If you are new to the gym. and are either a total beginner or just completely stumped on what to do, here’s a great workout for you to do that will require very little preparation and even less conscious thought. I have also come up with some tricks on how to remember what to do:
First, I like to start with cardio and get that out of the way. Hop on the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, or recumbent bike for 20 minutes. Increase your resistance or speed at one minute intervals and then reduce for one minute. Make sure the one minute high intensity segments are challenging enough to that the recovery minutes are needed.
I like to think of my body in thirds: upper, lower, and core. We always want to start with the largest muscle groups so the easiest way to do this is start from the ground up. Focus on the major muscle groups for this workout: glutes, hamstrings, quads, biceps, triceps, back, chest and core. One exercise per muscle group is plenty. Three sets of 10-12 reps is the magic number. Next week I will put together a workout combining muscle groups if you are short on time. But this week, we are going to isolate.
Weighted Bridge - Glutes
You can do this exercise lying down on a mat or with your back on a bench and feet on the floor. I would start with doing it just like the picture. Add a plate or dumbbell for added resistance. Take about 45 seconds in between sets
Hamstrings - Single Leg Hamstring Curl
I like the prone version of this exercise because you add gravity to your resistance. I also prefer single leg version because it does not allow your dominant or stronger leg to take over the exercise. This requires no rest in between because your rest will come when you switch legs
Quadriceps - Heels Elevated Goblet Squat
It’s pretty easy to elevate your heels. I would just grab a plate. Add your weight of choice or none at all and start squatting. Remember to make sure your toes to travel past your heels and it is usually more beneficial if you don’t go past a 90 degree angle at the knees. Take 45 seconds of rest between sets.
Back - Cable Rower
Boy do I like the cable row machine but you can work this muscle group with a row of any kind (dumbbells, bands, machine, etc). Make sure to keep your spine upright to isolate the back muscles. If you are leaning into the row, chances are your are activating supporting muscles to do the work. If you are having to gather momentum or lean back to pull the weight, consider dropping down to lighter weights.
Biceps - Concentration Curls
This is pretty much self explanatory but I like it. I love this particular biceps exercise because it doesn’t allow for you to use momentum to get the weight up. By anchoring to your leg, your can exclusively use the biceps. Another alternative to this would be a preacher curl.
Chest - Push Ups
Push ups are a great staple to a workout routine. When in doubt, push ups can be a great exercise to fill any workout. With a chest push up, make sure to keep your hands under your shoulders and internally rotate the shoulders. Allow the elbows to go out diagonally and do NOT let your elbow go past 90 degrees. It is not necessary to lower yourself all the way to the ground. Option always to do this on your knees, against a wall, or with hands on a bench.
Triceps - Overhead Tricep Press
This can be done with either a plate or a dumbbell. Start light with this one as it can sneak up on you. Try to keep your elbows closer to your head and not splayed out wide and resist the urge to relax at the bottom of the motion keeping constant tension on the triceps throughout the set.
Abdominals - Plank
Finish strong with a plank. This is mainly a core exercise but the beauty of it is that it works almost every muscle in your body to some degree. Try three sets of 20 seconds or maybe max out your first set and see how long you can hold it. Keep the sides of the navel pulled inward, limit how much extension is in your lower back, and round out your shoulder blades.
I hope this takes some of the guess work out of your next visit to the gym. Let me know in the comments below how it worked for you.