Like any new beginning, starting a fitness routine can be a difficult and confusing process for beginners. What exercises should you do, how should you do them, how many repetitions, and how often should you train, how long should you rest between sets, while avoiding injuries, are basic questions with answers that are essential to following a good fitness program.
What exercises should men do to achieve their desired goals?
There are two main types of exercises that should be included in every workout routine, regardless of whether the goal is weight loss or muscle gain – these are cardio and strength exercises.
Cardio workouts
Cardio workouts include all exercises that increase your heart rate – running, cycling or using an exercise bike, elliptical training, jumping, swimming, dancing, etc.
Strength training
Strength training is anaerobic exercise using your own body weight or weights (barbells, dumbbells, or strength-training machines).
Strength exercises are designed to work the major and minor muscle groups in the human body. Beginners should start with these basic exercises:
- Legs – leg press, barbell squats, leg curls
- Abs – crunches, lying leg raises, planks
- Chest – barbell or dumbbell bench press, dips, lying dumbbell flyes (lateral raises)
- Back – pull-ups, lat pulldowns, rows (with a barbell or dumbbells)
- Shoulders – barbell or dumbbell shoulder presses, dumbbell lateral raises
- Biceps – dumbbell or barbell curls, dumbbell hammer curls, underhand-grip pull-ups
- Triceps – cable triceps pushdowns, lying barbell triceps extensions, close-grip bench press
How many reps and what weights are recommended for beginner fitness enthusiasts?
Beginners are advised to do 1–2 sets during their first 1–2 weeks of training. Do 8–10 reps in the first set and 6–8 in the second. Once they settle into a training routine, or from the second week, increase the number of sets to 3. Then do 8–10 reps in the first set, 7–8 in the second, and 6–7 in the third. For workouts to be effective and deliver good results, reps should be performed slowly, with good technique and enough weight.
Choosing the working weight can be quite challenging for beginners. The first few workouts are for learning proper exercise technique, so you should use light weights. Increase them gradually, deciding individually by how much.
The goal is to choose a weight that lets you complete the prescribed reps in a set, plus at most one or two more. For example, if a set calls for 8 reps, choose a weight you can lift for no more than 10 reps. Anything else is either too light or too heavy for you.
How should the program and training load change over time?
Trainees can notice the first results of their efforts after around 4 to 7 weeks, training 2–3 times a week. Results depend on your starting level, lifestyle, training frequency, nutrition, and genetics.
This is also the time to change the program and increase the workload. Changes can include more working sets, heavier weights, or more reps. If you keep the same routine, your body will adapt and you won’t achieve further results.
Cardio training works in much the same way. At first, it should take around 20–25 minutes in total per workout. However, it’s a good idea to add another 5 minutes each week.
How Can You Recognize an Effective Program?
There are many different workout programs for men. Any routine that works the whole body 2–3 times a week, using sets of compound exercises with low reps and gradually increasing weights, is ideal for beginners. This will help you build strength, tone and shape your body, and feel healthy and fit.
How Often Should You Work Out Based on Your Goals?
For Weight Loss
How often you should work out depends on how quickly you want to see results. It’s recommended that you lose no more than 500 g to 1 kg of body weight per week. The best combination is a carefully chosen diet and workouts, combining strength and cardio exercises.
- cardio exercises – Two moderate-intensity cardio workouts and two high-intensity workouts (HIIT) per week are recommended.
- Strength training – Aim for two to three strength workouts per week. They should include compound exercises that work the whole body, such as squats with a shoulder press; deadlifts combined with dumbbell rows; lunges combined with dumbbell lateral raises; push-ups and renegade dumbbell rows
For weight-loss workouts to be effective, follow a few basic rules:
- Vary your cardio workouts throughout the week—for example, run on the treadmill one day and cycle the next.
- Use circuit training for weightlifting (it’s more effective for burning calories). Circuit training consists of sets of exercises performed one after another without resting in between. At the end of each set, take a short break (30 to 60 seconds), then repeat the circuit two or three more times.
For Muscle Gain
Achieving a balance between cardio and strength training is key when your goal is to gain muscle. Training too much can lead to overtraining and loss of muscle you’ve already built. On the other hand, if the intensity is too low, your results will be minimal.
- cardio exercises – Aim for two to three cardio workouts per week. Focus on short, high-intensity sessions, such as 25 minutes of HIIT.
- Strength training – Lift weights at least three days a week. In addition to using adjustable-weight machines to isolate specific muscle groups, suitable exercises include deadlifts, bench presses, bench dips, behind-the-neck barbell presses, pull-ups, dumbbell rows, sit-ups, and push-ups.
Essential Tips for Beginners
Proper Exercise Technique
For an exercise to be effective, it must be performed correctly. That’s why, at first, the focus is less on the amount of weight and more on learning the exercise and its movements. Make sure your body is in the correct position, move slowly, and don’t forget to breathe.
If you’re not sure whether you’re performing the exercises correctly, it’s a good idea to ask a fitness instructor. At every gym at Pulse Fitness & SPA you can get help from a personal trainer at any time. They’ll guide you and monitor your progress. They’ll also keep you motivated and decide when you need a lighter or more intense workout.
To avoid overtraining and injuries, start slowly and take breaks during your workouts
Start slowly, set realistic goals, listen to your body, and take as many breaks as you need. Otherwise, you risk overexerting yourself, getting muscle soreness, or getting injured, which could force you to stop training.
Don’t skip your warm-up and cool-down
Following this rule is very important for preventing injuries. Before starting your workout, you need to warm up your muscles with 10–15 minutes of stretching and low-intensity cardio on a stationary bike or elliptical trainer. After your workout, do another 15 minutes or so of stretching and cardio, this time at an even lighter intensity—for example, walking on a treadmill at 6 km/h.
Increase weights gradually
As we’ve already mentioned, you should choose your training weights very carefully. You should be able to complete only the planned number of reps in each set, with no strength left for any more. In addition, exercises should be performed with proper technique and if the weights are too heavy to allow this, you should reduce them.
Rest at least two days a week
Rest days serve several important purposes. They allow your muscles to recover after an intense strength or long cardio workout. They also give your body a chance to deal with any inflammation that may occur as a result of training. It’s a well-known fact that muscles grow while we rest, so the more you train, the more you need to rest.