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The Complete Workout Plan to Burn Fat and Build Muscle

Author John Castro
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It's often said that building muscle and losing fat are mutually exclusive. To lose body fat you need to eat less and to add muscle you have to eat more, so it can seem downright impossible to have these two goals, right?

Well, not actually true – in fact, it is possible. According to a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, sedentary men were able to increase their VO2 max (an important marker of fitness), while at the same time also boosting their 1 rep max bench press and leg press. Want to calculate what your 1 rep max is? Find out, here.

Want to achieve something similar? Read on to find out how to tighten your sleeves and loosen your jeans.

The Burn Fat and Build Muscle Training Plans

In these plan, you'll alternate between doing a week of heavy weights and low repetitions, in order to build muscle, and low weights with high repetitions to burn fat. This strategy elevates your metabolism by conditioning your muscles to have both endurance and strength. Combine these efforts with intelligent meal planning, and you'll expose your body to the variables you need to hit your seemingly contradictory goals and realise the overall objective: looking and feeling your absolute best.

How to Count Calories to Match Your Fitness Goals

Of course, without proper stimulus – lifting weights, cardio etc., – you won't achieve anything. If we're being honest, the exercise is the easy bit. Neglect your nutrition, however, and you'll go nowhere slowly. Eating the right foods and consuming the correct amount of calories is the key to seeing vast improvements in building muscle and losing fat. Our macro calculator will work out, depending on your body size, age and goals, how much food you need to be eating, and when.

young athletic man exercising push ups while clapping his hands in a gym
skynesher//Getty Images

The 'Get Muscle' Workout Plan

Do this low-repetition, high-weights programme for weeks one, three, five, seven and nine. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets to make sure you're fully recovered and constantly try to increase the weights you're lifting. Here's our guide on how to recover from intense training.

Monday: Chest and Abs

exercise equipment, barbell, weight training, free weight bar, physical fitness, arm, leg, bench, weights, strength training,pinterest

Barbell bench press
Sets: 5
Reps: 12,8,6,4,12

preview for Incline Dumbbell Press

Incline dumbbell press
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6

preview for incline dumbbell flye hi-res

Incline flyes
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6

shoulder, arm, gym, weightlifting machine, exercise machine, standing, exercise equipment, physical fitness, joint, muscle,pinterest

Dips
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6


Joint, Arm, Leg, Knee, Crunch, Muscle, Physical fitness, Human body, Sitting, Exercise, pinterest

Weighted sit-up
Sets: 5
Reps: 10

ab exercises, ab workoutspinterest


Kneeling cable crunch

Sets: 4
Reps: 8

Tuesday: Legs

barbell, strength training, overhead press, shoulder, physical fitness, free weight bar, exercise equipment, arm, standing, weightlifter,pinterest

Barbell squats
Sets: 5
Reps: 12,10,8,8,6

how to do an alternate lungepinterest

Dumbbell lunge
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,12,12,12

Exercise equipment, Physical fitness, Leg extension, Arm, Exercise machine, Exercise, Weightlifting machine, Gym, Bench, Leg, pinterest

Leg press
Sets: 4
Reps: 10,8,6,6


arm, shoulder, leg, muscle, joint, abdomen, exercise equipment, chest, physical fitness, human body,pinterest

Leg extension
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,12,12,12

Barbell, Deadlift, Free weight bar, Exercise equipment, Arm, Physical fitness, Weightlifting, Shoulder, Weight training, Strength athletics, pinterest

Barbell straight leg deadlift
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,6,6

Arm, Bench, Leg, Furniture, Room, Leg extension, Exercise equipment, Wheel, pinterest

Lying leg curl
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,8,8,8

Gym, Physical fitness, Exercise equipment, Leg extension, Exercise, Leg, Room, Human leg, Exercise machine, Sport venue, pinterest

Calf raises
Sets: 5
Reps: 12,10,10,8,12

Wednesday: Arms

Exercise equipment, Weightlifting machine, Gym, Exercise machine, Shoulder, Arm, Leg, Room, Bench, Joint, pinterest

Underhand pull-ups
Sets: 5
Reps: 10

Best bicep exercises: hammer curlspinterest

Alternating bicep curl
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,8,8

barbell, shoulder, deadlift, exercise equipment, free weight bar, arm, human leg, physical fitness, weightlifting, bodybuilding,pinterest

EZ bar curl
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,6,6

Exercise equipment, Weights, Barbell, Free weight bar, Weight training, Physical fitness, Bench, Arm, Gym, Weightlifting machine, pinterest

Lying triceps extension
Sets: 5
Reps: 10,8,8,8

shoulder, weightlifting machine, standing, arm, leg, joint, exercise equipment, knee, human leg, muscle,pinterest

Cable pushdown
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6

tricep extensionpinterest

Dumbbell overhead extension
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6

Thursday

Rest day

Friday: Shoulders and Abs

Seated overhead presspinterest

Seated dumbbell shoulder press
Sets: 5
Reps: 12,10,8,8,6

weights, exercise equipment, arm, dumbbell, joint, kettlebell, muscle, press up, sports equipment, physical fitness,pinterest

Bent-over lateral raises
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,8,8

exercise equipment, weights, shoulder, standing, arm, joint, kettlebell, dumbbell, muscle, sports equipment,pinterest

Front raise
Sets: 4
Reps: 10,8,8,8

lateral raisespinterest

Lateral raise
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,10,10,10

Shoulder, Standing, Exercise equipment, Arm, Leg, Human leg, Joint, Calf, Chest, Room, pinterest

Cable upright row
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,8,8

arm, leg, exercise equipment, abdomen, muscle, joint, knee, chest, physical fitness, human leg,pinterest

Medicine ball Russian twist
Sets: 4
Reps: 10,8,8,8

best exercises to show abspinterest


Leg raise
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,10,10,10

Saturday

Rest day

Sunday

Rest day or a light cardio day. Do 10 minutes each on the rowing machine, bike and elliptical cross trainer.

man doing push up exercise with dumbbell
Mina Stefanovic//Getty Images

The 'Get Ripped' Workout Plan

Do this high-repetition programme for weeks two, four, six, eight and ten. Rest for no more than 15 to 20 seconds between sets to keep your heart pumping and sweat dripping.

