3-Month Functional Body Plan

Knee-safe fat loss with muscle retention · 6 days/week · built for Archit

Start: 81 kg Target: 72 kg (~15–16 wks) Rate: ~0.5–0.6 kg/wk Height: 180 cm · Age 27 Protein: 80–100 g/day Diet: Veg + dairy, no egg

After a 2-month break, ease in: use the first 1–2 weeks at ~70% of your usual loads to wake up tendons and joints, then push. Every weekday session targets ~60 min lifting + cardio; weekends can run up to 2 hr. Add the 15–20 min warm-up & mobility on top of every session.

What your DEXA scan (4 Jul 2026) means for this plan

Body fat 32.6%, but a solid 50.8 kg of lean mass and excellent bone density (T-score +1.5). Your fat is belly/trunk-dominant (android 47.2%, A/G ratio 1.40) — likely some visceral fat. Two priorities follow:

Cardio dose for visceral fat (added target)

Aim for ~150–200 min/week of knee-safe cardio total. Your weekday finishers cover part of it; add 15–20 min of steady Zone-2 rowing (comfortably hard, can still talk) after 2–3 lifting sessions, plus the Saturday conditioning block. If short on time, the steady rowing matters more for belly fat than an extra lift.

Weekly Split at a Glance

Monday

Push — Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Push
Warm-up (10 min)
  • Rowing machine, easy pace — 4 min
  • Arm circles, band pull-aparts — 2×15
  • Shoulder dislocates with band/stick — 2×10
  • Push-ups (light) to prime chest — 1×10
Workout
Incline dumbbell press4 × 8–10
Smith-machine bench press
work ~40 kg for clean 8–10; keep 55 kg as a rare heavy single/double		4 × 8–10
Seated shoulder press (DB)3 × 10–12
Cable lateral raise3 × 12–15
Cable chest fly3 × 12–15
Triceps rope pushdown3 × 12–15
Overhead triceps extension2 × 12
Cardio finisher (8–10 min)
  • Rowing intervals: 30 s hard / 60 s easy × 6
Cool-down stretch (5–7 min)
  • Doorway / wall chest stretch — 2×30 s each
  • Cross-body shoulder stretch — 30 s/side
  • Overhead triceps stretch — 30 s/side
Tuesday

Pull — Back, Biceps, Hinge

Pull
Warm-up (10 min)
  • Rowing machine, easy — 4 min
  • Cat-cow + thoracic rotations — 2×10
  • Band pull-aparts & scap pulls — 2×15
  • Light hip hinge (no weight) — 1×10
Workout
Romanian deadlift knee-safe hinge
start ~50–60 kg, lighter than your pull		4 × 8–10
Lat pulldown4 × 10–12
Seated cable row3 × 10–12
Chest-supported row machine3 × 12
Face pulls3 × 15
Incline DB curl3 × 12
Hammer curl2 × 12
Cardio finisher (8–10 min)
  • Ski-erg or rowing steady state, moderate
Cool-down stretch (5–7 min)
  • Lat stretch on cable/bar — 30 s/side
  • Seated hamstring stretch (gentle) — 30 s/side
  • Child’s pose — 45 s
Wednesday

Lower (Knee-Safe) & Core

Lower
Warm-up (12 min)
  • Rowing or upper-body bike — 4 min
  • Glute bridges — 2×15
  • Standing hip hinge + hip airplanes — 2×8
  • Spanish squat hold (light) to test knee — 2×20 s
Workout — hip-dominant, low knee stress
Conventional / trap-bar deadlift
work at ~70–80 kg for clean 6–8; save 100+ for occasional singles		4 × 6–8
Barbell / machine hip thrust4 × 10–12
Spanish squat (isometric/reps) rehab-friendly3 × 30–45 s
Cable / machine hip abduction3 × 15
Standing calf raise3 × 15–20
Seated leg curl light, stop if pain2 × 12
Core (love-handle / belly focus)
  • Cable woodchop — 3×12/side
  • Side plank — 3×30–40 s/side
  • Hanging or lying leg raise — 3×12
Cool-down stretch (6–8 min)
  • Hip flexor / couch stretch (gentle) — 30 s/side
  • Glute figure-4 stretch — 30 s/side
  • Hamstring & calf stretch — 30 s/side
Thursday

