Weekly Workout Routines
See exactly what to do each day. Pick your level below.
Start with weights, then cardio & abs
Do you know why? The order matters.
- 1Weights
- 2Cardio
- 3Abs
Cardio first drains your energy
Cardio tires you quickly and raises your heart rate, so you have less strength left for lifting.
Weights first, fat burn after
Lifting lowers your glycogen (stored carbs), so cardio afterward burns more fat for fuel.
Keep muscle growth going
Lifting sends muscle-building signals. Cardio after weights lets them continue.
Note: This doesn't apply to endurance workouts.
Choose your level
New here? Start with Beginner.
Beginner Foundations
3-Day Split focusing on chest, back, legs, and shoulders. Best if you're new or coming back after a break.
Day 1: Chest + Triceps
- Incline Dumbbell / Barbell Press3 × 10-12
- Flat Barbell Bench Press3 × 10-12
- Pec Deck Fly3 × 10-12
- Cable Crossover (High to Low)3 × 10-12
- Skull Crusher3 × 8-12
- Overhead Tricep Extension3 × 8-12
- Cable Pushdown3 × 10-12
- Bench Dips2 × 15-20
Day 2: Back + Biceps + Forearms
- Pull Up3 × 8-10
- Lat Pulldown3 × 10-12
- Seated Row3 × 10-12
- Bent Over Row / Chest-Support T-Bar Row3 × 8-12
- Barbell Curl3 × 8-12
- Hammer Curl3 × 10-12
- Barbell Wrist Curl3 × Failure
Day 3: Legs + Calves + Shoulders + Traps
- Leg Extension / Curl3 × 12-15
- Squat3 × 10-12
- Calf Raise3 × 12-15
- Dumbbell / Barbell Press3 × 10-12
- Dumbbell Side Raise3 × 10-12
- Face Pull3 × 12-15
- Barbell / Dumbbell Shrugs3 × 10-12
WARM-UP
5 min light cardio and stretching
THEN CARDIO
10-15 min brisk walk or easy cycling
THEN ABS
Plank 3 × 30 sec, Crunch 3 × 15, Leg Raise 3 × 10
Intermediate 4-Day Split
Chest, back, shoulders, arms and legs, each trained twice a week. Adds supersets and dropsets.
Day 1: Chest + Back + Shoulders + Arms
- Flat Barbell Bench Press4 × 6-8
- Incline Dumbbell Press3 × 8-10
- Seated Cable Row4 × 8-10
- Lat Pulldown3 × 10-12
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press3 × 8-10
- Cable Pushdown + Dumbbell CurlSuperset3 × 10-12
Day 2: Quads + Hamstrings + Calves
- Barbell Back Squat4 × 6-8
- Romanian Deadlift3 × 8-10
- Leg Press3 × 10-12
- Leg Curl3 × 10-12
- Standing Calf Raise4 × 12-15
Day 3: Back + Chest + Shoulders + Arms
- Pull Up4 × 6-10
- Incline Barbell Press3 × 8-10
- Chest-Supported Row3 × 8-10
- Dumbbell Side Raise4 × 12-15
- Pec Deck FlyDropset3 × 12-15
- Face Pull3 × 12-15
- Skull Crusher + Hammer CurlSuperset3 × 10-12
Day 4: Hamstrings + Glutes + Quads + Calves
- Deadlift3 × 5
- Walking Lunge3 × 10 each leg
- Hip Thrust3 × 10-12
- Leg ExtensionDropset3 × 12-15
- Seated Calf Raise4 × 15
WARM-UP
5 min light cardio and stretching
THEN CARDIO
15-20 min incline walk or steady cycling
THEN ABS
Hanging Knee Raise 3 × 12, Cable Crunch 3 × 15, Plank 3 × 45 sec
Advanced 3-Day Split
Chest and shoulders, back and arms, then legs and triceps, with supersets on every day to push intensity.
Day 1: Chest + Shoulders
- Incline Barbell Bench Press3 × 10-12
- Flat Barbell Bench Press3 × 10-12
- Decline Dumbbell Press + Parallel Bar Chest DipsSuperset3 × 4-10
- Dumbbell Pullover3 × 10-12
- Barbell Overhead Shoulder Press3 × 10-12
- Lateral Raise + Front Plate TwisterSuperset3 × 10-12
- Rear Delt Fly (Pec Deck Machine)3 × 10-12
Day 2: Back + Biceps + Forearms
- Pull Up2 × 8-12
- Lat Pulldown3 × 10-12
- Seated Row3 × 10-12
- Barbell Bent Over Row + Reverse Dumbbell FlySuperset3 × 8-12
- Deadlift3-4 sets
- Preacher Curl3 sets
- Barbell Curl2 × 8-12
- Hammer Curl2 × 8-12
- Reverse Curl4 × 10-12
Day 3: Legs + Triceps
- Leg Extension / Curl3 × 12-15
- Barbell Squat3 × 10-12
- Leg Curl / Stiff-Leg Deadlift3 × 10-12
- Standing Calf Raise3 × 12-15
- Tricep Pushdown3 × 10-12
- Skull Crusher3 × 10-12
- Close-Grip Barbell Press + Parallel Bar Tricep DipsSuperset3 × 12-15
WARM-UP
5 min light cardio and stretching
THEN CARDIO
15 min intervals: 30 sec hard, 30 sec easy
THEN ABS
Hanging Leg Raise 4 × 10, Ab Wheel 3 × 10, Side Plank 3 × 30 sec
Gym terms made simple
What the common words mean.
Rep
One full movement of an exercise, like lifting a weight up and down once.
Set
A group of reps done without a break. 3 sets of 10 = 10 reps, rest, repeat.
Rest time
The break between sets so your muscles can recover.
Warm-up
Light movement before training to prepare your body and prevent injury.
Superset
Two exercises back to back with no rest in between.
Dropset
After a hard set, lower the weight right away and keep going.
Giant set
Three or more exercises in a row with no rest.
Pyramid set
Change the weight each set: heavier with fewer reps, or the reverse.
Circuit
Different exercises one after another with little rest, then repeat.
Failure
The point where you can't do another rep with good form.
Compound exercise
Works many muscles at once, like squat, bench press or pull up.
Isolation exercise
Targets one muscle, like bicep curl or leg extension.
Progressive overload
Slowly adding reps or weight over time so muscles keep growing.
PR
Personal record: your best ever lift for an exercise.
HIIT
Short, hard bursts of cardio with short breaks. Quick and effective.
Deload
A lighter week to let your body recover. Try one every 6-8 weeks.