Workout Ideas for First Time Gym Goers
WHAT WORKOUT ROUTINES SHOULD A BEGINNER DO AT THE GYM?
The workouts you do should be tailored to what fitness goals you have. Here we share some advice on what workouts and machines will work for different goals, and we’ve also shared some general workouts you can take with you to the gym on your first visit just to get you comfortable on the machines and different workout areas.
As a guideline, we suggest starting out by working out no more than three times a week to start with. Once you are comfortable with this training frequency you can always add more as your body gets used to the training.
Check out and try the beginner workouts below put together by Personal Trainer Alex Fitceland
Don’t forget to download the free PureGym app (even if you’re not a member!) which has lots more workouts tailored for beginners.
Rep = Short for repetition, ie. The number of times your perform an exercise.
Set = The number of times you complete an amount of repetitions.
BEGINNER WORKOUT TO LOSE FAT
There is no one exercise you can do in order to lose fat, no matter what you read or see. You have to be in a calorific deficit (burning more calories than you consume) for a period of time.
You can affect this deficit by being more active, increasing your steps on a daily basis and by incorporating resistance and cardio training.
Not sure what a Dumbbell Thruster is? Or a Ground to Overhead? Watch the video above which demonstrates all the moves listed in the below workout.
Give this workout a go!
A. Rower Intervals 3 sets x 200 metres
B. Treadmill Run 2km For Time
C1. Battlerope Slams 3 sets x 12 Reps
C2. Kettlebell Swings 3 sets x 12 Reps
Perform this as a superset i.e. One after the other with no rest)
D1. Dumbbell Thrusters 3 sets x 12 Reps
D2. Ground To Overhead (GTOH) 3 sets x 12 Reps
Perform this as a superset i.e. One after the other with no rest)
E. Wall Ball 3 x 12 Reps
Rest 60 seconds between sets.
Tip: It's not a race. Rapid weight loss is not suggested and probably not sustainable in the long term.
For more workouts targeting fat loss, check out our free workouts section.
BEGINNER WORKOUTS TO TONE UP
In order to 'tone up' (also commonly known as building muscle), you must incorporate weight training into your training programme. Building muscle and strength will be your key focus, so it's important to learn how to lift weights correctly so you can get most out of your workout and avoid any injuries.
When you're starting out, you probably want to target using the whole body and then look to change your training split when you start to increase the number of times you workout per week. Don’t be afraid of the weights room, the more you venture into it the more comfortable you will become. This workout hits every muscle group individually to avoid any forms of imbalances. In order to build muscle your rep ranges should be around the 8 mark.
Not sure what a Dumbell Hammer Press is? Watch the video above to see all moves for the tone up workout below.
Try this muscle-building workout a go!
A. Barbell Rack Pull 3 sets x 8 Reps
B. Dumbbell Goblet Squat 3 sets x 8 Reps
C. Lat Pulldown 3 sets x 8 Reps
D1. Press Up 3 sets x 8 Reps
D2. Dumbbell Hammer Press 3 sets x 8 Reps
(Superset – Back to back exercises with no rest)
E1. Leg Extension 3 sets x 8 Reps
E2. Leg Curl 3 sets x 8 Reps
Rest 2 minutes between sets
Tip: If you're unsure of any exercises, feel free to ask for help from a personal trainer who would be more than happy to help you or book onto a free induction via the PureGym app.
BEGINNER WORKOUTS FOR GENERAL FITNESS
Fitness to a lot of people can mean very different things dependent on your style of training and personal goals. With improving your fitness levels, it all boils down to how quickly your heart rate can return back to it’s original level. With all the functional equipment on hand at Pure Gym, it makes improving your general fitness much easier. When it comes to this type of workout, we want to work the whole body in the same movement with big compound exercises. This puts the body under the most amount of metabolic stress to increase heart rate and therefore improve how quickly you can recover.
Not sure what a landmine squat press looks like? Watch the video above to see how to perform this exercise, along with all other exercises for the workout below.
Improve your general fitness by giving this workout a go!
A. Landmine Squat Press 3 x 12 Reps
B1. Kettlebell Clean & Press 3 x 8 Reps
B2. Prowler Push 3 x 20 metres
(Superset – Back to back exercises with no rest)
C1. TRX Inverted Row 3 x 12 Reps
C2. Medicine Ball Squat 3 x 12 Reps
(Superset – Back to back exercises with no rest)
D1. Assault Bike 3 x 30 Seconds
D2. Ski Erg 3 x 30 Seconds
D3. Side Climbers 3 x 30 Seconds
(Circuit – Back to back exercises with no rest)Rest 90 seconds between sets
Tip: Remember to give your body enough time to rest and recovery between workouts so you can go into each workout feeling fresh and ready to smash your workouts!
Want more workout ideas?
Visit our free workouts page for beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts that target your legs, abs, arms and total body here: https://www.puregym.com/free-workouts
If you fancy giving some HIIT workouts a try, check out our 20 minute HIIT workouts here.
You can also check out our Best Gym Workout Plans For Beginners to discover how to combine your routines into full plans.
