With a Master of Science in Dietetics and Exercise Science, 11 years of experience in fitness, and 5 years in nutrition, Hollee Mohni is a professional dedicated to improving individuals' health and confidence through sustainable habits.
Most workout plans fail because they are either too complicated or too short, which does not give the people who do them enough time to get used to the routines and see results. If you’re looking for a schedule that covers these two things, the 10-week workout plan is for you.
While it may start simple and easy, over the next 10 weeks, the workouts will increase in intensity and frequency, thereby giving you ample time to lose weight and build strength and muscle.
When it comes to exercise plans, most tend to range anywhere from 30 days/4-week plans to 6-week workout plans. While there is nothing wrong with this, a 10-week workout plan has one extra benefit that may not be available with these exercise plans.
When it comes to seeing results from your workout routine, whether at home exercising or outdoor/gym workouts, the initial changes to your body are usually seen within the first 4 to 6 weeks. Visible results become apparent after 8 to 12 weeks – sometimes even up to 16 weeks, particularly if you’re trying to lose belly fat and have a smaller waist circumference (8).
Therefore, a 10-week workout plan is the best option for anyone who is looking to lose weight or gain muscle. With a 10-week timeline, you will already have seen the initial changes and start seeing visible changes by the end of the program.
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Making the decision to work out already puts you at the front line for weight loss and muscle growth. However, if you’re looking to get actual results, timing also matters.
If you’re looking to lose weight, here are some points you should note:
We suggest that for the first few weeks of the 10-week workout plan for weight loss, you follow the CDC and WHO guidelines. As a beginner, this will allow your body time to gradually build strength and get used to the strain of consistent exercise. You can then start to double the time and intensity of exercise for better and faster results.
If you’re looking to gain muscle mass and strength and are using this 10-week workout plan to get ripped, it’s difficult to say how often you should work out as many factors come into play.
Factors that determine how big and fast your muscles grow include genetics, biological sex, hormones (specifically hormones, estrogen, insulin, and testosterone), diet, training frequency and duration, age, and how well you hydrate. (9, 1).
However, some research has found that for more strength gains, a routine that emphasizes heavier weights and lower reps per set is the best way to go (5).
If your goal is simple muscle hypertrophy, i.e. visibly bigger muscles/muscle mass, the option of either doing fewer reps with heavier weights or more reps with lighter weights can work. Beginners to building muscle strength and mass are advised to use the ‘lower weights, higher reps’ formula as this is safer and it is less likely to cause injury (7).
You should also split your workouts – training different muscle groups on different days – and ensure at least a 48-hour break before you train the same muscles again.
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If you can’t figure out how to make a 10-week workout plan for weight loss, the following plan may help you. It covers all seven days of the week, showing you what to do and which exercises to do to help reach your goals.
This routine also covers both cardio and weight training, as a combination of these two is the best formula for weight and fat loss (4).
Remember that cardio burns a lot of calories in the moment, while weight training burns calories both during the workout and long after the workout is finished. Weight training also builds muscle, which helps boost your resting metabolism and ensures that you’re constantly burning calories whether exercising or not.
Running/Walking/Jogging – 15 minutes
Basic Squats – 2 sets, 10 reps
Jumping Jacks – 2 sets, 30 reps
Push-Ups – 2 sets, 10 reps
Mountain Climbers – 2 sets, 45 seconds
Arm Extensions – 3 sets, 10 reps
Triceps Wall Push-Ups – 2 sets, 10 reps
Plank With Shoulder Taps – 2 sets, 10 taps on each side
Lay Down Push-Ups – 2 sets, 10 reps
Side Planks – 30 seconds on each side
Triceps Dips – 2 sets, 10 reps
Lat Pullovers – 2 sets, 10 reps
Diamond Push-Ups (can be done on the floor or on the wall) – 2 sets, 10 reps
Elbow Plank – 2 sets, 20 to 30 seconds
Rest day
Wall Sit – 30 seconds
Sumo Squats – 2 sets, 10 reps
Side Lunges – 2 sets, 10 reps on each side
Jump Squats – 2 sets, 10 reps
Deadlifts – 2 sets, 10 reps
Calf Raises – 2 sets, 30 seconds each
High Knee Toe Taps – 2 sets, 45 seconds
Bicycle Crunches – 2 sets, 30 seconds each
Dead Bug – 2 sets, 30 seconds each
Oblique Dips – 1 set, 10 on each side
High Planks – 1 set, 20 to 30 seconds
Reverse Crunches – 2 sets, 10 reps
Knee To Elbow Planks – 1 set, 30 seconds
Mountain Climbers – 2 sets, 45 seconds
Flutter Kicks – 2 sets, 30 seconds
Knee To Elbow Crunches – 2 sets, 10 reps per side
Table-Top Knee Taps – 1set, 12 reps
Side Crunches – 1 set, 10 reps per side
Rest day
Active rest for full body recovery. You can do yoga, take a walk, go cycling or swimming for 15-45 minutes, or more
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If muscle growth is your main goal, this plan may be better suited for you and your goals. Remember that this is just an example and you should feel free to modify the routine to better suit your needs.
