
Section 1: Introduction
Section 2: Why exercise is important
Section 3: Setting goals
Section 4: Selecting exercises
Section 5: Developing a routine
Section 6: What your everyday Workout routine should have
Section 7: Example
Section 6: Takeaway
Introduction
Exercise is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, for beginners, the prospect of starting an exercise routine can be overwhelming. With so many exercises, machines, and programs available, it can be challenging to know where to begin. In this blog post, we will provide you with a guide to help you create a workout routine that is safe, beneficial, and enjoyable.
Dont forget to keep in mind things you should know before starting your fitness journey
Why exercise is important
Exercise is essential for both our physical and emotional health. Along with enhancing general fitness, strength, and flexibility, it aids in the prevention of chronic ailments like heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, exercise releases endorphins, which can lower stress and elevate happiness.
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of exercise. Many advantages to physical and mental health result from regular physical activity. It can help maintain a healthy weight, build bones and muscles, and promote cardiovascular health. Also, studies have shown that exercise enhances cognitive function, lowers the risk of both sadness and anxiety, and reduces stress levels. Exercise can also provide social benefits, such as fostering a sense of community and connection through group exercise classes or sports teams. Overall, regular exercise is crucial for achieving your best level of health and well-being.
Setting goals
Setting SMART fitness goals is a good way to come up with a clear, doable plan for enhancing your health and fitness. A specific and realistic plan for reaching your fitness goals can be created using a framework known as “SMART goals” which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. Let’s go through how to create SMART fitness goals and why doing so is crucial for success.
Making a goal specific is the first step in creating a SMART one for fitness. Your objective should be clear and well-defined, with a certain result in mind. An example of a specific goal might be, “I want to lose 10 pounds in the next three months,” as opposed to just expressing, “I want to get in shape.” Because it has a clear conclusion and a set deadline, this aim is specific.
Measurable: Your fitness objective must be measurable as well. This implies that you should be able to monitor your development and assess your achievement. An example of a measurable goal using the previous example might be, “I want to lose 10 pounds over the next three months, which amounts to losing an average of 2-3 pounds per month.” This objective can be measured since it has a clear result that can be observed and followed.
Achievable: You must establish goals that you can achieve. Establishing impossible standards might cause frustration and unhappiness. It’s crucial to take into account your present level of fitness while choosing a fitness goal, as well as what is doable for you. For instance, setting a goal to run a marathon in six months may not be feasible if you have never run even a mile. You may instead plan to complete a 5K run in three months.
Relevant: Your fitness objective should also be relevant to your overall fitness and health objectives. This means that it should complement your long-term goals and have personal significance for you. For instance, exercising for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, would be a meaningful goal if your long-term objective is to enhance your general health and lower your risk of disease.
Last but not least, your fitness objective needs to be time-bound. This implies that there should be a set finish date or time. A time-bound goal would be, “I want to lose 10 pounds in the next three months,” using the previous example. This objective has a set completion date and time, which encourages effort and holds people accountable.
Selecting exercises
There are several different types of exercises that are considered important and that individuals frequently do. They consist of:
Aerobic exercise: Commonly known as cardio, this is designed to raise the heart rate and enhance oxygen intake. Running, swimming, cycling, and dancing are among the examples.
Strength training: This form of physical activity aims to develop and tone muscles. Weightlifting, push-ups, squats, and lunges are a few examples.
Flexibility training: This type of exercise is designed to improve joint range of motion and prevent injury. Stretching, yoga, and Pilates are a few examples.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT): This form of exercise alternates brief bursts of intense exercise with rest intervals. Jumping jacks, burpees, and sprints are a few examples.
Functional training: This exercise style aims to enhance general movement patterns and daily activities. Exercises for the core, balance, and bodyweight workouts like planks and bridges are a few examples.
Circuit training: In this sort of exercise, a series of exercises are performed in a set order with little to no rest in between. Push-ups, squats, lunges, and jumping jacks are a few examples.
Yoga: Yoga is a type of exercise that involves a combination of physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. It is often used for stress reduction and relaxation, as well as improving flexibility, balance, and strength. Examples of yoga poses include downward dog, warrior II, and tree pose.
