If you’re new to the gym, figuring out what to do and how to structure your sessions can be tough. Developing a robust gym workout plan is a great starting point when establishing new exercise habits. Explore our top tips and advice for gym workout plans, or head straight to our sample beginner gym workout routines here.
Why Are Workout Plans So Useful for Beginners?
Having a gym workout plan offers several advantages. Let’s have a look at them:
- For beginners, knowing your exercises in advance makes gym sessions smoother since you can simply arrive.
- Follow your plan, and leave, rather than improvise.
- Researching your exercises beforehand can boost your confidence in performing them correctly.
- This preparation can alleviate any intimidation you might feel and make your workouts more comfortable.
- A workout plan is also crucial for achieving fitness goals, as it promotes consistency and progressive overload. Both are essential for enhancing strength, endurance, and muscle growth.
- A workout plan helps beginners avoid overtraining and undertraining, enables progress tracking, and ensures efficient use of gym time.
Gym Workout Plan For Beginners
Designing a gym workout plan can help beginners set clear fitness goals and stay motivated throughout their journey. Here are some steps to follow when creating your gym workout plan:
- Determine the fitness goals
- Choose exercises
- Plan your workouts
- Set a schedule
- Track your progress
How often should you work out each week?
We generally suggest starting with a three to four days per week workout routine for beginners. It might be tempting to push hard every day. It’s crucial to include rest days as these are when your body recovers and progress occurs. This is particularly important if you’re new to exercise—going too hard too soon makes it less likely you’ll stick with a routine.
Always warm up. It’s essential to include 5-10 minutes of light cardio or dynamic stretching for a warmup. Followed by either 5 minutes of gentle cardio to cool down or some mobility/stretching exercises. This helps prevent and relieve post-workout muscle soreness and reduces the risk of strain or injury.
What to Include in Your Gym Workout Plan?
A well-rounded gym workout plan should encompass strength training, mobility work, and cardio.
- Strength training builds muscle and mobility.
- Flexibility training enhances movement and assists strength workouts.
- Cardio is crucial for cardiovascular health.
The balance of these elements will vary based on your goals. If weight loss is your aim, you might include more cardio sessions than someone focused solely on muscle building. Strength, cardio, and mobility can be combined in a single session. However, it can be beneficial to separate workouts to concentrate on different types, depending on your workout frequency.
The example plans we’ve provided here include:
Full Body Workouts
Full-body workouts are ideal for newcomers to strength training. They engage all major muscle groups in just two sessions a week, allowing ample recovery time and emphasizing fundamental compound movements like squats. Additionally, beginners often experience significant progress with basic full-body routines.
Cardio
Opt for a cardio style you enjoy, or vary it each time. Options include treadmill running or brisk walking, as well as using the stepper or cross trainer. For added motivation, consider attending cardio-focused fitness classes.
Mobility
This segment focuses on stretches and gentle movements such as yoga or pilates poses. These exercises improve strength, flexibility, and stability, and can utilize equipment like resistance bands, weights, and balance balls, or be performed without any equipment. Explore our mobility and flexibility hub for inspiration at Ginnatic Arena.
Beginner’s Gym Workout
Experience a Full-Body Fitness Plan in Action!
Planning an effective workout can be challenging for gym newcomers. Below is a beginner workout targeting the entire body. You can use this routine for all your full-body workouts each week or alternate it with different routines to vary your exercises.
Leg Press Machine
- Three sets of 8-10 reps
- Adjust seat and backrest height comfortably.
- Sit, and place feet flat on a platform slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Grip handles on seat sides.
- Press down on the platform with feet, straightening legs, and lifting weight.
- Lower weight back to the starting position.
- Repeat desired times with brief pauses between reps.
Flat Dumbbell Chest Press
- Three sets of 10-15 reps
- Select dumbbells, and lie on a flat bench with feet flat.
- Hold dumbbells at sides, palms forward.
- Engage the core, and press the dumbbells upward until the arms fully extend.
- Lower dumbbells to the starting position.
- Repeat desired reps.
Shoulder Press Machine
- Three sets of 6-10 reps
- Select dumbbells, and lie on a flat bench with feet flat.
- Hold dumbbells at sides, palms forward.
- Engage the core, and press the dumbbells upward until the arms fully extend.
- Lower dumbbells to the starting position.
- Repeat desired reps.
Lat Pulldown
- Three sets of 6-10 reps
- Adjust the seat height so knees are bent at 90 degrees, feet flat.
- Grasp bar or handle with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Engage the core, pull the bar down towards the upper chest, squeezing the shoulder blades.
- Lower bar to starting position.
- Repeat desired reps.
Hamstring Curl Machine
- Three sets of 8-12 reps
- Adjust pads on the back of lower legs above heels.
- Sit on the machine, knees on pads, feet on footplate.
- Grasp handles or machine sides for stability.
- Engage core, and lift weight by curling heels towards buttocks.
- Pause at the top, slowly lower weight.
- Repeat desired reps.
Plank
- 1 set holding as long as possible, aim to improve weekly
- Begin prone on the mat, resting on your forearms and toes.
- Engage the core, and lift the body off the ground forming a straight line from head to toe.
- Hold position, ensuring a straight body and engaged core.
- Modify by dropping to knees or placing hands on a raised surface.
Wrapping Up
It’s important to listen to your body, gradually increase the intensity of your gym workout, and maintain consistency to observe tangible progress over time. Our fitness facilities boast top-notch weights machines and free weights, facilitating your journey toward strength and wellness, whether you prefer working out independently or with the guidance of our seasoned personal trainers.
Ready to kickstart your fitness journey? Join us at Ginnastic Arena, and let’s strive toward your fitness goals together!
