Establishing a workout plan will keep you on the path towards reaching your fitness goals. Your workout plan can kickstart your journey from building strength to losing weight and increasing cardiovascular endurance! This beginner gym workout uses bodyweight exercises to engage all major muscle groups. Start with four sets for each large body part and three sets for smaller body parts, aiming for an 8–12- rep range.
1. Warm Up
Beginners to the gym often make the mistake of trying to learn too many movements all at once or committing too much time and energy into learning them at once. A three-day routine focusing on the core and major muscle groups would be more suitable as an initial approach to creating a workout habit.
Warm-up exercises like lunges and arm circles, as well as dynamic stretching, will increase blood flow to your muscles, raising your heart rate and helping your body be ready for physical activity and reducing risk of injury.
2. Stretching
Stretching is an effective way to increase muscle elasticity, improve circulation, and ease muscle soreness. Regular stretching sessions also correct posture and increase physical coordination. Beginners should start their workout by warming up for five to ten minutes to increase heart rate and start sweating before doing any stretching exercises or performing strength training exercises. This procedure will prepare the muscles for their workout while making them more flexible—helping reduce injury risk.
Static stretching involves positioning the limb into an extended position and holding it there without moving any muscles, while dynamic stretching involves using one limb to cause stretching of other limbs—for instance, by placing a book or folded blanket under your left knee and pressing your right foot against the ground until the intensity rating reaches 5-6 on an intensity scale.
3. Strength Training
When thinking of strength training, many may imagine a gym full of barbells and weight plates as the only form of resistance exercise available to them. But this approach to strengthening is far from your only choice! There are other forms of resistance exercises you could be doing, too!
Bodyweight exercises like lunges and pushups are an effective way to start strength training. You can add additional resistance by using milk jugs, suitcases, or actual dumbbells. Prior to engaging in any new form of exercise, those suffering from health conditions or injuries should consult their GP. He or she may refer them to an exercise physiologist or GP obstetrician for guidance; pregnant women can speak to a maternal health nurse for guidance.
4. Cardio
Aerobic exercise (cardio), otherwise known as cardiovascular training, refers to any rhythmic movement that increases heart rate to target levels necessary for burning calories. This broad definition covers walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling, as well as household tasks such as dusting, mopping, vacuuming, or landscaping.
On average, adults should strive for 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous cardiovascular activity each week, such as taking 20-minute walks daily or participating in group fitness classes or group exercise sessions. Beginners might start out by going for short strolls every day or attending weekly group fitness classes or sessions. To prevent yourself from growing bored with your workout routine, it may be beneficial to incorporate different kinds of exercises each session—this practice is known as cross-training—as your body can reduce injury by not overusing one muscle group too often during workouts.
5. Interval Training
If your workouts have become mundane or you have reached a plateau, interval training may provide just the motivational push needed to break through it. With short bursts of intense effort followed by rest or recovery periods, interval training teaches your body how to tolerate and clear lactate while building endurance.
One effective approach to interval training is with pyramid-style interval sessions, wherein runners run at high intensity for a set distance or time before jogging or walking at a moderate intensity for recovery. Another possibility is fartlek sessions, which originated as more casual and unstructured forms of interval training that runners would do at their own pace.
6. Yoga
Studies have indicated that yoga may help individuals reduce cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol; however, research remains limited. “When choosing a yoga class, make sure it’s beginner level and that the instructor encourages participants to listen to their bodies,” suggests Bar. She suggests watching or observing a class before joining so you can gauge how the teacher leads people through poses.
Make yoga more engaging for children by encouraging them to play yoga freeze dance: Select an upbeat song, and when the teacher says, “Yogi Says,” all students should quickly rush to assume the poses that correspond to what “Yogi” has called out.
7. Core Workout
Core muscles—such as abdominal and back muscles—are crucial to making everyday activities simpler, safer, and more efficient. Furthermore, developing them makes other physical activities like sports or running safer and more rewarding.
Begin this basic bodyweight workout with several sets of jumping jacks to increase your heart rate, followed by one set of each of these core-strengthening exercises. This intermediate variation of a plank incorporates fluid movement to strengthen your abs and core. Start with your hands below your shoulders and your knees below your hips. Tighten up your core. Lift the right leg towards the left thigh, then switch legs.
8. Balance Workout
Balance exercises should be an integral component of your exercise routine, as they strengthen the core, improve balance and coordination, and help protect against injuries. Lay on your back with shoulders and lower back flat on the floor and arms extended overhead at shoulder height. Slowly roll backwards until your low back touches down first before repeating 10 repetitions.
Simply stand with feet hip-width apart and step your right foot back slowly into a lunge position while balancing on your left leg, repeating 10 reps each side for this effective exercise that develops balance and abs.
9. Flexibility Workout
A balanced workout must encompass endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility training. Bodyweight exercises provide beginners with a means to strengthen these muscles without the need for gym equipment or weights.
Before engaging in any stretches, it’s essential to warm up with 5 or 10 minutes of light activity, such as walking briskly. Furthermore, stretching should always follow endurance or strength training for maximum effect—keep stretches gentle and slow to prevent injury. Try this beginner bodyweight workout, which includes push-ups (arms, shoulders, and chest), lunges (buttocks and legs), and plank pose (core). Do three sets for each exercise with 15 reps in each set.
