Many individuals believe that a little weight loss and better health go hand in hand.
Although there are much more important factors to consider when assessing your health and fitness than your weight, research indicates that an increase in metabolic and cardiovascular illnesses, which can eventually lead to serious health issues, is correlated with an increase in obesity rates (1Trusted Source).
Don't get me wrong; you shouldn't focus solely on losing weight. But if you really want to lose weight, this 4-week fitness programme can boost your metabolism and get you started on the road to success.
Meet your trainer
I've constantly relied on quick, intense workouts that my clients can complete on their own, rotating between cardio and strength training.
A calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, which means you must expend more calories than you consume during a specific period of time, usually expressed in terms of calories per day.
It's vital to keep in mind that long-term weight control entails maintaining healthy habits over time, even while excellent exercise regimens can undoubtedly accelerate your weight loss.
This include eating a variety of nutritious foods, getting enough water, getting adequate rest, and controlling your stress.
Nevertheless, evidence demonstrates that exercising is crucial for shedding pounds.
It's a terrific idea to start your weight-loss journey with my 4-week fitness plan.
Structure of a 4-week weight-loss programme
I base my programme on three different kinds of exercise:
strength training for the upper and lower bodies, interval training, and low-intensity cardio
You can use the strength you get from the strength training to improve your interval training.
Additionally, as your metabolism picks up from the extra muscle, you'll eventually burn more calories just to maintain yourself, which might help you achieve the necessary calorie deficit to lose weight (3Trusted Source, 4).
After your workout, interval training will give your metabolism a huge boost. Interval training entails quick bursts of intense exercise followed by swift rest intervals.
This approach maintains your heart rate up throughout the workout, providing aerobic advantages while keeping the intensity high enough to ignite your
Finally, low-intensity cardio exercises like walking, running, swimming, or cycling help you burn a few extra calories each day while you're recovering from your more strenuous strength and interval training sessions.
Cardio can be done for an hour or longer, but even 20 minutes is enough.
Each exercise session should last around 20 to 22 minutes, making it possible for you to fit the programme into a hectic schedule.
This 4-week workout plan targets weight loss on all fronts by boosting your metabolism over time and burning calories on a daily basis.
Start with a lighter weight and gradually raise it with each set until the final repeat becomes extremely challenging.
Week 1
Lower body strength on day one
Barbell with plates, dumbbells or kettlebells, machines for leg curls and/or leg extensions
3x12 goblet squats with dumbbells or kettlebells
3x12 deadlift with a barbell or kettlebell
3x20 dumbbell walking lunges (10 each side)
Optional: Leg curls and extensions at a 312 rep range
20 minutes or more of low-intensity cardio
Choose to walk, jog lightly, or engage in your chosen kind of cardio
upper body power
Equipment: a pull-up bar or a machine for lat pulldowns, dumbbells
Pullups or lat pulldowns at 3x12
3x12 overhead dumbbell press
dumbbell row, 3x12
3x12 bench press with dumbbells
Optional: 3x12 triceps extension and biceps curl
cardio for at least 20 minutes at low intensity
Conditioning with intervals
Plyometric box and slam ball, as equipment
The following exercises should be done for 15 seconds at a quick tempo, followed by a 15-second break before moving on to the next one. Depending on your level right now, you can choose between two choices I've included.
Lower body motions carried out at a moderate to fast pace are the main emphasis of the exercises.
When compared to activities that use fewer muscle groups, this one helps your heart beat more vigorously.
Perform the following exercises three times throughout Week 1 as mentioned above:
Lie down or leap squat
Power or box stepping
Jumping lunges or alternating lunges
Ice skater Burpees or the lateral box stepup
Week 2
The same workouts from Week 1 are repeated in Week 2. But you should only do one warm-up set before moving to the weight you used to finish last week's workout and, if possible, increasing the weight with each set.
Increase the duration or intensity of your cardio workouts by 5–10%. Make sure it's light enough for you to finish the required 20 minutes without pausing.
Perform 4 total rounds rather than 3 of the conditioning exercises.
Lower body strength on day one
Tools: dumbbells or kettlebells, a barbell and plates, and machines for doing leg curls and extensions
3x12 goblet squats with dumbbells or kettlebells
3x12 deadlift with a barbell or kettlebell
3x20 dumbbell walking lunges (10 each side)
Optional: 3x12 leg extensions and curls
Before beginning the three working sets, perform 1 warm-up set using body weight or light weight.
20 minutes or more of low-intensity cardio
Increase duration or effort by 5% to 10% from Week 1.
