Losing weight isn’t easy, especially when you try for the first time. It requires a good diet program, consistent physical training, a natural sleeping pattern, and a little knowledge of how the body works.
I’ve already published a meal plan on my site. And in this article, I’ll share a well-designed 4 day workout routine for weight loss that combines strength and cardio exercises.
Pairing weight lifting and cardio with a low-calorie meal plan will help you build quality lean mass, enhance strength, shed excess kilos, and improve your body composition.
This program is for everyone who is looking for an easy-to-follow and effective workout routine that can accelerate fat loss and enhance their overall fitness. You can try for a few months. I believe it will make some difference.
About Program
Here’s a brief description of the program:
Duration/Session
For weight loss, you’ll have to work slightly more than normal people. The optimal time is 90 minutes per session and 360 minutes per week.
A study published on the National Institute of Health website also suggests working out 225-420 minutes a week to promote significant weight loss.
Here’s how I’ve divided the 90-minute workout into three parts.
- 10 minutes warm-up
- 45-minute strength training, 5 minutes rest.
- 30 minutes cardio
- You can also perform some post-workout stretching exercises for 5-10 minutes to ease your muscle soreness. It is supplemental.
Types of exercises
This program includes a variety of exercises, from the dumbbell and barbell to machine and body weight.
The primary focus will be on compound movements, followed by single-joint exercises.
The compound exercises are excellent help when it comes to building strong muscles.
Sessions/week
There will be four sessions a week. You can train any four days of the week you like or follow the below pattern:
- Monday – Workout
- Tuesday – Workout
- Wednesday – OFF
- Thursday – Workout
- Friday – Workout
- Saturday – OFF
- Sunday – OFF
Target Gender
Anyone who wants to improve fitness and shape, from males to females, can try this 4-day weight loss program.
Workout Level
This program will be a little challenging, so I won’t recommend it to beginners.
If you’re a newbie, you can start your training with this one-hour program.
The Best 4 Day Workout Routine for Weight Loss
- Day 1 – Chest, Shoulder, and Quads + Low-impact Cardio
- Day 2 – Back, Arms, and Hamstrings + MIIT
- Day 3 – Quad, Chest, and Shoulder + Low-impact Cardio
- Day 4 – Back, Arms, Glute, and Ham + MIIT
Here, MIIT means Moderate Intensity Interval Training. It is slightly less challenging than High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
Day 1 – Monday
10-minute Warm-up
- Front Leg Swings
- Ankle Hop
- Jumping Jacks
- Mountain Climber
- High Knees
- 15-second work, 30 seconds rest, and repeat until 10 minutes.
45-minute Strength Training (Chest, Shoulder, and Quads)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 10-15 | 1-2 min |
| Incline Hammer Strength Press | 4 | 10-12 | 2-3 min |
| Machine Leg Press | 4 | 10-12 | 2-3 min |
| Lateral Delt Raises | 3 | 10-15 | 1-2 min |
30-minute Low-Impact Cardio
- 10-minutes Treadmill
- 5-minutes Stationary Bike
- 15-minutes Core Workout
- 10 Hanging Knee Raises
- 10 Machine Ab Crunches
- 10 High-to-Low Cable Chops (10/side)
- 10 Reverse Crunches
- 10 Alternate Heel Taps
- 45-sec Plank
- 15-sec Side Plank (15-sec/side)
- Do it at your own pace and repeat twice.
Day 2 – Tuesday
10-minute Warm-up
- Ankle Hops
- Leg Swings
- Mountain Climbers
- High Knees
- Bear Crawls
- Squat Thrust
- Shoulder Taps
- 15-second work, 30 seconds rest, and repeat until 10 minutes.
45-minute Weight Training (Back, Arms, and Hamstrings)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Lat Pulldown | 3 | 10-15 | 2-3 min |
| Seated Cable Rowing | 3 | 10-15 | 2-3 min |
| 1-arm Dumbbell Row | 2 | 10/side | 1-min |
| Rope Pushown | 2 | 15-20 | 1-min |
| Preacher Curl | 2 | 15-20 | 1-min |
| Machine Leg Curl | 2 | 15-20 | 2-min |
30-Minute MIIT (Moderate Intensity Cardio)
- 15-minute Treadmill Run
- 10-minute Stationary Bike
- 5-minute Elliptical Cross Trainer
Day 3 – Thursday
10-Minute Dynamic Warm-up
- Straight leg marches
- Thoracic Rotations
- Ankle Hops
- Mountain Climbers
- Inchworm
- Squat Jumps
- Do it at your own pace and repeat until 10 minutes.
45-Minute Resistance Training (Quad, Chest, and Shoulder)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Machine Back Squat | 3 | 10-12 | 2-3 min |
| Military Press | 3 | 10-12 | 2-min |
| SM Flat Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 | 2-3 min |
| Pec Deck Fly | 2 | 15-20 | 1-2 min |
| Rear Delt Raises | 2 | 10-12 | 1-2 min |
30-Minute Low Impact Cardio
- 10-minute Treadmill Jog/Run
- 20-Minute Bodyweight Cardio
- 15-sec Mountain Climbers
- 5 Burpees
- 10 Sit-ups
- 10 Squats
- 15-sec Shoulder Taps
- 15-sec Jumping Jacks
- 20-sec Alternate Heel Taps
- 45-sec Plank
- 15-sec Side Plank/side
- 15-sec Bear Crawl
- Take 15-45 seconds of rest between exercises.
- Repeat twice.
Day 4 – Friday
10-Minute Dynamic Warm-up
- Front Leg Swings (5 reps/leg)
- 15-sec Ankle Hop
- Lateral Leg Swings (5 reps/leg)
- 15-sec Jumping Jacks
- 15-sec Mountain Climbers
- 15-sec Straight leg marches
- Repeat twice.
45-Minute Weight Training (Back, Arms, Glute, and Ham)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rack Pull Deadlift | 3 | 6-8 | 2-3 min |
| V-grip Lat Pulldown | 3 | 10-12 | 2-3 min |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 12-15 | 2-3 min |
| OH Triceps Extension | 2 | 15-20 | 1-2 min |
| Dumbbell Hip Thrust | 2 | 15-20 | 1-2 min |
30-Minute Moderate Intensity Cardio
- 15-minute Treadmill
- 5-minute Battle Rope
- 5-minutes Jumping Rope
- 5-minute Stationary Bike
Is Working Out 4 Days a Week Enough to Lose Weight?
There isn’t one answer to this question. Working out four times a week is enough for people who do a lot of physical activity other than exercises throughout the week, and it can be less if someone works at home or the office and barely does any activity.
Whether you work out two, four, or six days a week, it’s crucial to count your calories each day, check your progress, and adjust the training frequency to reach your fitness goal.
Besides the workout and diet, you can also try intermittent fasting and natural supplements to speed up your fat loss.
4 Day Workout Split for Weight Loss PDF
Once you feel you should be doing more workouts, you can follow this 5 day workout schedule to increase weight loss and tone muscles.
Helpful resources for weight loss:
The Best 4 Day Workout Routine for Weight Loss: Day 1 – Chest, Shoulder, & Quad + Cardio, Day 2 – Back, Arms, & Ham + MIIT, Day 3 – Quad, Chest, and Shoulder + Cardio, Day 4 – Back, Arms, Glute, and Ham + MIIT
