Basic Workout Routine for Beginners
Commit to a 1-month workout plan. Workout routines for beginners vary between 1-3 months, but this one will focus on setting you up for success in month one. For optimal results, this 4-week plan will include cardio, bodyweight exercises, free weight exercises, mobility, or stretching, and strength training. Each workout should take 45 minutes-1 hour. Here is a breakdown of what the first leg of your fitness journey could look like.
Week 1: Cardio and Full Body During this first week of your new workout regimen, try to tackle all the major muscle groups with each workout, which is called a full body split. This means you’ll dedicate one day to upper body, one day to lower body, and one day to cardio. Working out three days a week is recommended for beginners, as is allowing one rest day between each workout for recovery. Monday: Shoulder press, lat pulldown, and crunches. Tuesday: Rest day. Wednesday: Leg press, lunges, squats. Thursday: Active rest day with mobility training. Friday: Go for a 30-minute walk. Saturday: Rest day. Sunday: Active rest day with mobility training.
Week 2: 2-Day Training Split and Cardio During this second week of your workout plan, engage all your muscle groups twice. This means two upper body days: one day to target shoulders, chest, and/or back, and another for arms and core. Then, add two lower body days: one day dedicated to hamstrings and glutes, and another day for quads and calves. Finally, make sure to incorporate some mobility exercises, increase cardio, and above all, allow your body the rest it needs. Monday: Shoulder press, chest press, and lat pulldown. Tuesday: Active rest day with mobility training. Wednesday: Bicep curl, tricep extension, planks. Thursday: Active rest day with 20-minute walk. Friday: Leg press, Romanian dead lifts, leg curl machine. Saturday: Rest day. Sunday: Increase your pace and go for a brisk, 45-minute walk.
Week 3: 3-Day Training Split and Cardio During this third and penultimate week of your 1-month workout routine, you’ll focus on multiple muscle groups at once, adding one new exercise to each muscle group. You’ll devote one day to muscle groups that require pushing, like shoulders and triceps, another day to muscle groups that require pulling, like back and biceps, and a full lower body day. Per usual, don’t forget to rest! Monday: Pushups, bench press, overhead press, tricep pushdown. Tuesday: Rest day. Wednesday: Bulgarian split squats, glute bridges, calf extensions, hamstring curls. Thursday: 1-hour brisk walk. Friday: Rest day with mobility training. Saturday: Lat pulldown, seated row, bicep curls, assisted pull-ups. Sunday: Rest day.
Week 4: Add Volume You’ve done it– you’ve made it to the final week of your one-month plan! To celebrate, select your favorite exercises from each muscle group and increase both volume and weight, as safely as possible. If you’ve been shoulder-pressing 5 lbs, try reaching for the 8 lbs weights. If you’ve been doing 3 sets of 15 crunches, try upping it to 4 sets of 15. Your abs will– eventually– thank you! Monday: Upper body, could include but not limited to shoulder press, back rows, planks, crunches, tricep curls, bicep curls, pushups, and pull-ups. Tuesday: Active rest day with light cardio and/or mobility training. Wednesday: Lower body, could include but not limited to squats, Bulgarian split squats, Romanian dead lifts, lunges, glute bridges, hip thrusts, and hamstring extensions. Thursday: Rest day. Friday: Cardio of your choice. Saturday: Rest day with mobility training. Sunday: Full body day.
