How long should I workout for?

Start by setting a goal to continue with a workout program me for three months. Creating a long-term exercise routine is all about forming positive habits, which means giving your mind and body the time to adjust to doing something new.

Aim to work out or train for 45 minutes to an hour and you should always leave 48 hours between workouts to rest and recover properly. A Monday-Wednesday-Friday routine works well for most people.

Advantages – You will start to have more energy and feel more upbeat within just a few sessions.

How much weight should I lift?

The best thing you can do is start at the lower end of the weight spectrum and work your way up until you reach about 60 to 70% of your max limit. Doing more of less weight will burn fat and increase your strength and stamina.

What are reps and sets?

Sets: a set is how many rounds of reps you do.

So if you lift 10 times on a bench press, that would be ‘one set of 10 reps’. If you take a short break and then do the same again, you will have completed two sets of 10 reps.

How many reps and sets you go for depends on what you’re trying to achieve. More reps at a lower weight would improve your endurance, while fewer reps at a higher weight would build your muscle mass.

When it comes to sets, people usually aim for between three to five, depending on how many you can complete without compromising your form.

Tips for each workout

• Go slow – focus on your technique
• Rest for 60-90 seconds between each set
• Keep moving when you’re resting – a gentle walk around the gym floor will keep your muscles warm and your heart rate up
• Try to keep your back straight and head up, maintaining a good posture and form is very important. If you find yourself stooping, looking down, or curling up reduce the weight.

Beginner gym workout for females

This gym workout for beginners is designed to tone the whole body, with a particular focus on the legs and glutes. It’s a common misconception that women will become bulky from lifting weights. In reality, weight training helps women become stronger, leaner, and more toned. Embracing gym workouts for beginners can lead to improved strength and confidence without the fear of unwanted bulkiness.

• Seated leg press (10 reps x 3 sets)
• Seated shoulder press (10 reps x 3 sets)
• Close grip lat pulldown (10 reps x 3 sets)
• Bodyweight lunges (10 reps x 3 sets)
• Full/kneeling press ups (10 reps x 3 sets)
• Plank (30 secs x 3)
• Leg raises (10 reps x 3 sets)

Beginner gym workout for males

This workout is designed to help men gain strength and lean mass. This is a full body beginner workout with an extra focus on the arms and core. You’ll find by the end of this plan that all your numbers (reps or amount of weight lifted) on the exercises should increase nearly every week and you will have noticed changes in your body shape.

• Seated chest press (10 reps x 4 sets)
• Seated rows (10 reps x 4 sets)
• Wide grip Lat pulldown (10 reps x 4 sets)
• Seated leg press (10 reps x 4 sets)
• Dumbbell seated shoulder press (10 reps x 4 sets)
• Dumbbell bicep curls (10 reps x 4 sets)
• Close grip triceps press ups (10 reps x 4 sets)
• Cable rotations/twists (10 reps x 4 sets)
• Reverse crunches (10 reps x 4 sets)

Beginner gym workout for strength

The rep range for strength training is 4–6 reps and the idea behind this plan is to exert more energy for less reps (which will mean lifting heavier). If it’s your first time lifting for strength, don’t go too heavy, use a manageable weight for the first few weeks and then increase the load as the weeks go on. Once you think you could lift for 8–10 reps on the same weight, it’s time to increase the weight.

• Barbell push press (6 reps x 4 sets)
• Goblet squat (6 reps x 4 sets)
• Dumbbell single arm row (6 reps x 4 sets)
• Shoulder lateral raise (6 reps x 4 sets)
• Bench press (6 reps x 4 sets)
• Pull ups/assisted pull ups (6 reps x 4 sets)
• Barbell bicep curls (8 reps x 4 sets)
• Cable overhead triceps extensions (8 reps x 4 sets)
• Rotating plank (30 secs x 4)

Beginner gym workout for fat loss

This workout is designed to raise your heart rate and get you sweating. The purpose behind this is to push your cardiovascular fitness – when your heart rate is higher you burn more calories. It also has the added benefit of burning extra calories after you’ve finished the workout, as your body is still working hard to recover back to its normal state of function. So you’re essentially burning more while resting just for training your heart a bit harder during your workout.

• Plate thrusters (15 reps x 3 sets)
• Mountain climbers (20 reps x 3 sets)
• Box jumps (10 reps x 3 sets)
• Walk outs (10 reps x 3 sets)
• Renegade rows (full plank/kneeling) (10 each side x 3 sets)
• Press ups (full plank/kneeling) (15 reps x 3 sets)
• Treadmill 10 min run/steep incline brisk walk (no hands)
• Superman (full plank/kneeling) (10 reps x 3 sets)
• Crunches (10 reps x 3 sets)

Beginner gym workouts for flexibility

This workout requires a mat and a bit of open space to perform. Find an area in the mobility or yoga section of your gym where you’ve got enough space to stretch out fully. Flexibility is all about opening the body and relieving those tight areas that develop from being static during the day. This is less about burning calories and more about making you feel good.

If you work in an office or sit for long periods during the day, this is the perfect workout for shaking out tension, aches, and pains. It’s perfect for sticking on the end of a cardio or weightlifting session if you’re after an effective way to cool down. Perform the exercises listed below on either side (left and right) and hold for the required amount of time to maximise the benefits of the pose.

• Child’s pose into upward dog (hold for 10 – 15 seconds)
• Hip openers x 10
• Kneeling shoulder stretches x 5
• Thoracic rotation raises x 10
• Frog pose (hold for 10 – 15 seconds)
• Hip flexor stretches 
• Lateral lunges x 5
• Scorpion twists x 2 (hold for 5 – 10 seconds)

Beginner gym workout for cardio equipment

This mix of steady and interval cardio session with different pieces of equipment will help mix up your workout and stop you getting bored. Applying intervals to your training can really push that cardiovascular fitness and make your heart stronger and efficient.

• 5 min treadmill brisk walk (optional incline)
• 5 min rower (steady)
• 1 min run/1 min walk treadmill x 10(easy)/15(medium)/20(hard)
• 10 min stair master (steady)
• Cross trainer (maintain one pace) – 1 min low effort level/1 min high effort level x 10(easy)/15(medium)/20(hard)

Exercise principles to help reach your goals

There are many ways of training and they can all be beneficial depending on your goals.

However you choose to train, there are some basic tips you can do to help get the most out of your workouts.

1. Pay attention to what you eat – if your goal is fat loss just remember the basic principle is move more than you consume. This is the simple formula which a lot of people complicate when it comes to weight loss. If you’re training for muscle gain, the types of food you eat are also very important, for example, foods high in protein. And what you eat before and after your workout can also help with performance and recovery.

1. Think about your job – lots of people spend most of their day sat down. So when it comes to exercise, standing rather than sitting will have multiple benefits and really help free up any areas that perhaps aren’t getting the movement through the restrictions of your work.

1. Warm up properly – when it comes to warming your body up at the start of training, movement-based (also known as dynamic) stretches are best. This means anything that involves not standing still or bringing your heart rate down, for example, lunges, walk outs, simple yoga movements or cardiovascular work such as walking, cross trainer or stair master.

1. Don’t forget to cool down – static/slower movement stretches are much better for this part of the workout, it’s a great opportunity to try and unwind and release some of those stiffer areas that you just struggle to loosen up.

Above all, enjoy your work out and love your body!