Perfecting one's physique and maintaining a healthy body is every individual's dream. Who doesn't want to lose weight? People always look for workouts and workout routines to achieve a certain fitness level. However, they often do not get the right motivation due to a lack of consistency, a proper plan, guidance, or even unproductive results.

We have sorted this for beginners who want to exercise effectively for fat loss, weight loss, building muscle, increasing strength, or getting into form. The first step is to develop a beginner workout plan. You can either get help from a personal trainer or follow the F.I.T.T. principle for your personalized beginner workout plan. Make sure your exercise program is realistic.

FITT Basics:

1. Frequency:

Frequency accounts for the number of times you do each exercise.

2. Intensity: 

Intensity accounts for your effort level. An RPE scale measures workout intensity on a scale of 1-10. Beginner workout intensity is often moderate, i.e., between levels 5-6.

3. Time:

Time accounts for the duration of the workout. For instance, the recommended time for a beginner is 20-25 minutes.

4. Type:

Type accounts for the variety of exercises you include in your workout plan—for example, walking, jogging, running, strength training, etc.

Individuals can adjust these parameters according to their potential. We recommend beginners adopt the workout program for at least four weeks. This four-week workout program trains your mind and body to adopt the exercising habit actively. Also, it is necessary to set small, realistic goals and then work up the way. 

Before beginning, let's have a look at the basic terms:

4-Week Beginner Workout Plan

This full body four-week beginner workout plan is ideal for maintaining health and attaining a good physique. This plan will neither cause over-exertion nor overwhelm you. It will keep you motivated throughout. Consistency is the key to accomplishing your desired outcomes. The workout plan below is split into individual muscle groups for each phase to ensure that you get benefits without overworking your body. Let us have a look at our weekly workouts.

Day 1

The 1st day of the beginner workout plan looks like this.

Beginners must start with 30 minutes of any cardio workouts mentioned above. They can use cardio machines like stationary cycles, upper body ergometers, etc.

Follow this with the greatest stretch (3 sets, 5 reps), which helps loosen your body entirely by opening the hip joint, mobilizing the spine, and stretching the most significant body muscle.

Next comes the glute bridges with 3 sets and 12 reps. It comprises lifting your hips upwards while resting on your back. This lower body workout promotes glute strength, lower back health, and postural control without any equipment.

Standing side leg raise is the leg abduction workout. You can also do it while lying. It helps mobilize and strengthen hip abductors, gluteus muscles, and outer thighs. 

Fire hydrant workout or quadruped hip abduction mainly targets the gluteus maximus or core. It helps relieve back pain, shape your glutes, and minimizes the likelihood of injury.

Leg raises focus on the iliopsoas muscle group. This strength training workout helps reinforce muscles like rectus abdominis and internal and external obliques.

A knee plank is a modification of a full plank. It is most suitable for beginners as they lack the torso and core strength to perform a full plank effectively.

Day 2

The second day of the beginner workout program involves upper body workouts for the chest, triceps, and shoulders.

Chest Workouts:

Chest workouts include bodyweight exercises like wall push-ups or knee push-ups, dumbbell chest press, and dumbbell fly or flye.

Knee push-up involves complete upper body muscle movements while the lower body weight is concentrated on your knees.

Wall push-ups are a simple and easy alternative to knee push-ups. You can also regard this as a full-body workout involving several major muscle groups apart from the core chest muscles, i.e., pectoralis major and minor.

The dumbbell chest press is another upper body workout that mobilizes chest, shoulder, and arm muscles. It is also called dumbbell flat bench press as the trainee needs to lie flat on a bench to hold the dumbbells above the chest with arms stretched.

Dumbbell Flys or chest fly strengthens the chest as well as shoulders. This weightlifting workout is performed on a bench, lifting the dumbbells from both hands.

Triceps Exercises:

Db Overhead Extension or dumbbell triceps extension only strengthens the triceps muscle, building its heads. A beginner can perform it while standing or sitting. 

Barbell lying triceps extension or skull crusher workout stimulates triceps muscle growth. It is performed in a supine position moving the weight from the back of the head to extending it above.

Back Dips or bench dips are the bodyweight exercises that mainly target your triceps muscle, although the back muscles are also involved. They are performed with the help of a bench or footstool.

Shoulder Exercises:

A dumbbell shoulder press workout is a full-body workout involving lower back muscles, triceps, trapezius, and glutes muscles. It mainly targets and helps build the muscle of the shoulder, i.e., the anterior deltoid. This workout is done while standing with feet shoulder-width apart.

Alternating dumbbell front raises are a great strength training workout for beginners to build muscles. The dumbbells are raised alternatively from one hand after the other to shoulder level parallel to the ground.

Conclude your 2nd day with 15 minutes of cardio exercises.

Day 3

Back Exercises:

Lat pulldown or Latissimus dorsi pulldown is an excellent workout in your beginner workout routine that strengthens the back muscles. It involves collective movements like rotation, depression, adduction, etc.

As the name indicates, one arm dumbbell row produces muscle contractions unilaterally. Beginners can enhance their core stability with the help of this workout. It is recommended to begin this workout with lighter weights and then opt for heavier weights as you gain strength. It involves muscles of the hips, back, biceps, and shoulders, involving five kinds of joint movements.

Biceps Exercises:

The versatile exercise Barbell Curls involves supinated grip lifting of a barbell. This workout helps strengthen the upper arm and enhance grip strength. The barbell is held at shoulder width and pulled towards the chest while the elbows are hinged. Its four variations include seated curl, wide-grip curl, preacher curl, and E.Z. bar curl.

