Workouts

So, does cardio kill gains? Not if you program it intelligently. The real muscle killers are: doing too much high-intensity cardio, eating too little, and recovering poorly.

Most people can do cardio and grow muscle at the same time.

When Cardio Can Hurt Muscle Gains

• Too much HIIT. Intervals pile stress on top of lifting.
• Too big of a deficit. If you are cutting hard, recovery suffers.
• Poor sleep. You cannot out-train poor recovery.

How to Add Cardio Without Killing Gains

Best Weekly Setup for Lifters

If you lift 3-5 days/week, this is a solid default:

• Keep most cardio easy (walks, incline treadmill, easy bike).
• Do hard cardio on a separate day from heavy legs when possible.
• Eat enough protein and do not slash calories too aggressively.

Cardio Is Actually Good for Gains (Sometimes)

Easy cardio improves work capacity and can help you recover between sets. Better conditioning often means better training quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Build Your Weekly Plan With AMUNIX

AMUNIX helps you plan lifting and cardio in one schedule - and keep your weekly volume realistic so you can recover and progress.

This article is educational and not medical advice. If you have joint pain or cardiac risk factors, consult a clinician before increasing training volume.

HIIT vs LISS is not a debate about which one is "better." It's about which one you can recover from and repeat. For most people: use mostly easy cardio (LISS) and sprinkle in HIIT when it fits.

Hard sessions are powerful. Easy sessions are sustainable.

What Is HIIT?

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) alternates short, hard bursts with rest or easy work. It is time-efficient and stressful.

What Is LISS?

LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State) is easy, steady cardio like brisk walking, cycling, or incline treadmill. It is easier to recover from and easier to do often.

HIIT vs LISS: The Real Tradeoffs

Simple Weekly Templates

Fat loss + lifting (most people)

• 3-4 lifting sessions
• 2-4 LISS sessions (20-60 minutes)
• 0-1 HIIT session (only if recovery is solid)

Cardio-focused goal

• 2 interval sessions (HIIT or tempo)
• 2-4 easy sessions (LISS)

Frequently Asked Questions

Build a Routine With AMUNIX

AMUNIX helps you balance lifting and cardio across the week - and see when more intensity is helping or hurting.

This article is for education only. Start conservatively and consult a clinician if you have cardiac risk factors.

A good strength training program is simple: practice the big lifts, add weight or reps over time, and recover well enough to repeat. The mistake is jumping programs every two weeks.

Progressive overload + consistency beats fancy programming.

The 3 Rules of Strength Programming

1. Train the movement patterns. Squat, hinge, press, pull, carry.
2. Progress one variable at a time. Reps, then weight, then sets.
3. Recover like it matters. Sleep, protein, and sane volume.

A Simple 3-Day Strength Training Program

This is a beginner-friendly, repeatable plan that builds strength without burning you out.

How to Progress Week to Week

• Start light. Leave 2-3 reps in the tank on week one.
• Add reps first. Hit the top of the rep range before adding weight.
• Add 2.5-5 lb jumps. Small jumps stack up fast.
• Deload when needed. If performance drops for 2+ weeks, reduce volume for 5-7 days.

Common Mistakes

• Too much volume. More sets is not better if you cannot recover.
• Maxing out weekly. Save 1RM tests for occasional checkpoints.
• No pulling work. Rows and pull-ups keep shoulders healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Track Your Progress With AMUNIX

AMUNIX makes it easy to log workouts, track PRs, and see your progress over time - so you can stick with a program long enough to get strong.

This content is educational. Consult a qualified coach or clinician if you have pain or a history of injury.

Cardio workouts do not have to mean an hour on a treadmill. The best cardio is the kind you will actually do consistently - and it should match your goal: fat loss, health, or performance.

Choose a format you enjoy. Consistency is the program.

Pick Your Goal First

5 Cardio Workouts You Can Rotate

1. Zone 2 Walk (Easy)

45-60 minutes at a pace where you can hold a conversation. Great for fat loss and recovery.

2. Incline Treadmill (Easy)

25-40 minutes, incline 8-12%, steady pace. Low impact, easy to progress.

3. Bike Intervals (Hard)

10 rounds: 20 seconds hard / 100 seconds easy. Total time ~20 minutes.

