Beginner workout program-need advice please!

Which workout routine or program is best for your fitness goal? Post your programs here!

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LanBanan88
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Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:34 pm

Beginner workout program-need advice please!

Post by LanBanan88 »

Hey all!

Im new to this site, but have been working out for about a month now. Not seeing much change, but i guess that would take time. Im a 21 year old girl, im about 152cm ( i know...short) and i weigh about 63kg. goal is to tone down, lose weight and be more fit. I mainly want to work on toning arms - NOT building muscle as i already have muscle there, losing weight in thighs-but dont want to work calves too much as i dont think manly calves are feminine, and i want to tone abs. Here is workout plan that i have been using for about a month now, feedback would be great thanks! :D oh! and i do 3 sets of 15 reps for all exercies, except the abs where i do 20 of each excercie. Dumbells i use are 3kgs. dont know if thats too much or too little. I start to feel it working half way through second set, but like a good feel, like i have to push myself.

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY

ARMS

- Two arm Hammer curls (biceps)
- Two arm dumbbell curls (biceps)
- Cable Single Arm Extensions (triceps)
- Overhead barbell extension (triceps)

LEGS

- Calves machine (calves) - only on mondays
- Lunges (quads)
- Leg presses (quads)

ABS

- Ab crunches
- Oblique crunches
- Fingers To Toes Abdominal Crunches
- Holding position (a position of a push up, but just remain stationary with tummy and butt tucked in)


(extra workouts: i havent trialed these, just put this together- unsure if its a good idea or not)

MONDAY EXTRA WORKOUT: GLUTES

Butt raises: Lie on your back on a mat on the floor with your legs resting atop an exercise ball (see illustration). Simply raise your pelvis upward to a position creating a straight line from your head to your toes. Hold this position for a two-count, return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

WEDNESDAY EXTRA WORKOUT: ABS

Bent Knee Abdominal Hip Raises: Begin by lying on a mat on your back with your hands at your sides and your knees bent with your feet raised two inches off the floor. Bring your pelvis up and your knees up toward your chest, contracting your abdominals and hold for a two second count. Return to the start position and repeat until failure.

FRIDAY EXTRA WORKOUT: TRAPS

Cable Shrugs: Stand facing a cable pulley machine with your feet about shoulder width apart. Attach a short bar to the low cable pulley. Grasp the short bar with both hands using and overhand grip and allow your arms to hang down completely straight. To execute this movement, simply shrug your shoulders while keeping your arms completely straight. Be sure that you hold your shoulders in the shrug position for a one-count at the top of the movement. Return to the start position and repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.

Also on tuesdays i do a lot of cardio. so thats running and cycling and a bit of rowing. i do about 15 mins on each and i try to do 2 minutes of going full hard out, then one minute of slowly down. Thursdays i play basketball-so thats cardio for the day

Am i on the right track?
Gogobig
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Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:27 pm

Re: Beginner workout program-need advice please!

Post by Gogobig »

LanBanan88 it seems you are completely on the right track. Tonning your body requires higher reps with lower weights, so dont focus only on 15 reps if you can easily do 20 or 25. 3 kilos can be to much or to little, you have to judge it yourself. Think about it this way; if you can do 15 and feel no burn then it could be to little. With that said, instead of increasing the weight you can increase your reps to lets say 20-25. If thats still too easy then I'd take higher weights. As for your workout plan, it seems great. However, the big question that I want to ask you is how are you doing with your nutrition? Fitness is only 1/3 of the way to reach your goal. Another 1/3 is nutrition and the last 1/3 is lifestyle.

Ab exercises are great and they will strenghten your abs-no doubt about that. However, you wont be able to see them nice and tonned unles you change your eating habits (when I say eathing think about what you drink too). Also, what do you do in your between days?Do you have a desk job or you move a lot at work?

Hope this helps.

P.s. there are tons of articles that might help you on google :wink:
LanBanan88
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Re: Beginner workout program-need advice please!

Post by LanBanan88 »

Thanks gogobig! was waiting for a reply!

just answering your questions:

I never have been a big junk food person or big on soft drink. And i dont really eat that much at meal times. I like a bit of steak, chicken, salad. Im not that bad when it comes to food, i grab a bit of all the good stuff. but i have a bad habit of skipping meals. I hardly ever have breakfast, so usually i only have 1 or 2 meals during the day. I am unsure as to if i need to start having 3 meals a day or stick to what im used to.

I am currently at uni-full time. so i dont work at the moment. I also live on campus at uni, which is heaps of fun, i do campus basketball on thursdays which is always fun. I occasionally play badminton outside with a few mates during the weekend as well. am i still on the right track, or do i need to work on eating habits?

Also, with the thing you mentioned about the reps, the first 15 are usually ok to do. I start to feel the burn in the second set, and really push myself in the 3rd set. should i still keep the 3kgs??

Once again. thanks for replying. :)
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Nokie173
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Re: Beginner workout program-need advice please!

Post by Nokie173 »

Hi & welcome to the site!

This is input and others might have theirs too… but I would like to suggest…
EAT your meals & DO NOT skip!
EAT your breakfast & bring healthy snacks with you when you go to class!!!
Eating breakfast will help you boost your energy in the morning & speed up your metabolism!
Skipping meals & starving yourself can slow down your metabolism & can store fat in to your body.
2 meals will NOT do it… EAT 5 -6 small meals!!!

As for workout… why don’t you lift heavier on some days?
One weight day have heavy weights & lower reps… the next weight day… have high reps lighter weights?

That’s just a though about your workout…. But for your diet… you need to EAT! :D
LanBanan88
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Re: Beginner workout program-need advice please!

Post by LanBanan88 »

wow. ok. may need to get into having breakfast! Thing i dont understand about if i all of the sudden start eating breaky is, isnt body used to not having breakfast? would starting to have breakfast all of the sudden muck up body?

Also, good idea with the reps thing! never thought of that! Thanks heaps!

yes, i do need to remember breakfast, breakfast, breakfast!
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Nokie173
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Re: Beginner workout program-need advice please!

Post by Nokie173 »

Work your way to eating breaky!

Have an apple and 15mins later have a low fat yogurt.
Or have a high fiber cereal with low fat milk.
Or Oatmeal?

Once you get used to having breakfast… You’re goal is to have protein!
If you can eat that now… that would be GREAT!

Scramble egg whites and 2 wheat breads.
Or High fiber cereal & scramble eggs whites or hard boiled eggs (try eating whites & 1 yolk)

That's just an idea :D
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