A simple variant of hammer curl for beginners is Alternating Dumbbell hammer curls. It enhances stability and strengthens the biceps muscles. Beginners can easily focus on the biceps one at a time, performing this workout effectively.

Leg Exercises:

Squats are lower body strength training exercises that involve the movement of the knee, hip, and ankle joints. They strengthen the bones, ligaments, and tendons and support the leg muscles. Plus, they help to enhance knee stability and bone mineral density.

Machine Leg extension workout involves strengthening and building the front thigh muscles, i.e., the quadriceps muscles. Beginners need not worry about the form and posture while doing this machine-assisted exercise.

The machine-assisted Leg curl or hamstring curl exercise strengthens the hamstring muscles. The knee is bent using the hamstring muscles while putting resistance on the lower calf. The position for this lower body workout (seated, standing, or prone) depends on the design of the machine.

Finally, end your 3rd day of fitness regime with 15 minutes of cardio exercise.

Day 4

The fourth day of the beginner workout plan starts with 30 minutes of cardio workout.

Next is the Prisoner Good Morning exercise. This terrific morning exercise focuses on the erector spinae, lower back muscles, hamstrings, and gluteus maximus. This lower body beginner workout enhances leg and back stability if done correctly. It also helps improve hip-hinging posture.

Then come 3 sets and 12 reps of wall push-ups.

The clamshell exercise targets the hip abductor muscles, the gluteus medius, and maximus. It provides strength and stability to the hip. Beginners can add resistance while doing clamshell exercises using a resistance band above the knees.

Bird Dog is one bodyweight exercise that targets significant muscles like the glutes, erector spinae, and rectus abdominis muscles. The quadruped workout offers increased stability and mobility. It helps improve posture and balance. 

Alternating leg raises workout targets the hip flexors strengthening them as a result and low back and abs. It boosts pelvis stability. It is a simple abs-building exercise for beginners compared to a hanging leg raise workout. The starting position of this workout is one leg vertical and another one slightly above the floor with abs crunched while lying on your back.

Side plank is another ab strengthening exercise that targets the oblique muscles and core. The exertion of the quadratus lumborum muscle reduces the likelihood of back injury. This exercise does not put stress on the lower back.

Day 5

On fifth day of this beginner program is the same as the second-day workout plan. It includes upper body workouts and bodyweight exercises. The workout plan for this concludes with 15 minutes of cardio exercise.

Day 6

On sixth day of the workout plan is a repetition of the day 3 workout plan. It involves lower body, back, and biceps strength training exercises, with the workout program ending with the cardio workout.

Day 7

Rest up! The 7th day in your weekly exercise program is a rest day. Beginners must sit back, rest and relax for their muscles to recover and avoid the risk of injuries. A beginner workout plan must involve at least 24-hour rest to maintain a smooth fitness journey.

Warm-up, diet, supplements, and rest are essentials to achieve a significant fitness level.

You can also look at body part specific workouts for beginners: 

• 8 Beginner Arm Workouts

Diet Plan For Beginners

Whether your fitness goals include full body fat loss or building muscles, diet plays a significant part in managing the perfect workout routines. A proper workout diet plan includes carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Along with workouts, it promotes healthy weight loss.

Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates in whole foods like whole grain, nuts, fruits, and vegetables are highly beneficial for beginners. They supply prolonged energy.

Proteins

Proteins aid muscle growth and help in muscle recovery as a workout strain the muscles. They are essential nutrients to eliminate fatigue and microscopic muscle damage. Or you can also top it up with protein powder supplements which dont have artificial sweetners.

Fats

Unsaturated fats in nuts, oils, fish, avocado, etc., are highly beneficial for beginner workout diet plans.

Besides, hydration is highly essential for all people following a workout plan.

Pre-Workout Snacks

Some instant energy-packed snacks include:

• Granola bars
• Cereal
• Sports drinks
• Fruits
• Dried fruits
• White bread
• Jam
• Peanut butter
• Nuts
• Cereals

Post-Workout Diet

The recommended carbs to proteins ratio is 3:1 for muscle revitalization and healing. A post-workout diet should include:

• Chicken
• Eggs
• Peas
• Brown rice
• Broccoli
• Sprouts
• Quinoa
• Lean beef
• Turkey
• Nuts
• Seeds

Supplements To Aid Beginner Workout

Supplements are also essential to a beginner workout program. Since the workout is quite straining, these supplements provide an energy boost lost during the workout. They cover up the deficiencies that are not fulfilled with diet.

Protein supplements like protein bars, shakes, and whey protein boost energy.

Fish oil supplements contain omega-3 fatty acids. Their anti-inflammatory properties relieve muscle sores due to workouts and promote tissue health.

One can also add pre workout after one or two months of working. Pre workout should be consumed 30 minutes before workout and beginners can start with half scoop only.

Supplements with branched-chain amino acids stimulate growth, build, and strengthen muscles by accelerating protein synthesis. Beginners can effectively train when consuming such supplements pre-workouts.

Final Verdict

The fitness journey is not so straightforward. The workout routines must be effective enough to fulfil your personal fitness goals. But the above four-week full body beginner workout routine ensures a rewarding fitness routine with noticeable results. All you need is dedication and strict adherence. This exercise program will give productive results and make your workout routine easy with achievable goals.