The 4-Week Workout Plan
Before every workout, be sure to warm up and cool down. Here are a dynamic warmup and a cooldown I like.
Use this handy guide to figure out how much weight you should be lifting. You may need to use different weights depending on the exercise, but that's normal. Try not to take more than 60 seconds of rest in between each superset.
Monday: Strength Training
Superset 1: Do four sets
- Exercise 1: Goblet squat: 12 reps
- Exercise 2: Lat pulldown or pull-up (you can use the machine or a band): 12 reps for lat pulldown or five reps for pull-up
Superset 2: Do four sets
- Exercise 1: Step-up: 10 reps each leg (to make this more challenging, hold two five- to 10-pound dumbbells by your sides)
- Exercise 2: Single-arm row: 12 reps each arm
Superset 3: Do four sets
- Exercise 1: Single-leg glute bridge: 10 reps each leg
- Exercise 2: Bicep curl: 10 reps
Core: Elbow plank: 15-second hold
Tuesday: Cardio
It's day two, and I hope you're feeling good after yesterday's strength workout. Today, you're doing cardio. Lace up your running shoes and go for a 20-minute run. The pace is up to you; just make sure that you're challenging yourself. If you can't run for whatever reason, you can swim, do the StairMaster, spin, row, or hop on the elliptical; you've got lots of options. Once you've completed your cardio it's time for abs.
Ab Workout: Complete two rounds of the following workout. If necessary, feel free to modify the amount of time you do each exercise for.
- Left side plank: 20 seconds
- Russian twist: 20 seconds
- Right side plank: 20 seconds
Wednesday: Strength Training
Superset 1: Do four sets
- Exercise 1: Romanian deadlift: 12 reps
- Exercise 2: Bench press: 10 reps
Superset 2: Do four sets
- Exercise 1: Back extension: 12 reps with a one second hold at the top
- Exercise 2: Shoulder press: 10 reps (for back support do this seated on a bench)
Superset 3: Do three sets
- Exercise 1: Dumbbell walking lunge: 10 reps each leg (20 total)
- Exercise 2: Push-up: 10 reps
Thursday: Cardio
You're almost through the week, so stay strong! You may be feeling slightly sore, and that's absolutely normal. For today, you've got 10 to 20 minutes of cardio. Remember, running isn't the only form of cardio. You can do a walking workout, sprint intervals, ride your bike, or swim — it's up to you. Most importantly, work hard.
Friday: Conditioning
It's time to finish the week strong! Today's workout is going to feel a little more challenging than the other strength workouts you did earlier in the week. Since this is conditioning day, you're going to be doing more intense moves with less rest. Don't worry! You're going to do just fine.
Superset 1: Do three sets
- Exercise 1: Squat to overhead press: 10 reps
- Exercise 2: Jump rope: 30 seconds
Superset 2: Do four sets
- Exercise 1: Weighted glute bridge or a barbell hip thrust: 12 reps
- Exercise 2: Dumbbell bench press: 12 reps
Superset 3: Do three sets
- Exercise 1: Plank with row or reverse grip bent-over row: 10 reps on each arm
- Exercise 2: Seated knee tuck: 15 reps
Saturday
Today will be a light active recovery day. Take a yoga class or you can do one of the following flows:
Sunday
Week one is officially over, and you should be proud of yourself. One of the most crucial things you can do to achieve your goals is to be consistent. Today, all you have to do is rest. Walk around, stretch, ride your bike, do something that makes you feel good and will prepare you for next week.
Remaining Weeks
Repeat this exact plan for weeks two, three, and four. Remember, you can always increase the weight and/or decrease wait time between supersets for an added challenge!