Monday: Back and Biceps

Shoulder, Weightlifting machine, Exercise equipment, Arm, Leg, Joint, Standing, Room, Physical fitness, Gym, pinterest

Lat pull-down
Sets: 5
Reps: 12

Barbell, Shoulder, Free weight bar, Physical fitness, Deadlift, Exercise equipment, Arm, Weightlifting, Joint, Strength athletics, pinterest

Barbell bent-over rows
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

gym, arm, leg, shoulder, bench, exercise equipment, physical fitness, chest, muscle, weightlifting machine,pinterest

Seated rows
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

weights, exercise equipment, arm, leg, abdomen, dumbbell, muscle, shoulder, bench, chest,pinterest

Dumbbell row
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

Barbell, Weightlifting, Deadlift, Free weight bar, Shoulder, Physical fitness, Powerlifting, Standing, Arm, Exercise equipment, pinterest

Standing barbell curl
Sets: 5
Reps: 12

barbell, shoulder, deadlift, exercise equipment, free weight bar, arm, human leg, physical fitness, weightlifting, bodybuilding,pinterest

EZ bar curl
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

shoulder, standing, arm, leg, human leg, exercise equipment, joint, chest, muscle, physical fitness,pinterest

Standing cable curl
Sets: 3
Reps: 20

Tuesday: Legs and Abs

arm, shoulder, leg, muscle, joint, abdomen, exercise equipment, chest, physical fitness, human body,pinterest

Smith machine front squat
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

Weights, Exercise equipment, Standing, Arm, Shoulder, Sports equipment, Human leg, Joint, Knee, Physical fitness, pinterest

Dumbbell straight leg deadlift
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

Exercise equipment, Physical fitness, Leg extension, Arm, Exercise machine, Exercise, Weightlifting machine, Gym, Bench, Leg, pinterest

Leg press
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

Arm, Bench, Leg, Furniture, Room, Leg extension, Exercise equipment, Wheel, pinterest

Lying leg curls
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

arm, shoulder, leg, muscle, joint, abdomen, exercise equipment, chest, physical fitness, human body,pinterest

Leg extension
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

Gym, Physical fitness, Exercise equipment, Leg extension, Exercise, Leg, Room, Human leg, Exercise machine, Sport venue, pinterest

Calf raises
Sets: 5
Reps: 20

Exercise equipment, Arm, Press up, Leg, Bench, Abdomen, Physical fitness, Trunk, Muscle, Leg extension, pinterest

Lying leg raises
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

ab exercises, ab workoutspinterest

Barbell roll-outs
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

Wednesday: Cardio

get abs: how to show a six-packpinterest

Do intervals on the treadmill for 40 minutes: sprint for 40 seconds, then jog for 60 seconds to recover.

Thursday: Chest and Abs

exercise equipment, barbell, weight training, free weight bar, physical fitness, arm, leg, bench, weights, strength training,pinterest

Barbell bench press
Sets: 5
Reps: 12

Exercise equipment, Strength training, Arm, Medicine ball, Physical fitness, Ball, Barbell, Free weight bar, Sports equipment, Bench, pinterest

Incline barbell press

Sets: 4

Reps: 12

barbell, exercise equipment, bench, physical fitness, weightlifting, weight training, exercise,pinterest

Decline bench press
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

arm, leg, joint, bench, shoulder, press up, chest, muscle, knee, human body,pinterest

Pull-over
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

best exercises to show abspinterest

Leg raises
Sets: 5
Reps: 20

shoulder, exercise equipment, strength training, gym, standing, arm, free weight bar, joint, leg, physical fitness,pinterest

Cable woodchop
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

Friday: Shoulders and Triceps

Barbell, Weightlifting, Deadlift, Weights, Free weight bar, Exercise equipment, Physical fitness, Arm, Powerlifting, Strength athletics, pinterest

Clean and jerk
Sets: 5
Reps: 12

lateral raisespinterest

Dumbbell lateral raise
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

exercise equipment, weights, shoulder, standing, arm, joint, kettlebell, dumbbell, muscle, sports equipment,pinterest

Dumbbell front raise
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

weights, exercise equipment, arm, dumbbell, joint, kettlebell, muscle, press up, sports equipment, physical fitness,pinterest

Bent-over lateral raise
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

shoulder, standing, exercise equipment, arm, weights, joint, dumbbell, leg, sportswear, human leg,pinterest

Dumbbell upright row
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

shoulder, weightlifting machine, standing, arm, leg, joint, exercise equipment, knee, human leg, muscle,pinterest

Cable pushdown
Sets: 4
Reps: 20

Weights, Arm, Exercise equipment, Leg, Shoulder, Dumbbell, Bench, Joint, Standing, Human leg, pinterest

Dumbbell kickback
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

shoulder, arm, leg, exercise equipment, standing, joint, human leg, bench, chest, weights,pinterest

Bench dip
Sets: 4
Reps: 12

Saturday

Rest day

Sunday

cardio exercises to lose weightpinterest

Do intervals on the rower for 30 minutes: sprint for 40 seconds, then recover for 30 seconds at a slower pace.

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