So you’ve decided that you need to work out. Now you need a workout plan. You could scour the internet for plans, but there’s a problem. You don’t know how to tell what is a good workout from what isn’t. There are scantily clad influencers showing off flashy workouts, good programs that aren’t really suited for beginners, and everything in between.
That’s why I’m writing this guide on how to program for beginners, and providing a few example routines. Or, if this is all too much and you want some help, you can scroll to the bottom and get a free coaching call with me.
On to the advice!
What is a beginner?
A beginner is someone who:
- Has trained for less than 2 years consistently
- Doesn’t have very much muscle mass gained from exercise already
- Can make great progress just by training hard and consistently
This includes people who have never worked out, people who have worked out but took time off and are deconditioned, and people who have worked out poorly / inconsistently for potentially years and haven’t gotten their beginner gains yet.
What makes a beginner different?
There are some things that make training as a beginner different than training as an intermediate or advanced exerciser.
- Beginners don’t need to train close to failure to see gains. Because your body has not yet adapted to hard training, you can make gains even when not going so close to failure. Hard training is still a must however. That means taking the set to the point where the weight starts to involuntarily slow down or your technique starts to break down.
- Beginners can recover quicker due to less muscle and strength. Because there is less muscle mass to heal, you will recover much quicker from training than someone more advanced. Because you are not as strong, you can’t impose as much stress to your muscles, thus requiring less recovery.
- Beginners need more technique practice. Good technique allows you to hit the target muscles while minimizing injury risk. As a beginner, you’ll need to learn this technique just like any other skill. The more often you can train an exercise, the better at it you’ll get (with the right guidance).
- Beginners benefit most from compound movements. Compound movements (like squats, deadlifts, pushups, rows, etc.) hit many muscles at once, offer a high stimulus for strength and muscle building, and don’t generate much fatigue (as a beginner - remember point 2). Isolation movements are fine, but the bulk of your program should be compound movements for max gains.
- Beginners can benefit from hitting every muscle group every workout session. Because of points 2 and 3, you can do a full body workout every session and see progress. You’ll get more practice with technique, and more volume for strength and muscle growth.
- Beginners usually need to learn to enjoy training. Consistency is one of the most important factors of success in fitness. It’s important not to do too much too early and burn out. It’s also important to work out in a way that you enjoy, or at least a way that you can stick with long enough to enjoy the results that come from it. You’ll also probably get pretty sore at the very beginning. Because of this, it’s a good idea to commit to 2 workouts per week at first, and only increase when adherence is good and you are enjoying the workouts or the results that come with them.
How to write your first program
Step 1: Choose 1-3 exercises from each category:
- Push: Bench Press, Pushups, Chest Press, Overhead Press, etc.
- Pull: Lat Pulldown, Bent Over Row, Machine Row, Pullups, etc.
- Squat: Goblet Squat, Front Squat, Back Squat, Leg Press, Lunges, etc.
- Hinge: Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Back Extension, Goodmornings, etc.
Step 2: Each workout, choose 1 exercise from each category. To keep it simple, stick with 3 sets, and keep the rep range between 5-15 reps.
Step 3: At the end, add in some isolation exercises as desired. Want bigger biceps? Do bicep curls. Feel like mobility is a weak link? Do some mobility exercises.
Step 4: Each week, aim to add weight or reps. This could be 2.5 - 5lbs, or 1-2 reps.
That’s really as complicated as it needs to be, though you might swap out some exercises every month or two. Keep it simple, work hard, and stay consistent.
Sample Routines
These are only provided as an example of implementing the advice above into a routine. Your ideal routine may vary. Note that there are rep ranges, in this case 5-10r or 10-15r. This means you’ll reach your stopping point within that rep range, so a 5-10r squat should be heavier than a 10-15r squat.
Each routine focuses on the main movements of Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge, which in combination works every muscle of the body. Isolations are optional to hit perceived weak areas or desired goals. Exercises are varied slightly each day, whether in exercise choice or order, as some variation is generally good and helps avoid boredom.
Important: Progression. Each week, aim to add weight or reps. This could be 2.5 - 5lbs, or 1-2 reps.
Example A: 2x/week
Monday:
- 3x5-10r Squat
- 3x5-10r Deadlift
- 3x10-15r Lat Pulldown
- 3x10-15r Chest Press Machine
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
Thursday:
- 3x5-10r Bench Press
- 3x5-10r Bent Over Row
- 3x10-15r Leg Press
- 3x10-15r Romanian Deadlift
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
Example B: 3x/week
Monday:
- 3x5-10r Squat
- 3x5-10r Deadlift
- 3x10-15r Lat Pulldown
- 3x10-15r Chest Press Machine
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
Wednesday:
- 3x5-10r Chest Press Machine
- 3x5-10r Lat Pulldown
- 3x10-15r Deadlift
- 3x10-15r Squat
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
Friday:
- 3x5-10r Bench Press
- 3x5-10r Bent Over Row
- 3x10-15r Leg Press
- 3x10-15r Romanian Deadlift
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
Example C: 4x/week
Monday:
- 3x5-10r Squat
- 3x5-10r Deadlift
- 3x10-15r Lat Pulldown
- 3x10-15r Chest Press Machine
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
Tuesday:
- 3x5-10r Bench Press
- 3x5-10r Bent Over Row
- 3x10-15r Leg Press
- 3x10-15r Romanian Deadlift
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
Thursday:
- 3x5-10r Chest Press Machine
- 3x5-10r Lat Pulldown
- 3x10-15r Deadlift
- 3x10-15r Squat
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
Friday:
- 3x5-10r Romanian Deadlift
- 3x5-10r Leg Press
- 3x10-15r Bent Over Row
- 3x10-15r Bench Press
- Isolations as desired (bicep curls, calf raises, abs, etc.)
