Lean Muscle Workout Plan – Introduction
Beginner Lean Muscle Workout Plan to Torch Fat & Get Fit
Gaining muscle while losing fat is one of the best things you can do for your appearance and health.
Not only will you look better, but you’ll feel better too, with more energy for the strenuous tasks of the day.
What you do with that extra energy is up to you, but heading out for a hike, trying a new sport, or just playing with your kids are all rewarding, life-affirming options.
Building lean muscle requires a combination of training and good nutrition.
The training will increase muscle size and hardness, while your diet will support your workout and reduce your body fat percentage, revealing the outline of your muscles.
While you could design your lean muscle program, we understand that not everyone has the time or ability to do it.
So, to help you on your way, for this article, we’ve created a four-week plan to get you started!
How to Build Lean Muscles – Overview
This four-week workout program combines strength training with cardio to deliver the best results in the least amount of time.
You’ll be working out five days a week – three resistance training workouts and two cardio workouts.
The lean muscle workout plan is for home exercisers with access to:
- A barbell and weights
- Adjustable dumbbells
- An adjustable exercise bench
- Squat stands/rack
- Resistance bands
- An exercise mat
- Somewhere to do pull-ups, such as a power tower
- A skipping rope, cardio machine, or a willingness to go out for a jog/run
Of course, you can also follow this plan if you work out at a gym.
However, exercising at home means you can work whenever it’s convenient.
Plus, you won’t have to waste valuable training time traveling to and from the gym.
Here is your lean muscle workout plan for the next four weeks:
Lean Muscle Workout Plan
For this plan, you’ll be doing full-body workouts.
A full-body workout routine means that each major muscle group gets trained every time you exercise.
This exercise program variation is the most effective use of your training time and burns more calories than the typical bodybuilding or Powerbuilding split routine.
Each workout uses a different set of exercises and rep ranges to prevent boredom and avoid training plateaus.
You should use a weight that fatigues your muscles within the specified rep range.
So, for example, if the program calls for 12-15 reps, but you can’t do 12, the weight is too heavy.
However, if you can do more than 15, it’s too light.
It may take a little experimentation to pick the correct weights, but you should be dialed in by week two.
Lean Muscle Workout Progression
Try to increase your weights week by week but, if that’s not possible, don’t worry because we’ve built another progression method into your workouts.
After week two, you’re also going to do one extra set of each exercise, so your four weeks will look like this:
- 1st Week – 2 sets
- 2nd Week – 2 sets
- 3rd Week – 3 sets
- 4th Week – 4 sets
This method of progression will ease you into the workout and then make it more challenging over the coming four weeks.
Cardio
For cardio, you’re going to do high-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short.
These brief but fast-paced workouts burn fat like a blowtorch and increase your metabolic rate for many hours after you are finished.
Finally, each day, you’re going to do some brisk walking.
Brisk walking will enhance your recovery, increase your essential cardiovascular fitness and health, ward off muscle soreness, help reduce stress and burn a few extra calories.
You don’t need to do the walking all in one shot.
If you prefer, you can spread it throughout your day, doing 3-4 bouts of 10-15 minutes as convenient.
Increase the number of steps per week as shown below:
- 1st Week – 7,000 steps
- 2nd Week – 8,000 steps
- 3rd Week – 9,000 steps
- 4th Week – 10,000 steps
Lean Muscle Workout Plan – The Workouts
Here are the details of each of the workouts in your four-week lean muscle plan.
Each one is built around a handful of basic compound exercises.
If you are unsure how to do any of these exercises, click on any exercise that has a link or do a quick search on YouTube, ask a personal trainer, or gym instructor, or speak to an experienced friend or colleague.
Full-body workout #1
|
No. |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Recovery |
|
1 |
Goblet squats |
2 |
12-15 |
60-90 seconds |
|
2 |
Push-ups |
2 |
AMRAP |
60-90 seconds |
|
3 |
Bulgarian split squat |
2 |
12-15 per leg |
60-90 seconds |
|
4 |
Pull-ups |
2 |
AMRAP |
60-90 seconds |
|
5 |
DB shoulder press |
2 |
12-15 |
60-90 seconds |
|
6 |
Barbell biceps curl |
2 |
12-15 |
60-90 seconds |
|
7 |
Triceps pushdown |
2 |
12-15 |
60-90 seconds |
|
8 |
Crunches |
2 |
15-20 |
60-90 seconds |
AMRAP = As Many Reps as Possible. Just continue until you are unable to do another rep in good form.
HIIT #1
After a warm-up, do five sets of the following intervals to total 20 minutes.
Use whatever cardio method you enjoy.
Options include jumping rope, running, rowing, or cycling.
