Easy Ways To Lose Fat and Build Muscle
You don’t need Mr. Olympia’s physique to feel confident at the beach or pool this summer — and you don’t need to live at the gym either. This three-day exercise routine will help keep your gut in check as long as you A) don’t dog it through the workout, B) lay off the Bugels, and C) do 15 to 30 minutes of cardio three or four days per week.
Also: Build Bigger Guns With This Biceps Routine
The workout consists of 10 exercises, but relax; you’re only doing two sets each. Of course, if you want to tap your inner Arnold and make things harder for yourself, do the exercises in the same order but bunch them in twos and perform supersets (when you do two exercises consecutively without rest). Alternatively, if you need to scale it back, use bodyweight instead of weights when applicable.
STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU DO THIS WORKOUT:
• You should keep track of your workouts and the weight you’re using in order to keep yourself honest.
• Going too heavy or using improper form will get you injured. Start light and gradually increase weight.
• Warm up with light sets of 8, 5, and 3 on the first exercise, then one set of 5 thereafter.
• Perform this workout 3 times per week on non-consecutive days.
| EXERCISE | SETS / REPS | REST |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 2 / 8, 10 | 45-sec. – 1 minute |
| Dumbbell Split Squat | 2 / 12, 10 | 45-sec. – 1 minute |
| Chin-up | 2 / 8, 10 | 45-sec. – 1 minute |
| Glute Ham Raise | 2 / 12, 15 | 45-sec. – 1 minute |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 2 / 12, 10 | 45-sec. – 1 minute |
| Wall Sit | 2 / 30-45 sec. | 45 sec. |
| Horizontal Machine Row | 2 / 30-45 sec. | 45 sec. – 1 min. |
| Lying Triceps Extension | 2 / 8, 10 | 45 sec. – 1 min. |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 2 / 8, 10 | 45 sec. – 1 min. |
| Plank | 2 / 30 sec., 1 min. | 45 sec. – 1 min. |
Program courtesy of Matt Phelps, MS, NASM-PES.
