Fitness
A Trainer’s #1 Weekly Workout to Lose Weight & Build Muscle
Embarking on a fitness journey that combines weight loss and muscle building requires a well-crafted workout plan. The simultaneous building of muscle and loss of fat is called body composition, and it’s one of the most efficient fitness models I recommend to my clients. I’ve designed this weekly workout to lose weight and build muscle just for you. This regimen seamlessly integrates strength training and cardiovascular exercises to sculpt muscle mass while burning fat for maximum effectiveness.
Consistency is key in any fitness journey. This weekly routine brings together strength training, cardiovascular exercises, and rest days to optimize fat loss and muscle building. Remember to pair this workout with a balanced diet and sufficient hydration for the best results. Always consult with a fitness professional or healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program.
Keep reading for my best-recommended weekly workout to lose weight and build muscle. And when you’re finished working up a sweat, be sure to check out the 5 Most Effective At-Home Workouts for Weight Loss.
Day 1: Full-Body Strength Training
Full-body strength training contributes to fat loss by engaging multiple muscle groups, increasing calorie expenditure during and after your workout. It promotes muscle growth as compound exercises, like squats and deadlifts, stimulate the release of growth-promoting hormones, fostering muscle hypertrophy. The enhanced muscle mass resulting from full-body strength training further elevates your basal metabolic rate, supporting effective weight management and fat loss over time.
1. Squats
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body as if sitting on a chair, keeping your back straight and your chest up. Straighten back into a standing position. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
2. Bench Press
Lie on a flat bench with a barbell at chest height. Lower the bar to your chest, and push it back up. Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
3. Bent-Over Rows
Hold a barbell with an overhand grip. Hinge at the hips, and pull the barbell to your chest. Aim for three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Day 2: Cardiovascular Focus—High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) contributes to fat loss by creating an afterburn effect known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), where the body continues to burn calories post-workout, promoting a sustained calorie deficit. The intense bursts of activity during HIIT trigger the release of growth hormone, facilitating muscle growth and development. Additionally, HIIT stimulates the production of enzymes that enhance fat oxidation, making it an efficient and time-effective method for simultaneously burning fat and promoting muscle hypertrophy.
1. Sprint Intervals
Sprint at maximum effort for 30 seconds. Follow with 30 seconds of rest or light jogging. Repeat for five minutes.
2. Burpees
Start in a standing position, then squat down and place your hands on the ground. Jump your feet back, landing in a plank position. Perform a pushup, then jump your feet back toward your hands. Explosively jump into the air, reaching overhead. Repeat for three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
3. Jump Squats
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body into a squat position, keeping your back straight and your chest up. Explosively jump upward, extending your hips and knees. Perform three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Day 3: Active Recovery
Recovery days are crucial when working out, as they allow for proper muscle repair and growth, preventing overtraining and reducing the risk of injuries. During recovery, the body replenishes energy stores and repairs micro-tears in muscle tissue caused by intense workouts, contributing to overall strength development. Adequate rest also balances hormone levels, promoting optimal metabolism and ensuring the sustainability of long-term fitness goals by preventing burnout and promoting mental well-being.
Engage in light activities such as walking, yoga, or swimming. Allow your body to recover while maintaining mobility by stretching. Drink plenty of water, get adequate sleep, and eat meals rich in nutrients and protein.
Day 4: Core and Stability Training
Core-strengthening exercises contribute to fat loss by engaging multiple muscle groups, increasing overall calorie expenditure, and promoting a higher metabolic rate. Additionally, a stronger core enhances stability and allows for more effective performance in compound movements, leading to increased muscle growth. As the core muscles develop and become more defined, they contribute to an aesthetically sculpted physique while supporting functional strength and improved posture.
1. Planks
Hold a plank position with a straight line from your head to your heels. Aim for three sets, holding for 30 to 60 seconds.
2. Russian Twists
Sit on the floor, and lean back slightly. Rotate your torso while holding a weight or medicine ball. Perform three sets of 20 twists.
3. Bicycle Crunches
Lie flat on your back with your hands placed behind your head and elbows pointing outward. Lift your legs off the ground, and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Bring your right elbow toward your left knee while simultaneously straightening your right leg. Continue alternating sides in a pedaling motion. Aim for three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Day 5: Cardiovascular Endurance—Long-Duration Cardio
Long-duration cardio contributes to fat loss by promoting a sustained calorie burn, creating a calorie deficit essential for weight reduction. Additionally, it enhances cardiovascular endurance, enabling the body to efficiently utilize stored fat for energy during extended aerobic activities. While not directly promoting muscle growth like resistance training, consistent long-duration cardio supports overall health, aiding in a well-rounded fitness routine that complements muscle-building efforts.
