Program · beginner
Full body 2x (gym)
Full body 2x (gym) is a 2-day-a-week template for a full gym, built for beginner lifters. Each session runs about 50 minutes and fits general fitness, fat loss, recomposition goals. Across 2 session types and 12 exercise slots, a real run of this template pulls in movements like Leg press, Machine chest press, 45° back extension, Assisted pull-up machine.
The 12-week structure runs three 4-week phases — Base, then Build, then Peak — with a deload in week 12. Progression is double progression: work up the rep range first, then add load. It also carries 30 minutes of walk_or_treadmill on 4 days a week.
Session A
| Exercise | Pattern | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg press | squat | 3 | 8-12 | 120s |
| Machine chest press | push_h | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| 45° back extension | hinge | 3 | 8-12 | 120s |
| Assisted pull-up machine | pull_v | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Machine shoulder press | push_v | 2 | 8-12 | 75s |
| Pallof press | core | 2 | 10-15 | 45s |
Session B
| Exercise | Pattern | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45° back extension | hinge | 3 | 8-12 | 120s |
| Machine / T-bar row | pull_h | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Dumbbell reverse lunge | lunge | 3 | 8-12/side | 90s |
| Machine chest press | push_h | 3 | 8-12 | 90s |
| Face pull | pull_h | 2 | 12-20 | 45s |
| Pallof press | core | 2 | 20-45s | 45s |
Phases
| Weeks | Phase | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Base | Learn the movement patterns. RIR 3 on every set; film one set per exercise each week. Add load only when form is clean. |
| 5–8 | Build | Add one set to each compound slot (max +1). RIR 2. Progress load via double progression. |
| 9–12 | Peak | RIR 1-2 on the last set of each compound. Week 12 is the deload; re-measure waist/weight/photos at the end of week 12. |
Who it fits
Goals: general fitness, fat loss, recomposition. Setup: a full gym. Level: beginner.
Questions people ask
- Who is Full body 2x (gym) for?
- Beginners training 2 days a week with a full gym, aiming at general fitness, fat loss, recomposition.
- How long are the sessions?
- About 50 minutes per session, 2 sessions a week across a 12-week block with a deload in week 12.
- How does the program progress?
- Work within the rep range at the given RIR. When all sets hit the top of the rep range at 2 RIR, add 2.5 kg (upper body, dumbbells/plates) or 5 kg (lower body / machines) next session and drop back to the bottom of the range. If a set misses the bottom of the range, hold the weight. Two consecutive stalls on an exercise: swap to a substitute for the rest of the phase.