You don't need a six-day split. You need three sessions you'll actually do. Here's the program.

The rules first

Three days a week with a day off between (Monday, Wednesday, Friday works). Full body every session. Aim for 45 minutes. Rest 90 seconds to two minutes between sets on the big lifts, 60 on the smaller ones.

Pick a weight where you finish each set with one or two reps left in the tank. Write down what you did. Next week, add a rep. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add weight and drop back to the bottom of the range.

That's the whole method. Progressive overload, tracked. Not complicated. Just consistent.

Day 1

Goblet squat or leg press: 3 sets of 8 to 12.
Dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 8 to 12.
One-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10 to 12 per side.
Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 8 to 10.
Dumbbell shoulder press: 2 sets of 10 to 12.
Plank: 3 holds of 30 to 45 seconds.

Day 2

Trap bar or conventional deadlift (or hip thrust if your back hates deadlifts): 3 sets of 5 to 8.
Push-ups or incline dumbbell press: 3 sets of 10 to 15.
Lat pulldown or chin-ups: 3 sets of 8 to 12.
Walking lunges or split squats: 2 sets of 10 per leg.
Face pulls: 2 sets of 15 (your shoulders will thank you).
Hanging knee raises or dead bugs: 3 sets of 10 to 15.

Day 3

Barbell or dumbbell squat: 3 sets of 8 to 10.
Overhead press: 3 sets of 8 to 10.
Seated cable row: 3 sets of 10 to 12.
Leg curl: 2 sets of 12 to 15.
Dumbbell curls and triceps pushdowns: 2 sets each of 12 to 15.
Farmer's carry: 3 trips of 30 to 40 seconds, heavy.

Why this works

Every muscle gets hit two to three times a week, which is what the research says builds muscle best. Each session has a squat, a hinge, a push, a pull and some core. Nothing is wasted. Nothing takes two hours.

The variety across the three days keeps the joints happy. Barbell bench three times a week grinds a 40-year-old shoulder. Bench once, push-ups once, overhead once doesn't.

Training at home with bands or dumbbells

Everything above has a home version. Goblet squats with one heavy dumbbell. Push-ups with a band around your back. Rows with a band anchored in a door. Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells. If the weight is too light, slow the reps down to a three-second lower and add a pause at the bottom. High-rep tri-sets (three exercises back to back, minimal rest) turn light equipment into a brutal session. That's how I train most days.

Training around injuries

Bad shoulder: drop the barbell bench and overhead press. Use dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other), landmine presses, and push-ups. Keep the face pulls. They fix more shoulders than they get credit for.

Bad back: swap deadlifts for hip thrusts and back extensions. Swap barbell squats for leg press or goblet squats. Keep the core work. Build the trunk and the back usually calms down.

Bad knees: box squats to a high box, leg press with feet high on the platform, reverse lunges instead of forward. Incline walking instead of running for conditioning.

If pain is sharp or it gets worse session to session, that's a physio visit, not a program tweak. Sore is fine. Sharp isn't.

The warm-up

Five minutes. Walk or bike to get warm, then two light sets of the first exercise before your working sets. Add a few band pull-aparts and leg swings if you're stiff. Nobody needs 20 minutes of foam rolling.

How long until you see something

Strength moves in two to three weeks. The mirror moves in six to eight, faster if your food is dialed in. Photos every four weeks, same lighting, same spot. The scale lies day to day. Photos and lifting numbers don't.

Want this built for your exact equipment, with the weights and reps tracked for you and adjusted every week? That's what the free Your Bro Rob app does. Start there.