4-Week Gym Routine For Beginners

Who do you think loves Christmas and New Year the most?

Gym owners.

If you think clubs, restaurants, or hotels make the most money during the holiday season, think again. Most people tend to overeat during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and new year celebrations. 

And how do they make up for it? By adding “gym” to their New Years’ resolution. Every time someone does that, a gym owner can hear his cash register ring. 

The best part about the clients that come in January? They usually grab annual payment deals at a discount but do not stick around for long. These individuals give up working out if they do not see the desired results in a few weeks. 

But enough with a gym’s business model. Let’s talk about how you can kick start your fitness journey and more importantly, stick to it.

Pre-Requisites For Starting the 4-Week Gym Routine

Before we get to the 4-week beginner training routine, we must go over some transformation principles. Not only will these principles help quicken up your progress, but they will also keep you on track. Here are the training fundamentals you need to abide by:

1. Find the Right Program

Google “beginner training program” and you will be flooded with hundreds of useless workout regimens. Not only are most of these training programs ineffective, but they are usually designed for intermediate or advanced lifters but rebranded for the newbie audience. 

Many fitness rookies make the mistake of starting an intermediate program in hopes of fastening up their body transformation. However, taking on a harder workout program can put you at a higher risk of an injury if you do not know what you are doing. 

So, stay away from 12-week hardcore transformation programs, and opt for training programs that will help you learn the basics of fitness and bodybuilding. In other words, learn to walk before you run. 

P.S: If you landed on this article through a google search, do not fret, you are in good hands. 🙂

Related: Check our library of workout plans.

2. Master the Fundamentals 

Your physique transformation is not solely dependent on working out 3-4 times a week. While a successful transformation requires an effective training regimen, you cannot afford to mess up your diet and recovery program.

Along with your transformation program (training, diet, and recovery), you should also focus on learning the correct exercise techniques. Do not make the mistake of trying to lift too heavy in your initial weeks. Stick to mastering the fundamentals, and weights will follow. 

Next Read: Body Recomposition – How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle

3. Get Help

A physique transformation takes much more than curling a few dumbbells and downing a protein shake. Fitness noobs elongate their learning curves by refusing professional help.

If you are a beginner, you should let a professional design your training and diet programs. If designing a transformation program was so easy that a rookie could do it on their own, why do you think seasoned Hollywood celebrities hire a trainer for every new film?

A trainer can also help you get better results in the gym by teaching you the correct form and nitty-gritty of weight lifting. A trainer can be a source of motivation and act as an accountability mechanism. 

To sum it up, if you are a newbie, you should consider hiring a professional with a proven track record. It might cost you a little, but it will pay dividends in the long run.

Must Read: Reg Park’s Beginner Workout Routine

4. Set Goals

Starting your transformation journey without a goal is like going on a road trip without knowing your final destination. How will you know when you have arrived?

Are you training to build muscle mass, lose weight, or did you tick the “longevity” box on your gym sign-up form? Trying to mix and match different goals in the middle of a program will do nothing more than stall your progress.

Once you decide to start working out, define your goals in quantifiable terms. Just so that you know, “build muscle mass” is not a valid goal.

Here are a few examples of specific transformation oriented goals:

1. Get down to 12% body fat in 12 weeks.
2. Squat 255 lbs by the end of 6 weeks.
3. Build 5 lbs of muscle mass in 8 weeks. 
4. Run a mile in 7 minutes in 15 weeks. 

Setting unreasonable goals is another common rookie mistake. If you want to look like Big Ramy within a year of starting training, you will:

1. Not achieve your goal.
2. Be putting your life at risk. 

Have a well-defined goal, set reasonable expectations, and get after it.

Also Read: How To Get The Bicep Vein

5. Track Results

Once you begin your 4-week transformation routine, you should constantly monitor your progress. By constant monitoring, we mean checking your progress after every seven days. So, stop pulling out the scale every seven hours. 

Take pictures of your body every week. These photos will act as a GPS and keep you on the right path. If you are happy with your progress, keep going, or otherwise, make necessary adjustments. 

6. Go All In

Let’s be honest and straightforward. Body transformation is not easy. It will test your patience, perseverance, and mettle. If you want to see meaningful progress, you need to commit to your 4-week transformation program. 

