Workout Summary
- Main GoalLose Fat
- Workout TypeSplit
- Training LevelBeginner
- Program Duration8 weeks
- Days Per Week4
- Time Per Workout60-75 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells, Exercise Ball, Machines
- Target Gender Female
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
Many members of the M&S community are active and regular gym-goers, or they train hard at home, but there are always people new to fitness joining us to learn more about how to lose weight, improve their wellness, and create a new lifestyle for themselves.
If this sounds like you, then you'll likely enjoy this 8-week program to help you start your fitness journey on the right foot.
Recommended: Need help losing fat? Take our free fat loss course!
This routine will be followed every week on the same schedule. Your job is to get familiar with the movements, challenge yourself to train harder each day, and track your progress along the way. You should also start to develop new habits to support this lifestyle so you enjoy the progress along the way.
Let’s dive in.
Nutrition First
There are so many diet plans and ideas that it can make your head spin.
For these eight weeks, we suggest that you refer to our fat loss expert guide, and follow this as best as you can. Keep it this simple for now, and you’ll find this process to be a lot easier. Trust me, there will be plenty of time to learn more about specific diets and strategies down the road.
Related: How To Build A Fat Loss Meal Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide
Supplements
Let’s also talk briefly about supplements. There are a lot of pre-workouts, fat burners, and other weight loss products on the market. You can certainly add them into this program if you want, but make sure you avoid these two mistakes:
- Don’t out-supplement a bad diet. Food matters more than supplements. If you have a tight budget and have to make a decision, buy food every single time.
- Keep it simple.
There is a theme to this program. We don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.
A multivitamin and protein powder is great to start with. If you feel like you can take on a pre-workout or fat loss supplement as well, that is okay, but they aren’t necessary. Talk to your doctor about any supplement you’re thinking of buying first as well so you know you’re healthy enough to have it.
Related: 5 Fat Loss Supplements Backed by Science
Zone 2 Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise is going to be a big part of this program, specifically Zone 2 Cardio. This is where we’re going to get into the weeds a little bit, but it will be worth it.
Many cardio programs used to be centered around five heart-rate “zones.” The higher the number, the more intense the exercise is and the higher your heart rate goes. For beginners, doing cardio that would be the equivalent of the second or third heart rate zone (70-80% of your max heart rate).
To determine your max heart rate, take the number 220 and subtract your age. So, if you’re 40 years old, 220-40 would be 180 beats per minute. The 70-80% range would be 70 to 80 percent of that 180.
Zone 2 cardio calls for you to keep your heart rate at the 70% range throughout the entire time you do cardio. So, if we go back to our previous example, 70% of 180 would be 126 beats per minute. You would track this on the machine you’re using for cardio if it has heart rate capability or with a monitor that you can wear.
The key to Zone 2 is that you maintain that consistent pace from start to finish. You can use the elliptical, rower, treadmill, or do any other form of cardio that you like. As long as you’re either tracking the heart rate and it stays in that 70% range, or if you feel like you’re giving a seven out of ten effort, you’re good.
Beginners on this program will do four cardio sessions a week for 20-30 minutes per session at the Zone 2 pace. 20 minutes is the minimum, but if you have time to do 30, then you should. You will perform these sessions after your weight training. So, you will train with weights first, then do cardio after. This approach will help you use your strength with the weights without affecting your cardio performance.
Related: Transform Your Training by Understanding Heart Rate Variability
Weight Training
This four-day a week program will incorporate upper body and lower body workouts with core exercises mixed into both. You will do the same workouts each week on the same schedule. If you have to make a change based on a work schedule, then that is ok. The only rule is you train no more than three days in a row without at least one day off, and that you do no more than four workouts a week. More is not better for beginners unless you’re talking about more time for recovery.
An example week of training could look something like this:
- Monday: Workout 1
- Tuesday: Workout 2
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: Workout 3
- Friday: Workout 4
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
If you combine the weights with the cardio workouts, then you should be training for around an hour to 75 minutes. These workouts will incorporate more compound, or multiple-joint exercises such as squats, bench presses, etc.
The goal is to train as many muscle groups effectively without making the session too complicated. There will be plenty of time down for you to learn how to do a single-arm cable concentration curl down the road. The focus for now is to keep the program simple, train hard, and get out so you can recover.
