Six-Week Training Program for Weight Loss at the Gym

1. Goblet Squat

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest with both hands cupping the top end.
2. Set your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, your toes pointing slightly out (approx. 15-30 degrees).
3. Inhale and brace your core.
4. Lower your hips down and back, keeping your chest up and your elbows inside your knees.
5. Descend until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
6. Drive through your heels to return to the starting position, exhaling at the top.

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

Steps:

1. Lie back on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
2. Use your thighs to help kick the weights up to your chest as you lie back.
3. Position the dumbbells to the sides of your chest with your upper arm at a 45-degree angle to your body (not flared out to 90 degrees).
4. Press the weights up until your arms are fully extended, but not locked out.
5. Lower the weights slowly and strictly to the starting position.

3. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

Steps:

1. Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, your palms facing your body.
2. Keep a slight bend in your knees, but don’t squat.
3. Hinge at your hips, pushing your glutes backward while keeping the dumbbells close to your legs.
4. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings (usually mid-shin level). Keep your back flat.
5. Squeeze your glutes to pull your torso back to the upright position.

4. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Steps:

1. Place your left knee and left hand on a bench for support. Your back should be flat, parallel to the ground.
2. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, your arm hanging straight down.
3. Pull the dumbbell up toward your hip, keeping your elbow tucked close to your body.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blade at the top.
5. Lower the weight slowly to a full stretch.

5. Plank

Steps:

1. Place your forearms on the floor and your elbows directly under your shoulders.
2. Extend your legs behind you, resting on your toes.
3. Engage your core, glutes, and quads to create a rigid straight line from your head to your heels.
4. Hold this position without allowing your hips to sag or hike up.

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Full-Body Workout B (Thursday)

1. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Steps:

1. Stand tall, holding dumbbells at your sides.
2. Step backward with your right foot, landing on the ball of your foot.
3. Lower your hips until both knees form approximately 90-degree angles. The back knee should hover just above the floor.
4. Push through your front heel to return to the standing position.
5. Complete all reps on one leg before switching, or alternate legs.

2. Overhead Dumbbell Press

Steps:

1. Stand or sit with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, your palms facing forward or neutral.
2. Brace your core to prevent your lower back from arching excessively.
3. Press the weights directly overhead until your arms are extended.
4. Lower the weights back to shoulder height with control.

3. Lat Pulldown

Steps:

1. Sit at a lat pulldown machine and adjust the thigh pad so your legs are secure.
2. Grasp the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Lean your torso back slightly (approx. 10-15 degrees) and keep your chest lifted.
4. Pull the bar down toward your upper chest, driving your elbows down and back.
5. Slowly extend your arms to return the bar to the top.

4. Glute Bridge

Steps:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Place your arms at your sides.
3. Drive through your heels to lift your hips off the floor until your knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line.
4. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top for 1 second.
5. Lower your hips back down with control.

5. Dead Bug

Steps:

1. Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and your legs in tabletop position (knees bent at 90 degrees).
2. Press your lower back into the floor – there should be no gap.
3. Slowly lower your right arm behind your head and extend your left leg straight out.
4. Return to center and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

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HIIT Sessions (Tuesday and Friday)

Equipment: Rowing machine (ergometer)
The rowing machine is superior for weight loss as it recruits 86% of the body’s musculature, which creates a high metabolic demand.

Protocol:

1. Warm-up: 5 minutes at a comfortable pace.
2. Intervals: 30 seconds max effort (should feel like a 9-10 RPE – maximum sustainable effort)/ 90 seconds active rest (very slow paddling).
3. Rounds: Repeat for 6-8 rounds.
4. Cool-down: 3-5 minutes easy rowing.

LISS Session (Saturday)

Protocol:

• Activity: Brisk walking on an incline treadmill (3-4 mph at 5-10% incline) or steady cycling.
• Duration: 45 minutes continuous.
• Intensity: Zone 2 heart rate (60-70% of max HR). You should be able to hold a conversation, but you would rather not.

