Exercise Planner For The Beginner
Become More Active and Exercise Planner For The Beginner
If you are thinking about starting a new exercise routine or just wanting to become more active in your life, this guide is perfect for you.
Here we will go over the first steps you should be taking to safely get the most out of your exercise routines. We try to cover the big question of “where do I start”. This can actually be much harder to find than you think. We will try and give you a more of a step by step guide than a simple “just work out”. To just get it out of the way, we want to first say that we are not selling any sort of work out plans heres. All the information here is free and meant to simply help you start a healthier life style no matter what your current physical condition may be.
When the word exercise come to mind, it can sometimes feel pretty intimidating. When I first began my weight loss planning. I found it difficult to actually get a starting point. I thought that I wasn’t even in the shape to start working out. I tried them workout programs that had a first CD that says “are you fit enough to start”. I will admit I did not pass them and I sort of felt “how do I start if I’m not even fit enough to start”. Here in this guide we will go over a way to start that anyone should be able to use.
Starting Point:
Quick Note:
This is something that really shouldn’t be overlooked. It doesn’t matter what your current weight is or what your current condition is. You should talk to your doctor before any exercise and know your limitations. Injuries to joints, bones, and muscles can really hamper your weight loss goals. We provide calculators in this article that are meant as averages and it is advisable you get more specific number such as, target and max heart rates from your doctor
Depending on where you came from on our site you may already have these numbers. But, if you don’t a link to our simple to use calculators will be below.
Theres two numbers you are going to need here. The first is your max heart rate, and second you target heart rate. Your max heart rate is just as it sounds this should be your Maximum Heart Rate you should never go over this number, or even attempt to get near it. It is important to monitor your heart rate especially when starting a new exercise. Something you use to find simple can really surprise you. I found this out the hard way when I decide I was taking up cycling as an exercise. The Second is called a Target Heart Rate. This number is actually a range of where you want to keep your heart rate during exercise to achieve the most benefits. The Link Below will take you to a simple to use calculator that will give you these numbers.
Again talk to you doctor and know your Limitations.
(Click Here to Get Your Heart Rate Numbers)
You may already own a way to measure your heart rate, such as a Fitbit, or Apple Watch. If you do not own a heart rate monitor this is the first time I really recommend purchasing something. The Heart Rate Monitors on lower end exercise equipment can be very inaccurate and it is best to have more than one source even if it is a low cost alternative. You don’t have to spend a lot you, can get heart rate monitors for less than $40.00. I will place a few links to some highly rated monitors below.
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- Apple Watch (series 5)
- Apple Watch (series 3)
- There are several series, find one that’s best for you. You can find them from $200 for older models (still new) and up.
- Fitbit Charge 3
- About $130
- Wahoo Fitness Tickr Heart Rate Monitor
- About $40
Lets understand these numbers before we start:
Max Heart Rate:
This number is as simple as it sounds. This is based on age and should be your max heart can beat. In our case of being a beginner, we mainly use our heart rate just to get target heart rate zones.
Just know that especially when just starting a new exercise routine or even just becoming more active. You should not be attempting to get to this number or even close to it.
Our Heart Rate Zones:
These numbers are for sample purposes only. To get yours click the link below.
Here in this guide these are the numbers that we are going to be focusing on. These are the numbers in the yellow box. If you are new to working out, we are going to simplify this even further. According to the American Heart Association, someone just beginning a new exercise routine should start with their target heart rate at about 50 percent of their Max Heart Rate and gradually build up from there.
We are going to use the example above and you can just adapt this next pice of information to your specific numbers. If the person in our example above was new to exercising and had a sedentary life style before deciding to become more active. This person would want to start with a target heart rate of about 95 beats per minute (50% of Max Heart rate). This can be considered pretty low for working out, but for at least a few sessions and until you feel comfortable you shouldn’t move higher. Mainly you want to make sure you don’t become dizzy, feel any pains or have any difficulty breathing. If so you should speak with your doctor. After a few sessions and when you start to feel comfortable to can then move up to 50-70% of your max heart rate. Again using the example above, this person’s target heart rate would then be 95-132 (% of Max Heart Rate) beats per minute. After a few more sessions and making sure you feel comfortable working out at higher heart rates should you then start using your fat burning range. In this guide we stick to maxing at the fat burning hear rate zone Orange box in the example above.
