Three days a week. Push, pull, legs. No supplements, no gimmicks, and no reason to wait until you can afford a coach.
This is the same foundation I'd hand a brand new person on day one. It works because it's simple and you actually do it — not because it's clever.
Push, pull, legs on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday you still go in for a 20-minute treadmill walk and some core. Sunday, take a long walk outside. No days off — that's how the habit sticks. Full week is on the last page.
Bodyweight, machine, dumbbell, barbell. Not strong enough for weight yet? Bodyweight counts — start there. If you've never touched a barbell, start on the machine and don't feel one bit bad about it. If you already know how to lift, start further right. Same program either way.
12 is the goal, not the rule. If you can't get 12, do as many as you can and write it down — next time you go for one more. Pick a weight where rep 12 is hard but your form doesn't fall apart. If you could have done 20, it's too light.
Long enough to breathe, short enough that you're still working. Don't sit on your phone for five minutes.
That's the whole progression. Small jumps, every week or two. Four weeks in you'll notice. Twelve weeks in, other people will.
Five minutes of walking or a bike, then one light set of your first exercise. Nobody in that gym is impressed by a weight you can't control.
Sleep and food. You can run this program perfectly and get nowhere on four hours of sleep and gas station meals. Get protein in at every meal, drink water, and go to bed. The training is the easy part.
| Exercise | Easiest → Hardest | Sets | Form cue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chest press | Machine chest press → Dumbbell press → Barbell bench press | 3 × 12 | Flat or incline — pick one and stay with it for the 4 weeks. |
| 2 | Chest fly | Pec deck machine → Cable fly → Dumbbell fly | 3 × 12 | Slight bend in the elbows. This is a squeeze, not a press. |
| 3 | Shoulder press | Machine press → Seated dumbbell press → Standing dumbbell press | 3 × 12 | Press up, not forward. Stop just short of locking out. |
| 4 | Lateral raise | Cable or machine → Standing dumbbells | 3 × 12 | Light. Elbows lead, thumbs slightly down, no swinging. |
| 5 | Tricep pressdown | Rope → Flat bar | 3 × 12 | Elbows pinned to your sides. Only the forearms move. |
Pick one option per exercise. Start with the version you can do with good form today. When that gets easy, move one step to the right. 12 reps is the goal — if you can't get 12, do as many as you can. That still counts.
| Exercise | Easiest → Hardest | Sets | Form cue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Back extension | Bodyweight on a bench → Holding a plate | 3 × 12 | Warms up the low back. Controlled, no bouncing at the bottom. |
| 2 | Wide-grip lat pulldown | Machine → Cable | 3 × 12 | Pull to your collarbone, not behind your neck. Chest up. |
| 3 | Close-grip row | Machine row → Cable row → Dumbbell row | 3 × 12 | Pull with the elbows, not the hands. Squeeze at the back. |
| 4 | Rear delt fly | Seated on a bench → Standing bent over → Reverse pec deck | 3 × 12 | Very light. If your traps are burning, go lighter. |
| 5 | Shrugs | Machine → Dumbbells → Barbell | 3 × 12 | Straight up and down. Don't roll your shoulders. |
| 6 | Biceps curl | Machine → Dumbbell or cable → Barbell | 3 × 12 | No swinging the body. Elbows stay by your ribs. |
Pick one option per exercise. Start with the version you can do with good form today. When that gets easy, move one step to the right. 12 reps is the goal — if you can't get 12, do as many as you can. That still counts.
| Exercise | Easiest → Hardest | Sets | Form cue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Squat or leg press | Bodyweight or box squat → Leg press or goblet squat → Barbell squat | 3 × 12 | Bodyweight is a real start. Sit back and down, only as deep as you can hold form. |
| 2 | Lunge or split squat | Bodyweight → Holding dumbbells → Barbell | 3 × 12 | Hold something for balance the first week if you need to. |
| 3 | RDL or stiff-leg deadlift | Bodyweight hip hinge → Dumbbells → Barbell | 3 × 12 | Hamstrings. Push the hips back, keep the back flat, slight knee bend. |
| 4 | Leg extension | Machine | 3 × 12 | Quads. Pause a beat at the top. |
| 5 | Leg curl | Seated machine → Lying machine | 3 × 12 | Hamstrings. Slow on the way back down. |
| 6 | Calf raise | Bodyweight on a step → Standing with dumbbells → Machine | 3 × 12 | Full stretch at the bottom, full squeeze at the top. |
Pick one option per exercise. Start with the version you can do with good form today. When that gets easy, move one step to the right. 12 reps is the goal — if you can't get 12, do as many as you can. That still counts.
Lifting is three days a week. The other four you still show up — that's how the habit gets built. These days are short and easy on purpose.
20 minutes on the treadmill, walking pace, then the core work for that day. It's listed on every day below so you don't have to guess. Short, easy, and the point is that you came in.
| 20 minutes on the treadmill | Walking pace | Warm up and get the blood moving before core. |
| Sit-ups or crunches | 3 × 15 | Slow up, slow down. Don't yank on your neck. |
| Plank | 3 × 30 sec | Straight line from head to heels. Squeeze everything. |
| 20 minutes on the treadmill | Walking pace | Warm up and get the blood moving before core. |
| Lying leg lifts | 3 × 12 | Low back stays flat on the floor. Bend the knees if it doesn't. |
| Knee tucks (seated or hanging) | 3 × 12 | Controlled. No swinging. |
| 20 minutes on the treadmill | Walking pace | Warm up and get the blood moving before core. |
| Russian twists or side bends | 3 × 15 each side | Turn from the ribs, not the arms. |
| Side plank | 3 × 20 sec each side | Hips up. Don't let them sag. |
No gym. Take a nice long walk outside — 45 minutes to an hour, no phone if you can manage it. It still counts. There are no days off.
Run it for a month. If you want a plan built around your body, your schedule and whatever else you're carrying — that's what I do. One email, no pitch.
© 2026 Billy Marks Fit. This program is general fitness information for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Billy Marks is a fitness and lifestyle coach, not a licensed medical provider. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional before starting any exercise program, especially if you have an injury, a heart condition, are pregnant, or are withdrawing from alcohol or other substances. Stop and seek help if you feel chest pain, dizziness or faintness. Individual results vary. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 1-800-662-4357 (SAMHSA National Helpline, free and confidential, 24/7).