Workouts that build muscle

This is the year you’ll get the body you want. No, really, this is it. We’re holding you to it. And we’re getting you started with a six-week plan that’s simple to follow. Both your training and your diet are covered, so you have no more excuses. No more wondering about how many sets and reps to do, how many calories to consume, or whether you got enough protein or too much fat. In fact, you don’t even have to suffer long bouts of cardio—there is no need for any on this plan.

Follow this workout program, and be prepared to make some amazing changes. It’s not as hard as you think.

How it works>

The goal is body recomposition—building as much muscle as possible while burning fat. Some exercises will be done heavy and others for high reps to hit both ends of the muscle-building spectrum, and rest periods will be short to encourage calorie burning. Your heart will get a good workout from the fast pace of your weight training, so there’s no need to do cardio. (In fact, we insist you don’t do any, as it may negatively impact your recovery.)

However, the main reason cardio isn’t necessary in this case is that your diet will be dialed in. The truth is, studies have shown that training of any kind has little to no impact on your ability to lose fat unless you’re eating right, so divert any extra energy to making sure you’re eating correctly.

Directions>

Time Needed: 60 min.

Frequency: Perform each workout (Day I, II, III, and IV) once per week, resting at least a day in between each training session.

How to do it: Perform the paired exercises (marked “a” and “b”) as alternating sets, so you’ll complete one set of “a, ” rest as directed, then one set of “b, ” and repeat until all sets are completed. The remaining exercises are done as straight sets.