Quick Overview
(always ask your doctor before changing your diet and activity habits)
This is for the people New to exercise.
First step:
Target Heart Rate 50% of your max heart rate
At least for a few sessions and until you feel comfortable while at this heart rate.
Second step:
Target Heart Rate 50-70% of you max heart rate
Again stay at this level until you feel comfortable working at this level.
Third step:
Target Heart Rate Fat-Burning Range
This Heart Rate zone will be ok to stay at for a significant amount of time. If you feel like you would like to start exercising above these numbers you can consult with your doctor.
You should understand that your heart rate for a specific exercise will change over time. Your body will adapt and to receptive exercises and began to function more efficiently. This may sound great, but this means that you will have to adapt your exercises. You should monitor your heart rate and make sure you don’t over work your self.
Lets get Moving:
We are finally getting to the exercising part. The first thing to understand here is that everyone is different. This may sound like starting is going to be confusing, but in truth this can really make starting much easier.
The first step in this guide is just to get moving. The amount of moving is going to really depend on your current condition. Using your heart rate monitor, you just want to do anything that stats to elevate your heart rate. Here we are going to jump around a bit to make sure we can cover many starting conditions.
Set a Starting Point:
We want to empathize on the point that starting can be anything. This can be something as simple as doing simple arm raises even without weights. We can simply start by walking around the house, the block, the park. Literally anything that gets your heart rate elevated.
Just getting started is really important because all we want to achieve here is to get our heart rate elevated. Here in this guide we are going to cover four of the more popular exercises: walking/running, cycling, weight training, and in home exercise programs. There are pros and cons to all of these but some can be much better for you especially concerning your current condition. We will go over these briefly and explain how to progress in them. The first thing that we are going to have to keep in mind while going through these, is the fact that our body has the amazing ability to adapt extremely efficient to any repetitive tasks we throw at it. In theory this is absolutely awesome, but when we are trying to burn calories this can just make it harder. This is why it’s important to be able to monitor our heart rate. We can use this as our gauge to measure the intensity of our workouts.
Walking/running
I will start by saying that I know that walking and running are very different methods of exercise. There are a lot of sites that explain that walking can be a great exercise and then there are many that say that it doesn’t give much in results. This is both true and false. It all depends on your starting condition. For someone that hasn’t been active, a simple walk can actually burn more calories than someone that goes for walks everyday. This is why having the ability to monitor our heart rate is so useful.
If we choose walking/running as our workout, We just have to understand a few things about our body. Simply put, as we progress we will have to change the intensity we work out.
When we first start, you may feel that a simple walk will feel like a great workout, and this is great. But, when we start to see our heart rate fall below our targets, during the walk. We will have to start trying to increase the intensity to maintain our target heart range zone. For some people even after a very short period of time you will notice that even increasing distance will no longer keep your heart rate in your target zone. You will probably also notice that you no longer feel any muscle soreness, even after multi mile walks. This is where the truth of walking not providing much benefits starts to kick in. After you reach the point that walking no longer elevates your heart to your target, you will have to start looking for methods in increasing the intensity. This can be changing the terrain such as paths though some parks, preserves, hills, and trails. This then leads to the exercise that so many love while just as many hate.
Running is an amazing exercise, it can be one of the fastest ways to burn calories and can be really relaxing. After consulting your doctor, if you are in the condition to run. Running can be a fantastic option, all you need are a decent pair of running shoes and your heart rate monitor. With running you just have to treat it as walking. You can first start by alternating from a brisk walk to a light jog(ie walk a minute jog a minute). Once you need to increase the intensity you can then move on to a simple jog. This then leads to a constant jog.
Remember to monitor your heart rate. Working out at a heart rate that is too high can not only make working out much more difficult, it can expose you to greater risks of injury. With maintaining healthy heart rates the exercise will become more effective and even the recovery will be much easier.