You need to be disciplined in your training, diet, and recovery program. You cannot afford to miss a single workout or meal during your transformation journey. 

If you think you can half-ass your way to your dream physique, let us assure you, that is not going to happen. Once you decide to enter the fit lifestyle, you need to go all in. 

Your body transformation will take time, it will be hard, there will be many instances where you will be demoralized and would want to give up, but stick on because it will all be worth it in the end. We promise. 

Next Read: Crucial Exercises Every CrossFit Beginner Must Learn How To Do Effectively

4-Week Gym Routine For Beginners

You should always ease into a training program. Performing advanced exercises or training principles in your initial days can make it harder for your body to adapt to the new stimulus. 

Now, if you want to shock your central nervous system, experience acute muscle soreness, and go through downtime due to limited mobility, by all means, skip the first two weeks and start your transformation journey from the third week. 

The beginner’s training program is going to be progressively demanding. We will be ramping up the difficulty as your body starts adapting to your workouts. 

Note: If you do not have a particular machine at your gym or are working around an injury, feel free to change an exercise mentioned in the program with an appropriate substitute. 

Related: Intermittent Fasting For Beginners

The 4-Week Beginner Transformation Regimen Breakdown

Here is your training split for the four weeks:

• Week 1: Full-body split
• Week 2: Two-day split (Upper body/Lower body)
• Week 3: Three-day split (Push/Pull/Legs)
• Week 4: Five-day split (Full body)

4-Week Gym Routine: Week 1 (Full-body Split)

Since we believe in easing into a workout program, you will begin your transformation journey with a full-body training split, meaning – you will train all major body parts in each workout during the first week. 

In the first week, you will be hitting the gym three days a week on alternate days. This will allow your body enough time to recuperate from your workouts. 

The exercises you will be performing in Week 1 will help improve your mobility and functional strength. Your workouts will include bodyweight, machine, and resistance exercises. 

Week 1 of Beginner Workout

1. Burpee: 3 sets of 30-seconds 
2. Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
3. Medium-grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
4. Seated Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
5. Leg Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
6. Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
7. Tricep Rope Pressdown: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
8. Barbell Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
9. Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
10. Crunch: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

For the first week, you will be starting your workouts with burpees. It will ensure that you have blood pumping throughout your body. You will then perform two exercises for each body part, except for calves and abs, where you will be performing a single exercise each.

Many rookies make the mistake of switching their training routines every week to avoid hitting a plateau. If you change your exercises too often, you are not allowing your muscles enough time to make the most of the lifts and are leaving gains on the table in the process.

In these four weeks, focus on learning the correct exercise form and building a solid mind-muscle connection. 

By the end of the first week, you will have trained every muscle group thrice and done a total of nine sets for each muscle, enough to condition your muscle for what is to come.

Related: The 12 Best Workout Splits

4-Week Gym Routine: Week 2 (Upper body/Lower body Split)

In the second week, you will be training your upper and lower body over the course of two days compared to a single day in the first week. During week two, you will be training a total of four days in the second week (two upper-body sessions and two lower-body sessions)

You will be training your upper body on Monday and Thursday, and your lower body on Tuesday and Friday. You will be taking three days off in the second week of the 4-week gym routine for beginners. 

Week 2 of Beginner Workout 

Day 1: Upper Body

1. Star Jump: 3 sets of 30-seconds
2. Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
3. Cable Chest Fly: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
4. Barbell Bent-Over Row: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
5. Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
6. Machine Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
7. Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
8. Dumbbell Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
9. Preacher Machine Curl: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
10. EZ Bar Skull Crusher: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
11. V-Bar Tricep Pressdown: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
12. Reverse Crunch: 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Day 2: Lower Body

1. Knees to Chest: 3 sets of 30-seconds
2. Squats: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
3. Wide Stance Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
4. Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
5. Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
6. Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
7. Smith Machine Calf Raise: 3 sets of 15-20 reps

In the second week of the 4-week gym routine for beginners, you will be performing two exercises for each muscle group on every training day. Your upper body workout consists of more exercises as you have a higher number of muscle groups to target. 

You need to ensure that you maintain a high training intensity in all your workouts in this program. You should not be spending more than 60-minutes inside the gym. 

