Exercise for Beginners - Setting Up a Complete Program
A well-rounded program
includes
cardio,
weight
training and
flexibility. Knowing how
to implement these components can be confusing. Should you do cardio and strength training on the same day? Which one should you do first?
This will depend on your goals, schedule and fitness level, which means there are endless ways to set up your workout program. Below are some
basic guidelines for getting started with a complete exercise program.
- For Beginners: You should start slowly with a basic cardio program and a full body resistance training routine.
You'll want to have recovery days to allow your body to rest and your muscles to heal from your new routine. A typical beginner program
will include about 3 or so days of cardio and about 2 days of strength training. If you're not sure about your fitness level, you can
take the quiz, What's Your Fitness Level to get
insight and resources to help you get started. Below is a sample schedule just to give you an idea of a typical week of workouts:
| Monday:
Cardio-20-30 minutes,
stretch |
Thursday:
Rest or yoga |
| Tuesday:
Full Body strength training,
stretch |
Friday: Full Body strength training,
stretch |
| Wednesday:
Cardio-20-30 minutes, abdominal
workout, stretch |
Saturday:
Cardio-30 minutes, stretch |
- For Intermediate/Advanced Exercisers-Goal: Weight loss and health:
If you've been exercising for a while and your goal is to lose weight, you
want to shoot for 20-60 minutes of cardio about 5 times a week. Your
strength training schedule will depend on what type of workouts you're doing
(e.g., total body training or a split routine). You can do cardio and weight training on the same day, depending on your
time constraints. It doesn't matter which one you do first, so vary
your routine and try different combinations to find the one that is right
for you. Sample week of workouts:
| Monday:
Cardio-30 minutes, Upper body strength
training, stretch |
Thursday:
Rest or yoga |
| Tuesday:
Cardio-45 minutes, core/ab workout,
stretch |
Friday:
Full Body strength training, stretch |
| Wednesday:Cardio-30
minutes, Lower body, 30 minutes, stretch |
Saturday:
Cardio-60 minutes, stretch |
- For
Intermediate/Advanced Exercisers-Goal: muscle gain: If you're
trying to gain muscle mass and strength, focus on your
strength training routine. Doing too much cardio beforehand can make you
too tired to lift. Since you'll be using more weight and doing more
exercises for each muscle group, you'll typically do a split training
routine and less cardio. Here's a sample week of workouts:
| Monday:
Chest, shoulders and
triceps, Cardio-20 min. |
Thursday:
Rest or yoga |
| Tuesday:
Legs and abs, Cardio-20 minutes |
Friday: Full Body strength training-1 hour, stretching |
| Wednesday:
Back and biceps, no cardio |
Saturday:
Cardio-30 minutes |
For a variety of strength training workouts and helpful articles, visit my Workout
Center.
Back to Exercise for Beginners