| Day | Type of workout | Exercises | Sets | Reps/time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Chest and back | Bench press Triceps extension Seated cable row Triceps dips Barbell row Chin-ups/pull-ups | 3 4 3 3 3 3 | 10 10 12 10 10 10 |
| Tuesday | Legs | Dumbbell squats Barbell front squats Deadlifts Hamstring curls Seated leg extension Dumbbell side lunges Bulgarian split squats | 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 | 8 – 10 6 8 12 10 8 each side 10 |
| Wednesday | REST DAY | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Thursday | Shoulders and arms | Barbell curls Press-ups Close-grip chest press Pike push-ups Chair dips Lateral raises Pull-ups Dumbbell front raises | 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 | 12 10 12 10 10 8 per arm 6 – 8 10 |
| Friday | Core/abs | High planks Hanging leg raises Cable crunches Russian twists Elbow planks Squats V-up Reverse crunches | 3 3 3 3 3 3 | 30 – 45 seconds 10 -12 10-12 12 – 15 30 – 45 seconds 12 -15 12 15 |
| Saturday | ACTIVE REST | Cycling/swimming/yoga |
Important points to note
You don’t need to go all out when doing cardio. A simple 10-minute jump rope or run on the treadmill is better than nothing.
Yes, it can. An important distinction to make is that all workouts, whether with free weights, body weight, or gym equipment, can help you lose weight and gain muscle. However, if you want to get super ripped, using weights will give you better results.
Can free weights get you as ripped as using gym machines? Yes, they can and several studies have proven this:
In this study, 46 subjects were required to train using free weights or machines for 8 weeks, with each muscle group trained 2-3x/week with 3-4 sets of 4-10 repetitions.
Researchers then measured their muscle thickness, strength, free testosterone, and free cortisol concentrations.
At the end of the 8 weeks, researchers found that while the men in the free weights group experienced increased testosterone levels compared to the machine groups, when it came to factors such as muscle strength and increased muscle mass, there was no difference in either group(6).
This shows that getting ripped on this 10-week no-gym home workout plan with free weights is a very real and achievable goal.
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The best workout for losing weight at home is one that combines both cardio and strength training. This combination works best as it helps you lose fat while also building muscle, which helps increase your metabolism.
Yes, you can. As previously mentioned, it takes anything between 8 and 12 weeks (at most 16 weeks) to see actual and tangible results from your workout routine.
It is also important to note that starting weight also plays a huge role in how “in shape” you can get in just 10 weeks. People with less body fat will achieve their goals faster than those with more body fat. However, this shouldn’t discourage you – keep exercising and you will reach your goal.
Yes, you can. As with weight loss, initial results can be noticed as early as 4 to 6 weeks and more visible results by around the 12th week. It’s important to remember that the more strength training you do and the lower your body fat percentage, the sooner you will be able to visibly see muscle mass gains.
If you want to see faster results, you should incorporate progressive overload into your strength training routine. This act of gradually boosting the intensity will allow your body to continue to adapt to stress and build more muscle over time.
It also ensures that your muscles are constantly being challenged and therefore, continuously breaking down and repairing themselves, which leads to more muscle mass and strength (14).
As previously stated, this 10-week workout plan is a good starting point for anyone who is willing and dedicated enough to change their body and their lifestyle. It’s important to remember that workouts alone will not lead to weight loss or muscle gain – you must make sure to eat enough (but remain in a calorie deficit) and eat healthily. Hydration is also important.
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