- Three minutes fast (8 out of 10)
- One minute easy (3-4 out of 10)
Full-body workout #2
|
No. |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Recovery |
|
1 |
Deadlifts |
2 |
8-12 |
60-90 seconds |
|
2 |
DB bench press |
2 |
8-12 |
60-90 seconds |
|
3 |
Reverse lunges |
2 |
8-12 per leg |
60-90 seconds |
|
4 |
Bent-over row |
2 |
8-12 |
60-90 seconds |
|
5 |
DB side raise |
2 |
8-12 |
60-90 seconds |
|
6 |
DB biceps curl |
2 |
8-12 |
60-90 seconds |
|
7 |
Skull crusher |
2 |
8-12 |
60-90 seconds |
|
8 |
Elbow Plank |
2 |
30-60 seconds |
60-90 seconds |
Full-body workout #3
|
No. |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Recovery |
|
1 |
Squat |
2 |
15-20 |
60-90 seconds |
|
2 |
Bench press |
2 |
15-20 |
60-90 seconds |
|
3 |
Romanian deadlifts |
2 |
15-20 per leg |
60-90 seconds |
|
4 |
Incline row |
2 |
AMRAP |
60-90 seconds |
|
5 |
Military press |
2 |
15-20 |
60-90 seconds |
|
6 |
DB hammer curl |
2 |
15-20 |
60-90 seconds |
|
7 |
Triceps kickback |
2 |
15-20 |
60-90 seconds |
|
8 |
Reverse crunches |
2 |
15-20 |
60-90 seconds |
AMRAP = As Many Reps as Possible.
Just continue until you are unable to do another rep in good form.
HIIT #2
After a warm-up, do 15 sets of the following intervals for a total of 15 minutes.
Use whatever cardio method you enjoy.
Options include jumping rope, running, rowing, or cycling.
- 40 seconds fast (9 out of 10)
- 20 seconds easy (3-4 out of 10)
Lean Muscle Workout Plan – FAQ
Got a question about our lean muscle workout plan?
No problem; we’ve got the answers!
#1. How do I warm up for each workout?
A good workout begins with a thorough warm-up.
Prepare your body for what you are about to do with 5-10 minutes of easy cardio followed by a few dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for your major joints and muscles.
Finally, feel free to do a set of each exercise in your workout with a light-weight to ensure you really are ready to train.
#2. What should I eat during this program?
It’s beyond the scope of this article to provide you with a detailed diet to follow.
However, here are a few basic nutrition guidelines:
- Consume around 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight (NASM)
- Eat clean foods, meaning mostly natural foods
- Lower your calorie intake to 250-500 below your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)
- Drink at least two quarts of water per day
- Enjoy one treat meal per week but, otherwise, avoid junk and processed foods
When it comes to building muscle mass, there’s a lot of confusion about what and how much to eat.
To make things simple, focus on eating clean – complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Complex carbs like whole grains such as oats, beans, and sprouted grain bread provide energy and fuel your workouts.
Lean proteins like grilled chicken, egg whites, or fish are essential for muscle growth.
Healthy fats like olive oil and avocado help you feel full and provide the nutrients your body needs to promote muscle growth.
Plus, don’t forget to eat a variety of vegetables!
And last but not least, be sure to drink plenty of water – hydration is key for optimal athletic performance!
#3. Can I change some of the exercises?
We’ve chosen the best exercises for building lean muscle mass, so, if you make changes, you could end up making the workouts less effective.
That said, if you can’t do a particular exercise, rather than cut your workout short, you can use an alternative.
For example, if you can’t do pull-ups or chin-ups, feel free to do something like resistance band lat pulldowns instead.
If you DO make changes, ensure that your replacement exercise works the same muscles.
So, while you could do front squats instead of goblet squats, you should not replace squats with sit-ups.
Stay true to the spirit of the workout!
#4. What if I miss a workout?
You’ll get better results if your training is consistent, so do your best not to miss any of the weekly workouts.
But, if you are forced to miss a session, treat it as a rest day, and then catch up when you can.
If you are really pushed for time, you will probably get decent results by doing just two strength training workouts per week, for example, Monday and Friday.
This is not ideal, but it’s better than not working out at all.
#5. My muscles feel sore – what going on?!
Post-exercise muscle soreness is entirely normal and is your body’s way of telling you that you’ve pushed yourself a little harder than usual.
If you are new to working out, or any of the exercises are unfamiliar to you, some soreness is only to be expected.
If your muscles feel sore, make sure you spend more time on your warm-up, ease your aches with a warm bath with a cup of Epsom salts in the water, and don’t neglect your daily walks.
As your body gets used to your new workout regimen, you will experience less muscle soreness.
#6. Can I do this program for more than four weeks?
Yes, you can!
Don’t increase the number of sets beyond four, but do feel free to continue following this program for as long as it keeps producing results.
If you are getting leaner and stronger, the program is still working.
But, if your progress stalls, you are ready for a new plan.
Lean Muscle Workout Plan – Wrapping Up
Weight training plus cardio plus a sensible diet will transform your body, building muscle mass and stripping fat simultaneously.
Doing these three things is like 1+1+1=5!
Not only will you look better, but fat loss and muscle gain are also good for every aspect of your health, too.
The leaner and more muscular you are, the lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases will be.
You’ll also have more energy, be more resistant to fatigue, sleep better, and your mood will improve.
Working out is powerful medicine!
However, to get the results you want, you need to be consistent, both with your diet and workouts.
The more workouts you skip or cheat meals you eat, the longer it will take you to reach your fitness goals.
So, start as you mean to go on with our four-week lean muscle workout plan.
Commit to the process, and you’ll be amazed at how different you look and feel one month from now.
Don’t delay – start right away!
