How Many Exercises Should You Do Per Workout?

Written byGarett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S

Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni

How many exercises do you need to do each workout? Ask enough people, and you’ll hear everything: one person may perform three or four big lifts and leave, while someone else works through 10 different exercises before calling it a day.

So, who’s right? In reality, this question is often made more complicated than it needs to be. We’ve used and written effective gym programs using both approaches. However, most people will fall somewhere between 4–8 exercises per workout.

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The moreimportant factorsareyour training split, goals, experience level, and total set volume.In this guide, we’ll explain how to find the right number for you.

Key Points You Need To Know! Most workouts only need 4–8 exercisesto effectively train the targeted muscle groups. Start with your primary exercises, then add secondary and isolation movements based on your goals and training needs. For each major muscle group, choose 1 primary, 1–2 secondary, and 0–2 isolation exercises as a general starting point. Exercise quality matters more than exercise count. Adding more movements isn’t necessarily better, especially when they duplicate work you’ve already done. Your training split affects how many exercises you need. Full-body workouts may use fewer exercises per muscle, while body-part or push/pull/legs workouts can include more direct work.

How Many Exercises Should You Do Per Workout?

Most lifters can build an effective workout around 4–8 exercises.

However, treat that as a practical range rather than a rule.

A full-body workout built around compound exercises may only require four or five movements. An upper-body or bodybuilding workout containing more isolation exercises could reasonably include seven or eight.

The number of exercises also doesn’t tell you how much work you’re actually performing.

Five exercises performed for four working sets each give you 20 total sets. Eight exercises performed for two sets each give you 16.

For that reason, exercise count and training volumeneed to be consideredtogether.

• Beginner: 4–6 exercises
• Intermediate: 5–7 exercises
• Advanced: 5–8+ exercises depending on the workout

More experienced lifters don’t automatically need more exercises. In fact, an advanced strength athlete might perform relatively few exercises in a session while putting considerably more effort into each one.

How to Choose Exercises for Your Workout?

Here’s a quick guide to help youdecide whatexercisesto pickfor your workout. 

• Primary:Your main exercise for the muscle; generally a heavier compound movement you prioritize and progress.
• Secondary:Additional compound or multi-joint exercises that add volume or train the muscle from a different angle.
• Isolation:More targeted exercisesused toadd direct work withoutneedinganother major compound movement (ACSM, 2009).

	Barbell Bench Press; Barbell Incline Press	Dumbbell Bench Press; Incline Dumbbell Press; Chest Dip; Machine Chest Press	Cable Fly; Pec Deck; Dumbbell Fly; Low-to-High Cable Fly
		Lat Pulldown; Chest-Supported Row; Seated Cable Row; One-Arm Dumbbell Row	Straight-Arm Pulldown; Dumbbell Pullover; Machine Pullover
	Barbell Overhead Press; Seated Barbell Shoulder Press	Dumbbell Shoulder Press; Arnold Press; Machine Shoulder Press	Dumbbell Lateral Raise; Cable Lateral Raise; Reverse Fly; Rear-Delt Machine
		Hack Squat; Leg Press; Bulgarian Split Squat; Walking Lunge
	Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift; Stiff-Leg Deadlift	Romanian Deadlift, Good Morning; Single-Leg RDL; Nordic Hamstring Curl	Seated Leg Curl; Lying Leg Curl; Standing Leg Curl
	Barbell Hip Thrust; Back Squat	Romanian Deadlift; Bulgarian Split Squat; Reverse Lunge; Step-Up	Cable Kickback; Hip Abduction; Glute-Focused Back Extension
		Incline Dumbbell Curl; Preacher Curl; Hammer Curl. EZ-Bar Curl	Cable Curl; Bayesian Cable Curl; Concentration Curl
	Close-Grip Bench Press; Weighted Dip	EZ-Bar Skull Crusher; Dumbbell Overhead Extension; JM Press	Cable Pushdown; Overhead Cable Extension; Single-Arm Cable Extension
	Standing Calf Raise; Leg Press Calf Raise	Single-Leg Calf Raise; Donkey Calf Raise
	Hanging Leg Raise; Ab Wheel Rollout	Cable Crunch; Decline Sit-Up; Reverse Crunch	Pallof Press; Cable Wood Chop; Side Bend

These muscle groups don’t have traditional “primary exercises.” The exercises listed as primary are either compound movements that train the muscle particularly well or exercises we recommend prioritizing first.

How Many Exercises Should You Do Per Muscle Group?

A simple way to structure your workout is to choose exercisesbased on theirpurpose rather than trying to hit a specific total.