Engage in moderate-intensity cardio for 45 to 60 minutes (jogging, brisk walking, cycling, or swimming).
Day 6: Compound Movements for Full-Body Engagement
Compound movements engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, leading to a higher calorie expenditure during workouts. This increased energy demand supports fat loss by creating a calorie deficit. Additionally, compound movements stimulate the release of growth-promoting hormones, such as testosterone and growth hormone, fostering muscle growth and enhancing the overall metabolic rate for sustained fat loss.
1. Deadlifts
Lift a barbell from the ground using a hip hinge movement. Keep your lower back straight, and engage your core throughout the motion. Lower the barbell back to the ground. Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
2. Overhead Press
Grip a barbell or dumbbell in each hand and hold at shoulder height. Lift the barbell or dumbbells straight overhead, fully extending the arms. Aim for three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
3. Kettlebell Swings
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell with both hands in front of you. Hinge at the hips, keeping a slight bend in the knees, and swing the kettlebell back between your legs. Explosively thrust your hips forward, swinging the kettlebell to chest height. Allow the kettlebell to swing back down, and repeat for three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Day 7: Rest and Recovery
This weekly workout to lose weight and build muscle wraps up with another rest and recovery day. Feel free to engage in light activities like yoga, walking, or swimming. Give your body the time it needs (and deserves!) to recover while preserving mobility through light stretching.
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People with high cardiorespiratory fitness were 36% less likely to experience depression and 39% less likely to develop dementia than those with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Even small improvements in fitness were linked to a lower risk. Experts believe that exercise’s ability to boost blood flow to the brain, reduce bodywide inflammation, and improve stress regulation may explain the connection.
Fitness
These 20-Minute Burpee Workouts Replaced His Entire Gym Routine – and Transformed His Physique
While many swear by them, most people see burpees as a form of punishment – usually dished out drill sergeant-style by overzealous bootcamp PTs. Often the final blow in an already brutal workout, burpees are designed to test cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance and mental grit. Love them or loathe them, they deliver every time.
For Max Edwards – aka Busy Dad Training on YouTube – they became a simple but highly effective way to stay fit and lean during lockdown. Once a committed powerlifter, spending upwards of 80 minutes a day in the gym, he was forced to overhaul his approach due to fatherhood, lockdown and a schedule that no longer allowed for long, structured lifting sessions.
‘Even though I was putting in hours and hours into the gym and even though my physique was pretty good, I wasn’t becoming truly excellent at any physical discipline,’ he explained in a YouTube video.
‘I loved the intentionality of training,’ says Edwards. ‘The fact that every session has a point, every rep in every set is helping you get towards a training goal, and I loved that there was a clear way of gauging progression – feeling like I was developing competence and moving towards mastery.’
Why He Walked Away From Powerlifting
Despite that structure, Edwards began to question whether powerlifting was sustainable long-term.
‘My sessions were very taxing on my central nervous system. I was exhausted between sessions. It felt as if I needed at least nine hours of sleep each night just to function.’
He also noted that his appetite was consistently high.
But the biggest drawback was time.
‘I could not justify taking 80 minutes a day away from my family for what felt like a self-centred pursuit,’ he says.
A Simpler Approach That Stuck
‘Over the course of that year I fixed my relationship with alcohol and I developed, for the first time in my adult life, a relationship with physical training,’ says Edwards.
With limited time and no access to equipment, he turned to burpees. Just two variations, four times a week, with each session lasting 20 minutes.
‘My approach in each workout was very simple. On a six-count training day I would do as many six-counts as I possibly could within 20 minutes. On a Navy Seal training day I would do as many Navy Seal burpees as I could within 20 minutes – then in the next workout I would simply try to beat the number I had managed previously.’
This style of training is known as AMRAP – as many reps (or rounds) as possible.
The Results
Edwards initially saw the routine as nothing more than a six-month stopgap to stay in shape. But that quickly changed.
‘I remember catching sight of myself in the mirror one morning and I was utterly baffled by the man I saw looking back at me.’
He found himself in the best shape of his life. His energy levels improved, his resting heart rate dropped and his physique changed in ways that powerlifting hadn’t quite delivered.
‘It has been five years since I have set foot in a gym,’ he says. ‘That six-month training practice has become the defining training practice of my life – and for five years I have trained for no more than 80 minutes per week.’
