Free Beginner’s Workout

So, you’ve read all about how great resistance training is for you and you’re finally ready to start, but you don’t know where to begin. You’re intimidated by the gym, but don’t own any exercise equipment. This workout is for YOU!

You can get in a great workout with little to no equipment in the comfort of your own home.  The first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with Reps and Sets.  Reps, or repetitions, are the number of times you do one complete exercise movement. A set is a group of consecutive reps.  They are usually represented as “# of Sets  x  # of Reps”.  There is typically a rest period in between sets of repetitions that lasts anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on how challenging your sets are.  For instance, if you see “3 x 15”, that means you will complete 15 repetitions of the exercise in a row, rest and repeat twice to complete 3 sets of repetitions.

A great way to start out with resistance training is to do full body workouts.  It’s best to take it slow, make sure you’re using proper form and regress any exercise you can’t perform properly to prevent injuries.  There are tons of videos online to teach you how to do every exercise you can think of.  For most of these exercises, you can swap out the dumbbells for any objects you have a pair of lying around your house; like water bottles and cans of food or even heavy tools like wrenches.  In some cases, you may find the exercise is challenging enough without added weight.

If you have dumbbells, you may be asking what weight you should start with.  The best way to determine this is to try out one set with a weight you think you can do.  If the set asks for 10 reps and you complete all 10 and could easily do 15 or more with perfect form, you should use a heavier weight.  If you are unable to complete 10 reps, use a lighter weight. If you complete all 10 reps with perfect form, but the last 1 – 2 reps were challenging, the weight is perfect for you!

I like to start with the biggest muscle groups and move onto the smaller ones, since many times the smaller ones assist the bigger ones.  For this workout, we’ll progress like this: Legs -> Back -> Chest -> Shoulders -> Biceps -> Triceps -> Core.  Make sure you talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.  If you have any questions about this, shoot me an email or message on social media.  Now, let’s get started!

3 x 8 - 10: Bodyweight Squat
Regression: Box Squat
Progression: Dumbbell Squat
3 x 8 - 10: Ball Dumbbell Row
Regression: Dumbbell Row
Progression: Banded Dumbbell Row
3 x 8 - 10: Push Ups
Regression: Knee Push Ups
Progression: Banded Push Up
2 x 10 - 12: Standing Dumbbell Press
Regression: Seated Dumbbell Press
Progression: Alternating Arm Standing Dumbbell Press
2 x 10 - 12: Standing Dumbbell Curl
Regression: Seated Dumbbell Curl
Progression: Alternating Arm Standing Dumbbell Curl
2 x 10 - 12: Prone Ball Triceps Extension
Regression: Standing Bent Over Triceps Extension
Progression: Prone Single Arm Ball Triceps Extension
3 x 10 - 20: Ball Crunch
Regression: Floor Crunch
Progression: Hands above head Floor or Ball Crunch