Cycling
Cycling can actually be a very great way to burn calories. Aside from running, cycling is also one of the fastest ways to burn calories. Just like above, we learned have to walk before we could run. You should understand if you haven’t been on a bike for a while there is a bit of getting use to again. Make sure that if this is the exercise that you want to use give it a fair try over multiple days. While cycling it is very import to monitor your heart rate. You will sometimes find it very easy to over exert yourself which can have really negative effects. From experience I recommend focusing on taking it very easy in the beginning. Focus on trying to improve a bit of distance at slow pace and making sure you monitor your heart rate. After a relatively short time (it took me a few weeks) you will begin to notice that your heart rate will begin to steady and may even begin to slide towards the lower end of your target range. When you start experience this you can then begin increasing speed and new terrains. There is actually a lot to cycling but a very helpful thing to keep in mind, especially if you are going to purchase a bike is to get the correct one. There are probably going to be some people that will tell me that you need a custom fitted and high quality bike, but this just may not be in many peoples price range. Pick your bike for the terrain you will be riding it in. If you plan to mainly ride on dirt paths get your self an off road/mountain bike. If you plan to ride on hard even surfaces, get your self a road bike. Note, the comfortable cruiser are meant to be a comfortable cruiser. They aren’t meant to be taken through the woods or treated a complete road bike, but If thats what you want go for it.
Personal story:
When I choose to start cycling, I was in for a big surprise on how long its been since I’ve been on a bike. When I started I know I wasn’t in the best of shape, but I could walk several miles with out much effort. I thought riding a bike was no different. I use to ride my bike all day when I was younger, I thought I’d just do it again. I decided to go out and get a nice budget bike, brought it home, filled up the tires, got my water bottle. And even got a chain so that I could ride my bike to the store. After making my checklist as if I was going on a cross country trip I set off for the store that was only about 1.5 miles away. I thought I could walk that easily, I’ll be back in no time. Boy was I wrong. I made it about a quarter of a mile and started to think gosh I must be doing something wrong, I started to take it much easier. I then started to go really slow to try and catch my breath. By half way through (about 3/4 of a whole mile) The only thing I could think about is if I’m going to be able to make it back home. Half way back I will admit that I even contemplated the idea of calling and Uber. I even went as far as thinking maybe an UberXL to take me and my bike back home.
Truthfully I felt pretty discouraged and even thought about giving up that life adventure. But, I thought that I would make sure I gave it a good try. The next day I changed my plans to a bit less ambitious. I just wanted to make it where I made it the day prior and to my surprise, it actually felt so much easier. literally day by day I was able to drastically increase my distance and speed. Over the course of about a month I was able to do 10+ miles at better speeds. Simply put, if you want to try cycling make sure you give it chance.
Weight Training
Weight Training is probably one of the best exercise that you can do for long term success. I will first answer a myth the keeps people from doing this form of exercise. Hopefully this won’t burst your bubble, but regular weight training will not make you buffed and a body builder. People sometimes avoid weight training because they are afraid of bulking up instead of just losing excess fat. This plainly isn’t true. Bodybuilders go through very intense training and very strict dieting to achieve those results. Simply put you have train extremely intense and very precisely to achieve those results. For just about everyone else even working with weights everyday will lead to a leaner and more defined you.
If you do decide to go this route, there are many options that you can do at home, but the one that I found the most useful for me was the gym. I am not affiliated with any gym and I receive nothing from these gyms, but I have tried Planet fitness and Crunch fitness. When the idea of gym comes to mind many people believe that they will be out of place. But, you would be surprised on how many “normal” everyday people are there. The exercise machines at these places are designed in a way that they help prevent injuries and work most efficiently. At these gyms you should take full advantage of the assistance the staff can help you with. They can really help you learn how to use the equipment properly. Injury is very possible and you always want to make sure you’re safe. I recommend making a YouTube playlist of all the exercises and taking that to the gym with you. You can search just about any type of exercise and there are many great people out there that provide fantastic videos on how to perform exercises correctly. Some of these gyms do have personal trainers and you should make sure you understand the limitations of this help. Some trainers maybe much more qualified than others so make sure you do your own research as well.
Weight training has tons of benefits that many people over look. If your goal is weight loss, weight lifting is actually a very good at this. Running and cycling will give you much faster results, but the benefits of weight lifting can actually catchup with these. When you start weight lifting, you actually begin to build muscle mass. This may sound the opposite of weight loss but its actually really good. Every time you workout you actually damage your muscles in a good way. The body then repairs this damage in a process call muscle hyperthropy. In this process the body actually builds muscle mass. This is not the same as muscle injury. An injury can put you out of the game for a long time. The awesome part of more muscle mass is the body actually burns much more calories to sustain your new muscles. This means even after you finish your workout, your body continually burns calories while repairing its muscles and even just maintaining them. This means FREE CALORIES! If you came over from our Meal Planner or Diet Planning Guide you know what I mean. If you would like to read more on this you can check the links below.
