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Weekly Exercise Schedule For Weight Loss

Drop 1 Pound by Next Week With This Plan

If you're trying to drop pounds and new to the whole exercise scene, then knowing exactly what to do can be a struggle. Since cardio, strength training, stretching, and days of rest are all equally important, here's a weekly schedule to help you balance it all out and still see results.

In order to lose one pound a week, you need to burn 3,500 calories per week or 500 per day. But exercise is just one piece of the weight-loss puzzle; if you utilize diet changes by cutting calories, then you won't be bound to intense 500-calorie-burning workouts every day. The chart below will give you an example of how to exercise and cut calories in order to burn 3,500 calories per week.

*Check with your doctor before starting any type of exercise plan.

Day Workout Diet Caloric Deficit
Monday Cardio: 60-minute walking-jogging workout (330 calories)
Stretching: 10 minutes (40 calories)
Cut 200 calories 570
Tuesday Cardio: 30-minute bike ride at 14 mph (steady-state pace) (270 calories)
Strength training and stretching: 60-minute fast-paced yoga class such as Vinyasa (269 calories)
Cut 50 calories 589
Wednesday Rest day or take a 20-minute walk at a 20-minute/mile pace (66 calories) Cut 250 calories 316
Thursday Cardio: 60-minute indoor cycling class (413 calories) or 45-minute vigorous swim (446 calories)
Strength training: 20 minutes (119 calories)
— if you biked: 10-minute
arm and shoulder workout and flat-abs workout
— if you swam: 10-minute leg and butt workout and 10-minute tighter-core workout
Stretching: 10 minutes (40 calories)
Cut 50 calories 655
Friday Cardio: 20-minute run at 10-minute/mile pace (180 calories)
Strength training and stretching: 60-minute fast-paced yoga class such as Ashtanga, Vinyasa, or Power (269 calories)
Cut 50 calories 499
Saturday Cardio: 60-minute Zumba class (324 calories) or 60-minute hike/snowshoe (324 calories)
Strength training: 20 minutes (119 calories)
10-minute arms and core workout
Stretching: 10 minutes (40 calories)
Cut 100 calories 583
Sunday Rest day or take a 20-minute walk at a 20-minute/mile pace (66 calories) Cut 250 calories 316

This is just an example of how you can break down your weekly workouts, so you can mix it up as you see fit with your schedule and exercise preferences. Each week, it's best to include at least four cardio workouts (mix up the types and always stretch afterward) and two to three strength-training workouts. And don't forget to throw in days of rest so your muscles have time to recover and get stronger.

**Calculations for calories burned are based on a 130-pound woman. Check this SparkPeople website for more accurate calculations based on your weight.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Ericka McConnell
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