For each major muscle group you’re training, start by choosing 3-4 exercises per muscle group. This includes a combination of:

• 1 primary exercise: Your main lift for the muscle, typically the exercise you want to prioritize and progress.
• 1–2 accessory exercises:Additional movements that train the muscle differently or help add training volume.
• 0–2 isolation exercises:Optional exercises used to target the muscle more directly or bring up a specific area (Rosa et al., 2023).

When choosing movements, choose different exercises that train different movement patterns or use different stimuli.  For example, a chest workout could include:

• Primary: Barbell bench press
• Accessories: Incline dumbbell press, Smith Machine close-grip chest press
• Isolation: Cable fly

You also need to account for overlapping exercises.

• Bench presstrains the chest but also works the triceps and anterior deltoids.
• Pull-upstrain the back while also involving the biceps. 
• Squatstrain several lower-body muscles simultaneously.

For example, the Smith Machine close-grip is a great triceps exercisein addition to trainingthe chest. This is especially true for smaller muscles like the biceps and triceps.

Smaller muscles such as the biceps and triceps may not need a separate “primary” exercise at all, especially when they’re already receiving substantial work from compound pulling and pressing exercises.

Compound vs. Isolation Exercises

Thetype of exercisesyou choose can significantly affect how many you need.

Compound exercisesinvolve multiple joints and muscle groups:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Bench presses
• Overhead presses
• Rows
• Pull-ups

Because these movements train several muscles simultaneously, you can cover a lot of your body with relatively few exercises.

Isolation exercisesprimarily target one muscle or joint:

• Biceps curls
• Triceps extensions
• Lateral raises
• Chest / Back fly
• Leg curls
• Calf raises

These exercises are useful when you wantadditionalwork for a specific muscle, butadding themalsoincreasesthe total number of exercises in your workout.

A full-body session might therefore contain only five exercises because most are compound movements.

An upper-body workout might contain seven because you perform several compound exercises followed by isolation work for the shoulders and arms.

For most people, their workout should primarily contain compound exercises. Most workouts will generally be split like:

• Compound Exercise: 75-100%
• Isolation: 0-25%

However, workouts with 8+ may lookto havemoreofa 50/50 split.

How Many Sets Should You Do Per Exercise?

Exercise count is only part of the equation. Theamount of working setsis ultimately the more important question (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).

The general recommendation for total working sets per muscle group per week is 10- 20 sets (Pelland et al., 2026). When you divide this out over exercises, 2–4 working sets is a practical range for most workouts.

That means a six-exercise workout could easily contain 12–24 working sets depending on how it’s structured. However, you don’t need the same number of sets for every exercise.

Throughoutan entiresession, a common practice is to do more setswithyour primary exercises and fewer setswithsmaller ones.  This is how that might look for your back with 2 different weekly volumes.

• Rack Pull– 3 sets
• Chin-Up – 3 sets
• T-Bar Row – 3 sets
• Reverse Fly – 2 sets

• Rack Pull – 4 sets
• Chin-Up – 3 sets
• T-Bar Row – 3 sets
• Wide-Grip Pulldown – 2 sets
• Seated Single Cable Row – 2 sets
• Barbell Shrug – 2 sets
• Reverse Fly – 2 sets
• Back Extensions – 2 sets

Rather than trying to hit a predetermined number of exercises,buildenough quality working sets to train the muscles you’re targetingandthen stop (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).

Can You Do Too Many Exercises Per Workout?

Yes. Adding another exercise isn’t automatically adding productive training. Common errors include:

• Repeating movement patterns
• Performing low-quality reps
• Accumulating unneeded fatigue 
• Using poor technique

This is sometimes described as junk volume. While there’s no scientific definition, it refers to additional training that provides little extra benefit because you’ve already accumulated plenty of effective work.

It’sdifficultto pinpointa specific timethisoccursfor everyone,asit depends on your ability to recover.

However, our general rule is that every exercise should have a reason for being there.Further, you shouldn’tbe dreadingthe movements; going through the motions isn’t doing anything.

Does Your Training Split Change How Many Exercises You Need?

It can and usually does. But it doesn’t have to.

Yourtraining split determineshow much of your body you’re trying to cover in a single session and usually affects training frequency (Schoenfeld et al., 2019).

Full-Body Workout: 3–5 Exercises

A simple full-body session could look like:

1. Squat
2. Bench press
3. Romanian deadlift
4. Pull-up
5. Overhead press

Five exercises cover virtually the entire body because you’re relying heavily on compound movements.