Day 3: Strength in the upper body
Equipment: dumbbells, a pull-up bar, or a lat pull-down bar
Pullups or lat pulldowns at 312
312 overhead dumbbell press
dumbbell row, 312
312 bench press with dumbbells
Optional: 312 triceps extension and biceps curl
Before beginning the three working sets, perform 1 warm-up set using body weight or light weight.
20 minutes or more of low-intensity cardio
Day Five: Exercise
Plyometric box and slam ball, as equipment
The following exercises should be done for 15 seconds at a quick tempo, followed by a 15-second break before moving on to the next one.
Perform the following exercises for 4 cycles in Week 2 as mentioned above:
Lie down or leap squat
Power or box stepping
Jumping lunges or alternating lunges
Ice skater Burpees or the lateral box stepup
Week 3
In Week 3, I lower the resistance training repetitions to 8 per set, which should allow you to lift more weight in comparison to your 12-rep sets.
Start using barbells instead of dumbbells if you can, although either one is acceptable.
This leads to additional strength and muscle growth by utilising the muscular endurance and movement competence from Weeks 1 and 2.
Increase your cardio by another 5–10%, then complete 5 cycles of interval training.
lower body power
Tools: dumbbells or kettlebells, a barbell and plates, and machines for doing leg curls and extensions
Dumbbell/kettlebell goblet squat or 3/8 barbell back squat
3x8 deadlift with a barbell or kettlebell
With a barbell or dumbbells, perform a 3x16 walking lunge (8 each side)
Leg elongation and a 3x10 leg curl are optional (keep reps higher on these isolation movements)
Before beginning the three working sets, perform 1 warm-up set using body weight or light weight.
20 minutes or more of low-intensity cardio
Increase time or intensity from Week 2 by 5% to 10%.
upper body power
Equipment: dumbbells, a pull-up bar, or a lat pull-down bar
Lat pulldowns or 3x8 pullups
3x8 overhead press with a barbell or dumbbell
3x8-inch dumbbell or barbell row
3x8 bench press with a barbell or dumbbell
Optional: 3x10 triceps extension and biceps curl (keep reps higher on these isolation movements)
Before beginning the three working sets, perform 1 warm-up set using body weight or light weight.
20 minutes or more of low-intensity cardio
Conditioning and interval training
Plyometric box and slam ball, as equipment
The following exercises should be done for 15 seconds at a quick tempo, followed by a 15-second break before moving on to the next one.
Perform 5 rounds of the following during Week 3:
Lie down or leap squat
Power or box stepping
Jumping lunges or alternating lunges
Ice skater Burpees or the lateral box stepup
Week 4
Tools: dumbbells or kettlebells, a barbell and plates, and machines for doing leg curls and extensions
Dumbbell/kettlebell goblet squat or 3x8 barbell back squat
3x8 deadlift with a barbell or kettlebell
With a barbell or dumbbells, perform a 3x16 walking lunge (8 each side)
3x10 leg curls and extensions are optional (keep reps higher on these isolation movements)
Before beginning the three working sets, perform 1 warm-up set using body weight or light weight.
cardio for at least 20 minutes at low intensity
Increase time or intensity from Week 3 by 5% to 10%.
upper body power
Equipment: dumbbells, a pull-up bar, or a lat pull-down bar
Lat pulldowns or 38 pullups
3x8 overhead press with a barbell or dumbbell
3x8-inch dumbbell or barbell rows
3x8 bench press with a barbell or dumbbell
Optional: 3x10 triceps extension and biceps curl (keep reps higher on these isolation movements)
Before beginning the three working sets, perform 1 warm-up set using body weight or light weight.
cardio for at least 20 minutes at low intensity
Conditioning and interval training
Plyometric box and slam ball, as equipment
The following exercises should be done for 15 seconds at a quick tempo, followed by a 15-second break before moving on to the next one.
Perform 6 rounds of the following during Week 4:
Lie down or leap squat
Power or box stepping
Jumping lunges or alternating lunges
Ice skater Burpees or the lateral box stepup
What should my 4-week weight loss objective be?
The normal suggestion for weight loss is to achieve a 500 calorie deficit per day in order to lose 1 pound of body fat per week (5Trusted Source).
By exceeding a 500-calorie deficit using the aforementioned approach, you might be able to lose even more weight, but most individuals find this challenging.
I should point out that reducing one pound of fat per week often results in dropping two pounds or more overall because water weight is eliminated as well.
Though it may not seem like much, if you are currently overweight, shedding even a tiny amount of weight can have a significant positive impact on your health (6Trusted Source).
Keep in mind that maintaining weight is a long-term effort and consider my 4-week approach.