Types of Excercises
Begin with cardio. Cardio is short for cardiovascular exercise and refers to any movement that elevates your breathing and heart rate for improved endurance and overall health. Cardio can come in many forms, from walking to swimming to dancing. Start by walking 20-25 minutes a day and then incrementally increase your time and pace as you see fit. What could begin as a leisurely stroll could end in a rigorous 5-mile feat of cardiovascular endurance! It all begins with taking the first step. Here are some other good ways to get your heart pumping. Hiking Playing pickle pall Aerobics Cycling Elliptical Stair-master Kayaking/rowing Jumping rope
Do bodyweight exercises. If you’re not ready to sign up for a gym yet, that’s okay– you can still use your own bodyweight to burn calories and build muscle at home. There are countless benefits to bodyweight exercises, like convenience, functionality, and zero cost. There’s also no risk of gym-timidation and using your own bodyweight tends to enhance agility, endurance, and confidence across myriad metrics. Here are some exercises to use your body to your advantage. Pushups Squats Planks Glute bridges Walking lunges Burpees Jumping jacks Calf raises
Lift free weights. Free weights include dumbbells, barbells, and plates you add on to bars. They don’t limit your range of motion like machine weights, resulting in a unrestricted, customizable and efficient lift. Your body does a ton of good work while using free weights, like fighting the resistance of gravity and learning to contract muscles. Choose a challenging weight and get started by doing any of the following exercises. Reverse flies Lateral raises Wrist curls Overhead tricep extensions Bent-over triceps kickback Arnold press Squat to press Lunge to overhead press
Use machines to strength-train. While you typically can’t keep a bunch of strength-training machines at home, a trip to the gym can provide all the opportunities you need. Using machines is a tried-and-true method to gain muscle, strength, and mobility, while allowing you to practice improving your form as you slowly increase resistance. Here are a few machines at the gym that can help get you into tip top shape. Cable machine Hamstring curl machine High-row machine Landmine machine Assisted chin-up machine Seated cable row Smith machine Leg press
Tips for Success
Check with your doctor first. Before embarking on your fitness journey, it’s important that you get a full checkup from your doctor ahead of time. Exercising in any capacity comes with the risk of injury, worsened only by a pre-existing condition. If you choose to work with a personal trainer, getting a comprehensive overview of your health and physical state is instrumental in personalizing the best workout plan to suit your fitness needs. Although walking seems relatively harmless, check in with your doctor if you feel unsteady on your feet, experience dizzy spells, or are taking certain medications. If you have a chronic health condition, like heart disease, being evaluated by a doctor before undergoing any kind of new health regimen is seriously advised.
Warm up before and cool down after. Warming up before your workout has myriad advantages, like preparing your muscles, minimizing risk of injury, and getting your blood pumping. Cooling down offers inverse benefits, like adequately cooling your body down after a rigorous gym sesh and prepping your muscles for optimal recovery. Here are some ways to gear yourself up for exercise and wind yourself back down once your sweat session is over. To warm up: Run up and down the stairs Do jumping jacks Do burpees Do lunges To cool down: Sit down and stretch Kneel to do a hip flexor stretch Do a child’s pose Sit in a runner’s lunge Do a spinal twist
Stay hydrated. Since humans are about 60% water, it’s no secret that we need H20 in order to both survive and thrive. Proper hydration supports various bodily functions, like the transfer of nutrients and oxygen, regulating body temperature, and facilitating joint mobility. During a workout, it enhances performance and helps transform food into energy for more intense, jam-packed lifts. During a workout, it’s generally advised that you take sips of water every 10 minutes or so. If you’re working out in the heat, be extra mindful of how hydrated you are.
Find a gym buddy. Not only will a workout partner hold you accountable, but they could also assuage gym-anxiety while making the entire experience more fun and encouraging you to push yourself. Before selecting a “swolemate,” it’s important that you truly understand your own fitness goals and that the person you pick is someone you get along well with, who also happens to be at a similar fitness level. Someone who is equally as motivated as you, if not more, is essential to building good gym habits. Another factor to consider is their availability and whether your schedules line up.
Make it fun. Try not to turn exercise into a chore, as this may lead to loss of motivation and ultimately, giving up on your goals. Instead, pick the kind of movement that makes you happiest, whether that be a group fitness class, swing dancing, or playing tennis. Endorphins could certainly help, too, as these happy hormones are released during times of pain or stress to guide the body into a lightly euphoric state. Lots of activities from childhood, like rollerblading, jumping rope, and bouncing on a trampoline, are fun, unconventional ways to get your cardio in. More adventurous options to work on your fitness include pole dancing, belly dancing, and aerial yoga.
Turn it into a habit. Recent research shows that gym-goers take about six weeks on average to make exercising a habit, so discipline and repetition are key. Personal Trainer and owner of Pod Fitness, Babis Kanellopoulos, offers suggestions on making sure you get to the gym consistently. He says, “Setting an earlier alarm is really the best way to fit exercise into a busy weekly schedule.” He adds, “It doesn’t sound easy, but it really is when you give yourself enough time to adjust to the new sleeping pattern.” If you don’t have time to go to the gym and complete a full workout, Kanellopoulos recommends HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Kanellopoulos notes, “You can get a full body workout using this training technique in a few minutes [consisting of] maximum effort in small bursts of exercise followed by short recovery breaks.” Regardless of the length of your workout, setting some time aside each day to pursue your fitness goals is instrumental in turning them into a habit and ultimately, a reality.
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