Trade fat for muscle workout

If you want to lose your gut, don’t think of lifting weights as an option; consider it a requirement. Why? When dieters don’t pump iron, 22 percent of their weight loss comes from losing muscle, according to a Penn State study. So if you drop 20 pounds without lifting, almost 5 pounds will be from muscle.

That won’t happen with this program. It’s designed to work your muscles intensively 4 days a week so you can banish your belly but keep your biceps. In fact, scientists discovered that men using a similar approach lost 37 percent more fat than those who didn’t hit the weights. The end result: the lean, muscular body you want.

Directions
Perform these workouts 4 days a week. Do the upper-body and lower-body workouts on consecutive days, rest a day, and repeat. For your first upper-body day, use the low-rep workout. For your first lower-body day, follow the high-rep workout. Then switch for your second 2 days of training, so every week you end up performing both high and low reps for your upper and lower body.

For the upper-body workout, alternate between the exercises that have the same number (1A and 1B, for example). Do 1 set of the first exercise and rest, followed by 1 set of the second exercise, and rest again. Complete all your sets for each exercise pair and then move to the next pair (2A and 2B).

For the lower-body workout, do 1 set of exercise 1, rest, and repeat until you’ve finished all the sets. Do the same with 2. Then perform 3A and 3B as pairs, alternating between them as you did with the upper-body workout. Do the same for exercises 4A and 4B.

1. EXERCISE 1A

   

   This exercise targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Dumbbell Bench Press	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

2. EXERCISE 1B

   

   This exercise targets your lats, teres major, and biceps. Your core and middle and upper back muscles are also involved.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Wide-Grip Pullup	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

3. EXERCISE 2A

   

   This exercise targets your front deltoids, middle deltoids, and triceps.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Dumbbell Push Press	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

4. EXERCISE 2B

   

   This exercise targets your upper and middle back, and rear shoulders.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Barbell Row	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

5. EXERCISE 3

   

   This exercise targets your quadriceps. It also activates your core and just about every other muscle in your lower body, including your glutes, hamstrings, and calves.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Barbell Front Squat	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

6. EXERCISE 4

   

   This exercise targets the muscles of your glutes and hamstrings.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Barbell Straight-Leg Deadlift	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

7. EXERCISE 5A

   

   This exercise targets the muscles of your glutes and hamstrings.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Swiss-Ball Hip Raise and Leg Curl	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

8. EXERCISE 5B

   

   This exercise targets your your quadriceps. It also activates every other muscle in your lower body, including your glutes, hamstrings, and calves.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Body-Weight Jump Squat	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

9. EXERCISE 6A

   

   This is a stability exercise that trains your entire core, including your abdominal, lower-back, and hip muscles.

   exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
   Swiss-Ball Plank	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s

10. EXERCISE 6B

    

    This is a stability exercise that trains your entire core, including your abdominal, lower-back, and hip muscles.

    exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Duration
    Swiss-Ball Jackknife	3	N/A	N/A	N/A s