4 Month Fitness Plan

Four months is a realistic time frame to make some radical changes in your fitness and physique. Fitness comprises nine different qualities -- strength, power, agility, balance, flexibility, muscular endurance, cardio endurance, strength endurance and coordination, according to athletics coach Brian Mackenzie. Rather than trying to break your training down to improve each of these individually though, by focusing on improving your strength, cardio endurance and body composition, you'll get fitter across the board. Be sure to check in with your health care provider before beginning a new exercise routine.

  1. Month One

    • Break yourself in gently in the first month. Perform three cardio and two weightlifting sessions each week. Dr. Paul Weitzel of the New England Baptist Hospital and Boston Sports & Shoulder Center recommends starting with 30- to 40-minute light cardio sessions such as walking, stationary cycling and lifting in the eight- to 12-repetition range in your weights sessions. Keep your strength workouts simple -- perform body-weight squats or squats with light dumbbells, pushups or dumbbell chest presses, a machine or cable row to work your back muscles and a core exercise such as a plank or curl-up.

    Month Two

    • Step things up a gear in month two. Instead of easy cardio sessions, switch over to interval training. Jennifer Cassetty, master trainer at Crunch Fitness, recommends a treadmill workout, consisting of a four-minute warm-up, followed by two minutes of walking and one minute of running, repeated three times and followed by a five-minute cool-down. While it's designed for the treadmill, you could do this workout with any form of cardio. Aim to add an extra running interval every week of the month. For your strength workouts, stick to three sets of eight to 12, but move to more advanced exercises -- barbell squats instead of body weight, go heavier on your chest presses or find a more advanced way of doing pushups, such as with your feet elevated, use a dumbbell or a barbell for rows and add deadlifts to your routine too. If you're unsure of any exercises, find an instructor to give you a hand.

    Month Three

    • By month three you should be seeing noticeable changes in your fitness. Your weekly schedule won't change too much and you'll stick with three cardio and two weights sessions. Make your intervals more challenging by increasing your intensity and reducing your rest. Instead of a minute at a moderate pace and two minutes at an easy pace, perform 15 seconds at high intensity and 75 seconds at a steady pace. For the weights workouts, increase the amount of weight you used on each exercise in month two and start supersetting your moves. This involves performing a set on one exercise, then immediately performing a set on another. Perform your eight to 12 tough reps on squats, then go into eight to 12 challenging deadlift reps. Rest for 60 to 120 seconds and repeat twice more. Do the same for your two upper-body moves.

    Month Four

    • Finish your four-month plan with a peaking phase. Stay with 15 seconds on your work intervals, but reduce the recovery time to 45 seconds and aim to complete eight to 12 rounds. Introduce more intense forms of cardio too. If you've been using low-impact options such as the stationary bike or elliptical, head outside to run some hill sprints or stairs, or try a swimming interval workout. For the strength workouts, you'll be aiming to set some personal records. Stick with the same plan from month three in the first two weeks of month four, just aiming to lift a little heavier, or increase your reps by one or two each workout. In week three take it slightly easier, by reducing your weights by 30 to 50 percent. In the final week, aim to set a five-repetition maximum on each exercise. This involves lifting the maximum amount of weight you can with good form for five reps.