What is a good workout for someone who is just starting a fitness plan?
This is a common question, but there’s no one answer as it depends on a person’s age and physical activity levels. But if you do not have access to someone qualified to set up a beginner program for you, you cannot go wrong by treating yourself like a beginner. Most people go wrong by doing too much, too soon, such as following random workouts online or joining friends to help them get started.
By contrast, if you follow these steps, you’ll take the safe and smart path by treating yourself like a beginner:
Assess Yourself
Take a few days to discover the answers to the questions below – not just see what you can do, but also how you feel afterward. Assessing your capabilities, muscle soreness, joint pain and energy levels can help you determine the best course of action.
- Body-weight test: See whether you can do any of the following: pull-ups, dips, push-ups, squats or lunges. If so, how many of each can you do in 30 seconds?
- Cardio test: Can you walk or jog a mile without stopping? If so, how fast?
- Nonimpact cardio test: How far can you go in 20 minutes of biking, rowing, swimming or using the elliptical trainer? These are options if walking or jogging hurts, but even if you can walk or jog, a secondary option can help you double your cardio output with half the impact.
- Dumbbells or weight test: How much weight can you lift and achieve 10 reps of the overhead press, bench press, squat and biceps curls?
- Core/grip test: How far can you carry 25% of your body weight, using two dumbbells, before your grip gives out? How long can you hold a plank pose? How many hanging knee-ups can you do?
If you cannot do these activities for the repetition range or time tested, cut the weight, times or reps in half and reassess. If you do this, consider yourself a beginner.
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A Beginner in One Event But Experienced in Others
Depending on your athletic history, you could be an advanced athlete in cardio events and a beginner in resistance training, or vice versa. If you want to diversify your training and be stronger and more durable, add two or three resistance training days to your week. If you want to improve your cardiovascular health and not be winded after walking up a flight of stairs, add two or three cardio events to your training week.
Whatever the case, approach any change like a beginner. Otherwise, it is easy to do too much and feel the aches and pains of overuse in the muscles and joints, affecting what you excel at doing. So consider these options:
Body-Weight Exercises
Your ability to do calisthenics can evolve from achieving your first pull-up to eventually completing 100+ reps in one workout. The goal of calisthenics is to complete as many reps as possible within a given time limit. When you fail, try an easier option — knee push-ups, assisted pull-ups, assisted dips or assisted squats (hold on to something sturdy). Try a few sets every day first. Alternate upper- and lower-body workouts on different days as you progress. A good plan is to do some form of resistance training every other day. On the days in between, focus on stretching and cardio choices.
Cardio Options
If walking causes pain and jogging feels impossible, don’t give up on your cardio. Explore non-impact described below. If you can walk, aim for a daily step count or a time limit of 20-30 minutes (5,000-6,000 steps). Consider adding intervals of jogging for a minute, followed by walking for a minute, within that time. Increase your mileage or steps by 10%-15% each week or maintain the same level if you are progressing.
Nonimpact Cardio Options
Biking, rowing, the elliptical trainer or swimming are ideal for those with severe joint pain, who are significantly overweight and who wish to move with limited to no impact. You will find you can progress quickly with some consistency. Add 20-30 minutes to start your day or break it up into 5-minute breaks throughout the day to accumulate a similar total time (or more). This latter option is ideal if you sit for long periods of the day and need to move for mobility and basic cardio fitness.
Dumbbells or Weighted Exercises
A set of dumbbells at home or in your workspace can be used to build a circuit of several exercises, such as overhead presses, bench presses, squats and biceps curls, each with 10 reps. You can do multiple sets of the circuit and take 20-30 minutes to complete, or you can do a set every hour on the hour for a total of 4-5 sets.
Core/Grip Strength
Grip and core strength are essential for overall health and wellness. The farmer’s walk, knee-ups and plank poses can be a quick addition throughout the day, lasting 1-2 minutes, or incorporated into the above circuits to create a full-body workout tailored to your abilities and goals.
The goal of beginning a fitness program is to do something each day. It does not have to be the same old thing. If you pick one of the sections above and do it for 20-30 minutes each day for a week, you have a plan that will help you build a foundation of fitness but also create a habit of fitting it into your schedule each day. Building a foundation and creating a habit are needed to make this work well.
Check out the Military.com Fitness Section for more ideas on workouts to add to your day, regardless of your fitness level. There are beginner, intermediate and advanced training programs for every goal.
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