When you first begin exercising the most important thing is finding a level of exercise that is safe and comfortable. Many people go from a sedentary lifestyle to an active lifestyle overnight and wonder why in two months they burn out or they suffer an injury. Their body, mind, and lifestyle simply weren’t ready for the commitment. Begin slowly and you will be able build an exercise habit into your life.
For beginners who have little to no activity experience and are significantly out of shape, walking is an excellent exercise program. It adjusts your body to the new movements slowly. Begin with 10-15 minutes of walking every day for the first week of exercise and adding five minutes of walking every week until you are at thirty minutes of sustained walking. Intensity should be moderate in the beginning and increased only as you feel comfortable. Once you have a month of walking under your belt, you should be ready to add in some strength training and more challenging work.
You might also feel like mixing up your exercise with other forms of low-intensity exercise like recumbent bike riding, swimming, and water jogging. All of these are excellent ways to slowly introduce your body to exercise.
I feel that in the beginning stages of exercise it is best to do low intensity exercise every day until you are prepared to ramp up your routine. Low intensity exercise does not require rest days like moderate to difficult exercise routines. Of course, listen to your body for over-stressed cues, but most people find they can walk with low intensity each day. Building the habit of exercise in the early stages is your key focus, so keep the intensity low and the frequency high.
Remember, if you are not active or in compromised health you should seek your physician’s approval before starting any exercise routine.
Sample Weekly Routine - after you have warmed your body up by increasing the walking, you are ready for a more structured program. Here's a sample weekly schedule you can use as a foundation to getting in shape.
M - Full body strength training program of about 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of good stretching
T - Cardio at moderate intensity for 30 minutes
W - Off
T - Cardio at moderate intensity for 30 minutes
F - Full body strength training program of about 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of good stretching
S - Cardio at moderate intensity for 30 minutes
S - Off
Moderate intensity cardio is between 65-75% of your Max HR Range and includes activities like walking, cycling, swimming, and elliptical work. I suggest following this program for one month before increasing your time and intensity with weights and/or cardio.
Full Body Strength Training Program for Beginners
This is a sample program you can use. It will strengthen your muscles and prepare you for fat busting workouts in the Phit-N-Phat Community.
Use 3, 5, and 8 lb. weights for this routine. As your strength increases you can buy heavier weights.
Follow the routine in the order given. Lunge for 8, rest 30-60, lunge for 8, rest 30-60, squat for 8, rest 30-60...etc.
Your goal should be 8-15 reps for two sets with 30-60 seconds of rest in between each set. At the end of the set your muscles should be burning and feel fatigued. If you don’t feel this way, you need more weight to fatigue the muscle.
Lunge
Squat - (you can use DBs or your own body weight for this exercise)
Bench Press (can be done lying on floor or on a step bench if you don’t have access to a bench)
Bent Over Row (can be done on a chair or using your leg as a rest)
OH Shoulder Press
Biceps Curl
Triceps Extension (be sure to keep your elbows facing forward to maximize the effort)
Machine Version for TRUE NOVICES
Machines are not going to give you the same workout or as hard a workout as free weights, but some people need machines to get accustomed to the movements. If you are a true beginner, start with machines for four to six weeks and then graduate to the free weight version above. You will use the same reps and sets.
Lunge
Squat - the lunge and squat are superior movements that you should not sub unless you have a medical reason not to.
Machine Chest Press
Machine Row
Machine Shoulder Press
Machine Biceps Curl
Machine Triceps Pushdown
Because all gyms are different, you will need to find the proper machines for these moves. Most gyms have these machines because they are very basic in nature.
This routine can be made into a fat blasting cardio routine by simply adding a 30 seconds to 2 minute sets of jumping jacks or jump rope between all sets. This will keep your heart rate elevated and will wear you out by the end!!! J It’s a nice addition for when you are pressed for time and can’t get in a separate cardio workout.
After you complete eight weeks of training or when you feel ready, you can increase this routine to three sets. Another option for this routine to keep it changing is to do one set of each exercise one right after another without a rest. Once you get through all seven exercises, do 2 minutes of various ab movements from the abs page, and then repeat for a second set. You can do this up to three to four times.
Blog regarding changing this routine!!!