Build Muscle and Get Lean With the 4-1-1 Workout Routine!

As a veteran personal trainer with more than three decades of experience, I’m often asked for my opinion on the latest viral fitness trends. Most have catchy names, are endorsed by celebrity influencers, and promise incredible results in 30 days or less.

These trends are appealing because everyone is in a hurry to get in shape or wants to achieve their fitness goals with as little effort as possible. As such, anything that promises a shortcut to getting fit or losing weight quickly gains traction.

Unfortunately, many fitness trends are nothing but marketing hyperbole, created solely to attract clicks. Most are not backed by science and some are even dangerous.

However, a few internet fitness trends do stand up to scrutiny and make a lot of sense. One such example is the 30-30-30 trend where you consume 30 grams of protein and do 30 minutes of cardio within 30 minutes of waking for faster fat loss. Cozy cardio is another trend that offers some bonafide benefits.

Another popular trend that could help you achieve your goals is the 4-1-1 workout routine. Beyond the catchy-numbered name, this fitness craze provides a smart way to organize your weekly workout schedule, optimizing it for faster progress.

In this article, I explain the ins and outs of the 4-1-1 workout routine and provide examples of how you can use it to get in the best shape of your life!

What is the 4-1-1 Workout Routine?

It’s been impossible to identify who started the 4-1-1 workout routine trend as several fitness personalities and coaches claim to have invented it. However, regardless of who it was, they successfully created a weekly training template that has the potential to deliver excellent results.

Stick to this plan for a few months, pair it with a suitable diet, and this balanced training plan should help you build muscle, burn fat, and get fit.

The premise of the 4-1-1 workout routine is simple. Each week, you do:

• Four strength training workouts
• One HIIT workout
• One steady-state cardio workout

There is no “official” 4-1-1 training plan to follow and it’s up to you to fill the template with the workouts of your choice. But, don’t worry if that sounds a little daunting, as you’ll find examples elsewhere in this article.

Let’s take a look at what makes the 4-1-1 so effective.

Four Strength Training Workouts Per Week

Ask almost anyone to name the best fat loss workout, and they’ll probably say cardio. This makes a certain amount of sense because cardio workouts like cycling, jogging, rowing, etc., put you in the so-called “fat-burning zone,” where your body predominately uses stored fat for fuel.

Consequently, it’s not uncommon to see lots of people at the gym sweating over the cardio machines in an effort to shed those unwanted pounds and inches.

Unfortunately, while the fat-burning zone does exist, low-intensity cardio doesn’t actually use a lot of energy, which we measure in kilocalories. The reality is that it doesn’t matter where those kilocalories come from and burning more to create a greater energy deficit is more important than how much fat you burn.

In short, while cardio can contribute to weight loss and fat burning, it’s not the most effective tool in our body recomposition toolbox.

In contrast, studies suggest that strength training burns as many kilocalories as cardio while also having a greater impact on your post-training metabolic rate (1). This provides a “double-dip” into your fat stores, leading to faster weight loss.

In addition, where cardio can cause muscle loss, potentially lowering your metabolic rate, strength training preserves or can even increase your muscle mass.

This extra muscle tissue uses additional energy, further enhancing fat burning (2). Lifting weights will also stop you from becoming “skinny fat,” where you lose weight, look slim, but are actually soft, weak, and not necessarily healthy.

You can do any type of strength training in the 4-1-1 routine, but I suggest organizing your workouts into an upper-body/lower-body split. Given that you’ll be lifting weights four days a week, this provides the ideal balance between work and recovery.

One HIIT Workout Per Week

I like the 4-1-1 routine because it emphasizes strength training, which is something that some other fitness programs neglect. However, it still includes some cardio, albeit in very measured amounts.

That’s good news because cardio is vital for your cardiovascular health, can contribute to weight loss, and builds fitness you’ll appreciate during your strength workouts. But rather than doing a ton of conventional zone two or low-intensity steady-state cardio, the 4-1-1 routine involves a single HIIT workout per week.

HIIT, which is short for high-intensity interval training, involves short but demanding bouts of exercise interspersed with brief rests. For example, run, row, or cycle for 45 seconds as fast as possible, rest for 75 seconds, and repeat ten times.

According to studies, HIIT is as effective as regular cardio for fat-burning and weight loss, but the workouts tend to be considerably shorter (3). A typical HIIT workout lasts 20-30 minutes whereas some cardio workouts last an hour or more.

There are numerous interpretations of HIIT, some of which use recognizable modes of cardio exercise, such as running, swimming, etc. Others involve things like back-to-back bodyweight exercises and circuits. All HIIT approaches are similarly effective provided you work hard enough.  

One Steady-State Cardio Workout Per Week

Strength training and HIIT make up the bulk of your 4-1-1 workout routine, but there is still time for one conventional cardio session per week. While steady-state cardio is not the best way to burn calories and get lean, it remains a valuable form of exercise that will help improve your fitness and health.

