Ever keen to refresh our exercise routines, we love exploring new workout trends here at MC UK. But, if a trend isn’t realistic, attainable, or easy to maintain, then it’s probably not going to be one for us (75 Hard challenge, we’re looking at you).
Safe to say that when we spotted the 4-2-1 method doing the rounds on our favourite social platforms, we were eager to learn more. So, do PTs recommend the newly trending workout plan, or would they be quick to dismiss it as a fad?
Well, the former it would seem. After speaking to fitness professionals, it’s clear that it’s considered a well-rounded approach to exercise with a lot of physical health benefits.
“The 4-2-1 method is a flexible training framework that allows individuals to adapt their resistance training, cardiovascular training, or mobility routines to work towards their specific goals,” Samuel Quinn, personal training lead at Nuffield Health advocates. “It’s an effective approach that can help build muscle and strength, improve cardiovascular fitness, and enhance flexibility and mobility.”
Sounds good to us, but what exactly does the 4-2-1 workout method entail? Well, it seems a lot of people are enjoying the 4-2-1 method at the minute (just do a quick search on TikTok or Instagram and you’ll see), which indicates that it’s an accessible exercise plan. And after doing a bit of digging, it seems that the popularity of the 4-2-1 is rooted in its focus on strength training, which we all know is a big priority for a lot of people.
Eager to know more about the 4-2-1 method and whether it’s right for you, we’ve got your need-to-knows below. And if you love hearing about the latest exercise trends, there’s plenty more where that came from. We’ve covered the 3-2-1 workout method, the viral 12-3-30, the 30-30-30 workout trend, and the 3-2-8 method. Who knew there were so many ways to plan our exercise routines?
Ever heard of the 4-2-1 workout method? Your guide
What is the 4-2-1 workout method?
“The 4-2-1 workout method is a weekly exercise routine that combines four strength or resistance training workouts, two cardio workouts, and one mobility or rest day,” Quinn explains.
So, if following the 4-2-1 workout method, you’d do four days of strength training, two days of cardio, and one day of mobility (i.e. stretching or walking), or simply rest throughout the week. The workouts can be done in any order and to any length of time, so there’s still some flexibility with how you exercise.
Social media has played a big part in the recent popularisation of the 4-2-1 method, with fitness professionals like Dr. Robin Barrett (@dr.robinb on TikTok), sharing content that highlights the effectiveness of this method.
“But, this type of training regime has been used by strength coaches for decades as an effective way to build strength, muscle, and improve cardiovascular fitness,” Quinn adds.
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What do experts think about the 4-2-1 workout method?
As the 4-2-1 workout method involves working out six days a week, it’s considered quite an intense exercise plan, especially for beginners. But, the experts do still recommend the 4-2-1, primarily because it can be adapted to suit our own preferences and lifestyle.
“It all comes down to the time available within the individual’s lifestyle,” personal trainer Emily Wallis from Les Mills offers. “The four strength sessions for women are 100% at the top of the training list, for improved bone density and reduction in the onset of any possible osteoporosis. But the two cardio sessions could be tagged onto the end of a strength session instead of making them a separate session and taking extra time out of someone’s day.”
Adapting the 4-2-1 workout method so that it works for you is the key to its success, according to PTs. And because the method offers a well-rounded approach to fitness, there’s a lot we can gain from trying it, as Jenni Tardiff, a master trainer at The Gym Group points out.
“The 4-2-1 method is a great way to build a fitness routine,” she told MC UK. By combining strength training to build muscle, cardio to improve heart health, mobility and stretch work to improve flexibility, plus a rest day to avoid burnout, you give each area its own dedicated focus, which reduces the risk of overtraining and gives your body enough time to recover.”
What are the benefits of the 4-2-1 workout method?
We’ve already touched on the potential benefits of the 4-2-1 workout plan. Below is some more info around these benefits, which according to the experts, we can expect to experience if we give it a go.
