Looking for a beginner workout plan you say? Let me tell you a little story first.

I think I graduated high school 135-pounds, maybe 140. Whatever it was, I was super skinny, and I hated it. In my opinion, people don’t give the skinny guys that get big, enough credit. It’s still a lot of work. Whatever, enough of my own personal story. If you’re skinny and want to add slabs of mass, here’s how I changed all of that:

First thing: I started lifting on a basic beginner workout plan for three to five days per week. I didn’t love it at first. In fact, I actually didn’t like it at all. But then I started to see veins popping out of my arms a bit more, abs getting more defined, a back that was widening, chest that was broadening, etc.

If you’re new to exercise, you will find our how-to guide of the 20 best exercises for beginners helpful.

Second thing: I started to absolutely demolish food. For the most part it was all very clean foods: loads of chicken breast, lean beef, eggs, fish, etc. But one other little secret was peanut butter sandwiches. I mean, I think I bought and ate more peanut butter than anyone on earth for like two-three years of my life.

Long story short: I lifted and ate like an animal and that’s what’s going to do it for you too.

For a more in-depth look at food and dieting, check out our comprehensive piece on intuitive eating for lean muscle to learn what to eat, when to eat, and how to figure out what works for you. Also, our story on the 25 best muscle-building foods is a great resource for overhauling your grocery shopping list.

Now, let’s move onto the program…

How the beginner workout plan works

No fluff, no gimmicks. That’s how we roll around here, and that’s always how HFP will roll.

The key thing about the Foundation workout plan is that the exercises are very basic and the total amount of work is conservative. Because you’re relatively new to exercise and working out, this will provide you with a good base of fitness without pushing you too far to start. Another program you might want to explore is out Introduction/Transition workout plan.

Directions for this beginner workout plan

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are workout days. Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday are off/recovery days.

Complete this beginner workout plan for four weeks. After the forth week you may recycle the plan, however, add 1-2 sets per exercise and attempt to increase the weight used.

After you’ve progressed beyond the beginner workout plan, check out our listing of all 30+ FREE workout plans you can follow next. There are many different options for different ability levels and specific goals. If your gains seem to be coming along a little slow, check out our piece on the top 10 ways to build muscle faster.

The Foundation Workouts

DAY ONE: Legs and Intervals

1. DB Squat
3 sets x 10

2. DB Forward and Reverse Lunges
3 sets x 5 each leg and direction

3. DB Plie Squat
3 sets x 10

4. DB Step Up
3 sets x 10

5. Burpees x 50

DAY TWO: Shoulders and Abs

1. Alt. Single-Arm DB Shoulder Press
3 sets x 10

2A DB Side Lateral Raise
2B DB Front Raise
2C DB Rear Flye
3 sets x 12-15

3. DB Shrug
3 sets x 10

4. Cable Face Pull
3 sets x 10

1. Cable Crunch
3 sets x 10

2. Cable Rotations
3 sets x 10 (each side)

3. Planks
3 sets x failure

DAY THREE: Chest and Triceps

1. DB Chest Press Variations
5 sets x 10 (3-5 variations)

2. DB Flye
3 sets x 10

3. Push Ups
100-200 reps as quickly as possible

1. Close-grip Presses
3 sets x 10

2. BB Skullcrushers
3 sets x 10

3. Bar-Cable Pushdown
3 sets x 10 reps

DAY FOUR: Back and Biceps

1. Trap Bar Deadlift
5 sets x 10

2. Single-arm DB Row
3 sets x 10

3. Pull up (or Inverted Row)
3 sets x as many as possible

1. BB Curl
3 sets x 10

2. Lying Cable Curl
3 sets x 10

3. Open-grip Concentration Curl
3 sets x 10