A 4-Week Exercise Program for Weight Loss That You’ll Truly Follow

Sticking to an exercise plan is one of the most challenging aspects of achieving weight loss goals. Often the biggest roadblock is not the training but the consistency it requires. This four-week weight loss workout plan focuses on building habits through balanced, doable workouts. The routines are designed to push you without being overwhelming, so you’ll look forward to showing up every day and stay engaged for the full four weeks.

This plan includes a mix of strength training and cardio. Strength training helps you build muscle mass, which increases your metabolism, while cardio improves endurance and promotes fat loss. By combining the two, you get a balanced workout that targets fat loss while building functional strength. Each workout is short and efficient to maximize results, making it easier to fit into a busy schedule while keeping motivation high.

For the next month, you will train four to five days a week with strength and cardio training. You’ll experience a progression in difficulty while developing a rhythm that will help you make exercise a consistent habit. Below is a weekly plan layout, followed by a detailed workout breakdown.

Weekly schedule

This weekly schedule provides a balanced mix of strength training and cardio to maximize fat loss and build muscle. The combination of workouts increases your metabolism, improves endurance and keeps you consistent with your exercise routine.

Here’s what your week will look like:

• Day 1: Strength training (focus on the lower body)
• Day 2: Cardio training (intervals)
• Day 3: Strength training (focus on the upper body)
• Day 4: Rest or active recovery (light walking, stretching)
• Day 5: Strength training (full body)
• Day 6: Cardio training (Steady-state or HIIT)
• Day 7: Rest

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Day 1: Strength training for the lower body

What you need: Just your body and a set of dumbbells. This lower body workout takes about 30 minutes and will strengthen your legs and glutes while raising your heart rate.

The routine:

• Dumbbell squats (3 sets of 12 reps)
• Reverse Lunges (3 sets of 10 reps per leg)
• Glute Bridges (3 sets of 15 reps)
• Bulgarian Split Squats (3 sets of 8 reps per leg)

Directions: Perform each exercise consecutively, resting 30-45 seconds between sets. After completing all four exercises, rest for one minute and repeat the circuit two more times. Focus on maintaining form throughout the session.

1. Dumbbell squats

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Lower your body into a squat, keeping your chest up and knees over your toes.
3. Push through your heels to return to standing.

2. Reverse outcome

1. Stand tall, then step one foot back into a lunge and lower your back knee to the floor.
2. Keep your front knee in line with your ankle.
3. Push through your front heel to return to standing and switch legs.

3. Glute Bridges

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling and squeeze your glutes at the top.
3. Lower your hips back and repeat.

4. Bulgarian Split Squats

1. Stand a few feet in front of a bench or step and place one foot behind you on the raised surface.
2. Lower your body into a lunge, keeping your front knee in line with your ankle.
3. Push through your front foot to return to standing.

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Day 2: Interval cardio training

What you need: A cardio machine (treadmill, rowing machine or bicycle) or space for running. This workout lasts about 20-30 minutes and is designed to maximize calorie burn quickly.

The routine:

1. Warm-up: 5 minutes of light jogging or light cycling
2. 30 seconds of all-out effort (sprint, bike, row)
3. 1 minute recovery (walking or slow pace)
4. Repeat for 10-12 rounds

Directions: After warming up, alternate between 30 seconds of intense effort and 1 minute of active recovery. The goal is to push as hard as you can during the work interval, then recover enough during rest to go hard again.

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Day 3: Strength training for the upper body

What you need: A set of dumbbells and resistance bands. This workout takes about 30 minutes and targets the chest, shoulders and arms.

The routine:

• Dumbbell bench press (3 sets of 12 reps)
• Dumbbell rows (3 sets of 10 reps per arm)
• Resistance Band Pushdowns (3 sets of 15 reps)
• Shoulder press (3 sets of 10 reps)

Directions: Perform each exercise consecutively, resting 30-45 seconds between sets. When all four exercises are completed, rest for 1 minute and repeat the circuit two more times.

1. Dumbbell Bench Press

1. Lie on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
2. Lower the dumbbells to your chest and keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle.
3. Push the dumbbells back to the starting position.

2. Dumbbell rows

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
2. Step forward at your hips and let the dumbbell hang in front of you.
3. Pull the dumbbell toward your chest and keep your elbow close to your body.
4. Lower the dumbbell and repeat on the other side.

3. Resistance Band Pushdowns

1. Attach a resistance band to a high anchor.
2. Grab the band with both hands and pull it down toward your hips, keeping your elbows still.
3. Slowly return to the starting position.

4. Dumbbell shoulder press

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at shoulder height.
2. Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended.
3. Lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height.

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Day 4: Rest or active recovery

Take a full rest day or do lighter activities like a 30-minute walk, yoga or stretching. This will help to recover the muscles while keeping your body moving.

Day 5: Strength training for the whole body

What you need: Dumbbells and a stability ball. This full body routine will target every major muscle group in 30 minutes.

The routine:

• Dumbbell Deadlift (3 sets of 10 reps)
• Pushups (3 sets of 12 reps)
• Stability ball roll-ups (3 sets of 15 reps)
• Dumbbell pushers (3 sets of 10 reps)

Directions: Perform all exercises consecutively, resting 30-45 seconds between sets. After completing the four exercises, rest for 1 minute before repeating the circuit twice.

1. Dumbbell Deadlift

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs.
2. Hinge at your hips, lower the dumbbells to the ground while keeping a flat back.
3. Push through your heels to return to standing.

2. Push-ups

1. Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your chest to the ground while keeping your core tight.
3. Push through the palms to return to the starting position.

3. Stability ball rollouts

1. Kneel in front of a stability ball and place your forearms on top of the ball.
2. Roll the ball forward, stretching your body while maintaining a tight core.
3. Roll the ball back to the starting position.

4. Dumbbell propeller

1. Hold dumbbells at shoulder height with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower into a squat, then explode upward and press the dumbbells overhead as you stand.

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Day 6: Steady-State or HIIT Cardio

What you need: A treadmill, a rowing machine, a bicycle or a space to run on. This workout combines long intervals of steady effort with short recovery periods for a total of 40-45 minutes. It’s perfect for building endurance while providing a higher calorie burn than traditional cardio.

The routine:

1. Heating: 5-7 minutes of easy jogging, cycling or rowing at a comfortable pace.
2. Working range: 5 minutes at a moderate-hard pace (about 75-80% of your maximum effort). You should be able to maintain this pace, but it will feel challenging.
3. Reset interval: 2 minutes at an easy pace (about 50-60% of your maximum effort). This should feel comfortable and allow you to catch your breath.
4. Repeat for 5 rounds.
5. Cooling down: Do 5-7 minutes of light jogging, cycling or rowing to gradually lower your heart rate.

Directions: After the warm-up, alternate between 5-minute work intervals at a moderate-hard pace and 2-minute recovery intervals at an easy pace. Your goal during the work intervals is to maintain a strong effort that pushes you, while the recovery intervals allow you to rest just enough to go hard again. The total workout should last about 40-45 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down.

Day 7: Rest

Enjoy a full day of rest so your body can fully recover from the week’s workouts. This will help prevent burnout and keep you fresh for the week ahead.