Next Read: 15 Foundational Exercises For The Beginner Powerlifter

4-Week Gym Routine: Week 3 (Push/Pull/Legs)

For the third week, you will be performing a three-day training split. On the first day, you will be targeting your push muscles (chest, triceps, and shoulders), and on the second day, you will train your pull muscles (back and biceps) and abs. The third day will be reserved for leg training (quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves). 

In the third week, we will bump up the training frequency further, and you will be training six days a week. Also, you will perform four sets for large muscle groups (chest, back, shoulders, quads, hamstrings) and three sets for smaller muscles (biceps, triceps, abs, calves).

Week 3 of Beginner Workout 

Day 1: Push

1. Treadmill (walk): 10-min
2. Incline Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
3. Dumbbell Flye: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
4. Arnold Press: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
5. Barbell Upright Row: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
6. Barbell Skull Crusher: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
7. Dumbbell Kickback: 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Day 2: Pull

1. Rowing: 10-min
2. Cable Upright Row: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
3. Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
4. Dumbbell Preacher Curl: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
5. Cable Bicep Curl: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
6. Cable Crunch: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
7. Lying Leg Raise: 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Day 3: Legs

1. Stairs: 10-min
2. Squat: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
3. Leg Extension: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
4. Seated Leg Curl: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
5. Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
6. Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 25 reps
7. Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 25 reps

Also Read: HIIT for Beginners: How High-Intensity Exercise Can Dramatically Improve Your Workout 

4-Week Gym Routine: Week 4 (Full Body)

The fourth week introduces you to the most common training regimen in bodybuilding circles. In this week, you will be training one muscle group each day. You will be performing different exercises to ensure you are hitting the muscle from every angle to ensure overall development. 

The final week of the 4-week gym routine for beginners significantly raises your training volume and intensity. You will be following a five-day split, meaning – you will train each body part just once (except for calves and abs, which are each trained twice).

Week 4 of Beginner Workout 

Day 1: Chest and Calves

1. Treadmill (walk): 10-min
2. Decline Bench Press: 5 sets of 10 reps
3. Dumbbell Bench Press: 5 sets of 8-12 reps
4. Pec Deck Fly: 5 sets of 8-12 reps
5. Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 25 reps
6. Leg Press Calf Press: 3 sets of 25 reps

Day 2: Back and Abs 

1. Stairs: 10-min
2. Barbell Bent-Over Row: 5 sets of 12 reps
3. Lat Pulldown: 5 sets of 8-12 reps
4. Bent-Over Dumbbell Row: 5 sets of 8-10 reps
5. Cable Crunch: 3 sets of 20 reps 
6. Plank: 3 sets of 1-minute

Day 3: Biceps and Triceps

1. Treadmill (walk): 10 mins
2. Barbell Bicep Curl: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
3. Machine Preacher Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
4. Bicep Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
5. Rope Pressdown: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
6. Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension: 3 sets of 10 reps
7. EZ Bar Skull Crusher: 3 sets of 10 reps

Day 4: Legs and Abs

1. Stairs: 10-min
2. Squat: 5 sets of 10 reps
3. Leg Press: 8-12 reps
4. Leg Extension: 5 sets of 10-12 reps
5. Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
6. Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
7. Good Morning: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
8. Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets of 20 reps
9. Crunch: 2 sets of 20 reps

Day 5: Shoulders and Calves

1. Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 4 sets of 12 reps
2. Dumbbell Upright Row: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
3. Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 10 reps
4. Reverse Pec Deck Fly: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
5. Seated Calf Raise: 10 sets of 10 reps
6. Smith Machine Calf Raise: 5 sets of 15 reps

In the fourth week, you will perform up to five sets per exercise for larger body parts, and ten sets of the calf raise to turn those calves into bulls. 

Next Read:

• Beginner’s Bodybuilding Program
• Top 3 Beginner Powerlifting Programs
• Beginner’s Muscle Tone Workout Plan

Conclusion

If you are a beginner, the 4-week gym routine laid out in the article is perfect for getting your feet wet in the fitness lifestyle. It is perfect for an individual who has never touched a weight before as well as a person restarting his fitness routine. 

Not only will this training program help you build strength, lose body fat, and improve your cardiovascular endurance, but it will also help build a solid base for more elaborate 8-12 week intermediate-level training routines. 

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