They say that the hardest part of getting in shape is just getting started, and truer words have never been spoken. “Just getting started,” means figuring out when are you going to work out? What exercises are you supposed to do? Where will you get your workout in? How long should you be working out?
Once these questions start to pile up, you might wonder if it would just be easier to remain the same and you put off your day one for a week, then another, and another. But now is finally time to break that cycle.
If you have the same questions about where to begin your fitness journey, keep reading for a beginner’s workout guide, created by Trainer and Creator of Get Fit Like That, Sharita Jennings.
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Schedule Your Sweat
As a beginner to your fitness journey, it’s important to set up a simple workout schedule that won’t send you running for the hills after just a week of trying. When you’re just starting out, pick three forfour days a week that work with your schedule, and set a specific time for those days.
But don’t just think about it, write it down, pencil it into your calendar and tell a friend. Basically, do what you need to do to hold yourself accountable to your new workout schedule. When you’re just starting out, aim to work out for just 30 minutes on your workout days. This way, you can get into a routine that won’t scare you off at first, and you can build on from there!
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Once you pick your day and time, all you need to do is be as consistent as possible. Make a point to keep your gym “appointments” with yourself every single week until it becomes second nature. Consistency above all else is the secret sauce to any kind of success, and your health is no different!
Add Some Weights
Whether this is your first experience with having a real workout regimen, or you’ve been down this road before, you simply cannot afford to skip weight training in your new fitness routine. Regular weight training can lead to positive changes in your body shape, muscle definition, metabolism, bone strength, and fat loss. And as you getolder, regular weight training can help you avoid unwanted weight gain and even promote better bone strength.
But how often do you need to lift? A good place to start is by picking 2 of your workout days to lift weights. And you don’t need to follow any complicated strength program when you’re starting out. Instead, pick one day to devote to upper body strength and another day for lower body. Then you just choose 6-8 exercises for that muscle group and go lift!
Come To the Gym With a Plan
Now that you have your workout schedule set in stone, the next step is to make sure that you don’t waste your precious time when it’s time to sweat. When you get to the gym (or your workout space at home), you don’t want to be wandering around, copying people, and likely getting intimidated by the gym goers who look like they know what they’re doing.
Or, if you’re working out at home, you don’t want to just give your exercise mat and weights a blank stare for 10 minutes before you pick anything up.
But now you have a plan. Just follow these steps make a simple routine you cankeep up with for the long run.
1. Map out exactly what workouts you’ll be doing on each day. For instance, on Monday, plan to hit upper body strength. On Wednesday, plan for cardio. On Friday, plan for lower body strength, followed by another cardio day on Saturday.
2. Select your exercises for your strength days. To make sure you get used to each move, try to do the same moves for at least 3 weeks. Then you can start to swap in new moves. For your strength workouts, pick 6 or 8 exercises from the list below.
Try to hit multiple muscles during your workout. Aim to do 3 sets of 8-12 reps of each move and that’s it!
Upper Body Exercises
- Shoulder Press (shoulders)
- Bicep Curl (biceps)
- Tricep Extension (triceps)
- Chest Press (chest)
- Bent-Over Row (back)
- Front Shoulder Raise (shoulder)
- Lateral Shoulder Raise (rotator cuff)
- Push Up (chest and abs)
- Sit Up (abs)
- Plank Hold (all of the above)
Lower Body......Exercises
- Goblet Squat (quads)
- Narrow Squat (quads and glutes)
- Stationary Lunge (quads and hamstrings)
- Lateral Lunge (outer thighs)
- Step-Ups (total leg)
- Calf Raise (calves)
- Glute Bridge (glutes and hamstrings)
- Hip Thrusts (hamstrings)
- Deadlift (back, hamstrings)
- Wall Sit (quads)
3. Choose your weights wisely. Before you start to lift those weights, you want to make sure that they are heavy enough to challenge you, but aren’t so challenging that your form falls all way off. If you’ve never lifted a weight before, try to use an 8-pound weight to start for upper body and 12 pounds for lower body.
If you are flying through the moves without a care in the world or a drop of sweat on your brow, put that down and go heavier. As a rule of thumb in lifting, you should struggle to get through your last two reps.
4. Conquer your cardio by having a clear plan before you take your first step on the treadmill or sidewalk. First, cardio is a huge deal to your overall health. It can make a big difference in your heart health, lowering your cholesterol, and assisting with fat loss. And not all cardio is alike.
You don’t have to run nonstop on a treadmill to get the benefits of cardio. You could also mix up your cardio days for a session of high-intensity interval training. Basically, all you need is 8 exercises (or more) and a clock to keep time.
Pick 8 exercises from the list below, do each move for 30-45 seconds and quickly move to the next exercise without taking breaks until you finish all the moves. You’ll take 1 min of rest and then do at least 2 more rounds. So simple!
Exercises for High Intensity Interval Training
- Air Squats
- Jumping Jacks
- Push Ups
- High Knees
- Ab Crunches
- Alternating Lunges
- Plank Jacks
- Burpees
- Squat Press (with weight)
- Supermans
- Leg Lifts
- Reverse Fly
- Chest Fly
- 1-2 Punches
- Alternating Side Kicks
- Jump Rope (real or imaginary)
Set Your Day One
Now that you have a plan to follow, there should be nothing stopping you from getting started on your fitness journey. All the days of the week are perfect for getting started, not just Monday!
Sharita Jennings is a fitness and travel enthusiast and creator of Get Fit Like That, LLC. She is a health policy attorney and ACE certified group fitness instructor and fitness nutrition specialist. She provides online fitness plans and leads group fitness classes in Washington DC. Check out her fitness tips and workouts at GetFitLikeThat.com.