Upper Hypertrophy — Chest & Back

Upper
Warm-up (10 min)
  • Rowing, easy — 4 min
  • Band pull-aparts + scap push-ups — 2×15
  • Arm circles & thoracic openers — 2×10
Workout (superset chest + back)
Assisted pull-up (machine/band)
you’re at 2–3 bodyweight — set assist so 8–10 feel hard; finish 1 set unassisted		4 × 8–10
Flat dumbbell press4 × 10
Single-arm DB row3 × 12
Incline cable / pec-deck fly3 × 12–15
Straight-arm pulldown3 × 15
Superset: curl + pushdown3 × 12
Cardio finisher (8–10 min)
  • Rowing pyramid: 250 m / 500 m / 250 m, rest as needed
Cool-down stretch (5–7 min)
  • Chest doorway stretch — 30 s/side
  • Lat & upper-back stretch — 30 s/side
  • Neck & biceps stretch — 30 s/side
Friday

Shoulders, Arms & Core

Push
Warm-up (10 min)
  • Rowing, easy — 3 min
  • Band shoulder series (Y-T-W) — 2×12
  • Rotator cuff external rotations — 2×15
Workout
Seated DB / machine shoulder press4 × 10
Lateral raise (DB or cable)4 × 15
Rear-delt fly / reverse pec-deck3 × 15
EZ-bar / cable biceps curl3 × 12
Dips — assisted machine or bench
you’re at 3–5 on bars — use assist for 8–10, then a bodyweight set to failure		3 × 8–10
Shrugs3 × 15
Core (10 min)
  • Cable crunch — 3×15
  • Russian twist / cable rotation — 3×20
  • Plank — 3×45–60 s
Cool-down stretch (5–7 min)
  • Cross-body & overhead shoulder stretch — 30 s/side
  • Triceps & forearm stretch — 30 s/side
  • Standing side-bend (oblique) — 30 s/side
Saturday

Conditioning & Full-Body (up to 2 hr)

Conditioning
Warm-up (12 min)
  • Rowing build-up — 5 min
  • Full dynamic mobility flow — 5 min
A. Knee-safe HIIT circuit — 3–4 rounds, 40 s on / 20 s off
  • Battle ropes (or: med-ball slams / fast band punches / kettlebell swings*)
  • Ski-erg / rowing sprint
  • Seated / standing med-ball slams
  • Push-up to renegade row
  • Hollow-body hold or sit-ups

*Kettlebell swings are a hip hinge — knee-safe if you keep shins near-vertical. Swap in whichever station is free; rotate them to keep it fun.

B. Full-body accessories
Romanian deadlift3 × 10
Incline press or push-ups3 × 12
Cable row3 × 12
Hip thrust3 × 12
Carries (farmer / suitcase)3 × 40 m
C. Steady cardio
  • Rowing or incline upper-body bike — 15–20 min easy/moderate
Cool-down stretch (8–10 min)
  • Full-body static stretch: hips, hamstrings, chest, back, shoulders — 30 s each
Sunday

Rest & Active Recovery

Rest
Recovery (optional, 20–30 min)
  • Easy walk if knee allows, or relaxed rowing — 15–20 min
  • Full mobility / foam-rolling session
  • Long static stretching: hips, hamstrings, chest, shoulders, lower back

This is your day to actually recover — sleep 7–8 hr, hit your protein, and let joints and tendons rebuild. Recovery is when the fat loss and muscle retention happen.

The Daily 15–20 min Warm-up & Mobility (do this every session)

General warm-up (~7 min)

  • 5 min light rowing / upper-body bike to raise core temp
  • Cat-cow ×10, thoracic rotations ×10/side
  • Band pull-aparts ×15, shoulder dislocates ×10
  • Hip circles & glute bridges ×15 (joint prep without knee strain)

Knee-care routine (~7 min, daily)

  • Spanish squat isometric holds — 3×30 s
  • Straight-leg raises ×15/side, glute bridges ×15
  • Calf raises ×20 — supports knee stability
  • Gentle hamstring & hip-flexor stretch — 30 s each
  • Stop any movement that produces sharp/pinching knee pain

Nutrition — this is what drives the 81→74 kg

The honest part about belly fat & love handles

You can’t spot-reduce fat — core training builds the muscle underneath, but the belly and love handles shrink only through an overall calorie deficit. The training keeps the muscle; the kitchen removes the fat. Aim for a ~400–500 kcal/day deficit for ~0.5–0.6 kg loss per week.

Progression & Safety Rules

Exercise Reference — How to Do Each Movement

Form cues, what to feel, and knee/strength notes tuned to where you are now (assisted pull-ups, building dips, deadlift working sets ~50–75 kg).

