Fitness Cheat Sheet — Life Cheat Code

Fitness Cheat Sheet

Practical exercise framework for busy schedules. Consult a doctor before starting if you have any health conditions.

Day	Workout	Duration	Focus
Monday	Full body strength A	30–40 min	Squat, push-up, row, hinge (deadlift variation)
Tuesday	Walk or light cardio	30 min	Active recovery — 6,000–8,000 steps
Wednesday	Full body strength B	30–40 min	Lunge, pike push-up, pull variation, plank
Thursday	Rest or yoga/stretching	20 min	Recovery — flexibility and mobility
Friday	Full body strength A	30–40 min	Progression on Monday's exercises
Saturday	Cardio (cycling/swim/jog)	30–45 min	Zone 2 — conversational pace
Sunday	Complete rest	—	Sleep, recover, meal prep

★Progressive overload = the key. Add 1 rep or tiny weight increase each week. Consistency over intensity. Miss a day → skip don't quit.

Neck roll — Chin to chest, slowly roll head side to side. 5 reps each side. Relieves neck tension from screen time
Chest opener — Clasp hands behind back, squeeze shoulder blades together, hold 15s. Reverses forward-slouch posture
Hip flexor stretch — Kneel on one knee (lunge position), push hips forward gently. 30s each side. Undoes 8hr sitting tightness
Thoracic rotation — Seated, hands on shoulders, rotate trunk left + right gently. 10 reps each. Fixes stiff mid-back
Wrist/forearm stretch — Extend arm, bend wrist back, hold 15s. Then bend wrist forward, hold 15s. Prevents RSI from typing
Standing calf raise — Stand up from desk, 15 calf raises on both feet. Improves circulation after long sitting

★Set a reminder every 90 minutes to stand up and do 2 minutes of movement. Prolonged sitting negates even regular exercise.

Sleep: 7–9 hours is when muscle repair happens. Less sleep = slower strength gains and more injury risk
Protein timing: Within 1 hour of strength training for best muscle protein synthesis
DOMS (muscle soreness): Normal 24–48h after new exercise. Train through mild soreness. Rest for sharp/joint pain
Deload week: Every 4–6 weeks, reduce intensity by 40–50%. Prevents overtraining and plateaus
Active recovery > full rest: Light walk, yoga, swimming on rest days is better than total inactivity
Hydration during exercise: 200ml water every 20 minutes during vigorous exercise. Urine should be pale

Zone	Heart Rate	Effort	Benefit	Daily Steps
Zone 1 — Recovery	50–60% max HR	Easy walk, can hold conversation fully	Active recovery, circulation	5,000–7,000
Zone 2 — Fat burn	60–70% max HR	Brisk walk/light jog — slightly breathless	Fat burning, endurance base	8,000–10,000
Zone 3 — Aerobic	70–80% max HR	Moderate jog — breathless but sustainable	Cardiovascular fitness	Target 30 min session
Zone 4 — Threshold	80–90% max HR	Hard run — hard to speak full sentences	Speed, fitness improvement	1–2× per week max

★Max HR estimate = 220 − age. Zone 2 is the BEST zone for health — do 80% of cardio here. High-intensity (Zone 4) 2× week is enough.