1. It leaves room for flexibility
“The 4-2-1 method is a flexible training framework that allows individuals to adapt their resistance training, cardiovascular training, or mobility routines to work towards their specific goals,” PT Quinn clarifies.
Flexibility is really important with any workout plan. Life happens after all, and if we feel pressured to stick to a rigid structure, we’re less likely to maintain a consistent exercise routine.
Fortunately, the 4-2-1 workout method can be adjusted to suit your needs. For instance, if you’re facing a particularly busy week, your strength training sessions could be as short as ten minutes – check out our writer’s take on this when she strength trained for ten minutes every day for a week and you’ll see that it can be a nice, balanced approach. Then, one of your cardio workouts could be increasing your daily step count.
Other weeks, you might want to commit to longer and more intense workouts – happily, you can do it in a way that works for you.
2. Strength training is a key focus
The benefits of strength training are well-established. This heavily cited paper from 2021 found that strength training may increase lean muscle mass, and other studies have suggested that building muscle may improve our metabolic rate.
So, the fact that the 4-2-1 workout method involves four days of strength training is a big green tick. “Hypertrophy, strength, sports performance, or muscular endurance can all be achieved with four days of strength training per week, as two days per week is the minimum required to stimulate adaptation for these goals,” Quinn confirms.
3. We can target multiple muscle groups
Because our strength training is spread out over four days with the 4-2-1 method, we can target multiple muscle groups over the course of the week. We’re not restricted to just upper and lower body workouts, for example, but can instead focus on particular muscles in the arms, the back, and the legs on each day we train. As research has shown that training multiple muscle groups can lead to significant gains in strength, this is a huge benefit of the 4-2-1 plan.
“You can focus on a performance-related goal, target specific body parts, or utilise various training systems within these four resistance training sessions,” Quinn offers.
4. It improves cardiovascular health
“Finally, the addition of two cardiovascular training days and one mobility or rest day helps maintain cardiovascular health, which is crucial for longevity and fitness performance,” Quinn says.
While we should aim to make strength training a key focus (especially as we age), it’s really important to engage in cardio activity too, whether that’s running, cycling, or a walking workout. The NHS recommends that adults commit to 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. The 4-2-1 workout method makes this attainable because it gives us two dedicated cardio sessions, and leaves room for walking throughout the week (which counts as part of the 150 minutes of moderate exercise, F.Y.I.).
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Are there any risks to the 4-2-1 workout method?
While PTs and fitness pros are fans of the 4-2-1 workout method, it’s still important that we approach it with caution. Working out six days a week is a lot, and won’t be feasible for everyone. In particular, those who are new to exercise might be more suited to a different workout plan which involves more than one rest day per week.
“If you’re new to working out, four strength sessions might be a lot at first and could cause DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness),” master trainer Tardiff says. “With any workout plan, it’s always best to increase your training volume over time and ensure to listen to your body.”
Personal trainer Luke Hughes, co-founder of Active Careers agrees. “Six days of training can lead you to feel burnt out and put you at risk of injury, especially if you don’t alternate the intensity of your workouts,” he told MC UK. “It’s important to schedule adequate rest outside of your training hours to give your body plenty of time to recover.”
So if you’re currently only exercising once or twice a week, it’s not advised to jump head first into the 4-2-1 plan. Instead, start building up your exercise routine and incorporate strength training as a key focus – you can use our beginners’ strength training guide for women for help.
All in all, the 4-2-1 method is best suited to individuals who are already in a comfortable workout routine, and looking for more structure around how they exercise each week.
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How should I use the 4-2-1 method?
If you are planning on using the 4-2-1 method, it’s a good idea to plan your weekly workouts ahead of time. An example schedule could be: strength training on Monday and Tuesday (split into lower and upper body), cardio on Wednesday, recovery on Thursday, strength training on Friday and Saturday (again, split into lower and upper body), and cardio on Sunday.
“You can build a schedule that works for you and your commitments,” PT Tardiff says. “Just make sure to schedule your workouts accordingly to allow your muscles to fully recover and avoid over-training.”