4. Rowing Intervals (Hard)

6 rounds: 1 minute hard / 2 minutes easy. Total time ~18 minutes.

5. Tempo Run (Moderate)

20 minutes "comfortably hard." Not a sprint. Useful if running is your sport.

How Cardio Fits With Lifting

If you lift, keep most cardio easy and separate hard intervals from leg day when possible. Easy cardio improves work capacity and recovery. Too much hard cardio can interfere with leg performance.

Common Mistakes

• Going too hard too often. Most cardio should feel easy.
• Ignoring steps. Walking is the simplest fat loss cardio.
• Doing random workouts. Progress the duration or intensity over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan Your Training With AMUNIX

AMUNIX helps you schedule lifting and cardio in one place - and track your weekly consistency without the mental load.

This article is for education only. If you have heart or respiratory conditions, talk to a clinician before starting intense exercise.

You don't need a complicated program. You need a barbell, a handful of movements, and a plan that actually progresses. Strength training for beginners is simpler than the fitness industry wants you to believe — but there are a few things you need to get right from day one.

This guide covers the exact exercises, the exact program, and the exact mistakes to avoid. No fluff. Just what works.

Strength training for beginners starts with mastering a few compound lifts — not 20 exercises.

Why Compound Movements Come First

Compound exercises work multiple joints and muscle groups at once. They're the foundation of every serious strength program because they deliver the most results per minute in the gym.

Bicep curls and lateral raises have their place — later. As a beginner, your job is to build a base of full-body strength with these five movements:

The 3-Day Full Body Beginner Program

Full body training 3 days per week is the best structure for beginners. You hit every muscle group three times per week, which maximizes the rate at which you learn movement patterns and build strength. Train Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — or any 3 non-consecutive days.

Day A

Day B

Alternate A and B each training day. Week 1: A/B/A. Week 2: B/A/B. Repeat. Each session takes about 45-60 minutes.

Form Tips for the Big Lifts

Bad form doesn't just slow your progress — it causes injuries that take you out of the gym entirely. Here are the non-negotiables for each lift.

Squat

• Feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out 15-30 degrees
• Brace your core — take a deep breath into your belly, hold it, then squat
• Break at the hips and knees simultaneously — don't start by pushing your knees forward
• Hit parallel — hip crease at or below the top of your knee
• Drive through your whole foot, not just your toes

Bench Press

• Retract your shoulder blades — squeeze them together and down before you unrack
• Plant your feet firmly on the floor — leg drive matters
• Lower the bar to your mid-chest, not your neck or belly
• Elbows at roughly 45 degrees to your body, not flared out at 90
• Always use a spotter or safety pins when going heavy

Deadlift

• Bar over mid-foot — not against your shins, not over your toes
• Hips between your shoulders and knees — not too high (stiff-leg), not too low (squat)
• Neutral spine throughout — your lower back should not round
• Push the floor away rather than pulling the bar up — this keeps your back in position
• Lock out by squeezing your glutes, not by hyperextending your back

Progressive Overload: How Beginners Get Strong

Progressive overload means doing more over time. For beginners, this is straightforward: add weight to the bar every session.

If you fail to complete all your reps at a given weight, repeat that weight next session. If you fail three sessions in a row on the same lift, deload by 10% and work back up. This is normal — it's how linear progression works.

Common Beginner Mistakes

1. Program Hopping

The number one mistake. You start a program, hit a bad session, read about a "better" program online, and switch. Three months later you've done five programs and made zero progress. Pick this program and run it for 12 weeks minimum. Consistency beats optimization every time.

2. Going Too Heavy Too Fast

Your ego will tell you to load the bar. Don't listen. Starting light gives you room to practice form and build momentum. A lifter who starts with 95 lbs on squat and adds 5 lbs per session will be squatting 215 lbs in 6 months. That's real progress with zero injuries.

3. Skipping Warm-Up Sets

Never walk up to your working weight cold. If your work sets are at 135 lbs, do:

• Bar x 10 reps
• 95 lbs x 5 reps
• 115 lbs x 3 reps
• Then your working sets at 135 lbs

Warm-up sets prepare your joints, raise tissue temperature, and groove the movement pattern.

