When it comes to adjusting your lifestyle for fitness, it's easy to get lost and defeated in this realm. We must keep an eye on the prize, which is feeling great about ourselves and building confidence. During this process, we must remember our ability to keep up with ourselves. Oftentimes our eyes are bigger than our stomach and we don't want to bite off more than we can chew. That being said, we must not try to move too fast. In the beginning, it's best to start with goals that are easy to achieve. For example, aim for 5 push-ups at a time, or half a mile walk instead of a mile run. When you overwork yourself, you can be sore for longer than expected and that can sometimes be discouraging or require you to rest for longer periods. Remember that we must learn to crawl before we can walk, and walk before we can run. Below is a list of workouts we recommend for just getting started, and as you slowly tame the animal inside of you, start raising the reps, start pushing yourself that extra mile. You’ll start noticing your hard work paying off!
Note: The lower body can handle massive weight, typically more than the upper body. While warming up every muscle group before targeting it is a must, it is integral to avoiding injury when it comes to the lower body. Do. Not. Skip. The. Warmup. Injuries lead to reinjury, regardless of gender, age, or experience. We workout to maintain our mobility throughout life, it’s counterintuitive to overwork or shock the muscles into injury.
Summary
Strength training, also known as resistance training, involves exercises designed to improve muscular strength, endurance, and overall fitness. It uses resistance, such as free weights, machines, body weight, or resistance bands, to stimulate muscle growth and development.
Beginner Plan (3 sets)
Push-Ups: 10-12 reps
Bodyweight Squats: 10-12 reps
Dumbbell Rows: 8-10 reps per arm
Plank Hold: 20-30 seconds
As you progress be sure to add more resistance in form of more reps or weight by bands and/or weights. Also as you progress be sure to change the workouts because muscle memory doesn't forget
Summary
Cardio workouts focus on improving heart and lung health by raising your heart rate for an extended period. These exercises enhance endurance, burn calories, and support overall well-being by circulating the blood through your body. By making your heart and lung work, it builds those muscles and makes them stronger
Beginner Plan
Brisk Walking: 20-30 minutes
Jumping Jacks(3 sets): 20-30 seconds
Stationary Jogging: 2-3 minutes
Body weight step ups(3 sets): 1 minute
Slow to Moderate Cycling: 5 minutes
Summary
Functional fitness focuses on exercises that mirror everyday movements, improving strength, balance, and coordination for real-life activities. These workouts enhance your ability to perform tasks like lifting, bending, or reaching with ease and efficiency.
Mobility workouts, on the other hand, aim to improve joint flexibility, range of motion, and muscle elasticity. These exercises reduce stiffness, prevent injuries, and support better posture and movement patterns.
Calisthenics is the practice of using only body weight and the resistance of gravity. This is a great place to start for beginners. You need little to no equipment, very little space, and you’ve got the freedom to workout anywhere you feel comfortable. There are also countless websites, influencers, and ideas for supporting a calisthenic life. Down below is a great first workout for calisthenics, just a first taste of how it is.
Beginner Plan (3 sets)
Push-Ups (Modified): 8-10 reps
Bodyweight Squats: 12-15 reps
Plank Hold: 15-30 seconds
Glute bridges: 10-12 reps @ 2 second hold
Incline Pull ups (or rows): 5-8 reps
Summary
Mind-body exercises like yoga and Pilates focus on the connection between physical movement and mental well-being. These workouts emphasize the connection between the mind and body, promoting relaxation, balance, and overall mindfulness. They are designed to reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and enhance physical strength and flexibility as well as breathing control and techniques.
Beginner Plan (3sets)
Cat-Cow Stretch: 30 seconds
Child’s Pose: 30 seconds
Downward Dog Hold: 20-30 seconds
There are multiple examples of mind-body worksouts including, Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Qigong, and Meditative dance. We encourage you to take a dive into each one and determine which is ideal for you
Summary
Low-impact workouts are exercises that minimize stress on joints while still providing effective cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training. These workouts are ideal for individuals recovering from injury, dealing with joint issues, or seeking a gentler approach to fitness. Despite being lower intensity, they can still improve strength, endurance, and overall health. Other Low-impact workouts that are gentle on the joints include walking, swimming, and cycling. Low-impact workouts are perfect for maintaining an active lifestyle while reducing the risk of injury, making them an essential option for sustainable fitness routines.
Beginner Plan
Brisk Walking: 20 minutes
Seated Marching: 10 minutes
Standing side leg raises: 8-10 reps per leg
Seated leg lifts: 8-10 reps per leg
Summary
Powerlifting is a strength sport focused on three main compound lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. The goal is to lift the maximum possible weight for one repetition in each lift. Powerlifting emphasizes raw strength, proper form, and progressive overload. While it is often associated with competitions, it can also be a powerful tool for building strength and improving functional fitness.
Beginner Plan(3sets)
Squats with Light Weight: 5-8 reps
Bench Press with Light Weight: 5-8 reps
Barebell rows with Light Weight: 5-8 reps
We highly encourage those that are starting in the powerlifting to start with light weight, not only to be safe, but too really practice form. We reccomend, using 50% of your max lift and slowly working your way up.
Summary
CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness program that combines elements of strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and functional movements. Workouts, known as WODs (Workouts of the Day), are designed to be short, intense, and scalable for all fitness levels. CrossFit emphasizes a community-driven approach to fitness, fostering camaraderie and motivation.
Beginner Plan
Push-Ups: 8-10 reps
Air Squats: 10-12 reps
Burpees: 5-8 reps
CrossFit for beginners is about mastering the basics, staying consistent, and enjoying the variety!
Summary
HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, is a workout style that alternates between short bursts of intense activity and periods of rest or low-intensity recovery. HIIT workouts are known for their efficiency, as they deliver significant fitness benefits in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional steady-state exercise. HIIT also helps with cardiovascular and burns calories more efficiently. Is also scable as you can start with no equipment and still have a very great workout.