Chest & Pushing

Smith-machine bench pressYour working weight is ~40 kg for clean reps, 55 kg max. The guided bar fixes the path so it’s safe to push close to failure without a spotter. Train mostly in the 8–10 range at ~40 kg; chase a few more reps before adding weight. Lower the bar to mid-chest with elbows tucked ~45° (not flared), feet planted, and don’t bounce off the chest. Save 50–55 kg for occasional low-rep top sets — in a deficit, holding 40×10 is already a win. When you feel ready, the free-barbell or dumbbell versions add more chest and stabiliser work.
Incline dumbbell pressBench at ~30°. Press dumbbells from shoulder level up and slightly together; lower until you feel a stretch across the upper chest. Keep wrists stacked over elbows, shoulder blades pulled back and down. Builds upper chest — your “defined” look.
Flat machine / barbell pressLower the bar/handles to mid-chest with elbows tucked ~45°, press up without locking out hard. Machine is fine when you want to push close to failure safely without a spotter.
Cable / pec-deck flySlight elbow bend held fixed; bring handles together in a hugging arc, squeeze chest, control back to a stretch. It’s a squeeze, not a press — keep it light and slow.
Push-upsYou can do 10–15 — good. Body in one line, hands just outside shoulders, chest to floor, full lockout. When 15 gets easy, slow the lowering to 3 sec or elevate feet.
Dips (assisted → bodyweight)You’re at 3–5 on bars. Use the assist machine/band so you get a clean 8–10 with chest leaning slightly forward, elbows back, lower until upper arms are parallel. Finish with one all-out bodyweight set. Don’t shrug into your neck.

Back & Pulling

Assisted pull-upYou’re at 2–3 max — this is your priority lift. Set machine/band assistance so 8–10 reps are genuinely hard. Pull elbows down and back, lead with the chest, chin over bar, lower under control. Drop the assist a notch every couple of weeks; finish each session with 1 unassisted set.
Lat pulldownWide-ish grip, pull bar to upper chest by driving elbows down, lean back only slightly. Same pattern as the pull-up — use it to build the volume your bodyweight reps can’t yet.
Seated cable row / chest-supported rowPull to the lower ribs, squeeze shoulder blades together, keep torso still (no heaving). Chest-supported version removes the lower back so you can focus purely on the back.
Single-arm DB rowOne hand and knee on bench, flat back, row the dumbbell to the hip, elbow close. Great for fixing left/right imbalances.
Straight-arm pulldownArms nearly straight, push the bar down in an arc to the thighs using the lats. Isolation move — light weight, feel it in the back, not the triceps.
Face pullsRope at face height, pull toward your forehead with elbows high, externally rotating. Protects shoulders from all the pressing — don’t skip it.

Hinge, Hips & Knee-Safe Legs

Conventional / trap-bar deadliftYour working sets sit ~70–80 kg for clean 6–8; your 110×2 is a near-max, so keep those rare. Hinge at the hips, bar/handles close to body, flat back, drive the floor away and lock out with glutes. Trap-bar is more knee-friendly and easier on the back — prefer it.
Romanian deadlift (RDL)Start ~50–60 kg. Soft knees (fixed, not bending more), push hips back, lower the bar along the thighs until you feel a hamstring stretch, then drive hips forward. Pure hip hinge — almost no knee stress, ideal for you.
Hip thrustUpper back on a bench, bar across hips (use a pad), feet flat. Drive through heels, squeeze glutes at the top until torso is parallel to floor, chin tucked. Big glute builder with minimal knee load.
Spanish squat rehab-friendlyLoop a band around a post and behind your knees. Sit back keeping shins vertical — the band takes the strain off the kneecap. Hold the bottom 30–45 sec. This actively strengthens and de-loads the knee; stop if any sharp pain.
Hip abduction (cable/machine)Push the leg/pad outward against resistance, control the return. Strengthens glute medius — helps knee tracking and stability.
Standing calf raiseRise onto the balls of the feet, full squeeze at the top, slow lower into a stretch. Strong calves support the knee joint.
Seated leg curl light, stop if painCurl the pad down by bending the knees. This is direct knee flexion — go light, move slowly, and skip entirely if it provokes your injury.