Perform all the sets of one exercise before moving onto the next. The first set will be with moderate weight, the second set should be a challenge with slightly heavier weight, and you should reach failure with the heaviest weight on the third set. The ab exercises will be with bodyweight only. Rest for 90 seconds between all sets and exercises.
Recommended: Need a warm-up routine? Check out this 15-minute plan!
8 Week Beginner Fat Loss Workout for Women
Workout #1 - Upper Body
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Bent-Over Barbell Row | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Smith Machine Shoulder Press | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Alternate Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Lying Triceps Extension | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Lying Leg Raise | 3 | 12, 12, 12 | |
| Do 20-30 minutes of Zone 2 cardio | |||
Workout #2 - Lower Body
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Leg Press | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Walking Lunge | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Crunches | 3 | 12, 12, 12 | |
| Do 20-30 minutes of Zone 2 cardio | |||
Workout #3 - Upper Body
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wide Grip Lat Pull Down | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Flat Bench Press | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Lateral Raise | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Hammer Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Straight Bar Tricep Extension | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Abdominal Air Bike | 3 | 12, 12, 12 | |
| Do 20-30 minutes of Zone 2 cardio | |||
Workout #4 - Lower Body
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Deadlift | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Dumbbell Step Up | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Abductor Machine | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Adductor Machine | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | |
| Exercise Ball Crunch | 3 | 12, 12, 12 | |
| Do 20-30 minutes of Zone 2 cardio | |||
Conclusion
Even though we want this to be an easy process, we’re well aware that you may have questions along the way. The good news is that there is a comments section at the bottom of this article. Feel free to leave questions there, and we’ll do our best to help you out along the way.
Make sure you share your progress as well. We want to celebrate the wins with you.
316 Comments
I don’t understand the exercises. Rows, abdominal air bike, etc. Do you have videos that demonstrate these moves?
Hi Christine, you should be able to click on each name, and it will take you to a page with written and video demonstration. I hope this helps!
thank you for this program^^
I have a simple question: which type of squat do you mean in workout #4? Because there are many variations.
And regarding the dumbbell step-ups, do you mean for the glutes or for the quads?
Hi, Mila. I have a simple answer. The squat refers to the barbell back squat. I know the dumbbell squat is linked, and that would work as well, but the barbell squat would be best in my opinion.
Step-up: both. They do a lot of work for the glutes, but they can help quads as well.
Hi,
Thanks for this workout and all the great information on the website.
I was wondering if there is an optimal time for women to workout during the day? I have quite a bit of flexibility at the moment and live near my gym. I've heard that certain times might heighten cortisol in women? Is that true? When is the best time to workout?
Thanks
Gio
Hi Gio, thanks for reading M&S,and this is a great question!
For fat loss and cardio health, earlier in the day appears to be best. I can't include external links here, but the research I looked at showed it can be beneficial for heart health and shows lower cortisol levels if AM workouts are done. My guess is the stress of the day followed by evening workouts is why cortisol could be higher for women.
I hope this helps!
Quick question! For exercise like walking lunches that use both legs, is it 12 per leg or total?
Hi Meghan, that is for each leg. I hope this helps. If you take this one on, please check in if you have more questions, and we would love to read how it served you.
Hi Rock, thank you for this clear workout plan. Is it possible to get modifications for doing the strength at home - I have dumbbell pairs of upto 8 lbs (can get more), resistance bands, and elliptical at home. I can buy whatever home strength items are needed, but don't have access to a gym at the moment. I am 42 yr female. Thank you very much!
Hi Mandy, thank you for reading M&S!
We have an Exercises guide at the top with movements for every body part. You can replace any machine or movement you can't do with one you can as long as it is a similar function (press for press, row for row). As long as that criteria is met, you should be fine and still see results. I hope this helps.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises
I work out at Plant fitness. Could you recommend alternate machines that I could use for the different exercises?
Hi Rachel! Let me know what movements you need substitutions for and I'm happy to provide some alternatives.
Also, we do have a handful of Planet Fitness workouts, if you'd like to take a look!
3 Day Full Body Plan
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/3-day-full-body-planet-fitnes...
4 Day Upper/Lower
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/4-day-upper-lower-planet-fitn...
5 Day Body Part Split
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/5-day-body-part-split-planet-...
6 Day Push/Pull/Legs
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/6-day-push-pull-legs-planet-f...
Walking lunges
To give context I am 300 lbs.
I struggle with walking lunges so much that I am either skipping that particular set or the whole workout completely. There has to be another way. Is there a way to make these easier on my knees or an alternative that triggers same muscles group? Please help! Thank you in advance!