4. Neglecting Sleep and Nutrition

You don't get stronger in the gym — you get stronger recovering from the gym. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep and at least 0.7g protein per pound of bodyweight daily. Without these, the best program in the world won't deliver results.

5. Avoiding the Barbell

Machines feel safer. Smith machines feel stable. But free barbells force your stabilizer muscles to work, build coordination, and transfer to real-world strength. Start with the barbell from day one — just start with a weight you can handle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Track Your Beginner Gains With AMUNIX

The single best habit you can build as a new lifter is tracking every workout. You need to know what weight you lifted last session so you know what to lift this session. No guessing. No winging it.

AMUNIX logs your sets, reps, and weight, tracks your progressive overload automatically, and tells you when it's time to increase. Pair it with a coach through the platform and get form feedback before bad habits set in.

Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program. This guide is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

Push Pull Legs (PPL) is the most popular training split for a reason. It groups muscles by movement pattern, gives each muscle group enough volume and recovery, and scales from intermediate to advanced. If you can train 3-6 days per week, PPL probably fits.

PPL organizes your training by movement pattern — push, pull, and lower body.

How PPL Works

Scheduling Options

The Full PPL Program

Push Day

Pull Day

Leg Day

Progression Strategy

PPL works best with double progression:

1. Pick a rep range (e.g., 8-10 reps)
2. Use the same weight until you can hit the top of the range on all sets
3. Once you hit 10/10/10, add 5 lbs (upper body) or 10 lbs (lower body)
4. You'll drop back to the bottom of the range (e.g., 8/8/8) — work back up

PPL vs. Other Splits

Frequently Asked Questions

Build Your PPL With AMUNIX

AMUNIX lets coaches program PPL splits for their clients — or build your own. Track sets, reps, and weight, and see your progression over time.

Always warm up before lifting and consult a qualified trainer if you're unsure about exercise form.

You don't need a gym membership, a barbell, or even a resistance band. The best no equipment workouts use your bodyweight, gravity, and smart programming to build real muscle and burn fat — anywhere, anytime.

This guide gives you three complete programs (beginner through advanced), a 20-minute express routine for busy days, and a HIIT circuit that'll leave you on the floor. No excuses. Just results.

Your body is the only equipment you need.

Why No Equipment Workouts Actually Work

Muscle doesn't know whether it's pushing against a barbell or the floor. It only knows tension, fatigue, and progressive overload. Bodyweight training delivers all three when you program it correctly.

A 2022 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that push-up variations produced comparable chest and tricep hypertrophy to bench press when matched for effort. The key variable isn't the tool — it's intensity relative to your capacity.

No equipment workouts also carry advantages that iron can't match:

• Zero barrier to entry — train in a hotel room, park, or living room
• Joint-friendly loading — closed-chain movements are easier on shoulders, knees, and wrists
• Built-in core work — your stabilizers fire on every rep
• Free forever — no membership, no commute, no waiting for equipment

Workout 1: Beginner Full-Body (No Equipment)

New to training or coming back after a long break? Start here. This routine builds a base of strength and coordination using fundamental movement patterns. Do it 3 times per week with at least one rest day between sessions.

Workout 2: Intermediate Full-Body (No Equipment)

You can knock out 15 solid push-ups and 20 bodyweight squats without breaking form. Good. Now we add harder variations, unilateral work, and more volume. Run this 3-4 days per week.

Workout 3: Advanced Full-Body (No Equipment)

This is for people who own their bodyweight. If you can do 25+ push-ups, pistol squat progressions, and hold an L-sit, you're ready. Train 4 days per week with an upper/lower or push/pull split across the days.

20-Minute Express Routine (When You're Short on Time)

No warm-up excuses. This routine uses a circuit format — move from one exercise to the next with minimal rest. Complete 4 rounds. Total time: 18-22 minutes.

Scale it to your level: beginners do 3 rounds with knee push-ups. Advanced athletes add a tuck jump after the squats and hold a pike push-up instead of standard push-ups.

HIIT Bodyweight Circuit (Fat-Burning Finisher)

This is a standalone conditioning session or a finisher you tack onto any strength workout. Work 30 seconds, rest 15 seconds. Complete 3 rounds through all five exercises. Total: roughly 12 minutes of controlled chaos.

