Introduction to fitness training plan for beginners

For 90% of novices who have never done systematic fitness, the core of the least error-prone and most cost-effective introductory plan is: fixed 3 times a week, 40-50 minutes each time, full-body differentiated training focusing on compound movements. First sharpen the movement pattern and then pursue weight. If you insist on it for 3 months, it will be more effective than any flashy Internet celebrity plan.

I encountered a lot of pitfalls when I first started working out. I followed online fitness bloggers to learn five-point training. I did chest training on Monday, back training on Tuesday, and shoulder training on Wednesday. I had to go to the gym 5 times a week, and I had to squeeze in an hour each time before I dared to walk. I gave up after less than 10 days. I was so exhausted after get off work every day that I still had to spend an hour in the gym, and it took half an hour just to change clothes and shower. It was simply unbearable. The coach who introduced me later said that the last thing a novice needs is a complicated plan that "looks professional". Being able to stick to it first is better than anything else.

Some people will definitely ask, should I use fixed equipment or free weights? This question has been debated in circles for many years and there is no standard answer. If you don’t have any exercise foundation at all, and you are still out of breath after climbing three floors and have weak joint strength, then it is absolutely right to start with fixed equipment: seated chest presses, high pull-downs, leg presses, and seated rowing. The trajectories of these equipment are fixed. You don’t need to spend too much energy to control your balance. First, you can find the feeling of muscle exertion, and you will not be easily injured. But if you usually like to play ball or run, and your coordination is not bad, then it is absolutely fine to start directly from empty bar squats, empty bar bench press, and freehand hip hinge training, and the benefits will be higher. One of the students I trained in the past two months was on the school football team. When he first practiced squatting on the empty bar, he did it better than many people who had practiced for half a year. After practicing for three weeks, he increased it to 40kg, which was no problem at all.

When it comes to each training arrangement, you really don’t need to hold a stopwatch to count the time, nor do you need to make a table and check off items. Just warm up for 5 minutes. You can step on the elliptical machine until your body feels slightly warm, or do jumping jacks for a minute or two, then rotate your rotator cuffs and hips to activate your core. Don’t imitate some people who press their legs for 5 minutes as soon as they start. During the exercise, the legs will become weak and cannot produce any strength. For formal training, choose 4-5 compound movements each time, covering the modes of pushing, pulling, squatting, and hip hinge: for example, seated chest press 12 times/group for 4 groups, high pull-down 12 times/group for 4 groups, Smith rack squat Do 4 sets of 15 times/group, do 4 sets of light deadlifts 12 times/group, and finally add a plank support for 30 seconds/group to do 3 groups. Each group has a 60-90 second interval. It only takes 40 minutes to do it slowly, without any delay. If you don’t want to go to the gym, you can do it at home: replace chest presses with push-ups, do high pull-downs with leaning over and holding a mineral water bottle and rowing, squat with your own weight, and deadlift with a storage box full of rice. The effect is not much different.

It is also controversial as to whether to add weight every time. People who advocate linear plans will say that adding 2.5kg to each training session during the novice welfare period is fine. Others say that adding weight before the movements are finalized is simply courting death. My own experience is that if you can still perform standard movements after adding weight, and your knees are not buckled in, your waist is not collapsed, and your shoulders are not weak, then add more. If after adding 2.5kg, the movement becomes crooked like a yangko twist, then reduce it quickly. I used to have a guy in the gym who was not good at squatting with empty bar. He always had to compare weight with the big muscles next to him. After practicing for half a month, my meniscus hurt so much that I couldn't even squat. After three months of training, it was better. It was not worth the gain.

As for those people who say on the Internet that you can "build your vest line in 7 days" or "increase your arm circumference by 5cm in 30 days", just take a look. If you really believe it, you will lose. There is also the matter of supplements. You don’t need to touch them when you are a novice. Eat one more egg and drink one cup of pure milk every day. If you have enough protein, it will be more effective than nitrogen pump creatine. Of course, if you have been practicing for two or three months, you can add some creatine.

By the way, don’t be so scared that you won’t go there for half a month just because your muscles are sore the next day after training. Delayed soreness is very normal. If you feel pain, take a few steps to move around and you will recover faster than lying down. The training frequency does not need to be limited to three times a week. If you feel refreshed and not sore the next day after training, then it is okay to train one more time a week. If the pain cannot be relieved for three days after training, then it is okay to change it to five times every two weeks. Everyone's recovery ability is different, so there is no need to follow other people's templates.

To put it bluntly, the most common mistake novice fitness users make is to raise the bar too high. Before they start practicing, they buy a bunch of fitness clothes, protective gear, and supplements, and make dozens of pages of plans. After going there twice, they feel tired and never go again. I met a little girl at the gym last week. On the first day she came, she followed the blogger and did 100 burpees. After finishing the exercise, she squatted next to her and vomited. I haven’t seen her again for half a month. It’s really not necessary. Even if you practice four movements every time you go, sweat more when you leave than when you came, and your movements are more standard than the last time, you will already beat 80% of people who only go once after applying for the card.