Hi Maria, I understand the issue and appreciate the question.
You could try split squats while supporting yourself on something solid like inside a squat rack or a pair of chairs. You could also go with more of a sumo stance on the goblet squats to hit more of the glutes and skip the lunges. If skipping the lunges for now will help you train consistently, then skip them. I would rather you do the rest of the program and improve without risking the knee issues.
Hello! I don’t have a leg press machine. Is there any things I can do to replace that workout?
Hi Bethany, split squats would be a great option in your case. I hope this helps!
This '8-week women's beginner fat loss workout' recommends Do 20-30 minutes of Zone 2 cardio at the end. is there a benefit for moving right into cardio after the strength training? OK if I split them up in the day? I like to do strength training in the am and cardio later in the day. Thanks for this great site!!
Hi Beck, it's okay to split them up. Many people prefer to do cardio in the morning when they are likely fasted. If you find splitting them up with weights first and cardio later will help you be more consistent, that is what matters most. Hope this helps, and thank you for reading M&S!
Hi, I finished your 8 week beginners fat loss program for women. Loved it. Have gotten stronger. Do I repeat it or move on to another program and if so which? I’m afraid if I repeat it might feel repetitive and I don’t want to hit a plateau. My goal is to lose fat especially in my abdomen.
Hi Lilian, glad you loved this one. We have plenty to choose from, and the link below has many of them. If you don't find one you like here, let me know.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
Moikka Voiko tämän ohjelman tehdä 2 krt viikossa esim tiistai ja perjantai jos yhdistää ala ja ylä vartalo treeniä molemmilla päivillä onko hyvä ohjelma jos haluaa saada lihasta
Hei Paulina. En suosittele harjoitusten yhdistämistä yhdeksi harjoitukseksi. Se on paljon aikaa sitoutua yhden harjoituksen harjoitteluun, ja lihakset hyötyisivät enemmän tiheämmistä harjoituksista. Jos noudattaisit tätä ohjetta ja lihasten kasvattamiseen tarkoitettua ruokavaliota, niin kyllä, se voi auttaa sinua kasvattamaan lihaksia.
Her question (Finnish): Hi, can this program be done twice a week, for example Tuesday and Friday, if you combine lower and upper body training on both days? Is this a good program if you want to gain muscle?
My answer, Hi Paulina. I do not recommend combining the workouts into one. That is a lot of time to commit to training for one session, and the muscles would benefit more from frequent sessions. If you were to follow this as written and followed a diet made for muscle building, then yes, it can help you gain muscle.
Thank you sm
If I wanted to do cardio as well to help build endurance, how would you recommend incorporating it? I am definitely new to all of this, but want to look good for my wedding. I wanted to do pilates, but I am not sure if that could replace cardio or how this all would go. Thank you!!!
Hi Alexa, thank you for reading M&S and congratulations on the upcoming wedding!
Yes, cardio can be included, I would suggest doing it either separate from the weight training or after the weight training if you can only train once in a day. 30-minute sessions a few times a week would be solid to start with, but if you have more time available, you can gradually work up to 45.
The key for you is going to be the nutrition, and there is a guide below that may have more info to help with that than what is here.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/fat-loss
I am planning on getting started with this routine and am wondering if the order of exercises in each work out need to be followed according to what you have listed? The facility I am using has equipment spread all over so I was hoping to adjust the order of exercises to avoid too much back and forth between rooms.
Hi Alycia, I understant this. Keep the first exercise first, but after that, switch them as you need to. You should still see results, but remember that strength may be altered by swapping the order due to fatigue. Hope this helps, and thank you for reading M&S!
Hi Robert,
I don't have a gym membership, is it possible to get a home gym version of this 8 week program? I have booty bands, ball, resistance bands and dumbells.
Hi Arla, you can go to our Exercises section and find many exercises you can do with the equipment you have. As long as they perform similar functions, you should be good to go. Hope this helps. - Roger
I do not have access to a hip abductore machine, is there a good alternative with barbbells for this?
Hi Brandi, I can't share external links but you could do a search for Barbell Side Hip Abductor and see an exercise you can do for this. You essentially lie next to the barbell with weight on one end next to your foot and the other end unloaded where you can hold it down. Place your foot under the loaded end and use your leg to lift it up while keeping the other end held down.
