Effective 7-Day Workout Routine

You’ll want to find a well-balanced workout routine you can stick to to reap the benefits of physical activity. The benefits of having a regular workout plan include boosting your mood, decreasing your heart disease risk, and helping with sleep.¹ The key to an effective workout plan is to challenge your body and engage your mind by adding various forms of exercise like cardio, full-body exercises, stretching, and weightlifting.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, which is 30 minutes per day, five days per week. The CDC also recommends two days of muscle-strengthening activities.²

Your workout routine depends on your goals, such as building muscle and gaining strength. Here’s a sample weekly workout schedule by Jacklyn Romano, CPT, a certified physical therapist based in New Jersey, and Sharon Gam, PhD, a certified personal trainer and health coach, to help you figure out your goals and get started.

Workout Schedule 

Romano and Gam designed this seven-day workout plan that will help you develop a regular exercise routine. Here’s what each day of the schedule entails:

• Monday: Cardio
• Tuesday: Lower body
• Wednesday: Upper body and core
• Thursday: Active rest and recovery
• Friday: Lower body with a focus on glutes
• Saturday: Upper body
• Sunday: Rest and recovery

Warming Up and Cooling Down

Spend five to 10 minutes warming up before each workout to prevent injury. Try doing dynamic stretches, such as butt kicks and high knees, to get the blood flowing to your muscles and move your joints. End your workout with a cool down by stretching your muscles or taking a slow walk to safely bring your heart rate back to normal.³

Upper/Lower Splits

You’ll do four muscle-strengthening sessions in this sample workout plan: two upper-body and two lower-body days per week. Stick to the same exercises for each of those workouts, gradually boosting the weights and reps as you grow stronger.

Progressive Overload

Romano recommended progressive overload, or doing the same exercises but challenging yourself with heavier weights or more reps. Start with 10 reps for three sets, with a minute of rest between each set for each exercise.

Ten reps is the ideal range for a beginner, said Romano. You might compromise your form if you go over, and you will not become as familiar with the move if you go under. The key is to increase your weight if an exercise feels too easy so you can challenge your muscles.

The Importance of Stretching

Many people often skimp on stretching. Flexibility, however, is key for maintaining the range of motion in your joints and preventing injuries.⁴

Hold each of the following stretches for 30 seconds and then repeat on the opposite side:

• Calf stretch: Steady yourself against a wall, flexing your right foot upward so your toes rest against the wall. Move closer to the wall until you feel a stretch.
• Hamstring stretch: Lie down on the floor next to a wall. Raise your right leg, resting your heel against the wall. Straighten your leg until you feel a stretch.
• Hip flexor stretch: Place a towel under your left knee, kneeling on the floor. Place your right foot in front of you, bending your right knee. Shift your hips forward until you feel a stretch, placing your weight onto your right leg.
• Shoulder stretch: Hold your right arm over your chest with your left arm.
• Quad stretch: Steady yourself by holding on to a wall or the back of a chair. Grab your right ankle, pulling your heel up and back to your butt. Keep your knees pressed together.

Monday: Cardio

Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity, such as biking, jogging, running, and walking. The CDC recommends that you aim for moderate intensity, meaning a heart rate between 64% and 76% of your maximum heart rate.⁵² You’ll be able to hold a conversation while exercising. Vigorous intensity, in contrast, means that you can only say a few words without pausing.⁶

A good rule of thumb for finding your maximum heart rate is subtracting your age from 220. Your maximum heart rate would be 175 beats per minute (bpm), for example, if you are 40. You’ll aim for a heart rate between 112 bpm and 133 bpm.

Steady-state cardio (endurance workouts) improve the stamina of your heart and lungs and reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Your body learns to move oxygen and nutrients into your muscles more efficiently while transporting waste out.⁷ As a result, those exercises will become easier over time, so you’ll want to increase your pace gradually.

Tuesday: Lower Body

With four compound lifts, your first muscle-strengthening session of the week will target your lower body, including your hamstrings, glutes, and quads. Compound lifts are exercises that use multiple muscle groups. A deadlift, for example, works your lower body and your arm and core muscles.

Do 10 reps for three sets, with a minute of rest between each set, of the following exercises:

• Deadlifts: Place your feet shoulder-width apart, push your butt back, bend your knees slightly, and bend forward, keeping your back straight. Grasp a barbell or pair of dumbbells with your hands. Lift the weights by driving your hips forward while keeping your back flat. Slowly lower the weights back to the floor.
• Hip thrusts: Sit on the ground with your shoulders on a bench or stable chair behind you. Keep your feet planted on the ground, and then push your hips up. Squeeze your glutes until your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Lower your hips back to the ground.
• Lunges: Stand in a split stance, so one foot is a few feet in front of the other. Keep your torso straight, and then bend your knees until your back knee is a few inches from the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Push through your heels to return to the starting position. Repeat this move on the opposite sides.
• Squats: Lower yourself like you are sitting in a chair. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your feet flat on the floor. Push back up to standing.

Make sure to perfect your form before adding weights to avoid injury. Add just enough weight so your last couple of reps leave your muscles burning and your heart pumping.

