A 4-Week Weight-Loss Workout Plan You’ll Actually Stick With

Sticking with a workout plan is one of the most challenging aspects of achieving weight-loss goals. Often, the biggest roadblock isn’t the workout but the consistency it demands. This four-week weight-loss workout plan focuses on building habits through balanced, achievable workouts. The routines are designed to push you without being overwhelming, so you’ll look forward to showing up each day and staying committed for the full four weeks.

This plan incorporates a blend of strength training and cardio. Strength training helps you build lean muscle, which boosts your metabolism, while cardio improves endurance and promotes fat loss. By combining the two, you’ll get a balanced workout that targets fat loss while building functional strength. Each workout is short and effective to maximize results, making it easier to fit into a busy schedule while also keeping motivation high.

Over the next month, you’ll work out four to five days a week with strength and cardio. 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 lean muscle. The combination of workouts boosts your metabolism, improves endurance, and keeps you consistent with your fitness routine.

Here’s how your week will look:

• Day 1: Strength Training (Lower-body Focus)
• Day 2: Cardio (Intervals)
• Day 3: Strength Training (Upper-body Focus)
• Day 4: Rest or Active Recovery (Light walk, stretching)
• Day 5: Strength Training (Full Body)
• Day 6: Cardio (Steady-state or HIIT)
• Day 7: Rest

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Day 1: Lower-body Strength Workout

What You Need: Just your body and a set of dumbbells. This lower-body workout will take 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 in sequence, resting for 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 workout.

1. Dumbbell Squats

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

2. Reverse Lunges

1. Stand tall, then step one foot back into a lunge, lowering your back knee toward the floor.
2. Keep your front knee aligned 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 feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top.
3. Lower your hips back down and repeat.

4. Bulgarian Split Squats

1. Stand a few feet before a bench or step and place one foot behind you on the elevated 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 Workout

What You Need: A cardio machine (treadmill, rower, or bike) or space for running. This workout lasts around 20–30 minutes and is designed to maximize calorie burn quickly.

The Routine:

1. Warm-up: 5 minutes of easy jogging or light cycling
2. 30 seconds of all-out effort (sprint, cycle, row)
3. 1 minute of recovery (walk 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 the rest to go hard again.

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Day 3: Upper-body Strength Workout

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 in sequence, resting for 30–45 seconds between sets. Once all four exercises are completed, rest for 1 minute and repeat the circuit twice more.

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, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
3. Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position.

2. Dumbbell Rows

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
2. Hinge forward at your hips and let the dumbbell hang in front of you.
3. Pull the dumbbell toward your ribcage, keeping 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 stationary.
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 complete rest day or do light activities such as a 30-minute walk, yoga, or stretching. This will aid in muscle recovery while keeping your body moving.

Day 5: Full-body Strength Workout

What You Need: Dumbbells and a stability ball. This full-body routine will target all major muscle groups in 30 minutes.

The Routine:

• Dumbbell Deadlifts (3 sets of 10 reps)
• Pushups (3 sets of 12 reps)
• Stability Ball Rollouts (3 sets of 15 reps)
• Dumbbell Thrusters (3 sets of 10 reps)

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

1. Dumbbell Deadlifts

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

2. Pushups

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 your 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, extending your body while maintaining a tight core.
3. Roll the ball back to the starting position.

4. Dumbbell Thrusters

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

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Day 6: Steady-State or HIIT Cardio

What You Need: A treadmill, rowing machine, bike, or space to run. 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 steady-state cardio.

The Routine:

1. Warm-up: 5–7 minutes of light jogging, cycling, or rowing at a comfortable pace.
2. Work Interval: 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. Recovery 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. Cool-down: Do 5–7 minutes of easy jogging, cycling, or rowing to gradually bring your heart rate down.

Directions: After warming 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 sustain 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 around 40–45 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down.

Day 7: Rest

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

Jarrod Nobbe, MA, CSCS