I know that is not the best description, which is why I would say do a Google Search. That might be a good one to add to our Exercise Database.
Thanks for the question and reading M&S!
I've been tracking calories for about a month now, averaging 1,600 daily. Protein around 150 grams daily. Carbs averaging 100. I've been consistently walking every day and lifting heavy 2-3 times per week. I did not see a change in weight or measurements. I decided to follow this 8 week plan for even more consistency. Tomorrow ends week 1. I like the plan. I'm walking the 30 minutes after weights and on the off days doing some walking as well. This past week I've averaged 1,400 calories because i keep thinking in my mind i need to be in a decent deficit to lose fat. I have about 40 pounds to lose. I'm 44. 5'4". Currently weigh 180. Any thoughts? I did look at the fat loss guide and it said do about 1,660 calories per day but i am leary because I've done that the last month with no positive progress.
Hi Jen, thank you for reading M&S!
I definitely think you should not go any lower than 1400 right now, and don't be afraid to take a day every couple of weeks and refeed the muscles with extra calories. The weight will not all go away at once, but I do believe you can lose a pound or two a week consistently. Are you taking any supplements right now? That might be an extra component that could help.
Last bonus tip from me. I found on the off days throwing in an occasional jog during those walks helped. I would walk for two minutes, run for 30 seconds, and then go back to walking. It kicks the heart rate up just a bit and burns a few extra calories.
I don't know if this will help, but I'm 42, 5'3" and 148 lbs and have been doing M&S workout for about 4 months now and I feel like I'm just now starting to see a difference in weight and in the mirror. I'm committing to a full year of strength training, usually I quit after 2-3 months and clearly that was too soon! Oh, and my daily calories are around 1,550.
I’m just getting back into lifting 15 weeks post op. I just completed week 1 and I’m hooked! Thank you for this program. I cannot wait to see my results 7 weeks from now.
Hey Alex, so glad you are here. Please keep us updated on your progress. We appreciate you reading M&S!
Hi! Just wanted to give an update. I just ended your program and lost 7.5 lbs of fat and put on 3 lbs of muscle. Thank you so much! I’ve been recommending your program to other women I know
That is awesome, Bianca! We love to read it. Thank so much for both the update and for sharing the program to others. It means a lot to us that you are here and supporting M&S!
I would like t ask why is the workout is different like there is two type of upper body exercises it mean in the one week I am doing two kind of exercises for different muscles is it will work the time that wrote or how like the technic work
Hi Reem, the different exercises allow you to target the muscles from different angles and movements so you can improve at all of them, which will help you get in better shape overall. I hope this helps, but if it did not, let me know.
What is the best workout to do next after the 8weeks of this one?
This should help you find a new program, Rebecca.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
The way I read this workout is you do 12 reps, then straight to 10 reps (without any rest) and then straight to 8 reps (without any rest) and that is 1 set. Then you rest for 90 seconds and repeat the above 2 more times. Looking at the comments, this is incorrect?
Also, how do you count reps for alternating bicep curls. For 12 reps of alternating bicep curls, is it 12 reps total (6 reps on each arm), or is it 24 reps total (12 reps on each arm)?
Hi Stacey, what you suggested is incorrect. Perform 12 reps, rest, then do the set of 10, rest again, then do the set of 8.
As for the alternating curls, that would be 12 for each arm. So, if you did 12 with the left, then 12 for the right, you did 24 total. That is the correct approach for anything with alternating sides.
I hope that helps!
Thank you for creating these workouts! My doctor recommended that I start weight training since I just turned 40. Found this article after a Google search and have been loving it so far! The videos that show the moves have been extremely helpful as well! Thank you for taking the intimidation out of lifting weights at the gym!
We love reading comments like this, Nicole, and are so glad you are here. If you have questions along the way, don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help and want to be witnesses to your success. Thanks for reading M&S!
Im trying to lose fat and I’m a girl. Should I do cardio 3 times a week with two days of strength training?
This plan was written for people that described themselves the way you did, Liz. I would suggest following this as written out. If you do, please feel free to check in with questions along the way if you have them!
Hello! I’m on week 4 of the program and I’m loving it. Do you think it will be fine if I do my 4 consecutively? I am going out of town and want to ensure I get all my workouts done.
Hey Bianca, as long as you really pay attention to rest and recovery, then this would be fine to do occasionally. Just don't train four days in a row every week.
Glad you love the program, and thanks for reading M&S!