If you're new to exercise or it's been a while since you worked out, you might wonder where to start.
Your first step is learning how to create a workout plan. Fortunately, you don't have to figure it out on your own. Experts have developed the most important components of a quality workout program including frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT principle), which guides exercisers through creating a complete workout plan—whether you're doing cardio, strength training, or both. Using this principle, you can manipulate different aspects of your workouts to make changes, progress to higher levels, and keep things interesting.
FITT
Here are the elements of FITT and how you can change them for your workout routine:
· Frequency: This refers to how often you work out. If you look at the plan below, you'll notice that you do cardio three times a week and strength training three times a week, following basic exercise guidelines for getting started and improving fitness. Over time, as you build endurance and get used to working out, you can increase how often you do cardio.
· Intensity: This is how hard you work during exercise. When you start out, your focus will be moderate-intensity cardio, or about a level 5 or 6 on a perceived exertion scale of 1 to 10. As you progress, you can gradually change the intensity of your workouts with interval training.
· Time: This refers to how long you work out. Start with 20 to 25 minutes for cardio workouts. Increase your workout time each week by a few minutes to progress but don't overdo it.
· Type: The type of exercise you choose can include walking, running, cycling, weight training, Pilates, and more. It's important to start with activities you enjoy, but cross-training and mixing up your workouts is also important to keep both your body and mind engaged. Once you've made exercise a habit, consider trying different activities to keep things interesting.
When you exercise with enough intensity, time, and frequency, you will begin to see changes in your weight, body fat, endurance, and strength. As your body adapts to your current FITT levels, it's time to adjust one or more of them.
These workouts are just examples and may not fit everyone's needs, so modify as needed to fit your fitness level, schedule, and preferences.
If you feel particularly sore or tired, take a rest day. If you're not being challenged enough, add more intensity, time, or frequency to work harder.
Beginner Cardio Workout
You can do this workout using any cardio machine or activity. Cardio machines include treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bikes, rowing machines, ski machines, and stepper machines. Cardio activities include brisk walking, running, cycling, and swimming. Complete each part of the workout, setting the speed, incline, resistance, or ramp according to the suggested perceived exertion. This is subjective, and you may need a few workouts to match your feelings with your workout intensity. Your baseline should be harder than your warm-up, taking you out of your comfort zone. Remember, as you go along and start to fatigue, your settings may change. The goal is to find your baseline, even if you have to lower the speed, incline, resistance, etc. Modify the workout as needed to fit your fitness level. If you feel pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath, slow down or stop exercising.
· Warm up at an easy, moderate pace (5 minutes). You should feel comfortable and able to easily converse. Throughout the warm-up, gradually increase your pace, resistance, and incline to raise your heart rate slowly. This is a perceived exertion level of 4.
· Baseline (5 minutes): Increase your speed, incline, or resistance (or a combination) to find your baseline. At this stage, you should be just slightly out of your comfort zone, feeling like you're working but able to talk. This is a perceived exertion level of 5.
· Increase incline, resistance, or ramp (2 minutes): Increase by one or two increments each time until you feel like you're working harder than baseline. This is a perceived exertion level of 6.
· Lower incline, resistance, ramp, or speed (3 minutes): Return to baseline.
· Increase incline, resistance, or ramp (1 minute), until you feel like you're working harder than baseline.
· Back to baseline (3 minutes). Reduce incline, resistance, ramp, and/or speed back to baseline.
· Increase incline, resistance, or ramp (1 minute), until you feel like you're working harder than baseline.
· Back to baseline (3 minutes). Reduce incline, resistance, ramp, and/or speed.
· Cool down (2 minutes): Reduce incline, resistance, ramp, or speed until you finish comfortably.
