Now that you are finally ready to get started working out, you should find a comfortable spot to get started. The most important thing that you have to realize is that this spot absolutely does not have to be the nearest gym. If this is your very first time trying to make this lifestyle change, then I would in fact, advise against going to a gym until you get into a routine. Even if you are a more advanced athlete looking to come back to the gym from either a break, injury, or a season of sports, I would still advise you that the best way to begin working out again is by going somewhere other than the gym.
Many places that you look for advice on working out will have you go straight to the gym and thrust weights around and have you up on a treadmill running on an incline the first day. If you do this it isn’t the end of the world, but hear me out and I’ll tell you why you may not want to rush into that situation. This goes for people of all training levels.
Comfortability can have sever effects on a workout. If you are not comfortable with your surroundings, then you will not enjoy yourself. Especially in the beginning, when you’re getting into the groove of a new workout plan, you have to be in an environment where you can be care free. I have found that an outside park works great. You can also use your living room, drive way, or parking lot. Any place that has relatively little distraction. I have heard many times that people are afraid to go to a certain section of the gym, because they are not comfortable trying a new routine with other people around. It can be intimidating if there are other people who look like they know what they’re doing. If you think you look silly you will not get the most out of your workout and you won’t enjoy it.
Knowing your body is a big factor in the success of your workout plan. If you don’t know what you can do, then how will you know where to start? No matter if it is your first workout ever, or if you are an elite athlete who is starting a new routine, it is imperative to start with your own body and nothing else. What I mean is this, if you can’t handle moving your own body effectively then there is no point going to the gym where you will only be adding weight and difficulty to every movement.
Getting familiar with the basic exercises is mostly important so you learn the right technique and stay injury free. If this is your first time, it will also help you get accustom to the basic movement of all the exercises. When you get to the gym you won’t feel so silly doing things that you are not used to.
Here are the names of some of the exercises that you can do using your body weight. Check out my videos that show you how to do each exercise properly. Each exercise has a way to increase the difficulty if it is too easy, or decrease the difficulty if it is too hard for you. There is no excuse!!! Everyone can do it!!!!!
Legs
Squats, single leg squats, lunges, jumping, and running are great bodyweight exercises to start off with. The technique is important to learn with no weight before you start using gym equipment.
Chest
The push up is a great body weight chest exercise for developing the chest muscles. This may be one of the most well known exercises, but the proper technique is hardly ever talked about.
Back
Pull ups and super mans strengthen back muscles that are often neglected. The back muscles stabilize the spine and posture, so you definitely don’t want to ignore this muscle group.
Arms
Curl ups and body weight triceps arm extentions are two effective exercises for those arm muscles that guys want to show off at the beach.
Core
Crunches, sit ups, bridge, and the glute bridge are a few basic core exercises that you can start off with. The core is an important area to strengthen because it provides the base from which your appendages function. If the core is weak, other body parts won’t be as strong.
Cardio
Some cardio exercises that you can implement into your workouts are running, biking, sprinting, and swimming. Running and sprinting are the most easily accessible. You can do that basically anywhere. You can stick to those if you don’t have access to a bike or a pool.
After you take a look at how to do these basic exercises, let me show you an example of how you may want to organize the start of your workout plan. There are many ways you can do it. Everyone’s body is different and responds to different things. Eventually when you learn more you will have your own system, so let me give you some pointers and start you off in the right direction. Next go check out Putting The Ultimate Beginner Workout Together. Tweet this article and tag your friends to get them started with you!
About Adam Pegg