How to Progress Without Adding Weight

The biggest knock against no equipment workouts is the progression problem. You can't just slap more plates on. But there are five reliable ways to make bodyweight exercises harder over time:

The rule: when you can hit the top of the rep range on all sets, apply one of these methods. Don't change everything at once. One variable at a time keeps progress measurable.

FAQ

Track Your Bodyweight Training With AMUNIX

Bodyweight training only works when you track progression — and that means logging reps, sets, variations, and rest periods every session. Scribbling in a notebook is fine until you're 6 weeks deep and can't remember if you did 14 or 16 push-ups last Tuesday.

AMUNIX tracks it all. Log your no equipment workouts, see your progression over time, and let the app tell you when to level up to the next variation. Pair it with nutrition tracking so your training and eating actually work together.

Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program. This guide is for educational purposes and is intended for healthy adults.

Effective muscle building workouts share three things: compound movements that hit multiple muscle groups, enough volume to stimulate growth, and progressive overload over time. Here are the programs that deliver.

Building muscle requires the right training stimulus, nutrition, and consistency.

The 3 Rules of Muscle Building

Program 1: Upper/Lower Split (4 days/week)

Best for intermediates who want muscle growth with manageable gym time. Each muscle hit 2x/week.

Upper Day A

Lower Day A

Upper B and Lower B follow the same pattern but swap exercises: DB bench for barbell bench, pull-ups for pulldown, front squat for back squat, etc.

Program 2: PPL (6 days/week)

For the committed lifter who wants maximum growth. See our full Push Pull Legs guide for the complete program.

Program 3: Full Body (3 days/week)

Best for beginners or people with limited gym time. Hits everything 3x/week with moderate volume per session.

Which Program Should You Choose?

Progressive Overload Methods

1. Add weight. The simplest form. Add 5 lbs upper body / 10 lbs lower body when you hit the top of your rep range on all sets.
2. Add reps. Stay at the same weight but get more reps each week (e.g., 8/8/8 → 9/9/9 → 10/10/10 → add weight).
3. Add sets. Go from 3 sets to 4 sets. Use this when you've been plateaued for a few weeks.
4. Slow the tempo. A 3-second eccentric (lowering phase) increases time under tension without adding load.

Frequently Asked Questions

Build Muscle With AMUNIX

AMUNIX tracks your sets, reps, and weight session-to-session — showing you exactly when you're progressing and when it's time to push harder.

Always warm up before lifting. Consult a qualified trainer if you're unsure about exercise form.

Home workouts work when you stop trying to recreate a full gym session in your living room. You need a few smart movement patterns, a way to progress, and consistency. That’s it.

You don’t need a gym. You need a plan.

What Makes Home Workouts Actually Work

• Train full body 2-4x/week
• Use patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull, carry, core
• Progress weekly: reps, sets, tempo, load
• Keep sessions short: 20-45 minutes

Best Home Workout Plan (3 Days/Week)

Do these on non-consecutive days. If you only have 20 minutes, do the first 3 exercises and leave.

Day A

Day B

Day C

Repeat Day A or Day B and try to beat last week by one rep, one set, or slightly harder variation.

How to Progress (Without More Equipment)

• Add reps until you hit the top of the range
• Add sets (example: 3 → 4 sets)
• Slow the tempo (3 seconds down)
• Harder variations (incline push-up → floor push-up → feet elevated)

Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

Keep it short: 1 minute brisk movement, then hips/shoulders, then 1 easy set of your first exercise. If you want a template, use warm-up routines.

FAQ

Can home workouts build muscle?

Yes — if you train close to failure and progress. The limiter is usually not equipment, it’s consistency.

How long should I rest between sets?

60-120 seconds for most exercises. Rest more if you need it to keep reps clean.

What if I want a faster workout?

Use our quick workouts guide for 20-minute templates.

Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program. This guide is for educational purposes only.

Most HIIT workouts fail for one reason: people turn them into a daily punishment session. HIIT is powerful, but it’s also stressful. If you dose it correctly (2-3 times per week), it can improve conditioning fast without eating your whole schedule.

