4-Exercise Beginners Routine – Body Weight Training 01
Most convenient, versatile and cost effective way of building functional strength and fitness for life!
If you are looking for an effective, convenient way to start your fitness without the need for a gym or expensive equipment, bodyweight training may be the solution you are looking for.
What is Body Weight Training?
Bodyweight training utilises your own body weight as resistance to build strength, build muscle and improve conditioning. Exercises like push-ups, squats, pull-ups and planks use multiple muscles at once to mimic functional, everyday movements.
What are the benefits and why?
The benefits are extensive — bodyweight workouts can be done anytime, anywhere without any or just a minimum amount of equipment, such as chin-up bars to hang from, making fitness accessible and affordable for everyone.
Research shows bodyweight training helps build muscle, improves aerobic capacity and physical performance. The exercises can be easily modified to suit any fitness level and combined with other workouts for maximum versatility.
What do you need?
With just a bit of space and your own body weight, you can take your fitness to the next level with this highly functional, efficient form of training.
The below presented 4-exercise cardio routine is a simple and effective workout that builds upon the beginner workouts in Lisa Jackson’s book “Adore Yourself Slim“, which I had the pleasure to contribute to.
It’s designed for beginners, who do not know where to start and not sure what to do, and it is supposed to not only to increase your stamina, improve mobility and balance, accelerate fat loss, and boost overall conditioning, thus taking your fitness to the next level.
All these super short yet extremely effective bodyweight cardio routines will progressively kick your butt and significantly accelerate your fitness journey.
Using just basic bodyweight moves in a short burst, this 4-exercise routine only requires 15 to 20 focused minutes and minimal space, making it perfect for busy beginners . The exercises utilize functional movements you’ll remember from childhood like a jog on the spot and jumping jacks that are proven to get results fast.
Stay consistent with this routine 3x a week and you’ll notice real improvements in just 2-3 weeks. You’re likely to break a sweat and even feel like you just showered with your clothes on when you’re done. If not, think of amping up the intensity!
In all honesty, there is no real need for some special warm-up before you start this routine. The routine will be your warm-up. Start slower, be conservative, control every repetition – you’ll be warm and ready to push further after your first round. Try to increase speed and intensity with each round.
Here’s the 4-exercise sequence:
1. No press-up Burpees -10 repetitions
2. Alternating Reverse Lunges – 10 repetitions each leg
3. Jog on the spot – 30 seconds
4. Jumping Jacks – 30 repetitions
How to do it?
Minimise rest between moves 1-4, then take 1 minute before repeating the circuit 2-3 times. Gradually shorten the rest to 30 seconds between circuits as you get fitter.
You can also increase the number of repetitions by a few reps if you feel you can take some more intensity.
On the other hand, modify exercises as needed, and focus on quality of what each repetition over quantity by moving with control. Eg, you can perform burpees by walking out one leg at a time, instead of kicking two out at the same time. This one will make it easier to control if the suggested move was a little bit too difficult. You’ll improve within a few sessions. Jog and jumping Jacks should not present any challenge.
Still, start where you can and build it up.
Perform moves through a full range of motion to maximise benefits of the exercise. For example, do deep reverse lunges where your back knee nearly touches the floor on each rep.
You can perform a few stretches, especially if you have some special needs regarding your mobility, after you complete the above workout. This is also a great way of getting you properly warmed up before your stretches.
After 4-6 weeks of following this routine consistently 3x per week, you’ll be ready to progress to more advanced exercises. Avoid plateauing by switching up your training before boredom sets in. But repeat sequences long enough to experience noticeable improvements in endurance, strength and overall conditioning.
What else?
You can supplement your bodyweight training with regular brisk walks. They are simple, anybody can do that. They work and are really effective. And again, in a spirit of simplicity, you do not need anything complicated to go for a walk.
Anything helps, however, if you want to improve your stamina, trim down your belly and waistline, aim at 30 and even 40-45 minutes of brisk walking. You will feel good for it within a couple of weeks.
Give bodyweight training a try, take your fitness to the next level and start experiencing the benefits today!