Wednesday: Upper Body and Core

Your legs, which are likely feeling sore, will get a break since you’ll be focusing on your arms today. You’ll target your biceps, triceps, and chest muscles with these moves:

• Bicep curl: Hold a dumbbell in each hand or grasp a barbell with both hands. Let your elbows rest at your sides with your forearms extended out parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows to bring the weight to your shoulders and then return to the start position.
• Chest press: Lie back on a bench with your feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand or a barbell in both. Keep your arms perpendicular to your body and palms facing forward. Extend your elbows, pushing the weight up. Lower the weight to return to the starting position.
• Tricep dip: Sit on a chair or bench and then grip the edge next to your hips. Slide your butt off the chair and lower yourself so your elbows are bent at a 45- or 90-degree angle. Push yourself back to the starting position.

Perform 10 reps of each exercise for three sets with one minute of rest in between each set. Finish this session with a quick core circuit. Pick some of your core moves—such as crunches, planks, and Russian twists—and do each one for 30 seconds with 10–15 seconds off. Repeat the exercises until you hit 10–15 minutes.

Thursday: Active Rest and Recovery

Give your body a chance to recover and recharge. Muscle-strengthening activities create tiny microtears in your muscle fibers, leaving your muscles achy and sore. That may sound alarming, but it actually means your muscles will grow back stronger than before. Not allowing your muscles to recover heightens your injury risk and prevents your muscles from strengthening.⁸

You may get some form of movement in, even on off days, if you are not too sore or tired. Active rest might include walking and stretching, which relieves post-workout muscle tightness.⁸

Friday: Lower Body With a Focus on Glutes

This lower body session will focus on your glutes. Warm up your glutes with five resistance band exercises, such as bridges, clamshells, and squats, for three rounds.

You’ll move on to weighted exercises once you activate your glutes. Romano recommended doing 10 reps for three sets of hinge movements, including deadlifts, hip thrusts, and single-legged hip thrusts. Those exercises target your glutes and hamstrings.

Saturday: Upper Body

Focus on your back and shoulders for your final workout of the week. You’ll want to fire up your muscles before jumping into the weights. Try doing three sets of 10 reps each of push-ups and pull-ups. You can modify with incline push-ups and assisted pull-ups until you build more strength.

You’ll then complete five weighted exercises for 10 reps and three sets. Those exercises include:

• Dumbbell single-arm row: Place one hand under your shoulder, arm straight, on a bench. Rest your corresponding knee on the bench, keeping your other leg out to the side and your foot flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in your other hand, rowing your elbow up to your side until it’s parallel to the floor. Lower and repeat on the other side.
• Lat pull down: Grab the bar of a cable machine with your palms facing away and shoulder-width apart. Make sure you are seated on a bench or kneeling on the floor. Pull the bar down to your chest before returning slowly to the starting position.
• Lateral raise: Standing or sitting with a dumbbell in each hand and arms at your sides, engage your core and slowly lift the weights out to the side until your arms are parallel to the floor. Slowly return to the starting position.
• Reverse fly: With your feet shoulder-width apart, bend slightly at your waist, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Raise both arms out to the side, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position.
• Shoulder press: Either seated or standing, hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Keep your palms facing away and elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. Press the weights up until your arms are straight and the weights touch overhead. Slowly lower to the starting position.

Sunday: Rest and Recovery Day

Celebrate your week of hard work by giving your body time to recover. You can try yoga or stretching to prevent your muscles from getting too stiff and sore.

It’s OK to take a complete rest day, too. Both active and relaxed days off have a place in our weekly routine, whether that’s reading a book on the couch or catching up on Netflix. What matters most is that you listen to your body.

Tips

It can be difficult to stick with a regular workout routine. Here are some ways to make physical activity a consistent habit:⁹

• Invite your friends: Make a plan to meet up with a friend to work out together, which can keep you accountable.
• Make exercise fun: The best way to stick to a workout plan is to find something you enjoy. This sample weekly workout schedule can be a good starting point for how to vary your workouts, but incorporate your favorite activities.
• Schedule your workouts: Block out about 30–45 during the day so you know you’ll always have time to exercise.
• Track your progress: Start a journal in which you write down how far you bike, jog, or walk or how much weight you lift. Seeing your progress can be motivation to keep moving forward.
• Try a workout class: Sign up for a Pilates or Zumba class in your area to try something new.

Don’t Forget Nutrition 

A regular workout routine, in addition to a balanced diet, is essential to overall health.⁹ Eating a nutrient-rich diet helps lower your risk of several chronic illnesses, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Make sure that you get enough carbs, healthy fats, and protein to satisfy your appetite and keep you energized.¹⁰

Here are some tips for a balanced diet:¹⁰

• Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
• Consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Ensure you eat enough calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients.
• Limit your added sugar, alcohol, salt, and saturated fat intakes.
• Opt for lean meats, poultry, and fish over red meat.

A Quick Review

Regular physical activity boosts your mood, decreases heart disease risk, and helps you sleep. Try sticking with this sample workout plan to help you make exercise a consistent habit. Keep in mind, though, that your workout routine will depend on your goals. Make adjustments to this schedule as you progress to help you better achieve those goals.