Beginner Workout Plan
|
|
Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
Day 5 |
Day 6 |
|
Cardio |
25 min. machine |
15 min. walk |
21 min. machine |
Active rest |
15 min. brisk walk |
25 min. machine |
|
Strength |
2 sets of each exercise, 10-20 min. |
|
2 sets of each exercise, 10-20 min. |
|
|
2 sets of each exercise, 10-20 min. |
|
Stretch |
5 min. |
5 to 10 min. |
5 min. |
|
5 to 10 min. |
5 min. |
Your cardio workout on days one and six is 25 minutes long, but you should work out at your fitness level. If you need to start with 10 or 15 minutes to see how things feel, do that.
You will also perform basic strength training either before or after your cardio. Choose what works best for you. Strength training involves two sets with short rests between them.
Finally, you'll end with 5 minutes of stretching. You might want to skip this step, but stretching is just as important as cardio and strength training because it helps relieve tension and brings your body back to its pre-exercise state.
Day 1: Cardio, Strength Training, and Stretching
· Workout 1: Basic cardio workout Type: Cardio
· Duration: 25 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: Any cardio machine
· Workout 2: Basic strength Type: Strength Training
· Duration: 2 sets of each exercise, 10-20 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: Light dumbbells, exercise ball or chair, mat
· Workout 3: Basic stretches Type: Flexibility
· Duration: 5 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: None
Day 2: Walking and Stretching
Today is like a recovery day and a chance to do some light cardio. While organized exercise is great for you, adding more movement throughout the day contributes to overall calorie burn. Today, you will do these exercises, ending with seated stretches for your back, neck, and shoulders.
· Workout 1: Walk briskly for at least 15 minutes.
· Workout 2: Seated stretches
· Type: Flexibility
· Duration: 5-10 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: None
Day 3: Cardio, Strength Training, and Stretching
Today, you will do a different cardio workout, incorporating light interval training. This will push you out of your comfort zone but not too far. Just enough to start challenging your limits.
You can do this workout on any machine or activity, including air-walking machines or gliders. As before, your strength training remains the same, and don't forget to end with stretching.
· Workout 1: Basic interval training: Similar to the basic cardio workout but shorter and with more intensity. Type: Cardio
· Duration: 21 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: Any cardio machine
· Workout 2: Basic strength Type: Strength Training
· Duration: 2 sets of each exercise, 10-20 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: Light dumbbells, exercise ball or chair, mat
· Workout 3: Basic stretches Type: Flexibility
· Duration: 5 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: None
Day 4: Active Rest
There's no formal workout planned for today, but stay active through rest, walking, stretching, and moving around. Some ideas:
· Play active video games like Wii Fit or anything that gets you moving.
· Do sit-ups, push-ups, or jump on a recumbent bike while watching TV.
· Turn off the TV early and stretch for a few minutes before bed.
· Take your dog for an extra 5-minute walk.
· Roll around on an exercise ball.
Day 5: Walking and Stretching
Again, today is about active recovery. All you need to do is find time to walk, either all at once or spread throughout the day, and stretch a little.
· Workout 1: Aim for at least 15 minutes of brisk walking today.
· Workout 2: Seated stretches
· Type: Flexibility
· Duration: 5-10 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: None
Day 6: Cardio, Strength Training, and Stretching
Today’s workout is the same as Day 1. If you’re feeling sore, take an extra rest day or only do two days of cardio and strength training. This is where experimentation comes in as you figure out what your body can and cannot do.
· Workout 1: 25 min cardio Type: Cardio
· Duration: 25 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: Any cardio machine
· Workout 2: Basic strength Type: Strength Training
· Duration: 2 sets of each exercise, 10-20 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: Light dumbbells, exercise ball or chair, mat
· Workout 3: Basic stretches Type: Flexibility
· Duration: 5 minutes
· Level: Beginner
· Equipment Needed: None.
This is the basic structure of a beginner workout plan. Customize your plan based on your body's needs and personal fitness goals. Use the FITT principle to progress weekly by increasing frequency, intensity, weights, workout time, or varying the exercises.