 1, 3 × 8 in week 2 and 3 × 10 in week 4. Fewer reps per set leave room for a heavier weight. How and when to add weight: progressive overload, explained.
- Working sets in the whole week: 30 in week 1, 44 in week 2 and 51 in week 4.
- The cardio that closes the first session of the week: 10 min in week 1, 11 min in week 2, 12 min in week 3 and 13 min in week 4.
- Week 4 keeps every exercise you start with in week 1. New exercises that join: 10.
- From week 3, some smaller exercises are done in pairs, one straight after the other.
- This program has no planned lighter week.
- Week 8 ends with a test day on Friday. It measures:
- Goblet Box Squats: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
- Hammer Grip Chest Press: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
- Dumbbell Hammer Grip Row: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
- Weeks 5-7 aren't shown here. In the app each of them is built from the sets you logged the week before.
| Main lift | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet Box Squats | 2 × 10 | 3 × 8 | 3 × 6 | 3 × 10 |
| Working sets in the week | 30 | 44 | 51 | 51 |
Working sets in every week shown
- Week 130
- Week 244
- Week 351
- Week 451
- Week 830test day
What comes after 8 weeks?
The last week closes with a test day: the same exercises, and you see in kilos and reps how much you added. Then the app opens the next program with one tap. It starts a little below where you finished, takes the weights you logged and carries on, so you never start from zero.
Beginner has three stages: Learning the moves, Adding weight and Getting ready for Skilled. Each program you train through without long breaks takes you up a stage. When the coach sees you’re ready for more, it offers you the next level, and whether to take it is up to you.
Who it's for
It's for you if the gym isn't an option right now, or you'd simply rather train in your living room, and you want a plan that still makes you stronger week by week. A session in week 1 takes 36 min. The walk at the end can be outside: you don't need a treadmill for it.
When another program fits better
If you can get to a gym, the beginner full body plan uses machines that let the weights climb further. Training at home with no dumbbells at all is a different week, which the app builds when you tell it what you have.
Still choosing between full body and a split? Here’s how to pick for your week.
Worth reading before you start
Questions people ask
Can you build muscle at home with just dumbbells?
Yes, especially in your first months. What matters is that the work keeps getting a little harder, and dumbbells let you add weight, reps and sets. Adjustable ones go further than a fixed pair, because a pair that's right for rows is too light for squats sooner or later.
What weight dumbbells should I buy?
Adjustable dumbbells are the easiest answer, since a squat and a shoulder press need very different weights. In this example week they run from 7.5 to 15 kg each; a man of the same level usually needs more. Pick weights you can move for two or three reps more than the card asks.
Is this a good dumbbell workout for women?
It's the same plan the app builds for a man of the same level at home: the exercises, sets and rest are the same, and only the starting weights differ. In the app, women can also have the plan follow their cycle, with lighter days when they need them.
How do I pick a weight for week 1?
Pick a weight you could lift for two or three more reps than the card asks for. The first week is for learning the movements and finding your numbers, not for testing yourself. If you know a recent set on a lift, the 1RM calculator turns it into a working weight for any number of reps.
What if I miss a day?
Do the next session when you can and keep the order. Don't squeeze two sessions into one day to catch up. In the app the rest of your week moves to the days ahead.
Other programs
All programs
Beginner full bodyThree full body sessions on machines that are easy to learn.
Push pull legsPush, pull and legs, one job per session.
Upper lowerTwo upper and two lower days, every muscle twice a week.
5 day splitPush, pull, legs, then upper and lower.
Weight lossStrength work plus more cardio and shorter rests.
Gym plan for womenThree full body sessions, women's starting weights.
Strength, 4 daysHeavy barbell lifts in low reps, four days a week.
2 days a weekFull body first, then an upper and a lower day.
Gym after 40Full body three times a week, with more rest.
Coach.AI
Get this week fitted to you
This is the week Coach.AI builds for a typical person with this profile (Beginner, Build muscle, 3 days, Home equipment, age 30). In the app it's fitted to your own goal, days, equipment and age, and to the sets you log: each next week is built from what you logged in the one before.
The first week of your .AI plan is free.
