3-Day Intermediate Gym Workout Plan to Lose Fat

Three sessions a week (upper, lower, full body) with barbells to lose fat while keeping your muscle. For lifters with a few months in the gym.

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Week 1, day by day

Upper body

≈ 38 min
Warm-up (5 min)
  • Ride the bike or walk on the treadmill for 3 minutes to warm up.
  • Do 10 shoulder rolls and 10 bodyweight squats.
  • For your first exercise, do one light set of 10 reps.
  1. Barbell bench press

    Barbell bench press

    4 × 10 · rest 75 s

    Lower the bar to mid-chest with your feet planted firmly.

  2. Bent-over barbell row

    Bent-over barbell row

    4 × 10 · rest 75 s

    Hinge with a flat back and pull the bar to your navel without momentum.

  3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press

    Seated dumbbell shoulder press

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    Press overhead with your back against the pad and no arching.

  4. Wide-grip lat pulldown

    Wide-grip lat pulldown

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    Pull the bar to your upper chest, chest up, without swinging.

  5. Rope triceps pushdown

    Rope triceps pushdown

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    Spread the rope at the bottom, elbows tight to your sides.

  6. Dumbbell biceps curl

    Dumbbell biceps curl

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    Keep your elbows fixed at your sides and curl without swinging.

Lower body

≈ 38 min

Same warm-up as the first session.

  1. Barbell back squat

    Barbell back squat

    4 × 10 · rest 75 s

    Squat to parallel with knees tracking over your toes and a braced back.

  2. Romanian deadlift

    Romanian deadlift

    4 × 10 · rest 75 s

    Push your hips back with the bar close to your legs and a flat back down to the knees.

  3. Dumbbell lunges

    Dumbbell lunges

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    Take a long step, drop straight down and push through the front foot to return.

  4. Seated leg curl

    Seated leg curl

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    Curl your heels under you, then return slowly with your hips pressed back.

  5. Seated calf raise

    Seated calf raise

    3 × 15 · rest 45 s

    Lower your heels fully, then rise onto your toes slowly.

  6. Cable crunch

    Cable crunch

    3 × 15 · rest 45 s

    Curl your torso, bringing ribs toward hips, without pulling with your arms.

Full body

≈ 33 min

Same warm-up as the first session.

  1. Incline barbell bench press

    Incline barbell bench press

    3 × 10 · rest 60 s

    Lower the bar to your upper chest with elbows at roughly 45 degrees.

  2. Seated cable row

    Seated cable row

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    Pull your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades, keeping your back straight.

  3. Leg press

    Leg press

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    Push through your whole foot and don't lock your knees at the top.

  4. Dumbbell lateral raise

    Dumbbell lateral raise

    3 × 15 · rest 45 s

    Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height with slightly bent elbows.

  5. Barbell hip thrust

    Barbell hip thrust

    3 × 12 · rest 60 s

    With your back on a bench, drive your hips up and squeeze your glutes for two seconds.

  6. Plank

    Plank

    3 × 40 s · rest 45 s

    Keep head, back and legs in one line and brace your abs without sagging.

Weeks 2 to 4, adapted to you, are in Muskl.

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