Click Here For Our Full Meal Planner
Click Here For Our Weight loss Planner
Suggestion:
Some of these gyms offer free personal trainer sessions when you sign up. Some trainers may not like this, but make sure you’re get every second with them count. I recommend you take in a list of questions. They will try to sign you up for additional sessions which can be great, but if you have a limited budget you may not have additional sessions. The main thing you should try to get is a workout plan, and for them to walk you through it. If you can manage it. It is a great idea to have a few sessions with them. This way they can show you each machine and routine in more detail. If you do 3 day/week workout maybe do 3 sessions, 4 days 4 sessions, this way you can go on autopilot after learning. Make sure you ask how to know when and how increase weights and reps.
You can also request a trainer that is better at what you’re trying to achieve. Some trainers cater more towards weight loss while some will carter to bulking up. A knowledgeable and helpful trainer can be awesome.
General workout plan: (depends on how many days you go we will say 3) Your trainer can give you one for your specific needs.
Day 1: Abdominal, Back
Day 2: Arms, legs, and the glutes
Day 3 Chest, Shoulders, Arms
Generally you will want to rest a muscle group after a work out for a day or two. Just keep in mind that usually your first workouts are the hardest ones. These are the ones that usually leave you the most sore. But as long as you don’t wait too long between workouts your soreness will become almost non existent.
Your work outs will probably be different. But any muscle group you want to work out the equipment at your gym will have pictures of the muscles it is designed to work. Again I recommend you ask the staff to show you how to properly use every machine you plan on using. They are paid to be there and help you. Out of personal experience, I will tell you that I have always found the staff at these gyms to be very friendly and always willing to help. The environment these gyms create are very beginner friendly.
Personal Story:
I look back at the first time I went to a gym and I find it pretty funny. I will admit that the idea of the gym felt very intimidating and had a slight feeling of embarrassment, simply because I had no clue on what to do.
So, I signed up and went the famous first day and just said I’ll go again soon. After a week or two I picked myself up and said I have to try it again. After a few times going pretty consecutively of just doing cardio, I started to research weight lifting. After learning the benefits, this is where I decided to bite the bullet and try the “whole personal trainer” thing. I talked to the front counter and set up the meeting. Here they will probably ask you, but if they don’t you ask for what you’re looking to achieve. After the staff asked and I told them I was looking to lose weight, my meeting was set.
The first meeting I will admit felt very out of place, I felt like I shouldn’t be here until, I’m fit enough. I always try and look things up on my own and many times with success. But, with all the “best routines” and information out there, I just couldn’t figure out a starting point. The great part about trainers from these and just about any gym is that they see many people like us. Newbies to the whole weight lifting and weight loss life. My trainer was awesome. He answered all of my answers without judgement and seemed more than happy to explain anything I felt confused with. I found it most helpful to be completely honest and tell him that I didn’t plan on many sessions. I wanted a few to get started and possible once I get going and find a plateau or just wanted to change things up, a few more. I was going 4-5 times a week for about 45 minutes and he worked with me to create a plan that I could do on my own.
The several trainers I have come across have always seemed to love what they do. In todays world it sometimes felt they went above and beyond to make sure they help you as much as they can.
Let’s just cover the first few work outs. When I didn’t have a plan I will admit that I wasn’t really sore and didn’t really feel too much of a work out. But after the first meeting with my trainer this all changed. My trainer specifically told me that after the first few days I was going to really sore, to the point my arms will feel difficulty to lift. He really wasn’t wrong. He told me to make sure to give the muscles rest and don’t work them right away agin but not to stop. If I stopped the soreness will come back every work out if you rest them too long. Even if your arms are sore do something to get your blood pumping. Even a simple brisk walk on a treadmill will surprisingly ease soreness in your arms.
You should understand that this soreness is very temporary, you just have to work though it. Aside from my first Arms day, and not being able to lift them for a day or two. Leg day was hilarious. I walked like zombie for about 2 days. The awesome part of following the trainers advise and plan, the soreness only lasted about a week. Even after work outs now, I just don’t get sore. You actually get a feeling of real relaxation and a sense of joy.
Final note:
This is really my favorite work out and I would recommend it to anyone.
