247 Fitness Plan
Gene Honnette
Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. Physical activity can lower the risk of long-lasting disease and improve balance and coordination. It can help with weight loss, sleep and self-esteem. And you can start a fitness program in only five steps.
You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But find out for sure. Learn about your fitness level and write down your scores before you start your program. Use the scores as benchmarks against which to measure your progress.
Make a balanced routine. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. Or get at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. You also can get an equal combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Aim to exercise most days of the week.
Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. One set of each exercise is enough for health and fitness benefits. Use a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
If you're planning to buy exercise equipment, choose something that's practical, fun and easy to use. You may want to try out some types of equipment at a gym or fitness center before buying your own equipment.
Start slowly and build up gradually. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can keep doing for 5 to 10 minutes without getting overly tired.
Assess your fitness six weeks after you start your program. Then do it again every few months. How are you doing? You may need to add more exercise time. Or you may find that you're exercising about the right amount to meet your fitness goals.
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The best routine for the gym is one that is flexible with your schedule and you actually enjoy. These two factors will contribute greatly to your ability to be consistent with your workouts. Consistency with your workouts and progressing as you perform them is what will lead to results.
That being said, there are plenty of great workout program styles one can do to build muscle, lose fat, or build strength. The body composition goals (building muscle and losing fat) will be accomplished through similar style workouts combined with differing nutritional principles, while those looking for strength gains may need to focus on programs that are centered on the idea of specificity.
However, if you are looking to optimize your training by incorporating a higher training frequency (hitting each muscle group more often throughout the week), you may want to look into pairing certain muscle groups on certain workout days.
The best thing a beginner can do at the gym is seek out the help of a trained professional to assist them with learning the proper form of each exercise. Practicing the basics and establishing a solid foundation in terms of form will help a beginner lifter remain injury free throughout their life.
If you are not in the position to hire a trained professional, you may want to proceed working out with some level of caution. The same recommendation of practicing the fundamentals still applies. Start off with light weight (the bar on barbell exercises) and record yourself performing exercises.
The workouts should focus on learning ideal movement patterns of fundamental lifts such as horizontal presses, vertical presses, horizontal pulls, vertical pulls, squats, hip hinges, and loaded carries.
The following exercises are my personal favorite 10 exercises that would be fantastic to include in your workouts. However, like I said, you may need to substitute these with a variation that is better suited for your individual body type, training experience, and needs.
Exercise selection for a good gym routine will train fundamental movement patterns (push, pull, lunge, hip hinge, squat, and carry) in a way that you are comfortable performing them. There is a pain-free variation for nearly every body type who can healthily perform these movements.
The total amount of weight someone should use is going to be different from individual to individual, and also exercise to exercise for each individual. Depending on the program, it might vary from set to set of each exercise based on the rep scheme.
Cardio recommendations will be highly dependent on your overall goal. For most, it may not be even necessary to perform additional cardio. Focusing on progressing the weight used in your workouts and getting stronger over time will have a more beneficial impact on your body composition than cardio will.
For those looking to lose body fat, focus should be primarily on your diet. Once you plateau, you can then add in additional cardio as a means to increase your progress. Again, it might not even be necessary.
By being consistent with their training, focusing on hitting each muscle group at least 2 times a week with an appropriate volume and weight for their abilities, and by progressing the weight used from workout to workout whenever possible.
Generally, to see progress 2-4 workouts are needed. 3-4 workouts per week is the sweet spot. You can train more frequently depending on your goals and experience level. However, at least 2 days of resistance training per week is needed to see muscle growth.
With that being said, during your training days, it is beneficial to perform full body workouts (2-3 training days per week) or upper/lower workouts (4 days per week). This will allow you to train with an optimal frequency to build or maintain lean body mass.
There are certainly supplements than can help you with the nutrition portion of things. Protein shakes are beneficial if you have trouble meeting your daily protein requirements. Mass gainer shakes are beneficial is you have trouble meeting your daily calorie requirements. Creatine can help improve performance and can help you build muscle more efficiently if you struggle to get it through your diet as well. And, of course, water is the driver of all things.
Find a good 3-5 day per week weight training program that is well thought out with an appropriate volume and split and stick to it. Instead of chasing workouts, chase progressions. Try to improve your lifts in some way. This is going to help you out a lot more in the long run.
Remember, nutrition is more important that your workout routine. You can have the best plan in the world and if you don't back it up with the fuel you need for your goal you will not succeed. Use our BMR calculator to calculate your calories then choose the right diet plan for you and get some healthy recipes to keep things interesting.
Emily Cronkleton is a certified yoga teacher and has studied yoga in the United States, India, and Thailand. Her passion for yoga has laid the foundation for a healthy and inspired life, while her teachers and practice have helped shape her life experience in many ways.
Ari Howard is a staff writer at Psych Central. She began her journalism career by writing for local newspapers, nonprofit organizations, and online publications. Through these experiences, she discovered her main passion is writing on health and wellness topics. Ari is particularly interested in educating the public on anxiety, depression, grief, and PTSD.
Cathy Cassata is a freelance writer who specializes in stories about health, mental health, medical news, and inspirational people. She writes with empathy and accuracy and has a knack for connecting with readers in an insightful and engaging way. Cathy contributes regularly to Healthline and Verywell, and she has also been published in HuffPost. Read more of her work here, and connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
It can also help you optimize your workout, making it easier for you and your personal trainer, if you choose to work with one, to understand your limitations and create an exercise plan tailored to your particular needs.
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The amount of exercise you need varies depending on your fitness level and goals. However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization recommend healthy adults ages 18 to 64 aim for the following weekly goals:
For adults over 65 years old, exercises that improve balance can help prevent falls. Meanwhile, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends stretching major muscle groups, such as those in the arms and back, at least two or three times a week to help maintain flexibility.
Imagine your weekly fitness routine is like one of those magnetic puzzle sets you can easily snap together with a variety of different colored geometric shapes. Each color symbolizes a different kind of workout, allowing you to create your own, unique pattern.
An example of a simple schedule may be cardio on Mondays and Thursdays, strength training on Tuesdays and Fridays and balance and flexibility on Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus active rest (walking or stretching) on Sundays.
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