Looking for an easy, effective 4-day weekly workout routine designed for women? This article has you covered.
I’ll share two exercise plans. The first one focuses on resistance training for building strength and muscle, and the other combines weight training and cardio for fat loss and strength.
Whether your goal is to gain muscle, lose weight, or both, these programs will help you train effectively and become stronger, fitter, and healthier.
Let’s get started.
Programs Summary
| Plan A | Upper Lower Mixed Body Split |
| Plan B | Strength & Cardio Mixed Workout |
| Sessions/Week | 4 (3 days rest per week) |
| Duration/Session | 75-100 minutes |
| Workout Goal | Build Strength & Improve Shape |
| Target Gender | Male and Female |
| Suitable Age Group | 16 to 35 years |
| Experience Needed | Intermediate (can be adjusted to beginner level) |
| Alternate Plan | 12-Week Home Workout Plan for Females |
Plan A: 4-Day Women’s Workout Routine for Strength & Mass
If you’re lean and want to grow your strength and muscle, this four-day routine can help you achieve your fitness goal.
It involves training two muscles daily, allowing you to focus on every muscle group throughout the body within a week.
Schedule:
- Monday: Chest and Shoulders
- Tuesday: Quadriceps and Arms
- Wednesday: OFF
- Thursday: Back and Hamstrings
- Friday: Glutes, Core, and Calves
- Saturday: Cardio (Optional)
- Sunday – OFF
Instructions:
- Warm-up: Start your workout with a quick 5 minutes of warm-up. You can do lightweight resistance training or bodyweight cardio exercises to increase your heart rate and prepare your muscles for the main exercises.
- Rest between sets: If your goal is to increase strength, take 2-4 minutes of rest, 1-2 minutes for hypertrophy, and less than one minute for endurance and calorie burning.
- Loading per set: Increase weight when you lower the number of reps.
Day 1 – Chest and Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Machine Bench Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Flat Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Seated Pec Deck Fly | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| Overhead Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Cable Lateral Raises | 3 | 10/arm |
| Reverse Machine Fly | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
Day 2 – Quadriceps and Arms
Today’s workout will have supersets (performing two exercises one after another without rest). Superset approach helps build strength while burning calories and developing endurance in a shorter time than the standard rep-set method.
| Superset | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Squat & Rope Pushdown | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Leg Press & Overhead Triceps Extension | 3 | 15, 12, 10 |
| Front Lunges & Preacher/Concentration Curl | 3 | 12, 10, 8 |
| Step-up & Hammer Curl | 3 | 12, 10, 8 |
Day 3 – Back and Hamstrings
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown (Medium Grip) | 2 | 12-15 |
| Lat Pulldown (Close Grip) | 2 | 12-15 |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| One-arm DB Row | 3 | 10/side |
| Machine Leg Curl | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| DB Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 12, 10, 8 |
Day 4 – Glutes, Core, and Calves
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Cable Pull Through | 4 | 12-15 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 2 | 12-15 |
| Glute Kickback | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| Machine Ab Crunches | 3 | 10/side |
| Reverse Crunches | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| High-to-Low Cable Chop | 3 | 12, 10, 8 |
Plan B: 4-Day Split Workout for Females to Build Strength & Lose Weight
If you’re slightly overweight and looking to get into shape, try this 4 day split workout routine.
This plan involves performing resistance and cardio exercises together. It will help you build strength, increase lean mass, and lower body fat percentage.
Schedule
- Day 1: Upper Body and Cardio
- Day 2: Lower Body and Abs
- Day 3: Rest
- Day 4: Upper Body and Cardio
- Day 5: Lower Body and Abs
- Day 6– Rest
- Day 7– Rest
Instructions
- Warm-up: Perform aerobic exercises like jumping jacks, mountain climbing, bear crawling, and high knees, and a warm-up set to increase your body temperature before going intense.
- Rest between sets: Keep the rest time as short as possible.
- Adjustment: You can make as many changes to this program as needed.
Monday – Upper Body and Cardio
| Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Machine Bench Press | Chest | 3 | 12-15 |
| Seated Pec Deck Fly | Chest | 3 | 12-15 |
| Cable Lateral Raises | Shoulder | 3 | 10/side |
| Reverse Flyes | Shoulder | 3 | 10-12 |
| Rope Pushdown | Triceps | 2 | 12-15 |
| Bench Dips | Triceps | 2 | 12-15 |
| Treadmill | Full Body | 1 | 10-min |
| Elliptical Machine | Full Body | 1 | 5-min |
| Bicycling | Full Body | 1 | 5-min |
Tuesday – Lower Body and Abs
| Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Lunges | Quad | 3 | 12-15 |
| Leg Press | Quad | 3 | 12-15 |
| Leg Extension | Quad | 3 | 10/side |
| Leg Curl | Hamstring | 3 | 10-12 |
| Hip Thrust | Glute | 2 | 12-15 |
| High to Low Cable Chop | Oblique | 3 | 10/side |
| Ab Machine Crunches | Upper Abs | 3 | 20 |
| Hanging Knee Raises | Lower Abs | 3 | 10 |
Thursday – Upper Body and Cardio
| Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Lat Pull Down | Back | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| Seated Cable Row | Back | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| Chest-Supported Row | Back | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| Overhead Press | Shoulder | 3 | 20, 15, 12 |
| Preacher/Concentration Curl | Biceps | 3 | 12-15 |
| Treadmill | Full Body | 1 | 10-min |
| Elliptical Machine | Full Body | 1 | 5-min |
| Bicycling | Full Body | 1 | 5-min |
Friday – Lower Body and Abs
| Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Squat | Quad | 3 | 12-15 |
| Hack Squat | Quad | 3 | 12-15 |
| DB Romanian Deadlift | Hamstring | 3 | 10-12 |
| Forward Leaning Step-up | Lower Body | 3 | 10/side |
| Prone Frog Curl | Glute | 2 | 12-15 |
| High to Low Cable Chop | Oblique | 3 | 10/side |
| Ab Machine Crunches | Upper Abs | 3 | 20 |
| Hanging Knee Raises | Lower Abs | 3 | 10 |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will this 4-day split make me bulky?
No, women typically don’t bulk up easily due to lower testosterone levels. This 4-day split promotes muscle tone, strength, and a lean physique, especially when paired with a balanced diet. For fat loss and toning, use moderate weights and higher reps (12-20) and keep the rest periods shorter.
How do I balance fat loss and muscle building with this routine (B)?
Combine strength training (moderate-heavy weights, 6-12 reps) with a slight calorie deficit (5-10% below maintenance) and high protein intake (0.8-1g per lb bodyweight). Add HIIT or cardio finishers 1–2 times per week, as in the fat loss/muscle-building split, to burn fat while preserving muscle.
How important is nutrition with a 4-day split?
Extremely important whether you want to put on muscle or lose fat. For muscle building, aim for high protein, such as 120-150g for a 150-lb woman, moderate carbs, and healthy fats. For fat loss, maintain a slight calorie deficit (250-500 below maintenance). Track macros with an app and ensure post-workout protein (e.g., shake or meal) for recovery.
Can I add more core or glute-specific exercises?
Yes, you can add 1-2 extra core exercises, such as planks and leg raises, or glute strengthening exercises like banded lateral walks, donkey kicks, and hip thrusts, at the end of workouts.
