Workout Summary
- Main GoalLose Fat
- Workout TypeSplit
- Training LevelIntermediate
- Program Duration8 weeks
- Days Per Week5
- Time Per Workout60-90 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells, Machines
- Target Gender Male & Female
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
The summer time inspires change.
Every year I was in school, I utilized the summer time to transform my body before the next school year started.
And even now, 5 years removed from school, the warmer weather still seems to inspire me to shred.
Sound familiar?
Well, if you’re looking for a solid program to perform this summer, you’ve come to the right place.
Below you’ll find your summer plan.
Let’s get to work and blast some fat!
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The course will teach you how your body loses fat, how to utilize workout plans on our website to maximize fat loss, how to eat for fat loss, how to supplement to lose body fat and how to track your progress.
Sign up below today to learn and ensure you get the most out of this workout program.
The Body Fat Blaster 8 Week Overview
In the next three sections I’m going to provide you with an overview to help you get shredded this summer. Let’s be real for a second – if you’re starting this significantly overweight, you’re not going to end the 8 weeks completely shredded.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, if you follow the outline to the best of your ability, you will get results. Great results, in fact.
The subheaders below will begin by covering the workout program itself. This will lay out what you should hope to accomplish each weight training day, what to do for cardio, and how to perform active recovery to maximize your rest days.
After that, we’ll provide a quick and basic overview of how to set up your fat loss diet and food groups you should aim to include into your diet.
Then, we will wrap up with a general lifestyle approach to help you maximize your sleep and minimize your stress for optimal fat loss results.
Obviously most of what will be discussed within the article will be high level stuff. If you’re truly serious about achieving fat loss, dig deep and continue to learn how to manipulate your body fat composition.
The Body Fat Blaster 8 Week Workout
Below you will find the 4 weight training workouts you’ll be performing over the next 8 weeks.
These workouts include supersets, drop sets, and other intensity techniques to help you accomplish more during your workouts and increase your calorie expenditure.
Exercises which have a letter next to the number are part of a superset. You should perform all of the exercises within that number prior to taking your rest period.
Keep rest on the lower end. 30-45 seconds should do the trick. Of course, you know your body better than I, if you need additional rest prior to beginning your next set or exercise, feel free to take longer.
Perform the cardio as prescribed on weight training days, and leave your rest days open for active recovery. Active recovery can be done in the form of low intensity walks and/or mobility work.
Do not add more than what is prescribed within this workout routine. You don’t need extra leg days. You don’t need extra arm or shoulder work. Stick to the program, and move up in weight if you feel the need to do more.
Monday: Upper Workout
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
1a. Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 8 |
1b. Dumbbell Row | 4 | 8 |
2. Overhead Press | 4 | 10* |
3a. Chin Up | 3 | 12-15 |
3b. Dips | 3 | 12-15 |
4a. Cable Curl | 2 | 10-12 |
4b. Cable Pressdown | 2 | 10-12 |
*Perform a drop set on your final set.
Cardio: Perform 30-45 Mins of low intensity steady state cardio of your choice.
Tuesday: Lower Workout
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
1. Squats | 5 | 20, 18, 15, 12, 10 |
2a. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift | 4 | 8 |
2b. Dumbbell Split Squat | 4 | 8 Each |
3. Leg Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10* |
4a. Leg Curl | 3 | 15 |
4b. Leg Extension | 3 | 15 |
*Perform a drop set on your final set.
Cardio: Perform 15-20 Mins of HIIT of your choice. For ideas of HIIT workouts using exercise equipment read this.
Wednesday: Active Recovery
On this day, take the time you’d normally spend in the gym and use it to work on your mobility. If you’re in the later weeks of this program and are in need of some extra calorie expenditure – perform some low intensity steady state cardio.
Thursday: Upper Workout
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
1. Bent Over Row | 4 | 6* |
2. Incline Bench Press | 4 | 6* |
3a. Seated Cable Row | 3 | 12-15 |
3b. Push Ups | 3 | 12-15 |
4. Lat Pull Down | 3 | 6, 8, 10 |
5a. Lateral Raise | 3 | 10 |
5b. Band Pull Apart | 3 | 10** |
*Perform a drop set on your final set.
**Perform sets using a very slow tempo.
Cardio: Perform 30-45 Mins of low intensity steady state cardio of your choice.
Friday: Lower Workout
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
1. Trap Bar Deadlift | 4 | 12, 10, 8, 6 |
2. Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 8-10 |
3. Lateral Lunges | 3 | 15-20 Each |
4a. Narrow Leg Press | 3 | 12 |
4b. Wide Leg Press | 3 | 12 |
5a. Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
5b. Jump Rope | 3 | 3 Mins |
Cardio: 15 Mins of HIIT of your choice. For ideas of HIIT workouts using exercise equipment read this.
Saturday: Core & Active Recovery
On this day, take the time you’d normally spend in the gym and use it to work on your mobility. If you’re in the later weeks of this program and are in need of some extra calorie expenditure – perform some low intensity steady state cardio.
