Beginner Exercise Program

When starting a beginner exercise program, there are a number of things to keep in mind. It is important to ease into any exercise program in order to prevent damage to your soft tissue, prevent overtraining and protect your overall health.

Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program to make sure that all systems are go. Your health care provider can check for underlying issues and help you find a healthy way to ease into exercise, especially if you have been extremely sedentary.

When undertaking a beginner exercise program, it is important to start out slowly. Not only does starting slowly help prevent injury or overtraining, but it also helps to keep you motivated to continue. Starting too quickly with an exercise program can lead to fatigue and frustration.

Your beginner exercise program should contain all of the following elements:

• Cardiovascular training to strengthen your heart and lungs
• Strength training to build muscle strength
• Flexibility training to keep muscles stretched and limber

Cardiovascular training is essential for building a healthy heart and lungs. There are a number of activities that can be used for cardiovascular training, including:

• Aerobics classes
• Walking
• Elliptical trainer
• Stair climber
• Bicycling or exercise bike
• Rowing
• Treadmill
• Spin class
• Jogging

Any type of activity that causes your heart rate to get into your target heart rate zone (as defined by the American Heart Association) for a sustained period of time is considered cardiovascular activity. Use the above link to find a target heart rate table based on your age.

A good way to ease into cardiovascular activity is to achieve a target heart rate of about 60% of your maximum heart rate and sustain it for 10 minutes. To do this, follow the schedule below to ease into cardiovascular exercise:

Week 1 – 2: Two times per week

• Warm up – Five minutes
• Exercise at 60% of your maximum heart rate – 10 minutes
• Cool down – Five minutes

Week 3-4: Two times per week

• Warm up – Five minutes
• Exercise at 60% of your maximum heart rate – 15 minutes
• Cool down – Five minutes

Week 5-6 Three times per week

• Warm up – Five minutes
• Exercise at 60% of your maximum heart rate – 20 minutes
• Cool down – Five minutes

Week 7-9 Three to four times per week

• Warm up – Five minutes
• Exercise at 60% to 75% of your maximum heart rate – 30 minutes
• Cool down – Five minutes

Strength training is essential for protecting your joints and for day-to-day function. As an added bonus, as you increase your muscle mass, you also increase your body’s ability to burn calories. Strength training involves using weights to train all of your major muscle groups.

Initially, select weights light enough to allow you to perform 12-15 repetitions for two sets. Stick with weight machines or light dumbbells for the first eight weeks. After that, you may move into heavier lifting or free weights. However, you should set up a program with a personal trainer to assure that you use the proper form when using free weights. Below is a sample workout program.

Week 1-2: Twice a week

• Seated chest press – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Shoulder press – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Pull downs – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Seated leg press – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Abdominal crunches – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions

Week 3-4: Twice a week

• Seated chest press – Three sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Shoulder press – Three sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Pull downs – Three sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Seated leg press – Three sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Abdominal crunches – Three sets of 12-15 repetitions

Week 5-6: Three times per week – Use heavier weights that fatigue you at 10-12 repetitions where indicated

• Seated chest press – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Shoulder press – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Pull downs – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Seated rows – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Biceps curls – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Triceps press – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Seated leg press – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Leg extensions – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Leg curls – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Calf raises – Two sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Abdominal crunches – Three sets of 12-15 repetitions

Week 7-8: Three times per week – Use heavier weights that fatigue you at 10-12 repetitions on all exercises

• Seated chest press – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Shoulder press – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Pull downs – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Seated rows – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Biceps curls – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Triceps press – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Seated leg press – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Leg extensions – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Leg curls – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Calf raises – Three sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Abdominal crunches – Three sets of 12-15 repetitions

Weeks nine and beyond: Set up a program with a personal trainer

Flexibility training is stretching. Having flexible muscles, tendons and ligaments can help to prevent injury. It makes a difference in your day-to-day ability to perform certain tasks. You can choose to undergo a formal flexibility program, such as yoga, or you can stretch after exercise.

Ease into each stretch. Go only as far as your body will allow you to, holding each stretch for about 20 seconds. Don’t bounce the stretches. Stretching should be done with warm muscles following each workout session and shouldn’t be skipped.

A workout program for beginners takes about eight weeks to ease yourself into shape so that you are ready to take on a more rigorous training program. After the eight weeks, work with a personal trainer to find the exercise program that is right for you.

• Pictures of People Exercising
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• Breast Lifting Exercise
• Contour Abs
• Naked Exercise
• Naked Pilates
• Hula Hoop Exercises

• Workout Plan for Beginners
• Exercise and Lifting Weights
• Weight Lifting Programs for Beginners
• Main Page
• Benefits of Exercise to the Heart