Upper-Body Workout: 5–7 Exercises

An upper-body workout might include:

1. Bench press
2. Barbell row
3. Incline dumbbell press
4. Lat pulldown
5. Lateral raise
6. Biceps curl
7. Triceps extension

The exercise count increases because you’re adding direct work for smaller muscle groups.

1. Bench press
2. Incline dumbbell press
3. Overhead press
4. Cable fly
5. Lateral raise
6. Triceps extension

You’re only training the chest, shoulders, and triceps, butusingseveral exercises to target those muscles more directly.

Theimportantpoint is that there’s no ideal exercise countindependent ofyour workout structure.

Is 3 Exercises Enough for a Workout?

Absolutely. Three well-chosen compound exercises can create a highly effective workout, particularly if you’re short on time or following a minimalist strength program.

Performing several challenging sets of each can provide a substantial training stimulus.

For example,a 3-day full-body workoutcan look like:

• Squat
• Overhead Press
• Bent-over Row

• Bench Press
• Leg Press
• Chin-up

• Deadlift
• Incline Bench Press
• Seated Cable Row

The tradeoff isthat you haveless room for isolation exercises or additional work for specific muscles. However, it can keep you focused and maintain intensity. 

Is 10 Exercises Too Many for One Workout?

Not necessarily, but most people don’t need 10 exercises in every workout.Rememberthattotal volume dictatesifa workout has too much work, not the number of exercises.

• 10 exercises x 3 sets = 30 sets
• 10 exercises x 2 sets = 20 sets
• 10 exercises x 1 set = 10 sets

These arevery different workouts. The real question is: Do youneed10 exercises per workout? For most people using a traditional training program, you do not.

More importantly, ifyou’reconsistentlyreachingexercise eight, nine, and ten butfeel like it’sa grind, you should just go home. 

FAQ: How Many Exercises Per Muscle Group? 

1. How many exercises should I do per workout? 

Most people can build an effective workout around 4–8 exercises. The ideal number depends on your training split, goals, experience level, exercise selection, and the number of sets you perform.

2. How many exercises should I do per muscle group? 

A good starting point is 1–4 exercises per muscle group in a workout, depending on how much volume that muscle receives. Start with a primary exercise, then add secondary or isolation exercises as needed.

3. Is 4 exercises enough for a workout? 

Yes. Four exercises can be enough, particularly for full-body workouts or sessions built around compound lifts. What matters more is whether those exercises provide enough quality training volume for the muscles you’re targeting.

4. Is 10 exercises too many for one workout? 

Not necessarily, but most people don’t need 10 exercises in every workout.If later exercisessimplyrepeat movements or add low-quality sets after fatigue hasaccumulated, you’re unlikely to get much additional benefitfrom them.

5. How many exercises should a beginner do per workout? 

Beginners can generally start with 4–6 exercises per workout, focusing on learning a smaller number of movements rather than trying to train with a large exercise selection.Exercisescanbe addedover time as training needs become more specific.

Bottom Line: How to Choose the Right Number of Exercises

There is no “right number”. But instead of starting with an arbitrary number, build your workout around what you’re actually trying to accomplish.

1. Choose your main compound movements first. 
2. Add exercises to train muscles or movement patterns that haven’t received enough work.
3. Add isolations if necessary.

For most people, that naturally produces somewhere around 4–8 exercises per workout.

Beginners can generally stay toward the lower end because they don’t needa huge amount ofvariety or volume.More experienced lifters mayuse additionalexercises to target specific muscles,althoughthey still don’t need to make every workout longer.

The goal isn’t toperformas many exercises as possible but toperformenough quality exercises with quality volume to create the training stimulus you need.Then go home. 

References

1. American College of Sports Medicine. (2009). Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(3), 687–708.DOI
2. de França, H. S. et al. (2015). Effects of adding single-joint exercises to a multi-joint exercise resistance training program on upper body muscle strength and size in trained men.PubMed
3. Gentil, P. et al. (2013). Effect of adding single-joint exercises to a multi-joint exercise resistance-training program on strength and hypertrophy in untrained subjects. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.PubMed
4. Pelland, J. C., Remmert, J. F., Robinson, Z. P., Hinson, S. R., & Zourdos, M. C. (2026).The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains.Sports Medicine, 56, 481–505.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41343037/
5. Rosa, A., Vazquez, G., Grgic, J., Balachandran, A. T., Orazem, J., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2023).Hypertrophic Effects of Single- Versus Multi-Joint Exercise of the Limb Muscles: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Strength & Conditioning Journal, 45(1), 49–57.OVID
6. Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(11), 1073–1082.PubMed 
7. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., & Krieger, J. (2019).How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency.Journal of Sports Sciences.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30558493/