Short intervals. Real effort. Full recovery.

What HIIT Actually Is (and What It Isn’t)

HIIT = short bursts of hard effort + planned recovery. The “interval” part matters. If you’re just grinding for 30 minutes, that’s not HIIT — that’s cardio you hate.

• Work interval: 10-60 seconds at hard effort
• Rest interval: 20-120 seconds (enough to repeat quality work)
• Total time: often 10-25 minutes
• Goal: repeat high-quality efforts, not survive

HIIT vs Steady-State Cardio

If your goal is fat loss, HIIT can help — but your diet still does the heavy lifting. Start with our calorie deficit guide if you want predictable results.

How Often Should You Do HIIT?

• Beginner: 1x/week
• Most people: 2x/week
• Advanced + good recovery: 3x/week max

If your legs feel cooked for days or your lifts stall, back off. Conditioning should support strength training, not replace it.

3 HIIT Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

1) Beginner HIIT (Low Impact, 16 Minutes)

Run the circuit 4 times. Easy.

2) Gym HIIT (Bike, 15 Minutes)

Warm up 3 minutes easy. Then:

• 10 rounds: 20 seconds hard + 40 seconds easy

3) “No Thinking” HIIT (Row, 12 Minutes)

Warm up 2 minutes. Then:

• 6 rounds: 30 seconds hard + 90 seconds easy

Warm-Up and Cooldown (Don’t Skip)

HIIT without a warm-up is how you pull something. Do 3-5 minutes of easy movement, then a short dynamic warm-up. Use our warm-up routines guide if you want a template.

After HIIT: walk for 3-5 minutes and do light stretching. If you want a simple approach, start with stretching for flexibility.

FAQ

Are HIIT workouts good for fat loss?

They can help, but fat loss still comes from a calorie deficit. Use HIIT for conditioning and time-efficient calorie burn, not as a loophole.

Can I do HIIT every day?

Most people shouldn’t. Recovery is the limiter. If you insist on daily cardio, use steady-state most days and HIIT 1-2x/week.

Should I do HIIT before or after lifting?

If strength and muscle are the priority, do HIIT after lifting or on separate days so it doesn’t ruin your performance.

Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program. This guide is for educational purposes only.

If you want a program that builds muscle and strength without living in the gym, a full body workout is hard to beat. You train the whole body each session, recover, repeat. Simple. Effective. And perfect if you can only lift 3 days per week.

Full body training works because you practice the big lifts often and recover between sessions.

What Is a Full Body Workout?

A full body workout means each session includes:

• A lower-body movement (squat/hinge)
• An upper-body push (bench/overhead press)
• An upper-body pull (row/pull-up)
• Optional accessories (core, arms, calves)

You’re not doing 25 exercises. You’re doing the few that matter, consistently.

Full Body Workout vs Other Splits

If you’re choosing between splits, here’s the clean tradeoff:

The Best 3-Day Full Body Workout Plan

Train on Monday/Wednesday/Friday (or any 3 non-consecutive days). Keep 1-2 reps in the tank on most sets. Add weight slowly.

Day A

Day B

Day C

Progression (How to Keep Getting Results)

Use double progression:

1. Pick a rep range (example: 6-10)
2. When you hit the top end for all sets with good form, add 2.5-5 lb next session

If you feel run down for weeks, don’t “push through.” Take a deload week. It keeps progress moving.

FAQ

Is full body training good for building muscle?

Yes — especially if you train 3 days/week and progress over time. It’s one of the best ways to build muscle with limited weekly sessions.

How long should a full body workout take?

45-75 minutes. If you’re consistently over 90 minutes, you’re doing too much.

Can I do full body workouts at home?

Yes. Use our no equipment workouts and bodyweight exercises guides to build a home version.

Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program. This guide is for educational purposes only.

You don't need a gym membership, barbells, or machines to build real strength and muscle. Bodyweight exercises have been the backbone of military training, gymnastics, and martial arts for centuries. They build functional strength, improve joint health, and you can do them anywhere. Here's how to use them properly.

Bodyweight training builds strength, muscle, and mobility with zero equipment.