With any gym make sure you know what you’re signing. Some gyms have a surprise fee usually in February. Some can make it very difficult to cancel, some can have long contracts that you would have to continue to pay even if you stop going, and some can have signup fees. At any moment there is usually a special going on somewhere, so keep an eye out for one. You can also ask and see if you can get your February fee waived if you’re near it. No clue if this works but it’s sometimes pretty expensive.
In Home Options
This can be broken down into two separate categories but these sort of fit together. The biggest difference of these to other exercises is both a pro and con. It makes it so much easier to just say “I’ll do it later”. But, then comes bedtime than it becomes tomorrow, then soon.
First – the ones you plan yourself.
The options here are endless and you can invest in a simple set of weights or some absurdly overpriced piece of equipment. This can be pretty tough some times because professional guidance can be pretty tough. You have to search and make up your own plans. But If you really stick to it results here can be just as good as any other work out. Budget here really holds no excuse. There are so many exercises that don’t need equipment. Just to name a few from the countless out there: push ups, sit ups, planks, lunges, jumping jack, squats, and twisting mountain climbers.
Second – The Plane
When talking about in home options the middle of the night infomercial has to be included. Just like every other workout these two have their pros and cons. The biggest con about some of these its sooo easy to just say I will do it later (sort of true with any work out).
Now we have all seen those middle of the night infomercials with the super over energetic fitness guy yelling “come on just one more”. I will admit that I caved once and went with p90x. To my surprise I have to admit that it wasn’t bad at all. The great thing about this program is that they really didn’t require any additional equipment besides a pull up bar (you don’t have to be able to do pull ups) and some rubber band things called resistance band. Both available pretty inexpensively on amazon (Link Below if you’re looking for one). Personally this is the first and only fitness program I have ever used and I actually really enjoyed it. Even though there isn’t anyone looking at you, if that bugs you. The host does make you feel very comfortable even when you can’t perform an exercise. Just a quick example of this, are pull ups. I have always had a losing battle with pull ups and with this a common problem for many people. The host explains methods with using a chair and even allows time in the videos for people to grab their chair. The only thing I would advise before trying P90X is know that you will be moving around a bit and if your on a second floor know the times your downstairs neighbors aren’t home. Also, they use to have longer free trials but they at least still give a 14 day free trial to try their service. I would recommend getting the most of these 14 days and see if you like it. This way you can take advantage of their money back policy if you didn’t like it. Just know if you’re late to cancel you bought a year of it for about $100.
Quick note: Amazon’s return policy is 30 days, so order equipment then start the 14 days.
If you do decide to sign up for their program, one option includes a month of their shake. You will have to pay for that even if you cancel. I have never used any shakes or additives so you can select the option with out with out it.
Progress & Results:
These are the main reasons that most people will quit a new exercise routines. Out of experience I can tell you that if you keep to your new exercise plan, you will begin to see progress. In just about any exercise or new activity there will be a learning curve. From simply trying to increase you walking distance to tying to improve your running speed, the main thing to understand is that it can take some time.
Tip:
When just starting a new activity like walking or cycling, it is best to work at it on a regular basis. You should understand differences of light muscle soreness and pain. Muscle soreness should be expected and especially after your first few exercises. After the first few times exercising you will start to notice that this soreness starts to decrease and almost becomes non existent. Many of you will actually will start to get a sense of relaxation, believe me this actually happens. No matter the exercise, if you feel a lot of pain you should consult a doctor and insure you are performing the exercise correctly. Working through pain can make you much more susceptible to injury. I personally would take my bike every morning and take a day off after a very vigorous workout. With things like trying to increase your walking distance try to walk around every few hours or try to improve your distance everyday.
Working out to lose weight
This may burst a few peoples bubbles and may actually may make some people happy. A reason many people decide to start a new workout program is simply to lose weight. Working our is a fantastic way to increase the amount of calories your body burns. And workouts like weightlifting can drastically increase your BMR. (If you came from our Meal Planner or Weight Loss guide you will know why increasing your BMR is awesome, it’s like burning free calories.) The truth to working out and weight loss is that looking at your diet should be your fist step. No matter how much you try to workout you can’t outwork a bad diet.
Conclusion
The point I wanted to make in this post is that anyone can become more active no matter their current weight, condition, or budget. You simply have to work through the tough beginnings and you will begin to notice progress. Just give it a chance.
Some Useful Links
Our Full Free Weight Loss Guide
Easiest Calorie Calculator Ever!