MusclistFat loss workout plan: lifting and cardio, 4 days a week
Two full body strength sessions and two cardio sessions a week: one long and easy, one short and hard. The lifting keeps your muscle while you lose fat, the cardio burns extra energy and builds your fitness. Together they make a plan you can keep up for months, which is what losing fat takes.
- Days per week
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
- Session
- 45–60 min
- Equipment
- Free weight, Machine, Bodyweight, and Cardio machine
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants to lose fat and get fitter, beginners included. You need a gym with a few machines, dumbbells and a cable station. If you already lift three or four days a week, keep your plan and add the two cardio sessions to it instead.
Weekly schedule
- Mon · Strength A
- Tue · Easy cardio
- Wed · Rest
- Thu · Strength B
- Fri · Rest
- Sat · Intervals
- Sun · Rest
Strength A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 3 | 8–12 |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8–12 |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 | 8–12 |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8–12 |
| Plank | 2 | 30–60 s |
| Stationary Bike | 1 | 10 min |
Easy cardio
| Exercise | Rounds | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Treadmill Walk | 1 | 30–45 min |
Strength B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Press | 3 | 10–15 |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 8–12 |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 10–12 |
| Lying Leg Curl | 2 | 10–15 |
| Push Up | 2 | 8–20 |
| Stationary Bike | 1 | 10 min |
Intervals
| Exercise | Rounds | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rowing Machine | 8 | 30 s hard, 90 s easy |
Weekly sets per muscle
Counted the way Musclist counts them: a full set for the muscle an exercise mainly trains, half a set for each muscle that helps.
| Muscle | Sets per week |
|---|---|
| Glutes | 7 |
| Front delts | 6.5 |
| Quads | 6 |
| Chest | 5 |
| Lats | 4.5 |
| Upper back | 4.5 |
| Triceps | 4 |
| Hamstrings | 3.5 |
| Adductors | 3 |
| Biceps | 3 |
| Abs | 3 |
| Lower back | 1.5 |
| Forearms | 1.5 |
| Calves | 1 |
How to progress
Fat loss comes mostly from eating a little less than you burn. Training cannot make up for the diet, but it decides what you lose: lifting while you eat less keeps your muscle, so the weight that comes off is mostly fat.
On the strength days, use double progression: when you reach the top of the rep range on every set, add the smallest step your equipment allows. If your lifts hold or go up while your weight goes down, the plan is working.
The 10 minutes on the bike after each strength session are a cool-down, not a workout. Keep them easy.
Easy cardio should feel easy: you could hold a conversation. Add 5 minutes a week until you reach 45, then raise the incline or the pace.
On interval day, warm up for 5 to 10 minutes first. The 30 seconds should be truly hard, the 90 seconds slow enough to recover. Start with 6 rounds and work up to 10.
Run it in Musclist
In the app, open My routine and add one workout for each day: Strength A, Easy cardio, Strength B, and Intervals, with the exercises in the order above. Musclist then suggests the next workout every time, starts each exercise from last time’s weight and reps, and shows the muscles you trained after each session. The app keeps the exercises and their order, not the sets and reps, so keep this page handy for those.
Questions
Can I lose weight with exercise alone?
Slowly at best. An hour of cardio burns about what a large snack adds back. Exercise helps most by keeping your muscle and making it easier to eat a little less. Pair this plan with a small, steady calorie deficit.
Is cardio or lifting better for fat loss?
Both, for different reasons. Cardio burns more energy per session. Lifting keeps the muscle you would otherwise lose while dieting. Dropping the lifting is the most common way to end up lighter but not leaner.
Should I do cardio before or after lifting?
After, or on another day. Hard cardio before lifting makes your strength sessions worse, which is why the intervals have a day of their own here.
Can I use a different cardio machine?
Yes. Any machine works for the easy session and the intervals: bike, rower, elliptical, stair climber or treadmill. Pick the one you will actually do, and keep it for a few weeks so you can compare your sessions.
Can I add a fifth day?
Yes: another easy cardio session or a long walk at the weekend. Add it once four days a week feel routine, not in the first week.
Other programs
- Push Pull Legs6 days a week
- Upper / Lower4 days a week
- Full body, 3 days3 days a week
- Full body, 3 days (intermediate)3 days a week
- Full body, 2 days2 days a week
- Beginner 5×53 days a week
- Body-part split5 days a week
- Dumbbell only3 days a week
- Indoor cardio, 4 days4 days a week
Not sure which one? Read How to choose a workout split.