In addition, perform the following core workout as a circuit.
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
Ab Crunch | 3 | 20 |
Bicycle Crunch | 3 | 20 |
Leg Raise | 3 | 10 |
Oblique Crunch | 3 | 15 Each |
Plank | 3 | 30 Secs |
Sunday: Active Recovery
On this day, take the time you’d normally spend in the gym and use it to work on your mobility. If you’re in the later weeks of this program and are in need of some extra calorie expenditure – perform some low intensity steady state cardio.
The 8 Week Fat Blaster Nutrition Guidelines
Your nutrition during the next 8 weeks is going to make or break your process. You can work out all you want, but if you’re still eating in a calorie surplus, you simply will not lose fat.
Because, to lose fat – you need to maintain a consistent calorie deficit during the 8 week period. You don’t need keto. You don’t need intermittent fasting. You don’t need to go gluten free. You don’t need to adopt a paleo or clean eating diet.
Don’t get me wrong, all of those can work, but not without a calorie deficit (which – spoiler alert – is how a lot of those diets work).
To find your calorie needs, use this handy-dandy bmr calculator.
Then, subtract 500 calories from that number (if 500 calories is a bit too aggressive for you go with something within the 300-500 range).
After this you’ll want to calculate your macros – which could be another entire article itself. Which is why I’ve rounded up the following 2 links for you to read. Check them out and begin figure out what your macro breakdown for the next 8 weeks will look like:
- How To Build A Fat Loss Meal Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Calculate the Perfect Macros for Your Fitness Goals
After reading those articles, you should have a pretty good understanding of what your diet should look like.
If you need help figuring out how to fill your days’ worth of macros, I’d recommend keeping it simple and nutritious. Stick to veggies, fruits, whole grains and oats, lean protein sources, nuts and seeds, and low fat dairy products.
The 8 Week Fat Blaster Lifestyle Recommendations
Fat loss is a little more complicated than simply working out and dieting.
And often times it can take a complete lifestyle overhaul. If you’re serious about maximizing your fat loss, then you’ll want to optimize your sleep and manage your stress.
If you haven’t heard of the benefits of sleep for body recomposition yet, you better read up. Luckily for you, we’ve published several articles on how sleep can help you accomplish your goals and ways you can maximize your sleep each night over the years.
- Science Tells All: Get Shredded While You Sleep
- Hacking Your Sleep 101: Nine Tips For Better Gains
- Sleep Science: Nature's Most Effective Performance Enhancer
- Sleep Science: Nature's Most Effective Performance Enhancer (Part 2)
- Straight Z’s: Sleep Science for College Students
Once you’ve got your sleep on point, next you must take care of managing your stress. Fat loss, in general, is a pretty stressful goal to put on your body. So managing your stress to work alongside your body’s fat loss is crucial.
If you’re working out, eating a nutritious diet, and getting enough sleep each night, you’re already partaking in some of the most beneficial forms of stress management. But to give yourself extra fat loss benefits, it’s imperative that you connect with your body and mind.
Two great ways to do this are through yoga (a great active recovery activity) and meditation.
Conclusion
There you have it. The next 8 weeks of your summer break is laid out in front of you.
So, whether you’re home from school for the summer and want get shredded before next semester or you’re working a 9-5 and just want to look better than you did on Memorial Day come Labor Day, give this program a go!
And, as always, if you have any questions regarding the program or anything else mentioned in this article, please feel free to leave us a comment in the comments section below!
Post your post-workout swolfies in M&S gear on IG and tag @muscleandstrength, #muscleandstrength, or DM them to us to get a shoutout on Muscle & Strength stories!
131 Comments
any alternative of Band Pull Apart
What equipment do you have access to?
Kind of hard to make a suggestion based on what you don't have. What do you have?
Not much
Can you explain to me how you do a drop set on the last set? Thank you
Hi, Jose. Sure!
Perform the recommended reps with the most weight possible. When you reach that point, reduce weight, and get back to work. When you reach failure with the reduced weight, you're done.
Would be awesome to get some diet ideas?
Day to day menu at least for a few days.
Hey Tom, we don't have any specific plans, but we do have guides and recipes so you can create one that would work best for you. The recipes link is at the top of this page, and the fat loss guide is below.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/fat-loss
I am new to this site and this program - when performing the exercises do you do all of one exercise's set then move to the next or do you go down in sequence and drop off exercises with fewer sets as you progress?
Perform all sets of an exercise before moving on to the next, Mark. Rest for 45-60 seconds between sets. Hope this helps!
Hey I have a question that we had to perform total 3 min of rope jump or 3 sets of 3 mins each of jumping rope
That would be three consecutive minutes for each set, so 9 minutes total.
Hi Josh,
I just want to ask that, Is the weight on the first set will be maximum according to body strength and get on decreasing on second set and more on third set?
Hi, Faizan. The first set should be with moderate weight. Add more each set until you're at the heaviest weight that you can use on the final set with the lowest reps. As reps decrease, weight should increase. Hope this helps.