Shoulders & Arms

Seated shoulder press (DB/machine)Press from ear height to overhead without fully locking or flaring the ribs. Keep core braced. Builds the “capped” shoulder look.
Lateral raiseSlight forward lean, raise dumbbells/cable out to the sides to shoulder height, lead with the elbows, lower slowly. Light weight, high reps — this is the move that widens your frame.
Rear-delt fly / reverse pec-deckHinge forward (or use the machine), raise arms out to the sides squeezing rear shoulders. Balances all the front pressing.
Biceps curls (incline / EZ / hammer)Elbows pinned to your sides, curl without swinging, squeeze, lower under control. Incline curls stretch the biceps more; hammer curls hit the forearm/outer arm.
Triceps pushdown / overhead extensionPushdown: elbows fixed at sides, extend fully, squeeze. Overhead: keep elbows pointing up, lower behind the head for a deep stretch. Together they cover both triceps heads.
ShrugsHold dumbbells/bar, lift shoulders straight up toward ears, pause, lower. No rolling.

Core (belly & love handles)

Cable woodchopRotate from high to low (or low to high) across the body, pivoting through the trunk, arms relatively straight. Trains the obliques — the love-handle muscles — through rotation.
Side plankBody in a straight line on one forearm, hips stacked and lifted. Direct oblique and deep-core work; build the hold time over weeks.
Hanging / lying leg raiseRaise legs with control using the lower abs, avoid swinging. If grip or shoulders fatigue, do it lying down.
Cable crunchKneel, rope behind head, crunch down by rounding the spine (not the hips), squeeze abs. Lets you load the abs progressively.
Plank / hollow-body holdStraight line, brace the whole midsection, breathe. Builds the bracing strength that protects your back on deadlifts.

Cardio & Conditioning

Rowing machineYour main engine — zero knee impact. Sequence: legs push, then lean back, then pull handle to ribs; reverse to return. For intervals, raise stroke rate/power on the “hard” windows.
Ski-ergStanding or seated, pull the handles down from overhead to the hips using the lats and core. Upper-body driven, knee-friendly conditioning.
Battle ropesAthletic stance with minimal knee bend, drive waves with the arms in 30–40 sec bursts. Big calorie burn, no impact.
Med-ball slamsLift overhead, slam down hard, catch on the bounce. Keep movement at the hips/shoulders, not deep knee dipping.
Loaded carries (farmer/suitcase)Hold heavy dumbbells/kettlebells and walk tall with braced core. Suitcase (one side) hammers the obliques. Builds full-body and grip strength.

Travel / No-Gym Plan — for when you’re away

No equipment needed. A packable resistance band (and a door anchor) adds a lot — throw one in your bag. Everything here is knee-safe: no jumping, running, or deep loaded knee bends. Aim for 3–4 sessions on a trip just to maintain; you won’t lose muscle in a week or two.

Option A

20-min Quick Maintainer

Anywhere
Warm-up (3 min)
  • Arm circles, band pull-aparts, glute bridges, hip hinges — 1–2 min easy movement
Circuit — 3 rounds, minimal rest
Push-ups (incline on desk if needed)12–15
Glute bridges or single-leg bridge15
Plank45 s
Standing calf raises20
Superman / back extension on floor15
Stretch (3 min)
  • Chest doorway, hip flexor, hamstring — 30 s each
Option B

40-min Full Body (bodyweight)

Hotel room
Warm-up (5 min)
  • Marching in place, arm circles, cat-cow, glute bridges, Spanish-squat-style wall hold
Workout — 3–4 sets each
Push-ups (feet-elevated to progress)3–4 × max
Pike push-ups (shoulders)3 × 8–12
Chair / bench dips3 × 10–15
Single-leg glute bridge3 × 12/side
Wall sit (knee-safe, shins vertical)3 × 30–45 s
Superman holds3 × 20 s
Side plank + plank3 × 30–45 s
Cardio (optional, 8–10 min)
  • Shadow boxing or fast standing march/step (no jumping) — 40 s on / 20 s off
Stretch (5 min)
  • Full-body: shoulders, chest, hips, hamstrings, calves — 30 s each
Option C

Resistance-Band Session

Band + door
Warm-up (4 min)
  • Band pull-aparts, shoulder dislocates, glute bridges, hip hinges
Workout — 3 sets each
Band lat pulldown (anchor high)3 × 15
Band row (anchor mid / under feet)3 × 15
Band chest press / push-ups3 × 12–15
Band shoulder press3 × 12
Band Romanian deadlift (under feet)3 × 15
Band lateral raise + curl + pushdown3 × 15
Band face pulls3 × 15
Stretch (4 min)
  • Lats, chest, shoulders, hamstrings — 30 s each

Travel rules of thumb