Developing a routine
It’s time to discover how to create a successful workout routine now that you are aware of the importance of exercise, how to set goals, and the different types of exercises to select from. Developing a workout routine is an essential step in achieving your fitness goals. Your exercises will be more structured, you’ll be sure to work out all the key muscle groups, and you’ll steadily increase your intensity and duration over time.
In creating a workout routine, you need to first consider your fitness goal. Different fitness goals may include weight loss, muscle gain, endurance improvement, and overall health and fitness improvement.
A combination of cardio workouts and strength training can be put into a routine to focus on weight loss to burn calories and develop muscle. Exercises like circuit training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can help increase metabolism and aid in weight loss.
For muscle gain, strength training with progressive overload is key. Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups are examples of compound workouts that effectively increase muscular mass. Protein needs to be met to support muscle growth and recovery.
Endurance improvement can be achieved through cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling, and swimming. To develop endurance, it’s critical to gradually increase workout duration and intensity.
For overall health and fitness improvement, a well-rounded routine that incorporates both strength and cardiovascular exercises can be beneficial. Stretching and yoga are good mobility and flexibility exercises to incorporate into your routine to keep your joints healthy and prevent injury.
In conclusion, creating a routine around various fitness goals requires a combination of targeted exercise, progressive overload, and good nutrition. To create a routine that is safe and meets specific requirements and goals, it’s valuable to speak with a fitness expert.
What your everyday Workout routine should have
Your routine should include warm-up and cool-down exercises as well as exercises that target all the major muscle groups.
Let’s start by talking about warm-up activities. They are crucial to helping prevent injuries and getting your body ready for the workout ahead. A good warm-up should last for at least 5 to 10 minutes and consist of low-intensity workouts that raise your heart rate while also incorporating dynamic stretches.
It’s time to begin the main workout after your warm-up. All of the major muscle groups, including your legs, back, chest, arms, and core, should be worked out during your workout program. How you would want to split these muscle groups depends on your overall goal. It is important to also vary your exercises to keep your workouts challenging and interesting.
In addition, it is essential to gradually increase the intensity and length of your workouts as well as to focus on all the key muscle groups over time. Progressive overload, which accomplishes both of these goals, keeps your body challenged and prevents plateaus. Increasing the weight you lift or the number of repetitions you do over time is one technique to produce progressive overload.
Finally, cool down exercises. These exercises assist in gradually lowering your heart rate and stretching your muscles after working out. Static stretches that target all the major muscle groups should be included in a good cool-down, which should last at least 5 to 10 minutes.
Example
Example of a workout program for a beginner who wants to add on weight up to 80kg with 8-14 fat levels in the space of 2 years
Achieving a weight gain of 80 kg in two years while maintaining a body fat level between 8 and 14 percent is an ambitious goal that will require a well-planned workout program and consistent effort, but most importantly, it meets the SMART goal requirement.
Specific: The goal is specific in terms of the desired weight gain and body fat percentage range.
Measurable: The goal is measurable, as progress can be tracked by regular body measurements and weighing.
Achievable: The goal is achievable with a consistent workout program, a healthy nutrition plan, and enough time to achieve it.
Relevant: The goal is relevant to the individual’s desire to improve their physical health and appearance.
Time-bound: The goal has a specific timeframe of two years to achieve the desired results.
Day 1: Chest and Triceps
Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of cardio (e.g., walking, jogging, cycling)
Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Cable Flyes: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2: Back and Biceps
Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of cardio (e.g., walking, jogging, cycling)
Pull-ups or lats Pulldowns: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Barbell Curls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Legs and Shoulders
Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of cardio (e.g., walking, jogging, cycling)
Squats: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Leg Press: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Leg Curls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Full Body
Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of cardio (e.g., walking, jogging, cycling)
Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Pull-ups or lats Pulldowns: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Cable Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Barbell Curls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 7: Rest
To achieve the goal, it’s important to focus on progressive overload and increasing the weights used in each exercise over time. It’s also important to consume enough calories to support muscle growth and to maintain a balanced and nutritious diet.
Additionally, tracking progress, setting achievable milestones, seeking professional guidance, and joining a support group can help with staying motivated and accountable toward achieving this goal.
Takeaway
Creating a successful exercise routine can be challenging for beginners, but it’s entirely possible with the right approach. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a routine that is safe, beneficial, and enjoyable. Remember to set realistic goals, select the right exercises, and stay motivated and accountable, and you will be on your way to achieving your health and fitness goals