Progrevia3-day body recomposition routine
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A body recomposition routine over 3 days is built to gain some muscle and lose fat at the same time, with moderate volume and good recovery.
Parameters the engine applies
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Assigned structure | Push / Pull / Legs |
| Reps per set | 6-15 |
| Sets per exercise | 3-4 |
| Rest between sets | 60-120 s |
| RIR (reps in reserve) | 2-3 |
| Intensity | 65-80% 1RM |
| Share of compound exercises | 70 % |
These are not generic recommendations: they are the exact parameters the engine uses to build this routine, and they change with the goal you pick.
How your week looks
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Push |
| Day 2 | Pull |
| Day 3 | Legs |
The engine splits muscle groups across sessions according to the structure that matches your available days.
Exercise table: the week the engine builds
This is the routine Progrevia builds for an intermediate lifter with a full gym and 60-minute sessions: 18 exercises and 64 sets per week. Yours adapts to your level, your equipment and your time, so it may differ.
Day 1 · Push
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell bench press | 4 × 6-8 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Z-bar overhead press | 4 × 6-8 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Bench dips | 4 × 6-8 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Decline dumbbell flyes | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Dumbbell pullover | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Face pull | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
Day 2 · Pull
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell row | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Pull-ups | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Farmer carry | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Preacher curl | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Cable pullover | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Straight-arm pulldown | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
Day 3 · Legs
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell lunges | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 60 s |
| Good mornings | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 60 s |
| Sumo deadlift | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 60 s |
| Landmine rotation | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 60 s |
| Leg press calf raise | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Single-leg leg extension | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
Weekly sets per muscle group
| Muscle group | Sets per week |
|---|---|
| Back | 14 |
| Chest | 10 |
| Quads | 7 |
| Shoulders | 7 |
| Abs | 4 |
| Glutes | 4 |
| Hamstrings | 4 |
| Traps | 4 |
| Triceps | 4 |
| Biceps | 3 |
| Calves | 3 |
Each set is counted on the exercise's main muscle. It is the most direct way to compare this routine with another: at equal effort, weekly volume is what weighs most on the result.
What changes compared with the 2-day routine
With 3 days the week adds up to 64 sets; with 2, 48. These are the differences per muscle group:
- Back: 8 → 14
- Abs: 0 → 4
- Traps: 0 → 4
- Quads: 4 → 7
- Calves: 0 → 3
- Chest: 8 → 10
- Biceps: 4 → 3
- Shoulders: 8 → 7
- Glutes: 8 → 4
Sessions in the 2-day routine: Full Body A, Full Body B.
Body recomposition in 3 days: building muscle while you lose fat
Recomposition works best with a small deficit, high protein and progressive strength training, and it pays off most for beginners, people returning after a break or those with more body fat. The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (Jäger and colleagues, 2017) puts protein for people who train at 1.4-2 g per kilo per day, and the review by Helms, Aragon and Fitschen (2014) recommends a slow loss, around 0.5-1% of bodyweight per week, to preserve muscle mass.
With 3 days, each session has its focus (push, pull or legs) and there is plenty of rest to recover while eating a bit below what you burn.
The week the engine builds has 3 sessions, 18 exercises and 64 sets in total. Counting sets and rest, each session takes about 45 minutes, not including the warm-up.
| Week | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calories slightly below maintenance, high protein every day and your 3 sessions (Push, Pull, Legs) | A stable base to train well |
| 2 | Progress reps or load on every exercise, starting with z-bar overhead press and barbell row | Strength climbs even if bodyweight barely moves |
| 3 | Measure your waist as well as your weight | In recomposition the scale misleads: the waist drops first |
| 4 | Review: if weight goes up, adjust calories; if strength drops, raise them | Keep the balance between losing fat and building muscle |
- Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2014;11:20.
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:20.
How the week is split
Push, pull and legs, one day each: every muscle group gets its whole weekly volume in a single session. This week, each of the 11 muscle groups with their own exercise is trained once.
What your routine includes
- Sessions of 6 exercises and 21 to 22 sets.
- No exercise goes above 4 sets a week: the volume is spread across several.
- Reps of 6 to 18 and rests of 60 to 120 seconds, depending on the exercise and the day.
- RIR 3-4 in the first week, 2-3 in the second and 1-2 in the third; in the deload it rises to 4-6.
- The engine suggests the load for each session from what you log (double progression).
Who is this routine for?
That is 3 sessions of about 60 minutes, 3 hours a week, with 64 sets in total: about 21 per session. It fits if you can set aside those 3 days consistently; if not, look at the 2-day routine.
Exercises it usually includes
Other routines you may like
- 2-day body recomposition routine
- 4-day body recomposition routine
- 3-day hypertrophy routine
- 3-day strength routine
- 3-day fat loss routine
Generate yours for free
Progrevia creates your personalized body recomposition routine of 3 days in under a minute, no mandatory sign-up and no card. With a free account you can download it as a PDF.
Learn the theory
Bulk or cut: where to start, myth-free
Frequently asked questions
How many days a week should I train?
It depends on your availability and recovery. 3 days a week is a balanced option for a body recomposition goal.
Can I do the 3-day recomposition routine at home?
Yes, as long as there is progression: more reps, more load or harder exercises every week. Progrevia adapts the exercises to your equipment and logs what you do so it knows when to push.
When will I see recomposition results?
More slowly than with a single goal: your weight may barely move for weeks. The reliable signs at 4-8 weeks are a smaller waist and more strength.
How many sets per week does the 3-day body recomposition routine have?
64 sets spread over 18 exercises and 3 sessions. The group that gets the most work is back, with 14 weekly sets.
Can I build muscle and lose fat at the same time on the 3-day recomposition routine?
Yes, especially if you are a beginner, returning after a break or have some fat to lose. The conditions are a small deficit, high protein (1.4-2 g per kilo per day) and progress every session. The scale may barely move: the good sign is your waist going down while your strength goes up, starting with z-bar overhead press and barbell row.
Progrevia builds gym routines from your own data: periodization, RIR and week-by-week progression. Free, no card.