Moving More Throughout The Day

A dedicated six-week training program works best when it’s combined with NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). This is the energy burned outside of sleeping, eating, and sports-like exercise.

• Park Further Away: An extra 2-minute walk twice a day adds up.
• Stand Up: If you have a desk job, stand up for 5 minutes every hour.
• Walk and Talk: Take phone calls while pacing or walking outside.

If you don’t have gym access, you can easily adapt this logic into a 6-week workout plan at home.

How Many Pounds Is It Realistic to Lose in 6 Weeks?

Setting realistic expectations prevents discouragement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a safe and sustainable rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week (10).

Therefore, in a 6-week period, a realistic weight loss goal is between 6 and 12 pounds.

Losing weight faster than this often indicates muscle loss or severe water dehydration, neither of which is beneficial for long-term health or aesthetics. Furthermore, rapid weight loss is statistically more likely to be regained (11).

Read more: Your Calisthenics 3-Month Transformation Guide

Is It Better to Do Cardio or Weights for a 6-Week Weight Loss Plan?

This is the most common comparative trap in fitness. The answer is not one or the other; it’s a synergistic combination of both.

The Case for Synergy

• Weights (Resistance Training): Increases resting metabolic rate (RMR). Muscle tissue is metabolically expensive – it costs the body more calories to maintain muscle than fat. By lifting weights, you’re building a larger engine that burns more fuel even when you are sleeping (2).
• Cardio (Aerobic Training): Burns more calories during the actual session than weight training typically does. It also improves capillary density and mitochondrial efficiency, which aids recovery from exercise-induced fatigue (12).

A six-week training program for female or male trainees should utilize both tools. Relying solely on cardio often results in a physique where weight is lost, but there’s less change in physique and no change in muscle size or hypertrophy. Relying solely on weights might not create the caloric deficit that’s required for significant fat loss in a short 6-week window without extremely strict dieting.

Conclusion: Do both. Use weights to shape the body and keep your metabolism high. Use cardio to deepen the caloric deficit and improve heart health.

For those who are interested in drastic changes, you can read more about 6-week body transformations.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks as a female?

Yes, losing 10 lbs in 6 weeks is achievable for many women, as it averages out to roughly 1.6 lbs per week. This falls within the safe guideline of 1-2 lbs per week. However, this requires strict adherence to a caloric deficit and a consistent six-week training program.

• Are reps or weights better for weight loss?

Neither is inherently “better” for weight loss in isolation – the total volume and intensity matter most. However, using moderate to heavy weights (where you can perform 8-12 reps near failure) is generally superior for retaining muscle mass while in a calorie deficit (13). Retaining muscle keeps your metabolism higher, which helps with weight loss (2).

• What exercises burn the most fat?

Compound exercises that recruit the largest muscle groups burn the most energy (14). Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, and burpees require significant oxygen and energy. In addition, full-body movements on the rowing machine or assault bike are incredibly effective for high caloric expenditure per minute.

• What happens if you only lift weights and do no cardio?

If you only lift weights, you can still lose weight as long as you’re in a caloric deficit. However, you may miss out on the cardiovascular benefits, such as improved heart health and endurance (3). Your overall daily calorie burn might also be slightly lower compared to a program that includes active cardio sessions.

• What cardio is best for weight loss?

The “best” cardio is the one you can do consistently without causing joint pain or excessive fatigue. However, strictly speaking, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) provides a higher calorie burn in a shorter time frame and can trigger EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) (15), which keeps your metabolism elevated for hours after the workout.

The Bottom Line

Embarking on a weight loss journey can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. By adhering to a structured, realistic plan that balances strength, cardio, and recovery, you’re setting yourself up for success that lasts far beyond 42 days.

Remember, the goal of these six weeks isn’t just to see a smaller number on the scale, but to build a stronger, more capable body. Trust the process, remain consistent with your inputs, and the outputs will be proof of your hard work.