Fat-Loss Workout Plan (4 Days)
Strength training that preserves muscle while you are in a calorie deficit, with shorter rests to keep sessions to 45 minutes. Pair it with a calorie deficit for results.
Anyone in a fat-loss phase who wants to keep muscle.
Why this split
- Each major muscle is trained at least twice a week.
- Volume was trimmed to fit your time.
- No major muscle is trained on consecutive days.
Your training week
Mon
Upper Body
Tue
Lower Body
Wed
Rest
Thu
Upper Body
Fri
Lower Body
Sat
Rest
Sun
Rest
MonUpper Body A
≈34 min · 14 sets
ChestBackShouldersBicepsTriceps
Warm-up: 5 minutes of easy cardio plus mobility for the joints you'll train. Before Incline Dumbbell Press: 1 light set of 10–12 reps and 1 set of 4–6 at about 70% of your working weight.
Primary: Chest · Secondary: Shoulders, Triceps · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps8–12Primary: Back · Secondary: Biceps, Lower back, Shoulders · Difficulty: Intermediate
Reps8–12Primary: Shoulders · Secondary: Back, Traps · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15Primary: Triceps · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15Primary: Biceps · Secondary: Forearms · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15
TueLower Body A
≈36 min · 15 sets
QuadricepsHamstringsGlutesCalvesAbs
Warm-up: 5 minutes of easy cardio plus mobility for the joints you'll train. Before Goblet Squat: 1 light set of 10–12 reps and 1 set of 4–6 at about 70% of your working weight.
Primary: Quadriceps, Glutes · Secondary: Abs · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps8–12Primary: Hamstrings, Glutes · Secondary: Lower back, Forearms · Difficulty: Intermediate
Reps8–12Primary: Glutes · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–154Standing Calf Raise (Machine)
Primary: Calves · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15Primary: Abs · Secondary: Shoulders, Glutes · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15
ThuUpper Body B
≈40 min · 17 sets
ChestBackShouldersBicepsTriceps
Warm-up: 5 minutes of easy cardio plus mobility for the joints you'll train. Before Barbell Bench Press: 1 light set of 10–12 reps and 1 set of 4–6 at about 70% of your working weight.
Primary: Chest · Secondary: Triceps, Shoulders · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps8–12Primary: Back · Secondary: Biceps · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps8–12Primary: Back · Secondary: Shoulders, Traps · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15Primary: Shoulders · Secondary: Traps · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15Primary: Triceps · Difficulty: Intermediate
Reps12–15Primary: Biceps · Secondary: Forearms · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15
FriLower Body B
≈32 min · 13 sets
QuadricepsHamstringsGlutesCalvesAbs
Warm-up: 5 minutes of easy cardio plus mobility for the joints you'll train. Before Bulgarian Split Squat: 1 light set of 10–12 reps and 1 set of 4–6 at about 70% of your working weight.
Primary: Quadriceps, Glutes · Secondary: Hamstrings · Difficulty: Intermediate
Reps8–12Primary: Hamstrings · Secondary: Calves · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15Primary: Glutes · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15Primary: Calves · Difficulty: Beginner
Reps12–15Primary: Abs · Secondary: Forearms · Difficulty: Intermediate
Reps12–15
How to run each session
- Warm-up (5–8 min)
- 3–5 minutes of easy cardio (bike, treadmill or jumping jacks), mobility for the joints you will train and 1–2 light sets of the first exercise before your working sets.
- Effort
- Take sets to 1–2 reps short of failure. The last set of each exercise can get close to failure.
- How to progress (double progression)
- When you hit the top of the rep range on every set of an exercise, add 2–5% load next session and go back to the bottom of the range. Log your loads and reps.
- Deload week
- Every 6–8 weeks, do a week with half the sets at the same load to let your joints recover and come back stronger.
Your next 4 weeks
1Week 1
Learn the exercises and find your weights: finish sets with 3 reps left.
2Week 2
Add weight where it felt easy. Stop with 2 reps left.
3Week 3
Go for the top of the rep range. Stop 1–2 reps from failure.
4Week 4
Hit the top of the range on every set? Add 2–5% weight. Log everything to compare.
Every 6–8 weeks, take an easy week with half the sets.
For fat loss: keep your loads (it is what preserves muscle), walk 7,000–10,000 steps a day and adjust your diet. →
Weekly metrics
- Total weekly sets
- 59
- Sessions per week
- 4
- Avg. duration
- 36 min
- Exercises per session
- 5.3
Sets per muscle / week
- Chest8 / 10 · 2×/week
- Back11 / 12 · 2×/week
- Shoulders13 / 9 · 2×/week
- Biceps8 / 7 · 2×/week
- Triceps8 / 7 · 2×/week
- Quadriceps8 / 10 · 2×/week
- Hamstrings8 / 8 · 2×/week
- Glutes17 / 8 · 2×/week
- Calves6 / 5 · 2×/week
- Abs7 / 5 · 2×/week
Volume distribution
- Chest 9%
- Back 12%
- Shoulders 14%
- Biceps 9%
- Triceps 9%
- Quadriceps 9%
- Hamstrings 9%
- Glutes 18%
- Calves 6%
- Abs 7%
Build a custom plan
Free workout programmes for every schedule, plus muscle-focused sessions and a custom generator.
Generate my workoutUseful for this
Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our recommendations.
- Editorial pick
Adjustable dumbbells
A full weight rack in the space of two dumbbells.
View options ↗ - Editorial pick
Exercise mat
Comfortable surface for core and floor exercises.
View options ↗ - Editorial pick
Lifting straps
Keep your grip from limiting heavy pulls.
View options ↗