In addition, because steady-state cardio is relatively low-intensity, it also acts as a form of active recovery. As such, it can help ward off post-workout aches and pains while ensuring that you are ready for your next bout of intense training.

As with the rest of the 4-1-1 routine, it’s up to you to choose what type of steady-state cardio you perform, but good options include:

• Brisk walking
• Cycling
• Elliptical machine
• Hiking
• Jogging
• Rowing
• Rucking
• Running
• Swimming

The only real caveat with your cardio workout is that you take it easy. Ideally, your heart rate should remain between 60-70% of your maximum, which is a level of intensity that you should be able to maintain for 40-60 minutes without stopping. If you can’t hold a conversation, or feel like you need to stop, you are probably working too hard.

Sample 4-1-1 Workout Routine

The 4-1-1 routine is designed so you can slot your favorite strength, HIIT, and cardio workouts into a logical weekly template. However, some of you may prefer to follow a prefabricated program.

To that end, I’ve created a simple gym-based 4-1-1 program that adheres to all the principles discussed in the previous sections.

Here’s an overview of your training week:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Lower Body Strength	Upper Body Strength	HIIT	Lower Body Strength	Upper Body Strength	Steady-State Cardio	Rest

Each workout breaks down like this:

Lower Body Strength Training

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Squat	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
2	Romanian deadlift	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
3	Leg extension	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
4	Leg curl	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
5	Lunge	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
6	Standing calf raise	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds

Upper Body Strength Training

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Dumbbell bench press	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
2	Lat pulldown	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
3	Shoulder press machine	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
4	Seated row	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
5	Triceps pushdown	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
6	Preacher curl	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds

HIIT 

Complete 3-5 laps of the following bodyweight circuit. Move quickly between exercises and do as many good-quality reps as you can during each work interval. Rest 1-2 minutes between laps.

	Exercise	Duration*
1	Push-up	30-45 seconds
2	Air squat	30-45 seconds
3	Crunch	30-45 seconds
4	Step-up	30-45 seconds
5	Inverted row	30-45 seconds
6	Reverse lunge	30-45 seconds
7	Jumping jack	30-45 seconds
8	Russian twist	30-45 seconds
9	Bench dip	30-45 seconds
10	Burpee	30-45 seconds

*Adjust according to your fitness.

Lower Body Strength Training 

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Deadlift	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
2	Leg press	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
3	Hip Abduction	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
4	Hip adduction	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
5	Bulgarian split squat	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
6	Seated calf raise	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds

Upper Body Strength Training

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Bench press	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
2	Single-arm dumbbell row	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
3	Seated dumbbell press	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
4	Close grip lat pulldown	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
5	EZ bar skull crusher	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds
6	Concentration curl	2-4	12-20	60-90 seconds

Steady State Cardio

 

For your final workout of the week, just pull on your sneakers and do 40-60 easy minutes of any cardio activity you enjoy. Jog, swim, hike, or cycle your way to fitness, fat loss, and health. Whatever you do, you’ll probably enjoy your workout more if you take it outside. Outdoor workouts are proven to boost your mood and reduce stress (4).

Closing Thoughts

The 4-1-1 workout routine is more than just another fitness trend. Instead, it’s an effective way to organize your workouts across the week. By emphasizing strength training and balancing lifting with HIIT and steady-state cardio, it provides a great formula for building muscle and shedding that unwanted fat.

In short, it addresses the needs of most exercisers.

Slot your favorite workouts into the 4-1-1 template or follow the program provided in this article. Either way, the 4-1-1 workout routine is one of a small handful of fitness trends that lives up to its promises and is worth your time and energy.   

References:

1. Bellicha A, van Baak MA, Battista F, Beaulieu K, Blundell JE, Busetto L, Carraça EV, Dicker D, Encantado J, Ermolao A, Farpour-Lambert N, Pramono A, Woodward E, Oppert JM. Effect of exercise training on weight loss, body composition changes, and weight maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: An overview of 12 systematic reviews and 149 studies. Obes Rev. 2021 Jul;22 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):e13256. doi: 10.1111/obr.13256. Epub 2021 May 6. PMID: 33955140; PMCID: PMC8365736.
2. Geliebter A, Maher MM, Gerace L, Gutin B, Heymsfield SB, Hashim SA. Effects of strength or aerobic training on body composition, resting metabolic rate, and peak oxygen consumption in obese dieting subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Sep;66(3):557-63. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/66.3.557. PMID: 9280173.
3. Gillen JB, Gibala MJ. Is high-intensity interval training a time-efficient exercise strategy to improve health and fitness? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2014 Mar;39(3):409-12. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2013-0187. Epub 2013 Sep 27. PMID: 24552392.
4. Lahart I, Darcy P, Gidlow C, Calogiuri G. The Effects of Green Exercise on Physical and Mental Well-being: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Apr 15;16(8):1352. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16081352. PMID: 30991724; PMCID: PMC6518264.

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