The Burpee Workouts
1/ 6-Count Burpees
20-minute AMRAP, twice a week
How to do them:
- Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart
- Crouch down and place your hands on the floor (count 1)
- Jump your feet back into a high plank (count 2)
- Lower into the bottom of a push-up (count 3)
- Push back up to plank (count 4)
- Jump your feet forward to your hands (count 5)
- Stand up straight (count 6)
20-minute AMRAP, twice a week
How to do them:
- Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart
- Crouch down and place your hands on the floor
- Jump your feet back into a high plank
- Perform a push-up (chest to floor)
- At the top, bring your right knee to your right elbow, then return
- Perform another push-up
- Bring your left knee to your left elbow, then return
- Perform a third push-up
- Jump your feet forward
- Stand or jump to finish
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
You check your smartwatch after a run. Your fitness score has dropped. You’ve burnt hardly any calories. Your recovery score is really low. It’s telling you to take the next 72 hours off exercise.
The worst bit? The whole run felt amazing.
So why is your watch telling you the opposite?
Ultimately, it’s because smartwatches and other fitness trackers aren’t always accurate.
Smartwatches can shape how you exercise
Using wearable fitness technology, such as smartwatches, has been one of the top fitness trends for close to a decade. Millions of people around the world use them daily.
These devices shape how people think about health and exercise. For example, they provide data about how many calories you’ve burnt, how fit you are, how recovered you are after exercise, and whether you’re ready to exercise again.
But your smartwatch doesn’t measure most of these metrics directly. Instead, many common metrics are estimates. In other words, they’re not as accurate as you might think.
1. Calories burned
Calorie tracking is one of the most popular features on smartwatches. However, the accuracy leaves a lot to be desired.
Wearable devices can under- or overestimate energy expenditure (often expressed as calories burned) by more than 20 per cent. These errors also vary between activities. For example, strength training, cycling and high-intensity interval training can lead to even larger errors.
This matters because people often use these numbers to guide how much they eat.
For example, if your watch overestimates calories burned, you might think you need to eat more food than you really need, which could result in weight gain. Conversely, if your watch underestimates calories burned, it could lead you to under-eat, negatively impacting your exercise performance.
2. Step counts
Step counts are a great way to measure general physical activity, but wearables don’t capture them perfectly.
Smartwatches can under-count steps by about 10 per cent under normal exercise conditions. Activities such as pushing a pram, carrying weights, or walking with limited arm swing likely make step counts less accurate, as smartwatches rely on arm movement to register steps.
For most people, this isn’t a major problem, and step counts are still useful for tracking general activity levels. But view them as a guide, rather than a precise measure.
3. Heart rate
Smartwatches estimate your heart rate using sensors that measure changes in blood flow through the veins in your wrist.
This method is accurate at rest or low intensities, but gets less accurate as you increase exercise intensity.
Arm movement, sweat, skin tone and how tightly you wear the watch can also impact the heart rate measure it spits out. This means the accuracy can vary between people.
This can be problematic for people who use heart rate zones to guide their training, as small errors can lead to training at the wrong intensity.
4. Sleep tracking
Almost every smartwatch on the market gives you a “sleep score” and breaks your night into stages of light, deep and REM sleep.
The gold standard for measuring sleep is polysomnography. This is a lab-based test that records brain activity. But smartwatches estimate sleep using movement and heart rate.
This means they can detect when you’re asleep or awake reasonably well. But they are much less accurate at identifying sleep stages.
So even if your watch says you had “poor deep sleep”, this may not be the case.
5. Recovery scores
Most smartwatches track heart rate variability and use this, with your sleep score, to create a “readiness” or “recovery” score.
Heart rate variability reflects how your body responds to stress. In the lab it is measured using an electrocardiogram. But smartwatches estimate it using wrist-based sensors, which are much more prone to measurement errors.
This means most recovery metrics are based on two inaccurate measures (heart rate variability and sleep quality). This results in a metric that may not meaningfully reflect your recovery.
As a result, if your watch says you’re not recovered, you might skip training — even if you feel good (and are actually good to go).
6. VO₂max
Most devices estimate your VO₂max — which indicates your maximal fitness. It’s the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise.
The best way to measure VO₂max involves wearing a mask to analyse the amount of oxygen you breathe in and out, to determine how much oxygen you’re using to create energy.
But your watch cannot measure oxygen use. It estimates it based on your heart rate and movement.
But smartwatches tend to overestimate VO₂max in less active people and underestimate VO₂max in fitter ones.
This means the number on your watch may not reflect your true fitness.
What should you do?
While the data from your smartwatch is prone to errors, that doesn’t mean it is completely worthless.
These devices still offer a way to help you track general trends over time, but you should not pay attention to daily fluctuations or specific numbers.
It’s also important you pay attention to how you feel, how you perform and how you recover. This is likely to give you even more insight than what your smartwatch says.
Hunter Bennett is a lecturer in exercise science at Adelaide University. This piece first appeared on The Conversation.
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