Free Workout Plan - Female - Over 21 - Fat Loss

Day 1: Upper Body A + Cardio

Day 2: Lower Body A + Cardio

Day 3: Off

*Cardio can be performed on days off or first thing in the morning.

Day 4: Upper Body B + Cardio

Day 5: Lower Body B + Cardio

Day 6: Off

*Cardio can be performed on days off or first thing in the morning.

Day 7: Off

*Cardio can be performed on days off or first thing in the morning.

Rest Between Sets

Limit rest between sets to a maximum of 60-90 seconds. 

Exercise Form

Make sure to perform only quality reps. If your exercise form starts to break down, end the set to reduce the chance of injury.

Resistance

Use the same weight for each set of a given exercise. When you can perform the listed reps for each of the sets, progress in weight.

2 Minute Extended Sets

Rest as often as needed, but try to stay moving as much as possible. The goal is to progress in total reps performed in the 2 minute period from workout to workout.

Cardio

The combination of resistance training and cardio is optimal for both fat loss, and for forging a fit, muscular physique. Cardio can either be 15 minutes of HIIT or 20 minutes of LISS. HIIT is high intensity interval training, and LISS is low intensity steady state.

“Steady state” cardio includes moving at a constant, challenging speed on the treadmill, Stairmaster, elliptical, etc. “HIIT” cardio involves alternating between periods of super-high intense exercise, and a more reasonable, sustainable pace. Sprinting is a good example of high intensity, while walking at a brisk pace would be considered a more sustainable, lower intensity pace.

Click here for 8 quality HIIT cardio workout examples.

Nutrition

To lose weight you’ll need to be in a calorie deficit. A simple and fast way to calculate your daily caloric intake requirements to lose fat is to determine your TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure, and subtract 350 calories.

Click here to calculate your TDEE.

To maximize body composition, it is best to lose 1.5 to 2 pounds of weight per week. If you are losing weight more rapidly than this, add 200-300 calories to your daily intake level. If you are not losing little to no weight each week, remove 200 calories from your daily intake level.

Special Notes

Weight loss during the first two weeks of a diet can be unusually elevated. This is primarily due to water loss from reduced carbohydrate intake, sodium intake, etc. Don’t make adjustments to your daily caloric intake until at least week 2 or 3.

Ignore the weight loss during week 1. Look for 1.5 to 2 pounds lost during weeks 2 and 3, and make adjustments as needed.