With Avengers: Endgame coming out, you’ll see lots of pieces about how to get a Thor- or Black Widow–style body. Following a routine can help you lean out if you stay consistent and don’t overeat. That said, one big mistake people make when aiming to get lean is not prioritizing strength.
Many folks in pursuit of fat loss crank up training volume—lots of high‑reps, endless cardio—and jump on Keto. That approach can work for a while, but I’m a realist and have seen the same pattern repeat again and again. At first you feel great: fat melts away, abs show, and dating apps buzz. Then you don’t feel so hot. You’re tired, cold, achy, and motivation drops. The heavy training plus a low-calorie, low‑carb diet takes its toll. You start to wonder if the frustration behind Wolverine’s rage is really about all the burpees and the craving for real carbs.
I’m not saying those popular fat‑loss plans are useless. I’m suggesting a slight shift in how you think about it. What makes muscle and what keeps it? Even if fat loss is the goal, I still want my clients to strength train. For many, the real driver of fat loss is the diet—finding a strategy that creates a deficit and is sustainable for the person. Diet plans vary: some do well on Keto (though many who think they’re in Keto aren’t truly there), some on Paleo, some with intermittent fasting, and so on. The key is consistency and fitting the plan to your life and goals. I’ll skip a deep dive into nutrition here, but the main point is that strength training matters for fat loss.
In a caloric deficit, the goal of strength work is to maintain as much muscle as possible. Give the body the stimulus it needs to hold onto muscle. What builds and preserves muscle is lower‑repetition, strength work. That doesn’t mean you should abandon density sets, finishers, circuits, or HIIT; they can help accelerate results. But nutrition is usually the bigger factor in fat loss.
From where I sit, people often put too much emphasis on fancy protocols and end up losing muscle and looking smaller and weaker. There’s a simple way to prevent this: a straightforward plan with solid heavy work a few times per week, using the big lifts—deadlift, squat, and bench—while you continue with your fat‑loss programming.
Example muscle‑maintaining program (not a fat‑loss plan)
Day 1
– A. Work up to a challenging set of five on a squat variation (front, back, Zercher, Anderson, or safety bar)
– B1. The same squat variation for 3×3 at the same load
– B2. DB bench press 3×8
– C1. DB Romanian deadlift
– C2. Push-ups
– C3. Gripless face pulls
– 8–10 reps each, 10‑minute density circuit
– D1. 1‑leg hip thrust
– D2. DB curls
– 10–15 reps each, 8‑minute density circuit
Day 2
– A. Work up to a challenging set of five on a bench variation (regular, close‑grip, decline, incline, Larsen)
– B1. The same bench variation for 3×3 at the same load
– B2. 1‑arm DB row 3×10 per arm
– C1. Goblet squat
– C2. Pull‑through
– C3. Reverse crunch
– 8–10 reps each, 10‑minute density circuit
– D1. Prone incline reverse fly
– D2. Tricep French press
– 10–15 reps each, 8‑minute density circuit
Day 3
– A. Work up to a challenging set of five on a deadlift variation (conventional, sumo, trap bar, block pull)
– B1. The same deadlift variation for 3×3 at the same load
– B2. 2‑KB racked carry: 3×30 yd
– C1. Chest‑supported row
– C2. Goblet reverse lunge
– C3. Band reverse flye walkout
– 8–10 reps each, 10‑minute density set
– C1. 2‑arm landmine press or DB push press
– C2. Bodyweight step‑ups
– 10–15 reps each, 8‑minute density set
See? It’s not crazy. You don’t need to overcomplicate it. Keep it simple, work hard, and aim to finish each session in under an hour, including warm‑up. This approach may clash with the “more is better” style some fat‑loss programs use, but with diet in check, it can help you keep the muscle you have while you lean out.
And yes, diet matters most—the main driver of fat loss. Keto or other plans can work for some, but the real key is choosing something you can stick with. In short: train for strength, eat to create a deficit, and keep things simple.
