A 4 week workout plan with the weekly plan builder looks like this: a starting week, a step up after an easy week, an easing off after a rough one, and a planned easy week at week 4.
Please check with your doctor before starting a new plan, especially after a long break, an injury or if you take medication.
Who is in this example?
This is an illustrative example, not a real person's results. Meet an intermediate trainee who chooses 3 workouts a week, medium sessions and a general fitness goal. Using the real rules, that starts at 80%.
One thing to know before we begin: each week's percentage is worked out from the setup answers plus last week's check-in. It isn't stacked on top of the previous week's number.
What does the month look like?
| Week | Check-in from last week | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First plan, no check-in | 80%, 3 workouts |
| 2 | Hard 4, tired 4, all sessions finished | 90% (+10), 3 workouts |
| 3 | Hard 8, tired 8, about half finished | 70% (-10), 2 workouts |
| 4 | Planned easy week | 60% (-20), 2 workouts, no For Time or Tabata |
Every day in all four weeks recommends 10,000 steps, which can be adjusted, and rest days suggest about 10 minutes of stretching.
What happens in each week?
Week 1: the baseline. A first plan, so there's nothing to check in on. The trainee does the three workouts at 80% and, importantly, writes down how it felt.
Week 2: the step up. Last week was rated 4/10 hard and 4/10 tired, and every session was finished. Strain is 4, which falls in the "up to 5" band, so the plan steps up by 10%.
Week 3: the rough patch. Week 2 was tougher than expected. Hard 8 and tired 8 gives a strain of 8, which is above 7.5, so the plan eases off by 10%. They finished about half their sessions, which also means one fewer workout day. Nothing in the rules says this is a failure. It is the builder responding to a hard week.
Week 4: the planned easy week. Weeks 4, 8 and 12 are lighter by design. The plan drops by 20%, loses one workout day and leaves out For Time and Tabata workouts. The deload week idea is simple: let the effort catch up.
What does the trainee learn?
- Honest scores steer the plan. The rough patch only counted because it was reported.
- A lighter week isn't a setback. Week 3 gave them room to finish what they started.
- The easy week arrives whether you need it or not. That's the point.
- Week 5 is a fresh check-in. The plan responds to week 4, not to the whole month.
If your own month wobbles in a similar way, you're doing it right. See how long to get back in shape for realistic timelines, and the 30-day restart plan if you're coming back from a long break.
How would you run your own month?
- Build your first plan at /#plan.
- Copy or download it, because the app doesn't save it.
- Log each session somewhere you'll find it, such as a notes app or an AI tool. The AI tool is independent and doesn't represent Fatboy Fitness. See track your week with a Claude or ChatGPT Project.
- At the end of the week, score it using the honest rating guide.
- Come back, choose "Coming back" and answer the check-in.
FAQs
Will my month look like this?
Probably not exactly. This is one example built from the real rules, and your answers will take your plan somewhere else.
What if I get a recovery week instead?
If you report pain, tiredness of 9 or 10 or a very hard week with high tiredness, the plan becomes a recovery week. See the recovery week workout plan.
Do I have to build all four weeks?
No. The builder makes one week at a time, and you choose when to come back.
The bottom line
A good first month has a baseline, a step up, a wobble and an easy week, and all four are normal. Start with the first plan and let each check-in shape the next. Build your weekly plan.
Go train, FATBOY.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Train at your own risk. If you have a health condition, take medication or are unsure whether exercise or a diet change is right for you, talk to your doctor first.
- weekly plan
- 4 week workout plan
- example