Hi Josh,
ABSOLUTELY GREAT WORKOUT!! but I just have one question as I noticed there isn't enough emphasis on biceps & triceps. Is this ok ?
Mansour -
You hit those muscles during your compound upper body lifts.
M&S, for the Lar Pulldown workout on Thursday. Should I be staying at the same weights for all set or starting heavy and going lighter as reps increase?
Hey Bart - great question! As the reps increase, you'll decrease the weight you're using.
Overall I really like this program, but I'm curious what the logic is to the VERY high volume of squats on the first lower body day. Everybody I've spoken with it about it has told me 75 total reps seems like a LOT, so I'm curious what the reasoning is to the high volume programming there compared to the moderate volume in the rest of the plan.
How can I ever thank you for this outstanding plan? I have been trying different plans for the past couple of years, none were as effective as this one.
My question is, would it be ok to follow this plan after the 8 recommended weeks? I feel like sticking to it until I reach my goal, which I believe would take more than 8 weeks.
Thanks again
Hey Abdullah - you can definitely follow this program for longer than 8 weeks. Glad you're liking the program!
this is a great workout, and im 14.
I had a question though.
would it be okay if i did some extra work on abs?
Will this affect things or not?
thanks
Hey Parker - you can add in another ab session on your Wednesday active recovery day.
Hi Josh, does this workout help in building some definition?
Hey Nate - yes it will.
Can you explain the superset with the number and letter again. 1a and 1b. Do you do 1a and superset with 1b?
Exercises which have a letter next to the number are part of a superset. You should perform all of the exercises within that number prior to taking your rest period.
Hey Louis - 1a is supersetted with 1b, 2a would be supersetted with 2b, etc.
Hello
It's awesome plan but can I add hiit in cardio days and lf it possible how can I do it perfectly
Hey Zeyad - There are HIIT days and cardio days built in on Tuesdays and Fridays. It's not recommended to add additional HIIT days to the program.
Hey man, I am currently finishing up the 3 day split for fat loss as I am just getting back into then gym after awhile. When that program is up should I look more to build mass like this program? Then try for a harder fat loss program? What do you recommend? I am 5’11 male 186 pounds.
Hey Logan - ultimately it depends on your goals. This program is more of a fat loss program so if your goal is to lose some fat, this would be a pretty solid program to follow. If you're looking for a mass building try this plan: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/10-week-mass-building-program...
Its our most popular muscle building plan.
Hey!
I am a skinny fat teen at 134 pounds and am trying to be lean and fit within 2 months. If were to follow this entire workout plan exactly and incorporate a healthy diet, will I get an athletic physique?
Thanks
How much rest between regular sets and super-sets?
Hi Bt,
Keep rest on the lower end. 30-45 seconds should do the trick. Of course, you know your body better than I, if you need additional rest prior to beginning your next set or exercise, feel free to take longer.
Can I do lesser sets for workouts like rows and leg press (6 instead of 12-15)? I would like to focus on strength than hypertrophy as I don't want to add muscle mass and get bulkier.
Hi Vasudevan,
Sure - the workout is simply a template. You can modify it in whatever ways to better fit your needs and goals.
Thank you for the reply. In that case how much rest would you recommend between sets (planning 4-6 reps per set) and also on duration of steady state cardio during the active recovery sessions.
Hi
I didn't understand the meaning of drop set.
As I did'nt go to gym. following ur workout plans & exercising at home only with dumbbells.
Difficult 4 me to understand.
Pls.help
Hi Neer,
With only having dumbbells and your experience level, I'd recommend sticking to the dumbbell only programs: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/3-day-full-body-dumbbell-workout
Ok.thx
for exercises where you are doing four sets of eight oh, should I use a weight that I fail at at the 8th rep every time? Thank you
Hi Gene,
Finish each set feeling as though you have 1-2 more reps left in the tank.
thank you!
Hi, When i do the drop set i do it only for the last set or at the end of every set?? I mean, if i have to do 3 sets of squat , i use the drop set in all of the 3 sets or only in the last one? Thanks !!!
Hi Martin,
Perform the drop set on your final sets.
Hi!
Should i keep the rest on 30-45 seconds also between the exercises? As same as between the sets?
Hi George,
Yes, that would be fine. Rest in between exercises should be just enough to move to the next station and set up.
Hello Josh
is Cardio before or after the workout... and what shall I do for a warm up. I usually run on the treadmill for 5 to 10 mins
Hi Ahmed,
Perform cardio post workout. For warm ups, start here: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/warming-up-for-dummies
I’m a 26 year old male weighing at 264 pounds (6 feet tall). I have followed this plan and changed my diet to 50% protein (180g+ protein), 20% fat and 30% carbs. I am at the 4 week mark but have not dropped a single pound. I do 25-40 minutes of cardio each day as well (HIIT and elliptical and treadmill). Any tips to possible nudge the scale down moving forward?
Worth noting that it is very clear that I have gotten stronger while following this plan thus far but I would like to lose at least a few lbs as my next goal is 240 lbs.