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When it comes to hitting the gym, the overwhelming array of machines, the muscular gym junkies and lack of basic working out knowledge can leave many beginners feeling exposed and intimidated before even starting their journey.
Fret not, for even the most experienced gym-goer was once in the same position, taking their first steps to starting their fitness regime. Here are 4 simple gym workouts you can try as a total noob.
First things first
Before you get started, warm up. Both static and dynamic stretching are important to ensure that you don’t injure yourself while working out. When you are done with your workouts, cool down and stretch to relax your muscles.
Also, always remember to listen to your body and not over-exert yourself, especially when you’re initially starting out.
Putting in a cardio session is a good way to get started as it helps raise your heart rate while burning calories. Light cardio activity helps warm the body up before workouts.
The treadmill is one of the easiest ways to start working out at the gym. Most treadmills have a manual setting but you can also choose a variety of in-built workout programmes, including endurance, interval, hill or tempo-based.
As you get more comfortable with the pace, increase your speed and incline to intensify your treadmill workouts. You can also challenge yourself with high-intensity interval training (HIIT), where you alternate between sprinting and light jogging, for a more effective session.
Working out your abdominal muscles is essential to improving your core strength as well as aiding other aspects of your fitness. Apart from helping you attain the highly coveted six-pack, strong abdominal muscles can help reduce back pain, improve posture, enhance overall stability and boost stamina.
Here’s what you need to do:
For a start, you may want to attempt at least 3 to 5 repetitions (reps) of 4 sets, and work your way up to 8 to 10 reps for 4 sets. Few points to note while doing the workout, raise and lower your legs in a controlled manner to minimise the use of momentum to move your legs. Also, if the workout is too challenging initially, you can do it with your legs bent.
Strength training is something many beginners neglect as they are either daunted by the different types of dumbbell workouts or fear of not knowing how to properly utilise free weights. However, strength training is beneficial as it can effectively increase lean muscles, which in turn speeds up metabolic rates. Aesthetically, it also builds muscle mass and increases vascularity.
One simple workout you can try with dumbbells is the seated dumbbell press.
It is important to not over-exert yourself. Use a suitable weight until you are comfortable with the technique of each exercise. Once you have mastered the form and techniques, use a weight that challenges you to complete 8 to 12 repetitions.
The seated chest press machine mainly targets the chest, but also works the shoulders and triceps. It is especially useful for beginners starting to lift weights as the adjustable seats and fixed positions of the handles ensures that you maintain proper form while avoiding injury. Working out the major muscle groups of the upper body, this exercise improves overall upper body strength, and also contributes to keeping your arms toned.
Try to select a weight that challenges you, but, again, remember not to over-exert yourself. For a start, a good gauge would be to increase the weight if you are able to complete 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with little difficulty.
Why do you want to gym? Be it striving for a healthier lifestyle, the desire to feel body-confident or trying out a new hobby with friends or family, understanding your intrinsic purpose will help you push past your fears and stay motivated on this fitness journey.
Taking advantage of wellness apps and programmes such as AIA Vitality provides an additional motivation and affirmation as well. With AIA Vitality, you will be rewarded for staying active and working towards a healthier lifestyle. AIA Vitality members also enjoy exclusive discounts at partner gyms as well as save up to 33% on fitness devices to keep track of their fitness progress.
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