Beginner’s Workout for the New Year

The New Year is here, and that means it’s time to completely overcome any obstacle and succeed with your fitness resolutions.

I thought I’d start with something for all the beginners out there. Why? Because nothing’s more intimidating than hitting a gym or starting a weight-lifting routine for the first time. But I’m going to make things simple for you.

This workout will offer you everything you need to get your fitness resolution into gear! Let’s start 2012 in the right frame of mind…

Beginner’s Workout Tips

Before we get into the workout, let’s go over the basics when it comes to resistance training and lifting weights.

First, if you’re a beginner, you need to understand that there’s no risk of bulking up, so don’t be scared to challenge yourself and lift heavy. That being said, start out with an eye for detail and make sure you’re lifting right and getting comfortable with the equipment. You should consider your first couple weeks as an orientation of sorts.

When it comes to number of reps and sets, I’d start out at 10-15 reps for 2-3 sets depending on your goals. Generally speaking, lifting heavier weight at lower reps is better for gaining strength and mass, while lower weight at higher reps is better for gaining lean muscle mass and toning up. And if you’re strapped for time, one set is definitely enough to lead to results.

You should also be paying attention to your diet and make sure you’re fueling your muscles so that you can see fast results. I recommend adding a protein supplement like Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion to your diet. You can also improve muscle recovery with an amino acid supplement like Scivation Xtend. And of course, don’t forget to take a multivitamin. I recommend Optimum Opti-Men and Optimum Opti-Women.

Finally, make sure you change things up regularly so that you don’t get bored. When it comes to motivation, you need to keep things interesting. Alternate the group of muscles you focus on, or simply try new exercises or equipment each day. And remember, warm up before every workout for at least 10 minutes on a piece of cardio equipment, and make the effort to stretch after each workout. This will prevent injury and ensure adequate recovery.

Now let’s get to the workout…

Beginner’s Full-Body Workout for the New Year

For each of these exercises, really focus on the movement of the weight and make sure you’re moving at a steady speed. When you lift the weight or contract the muscle, you should count to 2 (one one thousand, two one thousand). When you release the weight, you should count to 3, making sure you control the movement back to starting position. As for breathing, you should be breathing out on the contraction and in on the release.

This workout targets your full body, so you can hit the gym 3 days a week with at least one day of rest in between workouts.