Best Bodyweight Exercises by Muscle Group

Not all bodyweight exercises are created equal. These are the movements that actually drive progress, organized by the muscles they hit hardest.

Chest & Triceps

Back & Biceps

Legs & Glutes

Core & Shoulders

Progression Roadmap: Beginner to Advanced

The key to building muscle with bodyweight training is progressive overload — just like with weights. Since you can't add plates to a push-up, you progress by increasing difficulty, volume, or tempo.

Full-Body Bodyweight Workout Routine

This program trains your entire body 3 days per week. It works for a living room, a park, a hotel room, or a prison cell. All you need is a pull-up bar (a door-frame one costs $20).

Day A: Push & Legs Focus

Day B: Pull & Legs Focus

Schedule: Alternate Day A and Day B with at least one rest day between sessions. Example: Mon (A), Wed (B), Fri (A), Mon (B), Wed (A), Fri (B) and so on.

Bodyweight vs. Weights: Which Builds More Muscle?

Short answer: both build muscle. The research backs this up. A 2017 study in the Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness found that push-up progressions produced similar chest and tricep hypertrophy to bench press when equated for effort. The key variable is training close to failure, not the tool you use.

The honest take: bodyweight training is excellent for upper body and core, and it's hard to beat for convenience. But once your legs outgrow pistol squats, weights give you more room to grow. The best approach for most people? Combine both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Train Bodyweight With AMUNIX

AMUNIX makes it easy to track bodyweight workouts, log your progressions, and follow structured programs. Whether you're working with a coach or training solo, the app keeps you on track no matter where you train.

Always warm up before training and consult a qualified professional if you have injuries or medical conditions that may affect your ability to exercise safely.

Not all exercises build muscle equally. Some movements load multiple joints, recruit massive amounts of muscle fiber, and let you push heavy weight through a long range of motion. Others barely register. If your goal is muscle growth, exercise selection matters — a lot. Here's the research-backed list of the best exercises for every major muscle group, and how to program them.

The best muscle-building exercises share a few things in common: heavy loading, long range of motion, and multi-joint action.

Why Compound Movements Are King

Compound exercises — movements that cross two or more joints — are the foundation of every serious muscle-building program. Squats, deadlifts, presses, rows. They earn their spot at the top for three reasons:

• More muscle recruitment. A bench press hits chest, front delts, and triceps simultaneously. A pec deck hits chest — period. More muscle per rep means more growth stimulus per set.
• Heavier loading. You can bench 225 lbs, but you're not doing 225 on a chest fly. Heavier loads create more mechanical tension, the primary driver of hypertrophy.
• Hormonal response. Heavy compound lifts produce a greater acute rise in testosterone and growth hormone. The effect is modest, but it adds up over months and years.

That doesn't mean isolation exercises are useless. They fill gaps that compounds miss — lateral raises for side delts, curls for biceps peak, leg curls for hamstrings. But compounds should account for 60-70% of your total training volume.

Best Exercises by Muscle Group

Chest

Back

Shoulders

Legs

Arms

How to Pick the Right Exercises

Not every exercise on this list belongs in your program at the same time. You need 2-4 exercises per muscle group per session, not 8. Here's how to choose:

Sample Hypertrophy Routine (4-Day Upper/Lower)

Here's how to slot these exercises into a practical upper/lower split focused entirely on growth. Each muscle gets hit twice per week with 10-16 working sets — right in the hypertrophy sweet spot.

Upper Day A (Strength Focus)

Lower Day A (Quad Focus)

Upper Day B (Volume Focus)

Lower Day B (Posterior Chain Focus)

Frequently Asked Questions

Track Your Lifts With AMUNIX

AMUNIX logs every set, tracks progressive overload, and shows you exactly when to add weight. Your coach can program your exercises and monitor your progress in real time. No spreadsheets, no guesswork.

Always warm up before lifting and consult a qualified trainer if you're unsure about exercise form. This guide is for educational purposes only.

The best cardio for fat loss is the one you'll actually do consistently. That said, not all cardio is equal when it comes to preserving muscle, burning calories efficiently, and fitting into a lifting schedule.

The right type of cardio depends on your goals, schedule, and what you're already doing in the gym.

Cardio Types Ranked for Fat Loss

HIIT vs. LISS: The Real Comparison

The HIIT vs. steady-state debate has been going for years. Here's what the research actually shows:

Bottom line: When calories burned are equated, HIIT and LISS produce the same fat loss. HIIT is faster but harder to recover from. LISS is slower but sustainable and doesn't eat into your lifting gains. For lifters, LISS wins.

How Much Cardio Do You Need?

The answer depends on your calorie deficit strategy. Cardio is a tool to increase energy expenditure — not a requirement for fat loss.

Starting Point

• Steps: 8,000-10,000 daily (this alone burns 300-500 extra cal/day)
• Formal cardio: 2-3 sessions per week, 20-30 minutes
• Type: Walking, cycling, or rowing

When to Add More

• Weight loss stalls for 2+ weeks
• You don't want to reduce calories further (already at a comfortable floor)
• Add one session per week or increase duration by 10 minutes — don't jump from 2x to 6x overnight

Cardio + Lifting: How to Schedule

If you lift 4+ days per week, the simplest approach is 20-30 minutes of walking on the treadmill after your lifting session. Done.

Common Cardio Mistakes During a Cut

Frequently Asked Questions

Track Your Cardio With AMUNIX

AMUNIX tracks both your lifting and cardio, connecting your training data with your nutrition to show you what's driving your progress.

Consult a healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program.

Want bigger muscles? Then you need to train specifically for growth — and that means hypertrophy training. It's not the same as strength training, powerlifting, or "just working out." Hypertrophy has its own rules for reps, sets, rest, and tempo. Get them right, and you grow. Get them wrong, and you spin your wheels.

Hypertrophy training is about maximizing muscle growth, not just getting stronger.

What Is Hypertrophy?

Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle fiber size. When you train, you create micro-damage in the muscle. Your body repairs that damage and adds extra protein to the fiber, making it thicker. Over weeks and months, those thicker fibers add up to visible muscle growth.

There are two types:

• Myofibrillar hypertrophy — Growth of the contractile proteins (actin and myosin). Makes you stronger and denser. Driven by heavier loads (1-6 reps).
• Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy — Growth of the fluid and energy stores around the fibers. Makes you bigger (the "pump"). Driven by moderate loads and higher reps (8-15).

For maximum size, you want both. But sarcoplasmic growth is responsible for most of the visual size difference between a bodybuilder and a powerlifter at the same strength level.

The 5 Principles of Hypertrophy Training

1. Volume Is King

Training volume (sets x reps x weight) is the #1 predictor of muscle growth. A 2017 meta-analysis by Schoenfeld found a clear dose-response relationship: more weekly sets per muscle group = more growth, up to about 10-20 sets per muscle per week.

2. The Hypertrophy Rep Range

The classic "8-12 reps for growth" isn't wrong — but it's incomplete. Research shows muscle growth happens across a wide rep range (6-30 reps) as long as sets are taken close to failure. That said, the 8-12 range is practical because:

• It's heavy enough to recruit all motor units
• It's light enough to accumulate meaningful volume
• Joint stress is manageable compared to low-rep heavy work

The hypertrophy zone overlaps with both strength and endurance — use all rep ranges for complete development

3. Progressive Overload

You have to give your muscles a reason to grow. That means gradually increasing the demand over time — more weight, more reps, more sets, or better execution. If you're doing the same 3x10 with the same weight month after month, you're maintaining, not growing.

The simplest approach: when you can hit the top of your rep range on all sets, add weight. If your program calls for 8-12 reps and you hit 12 on every set, add 5 lbs next session.

4. Proximity to Failure

For hypertrophy, most working sets should end 1-3 reps from failure (RPE 7-9). Going to absolute failure on every set accumulates too much fatigue and limits total volume. But stopping 5+ reps short doesn't recruit enough high-threshold motor units to stimulate growth.

5. Rest Between Sets

Longer rest = more total work capacity = more volume = more growth. The old "60-90 seconds for hypertrophy" advice is outdated. A 2016 study by Schoenfeld found that 3-minute rest periods produced significantly more muscle growth than 1-minute rest, because lifters could maintain higher weights across sets.

Practical guidelines:

• Compound exercises (squat, bench, row): 2-3 minutes
• Isolation exercises (curls, flyes, laterals): 60-90 seconds
• Supersets: 0-30 seconds between exercises, 2 minutes between rounds

Hypertrophy Training Volume Over a Mesocycle

Notice the growth stimulus peaks in weeks 3-4, then starts dropping even as volume keeps climbing. That's fatigue outpacing recovery. The deload in week 6 resets it.

Hypertrophy vs Strength Training

You don't have to pick one. Most successful programs like the upper lower split blend both — heavy compounds for strength, then moderate-weight accessories for hypertrophy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Track Your Hypertrophy With AMUNIX

AMUNIX tracks your weekly volume per muscle group, progressive overload, and tells you when to add weight. No spreadsheets needed.

Consult a healthcare professional before starting any new training program. This guide is for educational purposes only.

If you've been training for a few months and want a program that builds real strength and muscle without living at the gym, the upper lower split is your answer. It's the most efficient training split for intermediate lifters — and there's a reason strength coaches have relied on it for decades.

This guide gives you everything: the science behind why it works, a complete 4-day program you can start today, and the progression strategy that keeps gains coming month after month.

The upper lower split divides your training into upper body and lower body days for balanced muscle development

What Is an Upper Lower Split?

An upper lower split divides your training into two categories:

• Upper body days — chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps
• Lower body days — quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core

You train 4 days per week, hitting each muscle group twice. This frequency is the sweet spot backed by research — a 2018 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine found that training a muscle group twice per week produces significantly more hypertrophy than once per week, even when total training volume is equal.

Upper Lower Split vs Other Training Splits

How does the upper lower split compare to other popular programs?

The upper lower split hits the perfect balance: high enough frequency to maximize growth, low enough days to fit a real life. Four days in the gym, three days to recover. That's it.

The Complete 4-Day Upper Lower Split Program

This program is designed for intermediate lifters (6+ months of consistent training). It uses a heavy/light structure — your first upper and lower sessions focus on heavier compound lifts, while the second sessions use moderate weight with more volume.

A typical upper lower split week: Upper A, Lower A, rest, Upper B, Lower B, rest, rest

Weekly Schedule

Day 1 — Upper A (Strength Focus)

Day 2 — Lower A (Strength Focus)

The four pillars of the upper lower split: bench press, squat, overhead press, and deadlift

Day 3 — Rest

This mid-week rest day is critical. Your central nervous system recovers from the heavy compound work. Light walking or stretching is fine, but no resistance training.

Day 4 — Upper B (Volume Focus)

Day 5 — Lower B (Volume Focus)

How to Progress on the Upper Lower Split

The program means nothing without progression. Here's the system that guarantees you keep getting stronger:

Common Upper Lower Split Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

1. Going Too Heavy on Volume Days

Upper B and Lower B are not the same as A days with different exercises. The point of volume days is controlled, moderate-weight work that drives metabolic stress and time under tension. Leave your ego at the door and focus on the squeeze.

2. Skipping the Rest Day Mid-Week

Training 4 days in a row and resting 3 defeats the purpose. The Wednesday rest day separates your strength and volume blocks, allowing your nervous system to recover. Keep it.

3. Neglecting Progressive Overload

If you're lifting the same weights month after month, you're not training — you're exercising. Track every set, every rep, every weight. If it isn't tracked, it didn't happen.

4. Ignoring Nutrition

Training is the stimulus. Food is the builder. Without adequate protein (0.7-1g per pound of bodyweight) and sufficient calories, your upper lower split won't deliver results. Track your macros alongside your workouts.

Who Should Use the Upper Lower Split?

Frequently Asked Questions

Track Your Upper Lower Split With AMUNIX

The difference between lifters who make progress and lifters who spin their wheels? Tracking. Writing sets and reps in a notes app doesn't cut it. You need a system that tracks your progressive overload, tells you when to increase weight, and adapts your program based on your actual performance.

AMUNIX does this automatically. Log your workouts, track progressive overload, and let the app's adaptive programming tell you exactly what weight to lift next session. Pair it with macro tracking to make sure your nutrition supports your training — all in one app.

Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program. This guide is for educational purposes and is intended for healthy adults with training experience.