Stay in Good Shape: 4 Week Workout Plan for Beginners
Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova
Taisiia Dobrozorova is a nutrition and fitness writer at Unimeal and a healthy lifestyle devotee. She has accomplished several courses on health, nutrition, dietology.
Fact checked by Davi Santana, M.Sc.
Davi Santana is a fact checker at Unimeal. He has been a personal trainer for more than 5 years. He is well-versed in strength training, HIIT, running, functional training, and CrossFit.
If you want to lose weight and look for effective workouts – this article is for you! Based on advice from a certified trainer, we've created a ready-made workout plan for beginners! The list of exercises you can practice even at home and stay in good shape, improve your body and pile into your health!
How to start working out
It is scientifically proven that the absence of physical activity leads to all sorts of health problems, from scoliosis1J. H. Tobias, J. Fairbank, I. Harding, et al. (2019, August). Association between physical activity and scoliosis: a prospective cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology. DOI:10.1093/ije/dyy268 to cardiovascular diseases2J. B. Lanier, D. C. Bury, S. W. Richardson. (2016, June). Diet and Physical Activity for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. American Family Physician. PMID:27281836. However, many people cannot overcome laziness and take the first step toward training. Here are a few things for beginners that can help to form a workout basis.
Eat tasty food and lose weight with Unimeal app!
Take a Quiz – Get personal meal plan – Achieve your weight goals!
Start Quiz
Create your own workout space
Think of a comfortable place with enough space. Prepare a sports mat, necessary accessories, or a simulator. Pay attention to your workout gear – you should wear clothes you like. Good-looking clothes for sports will be extra motivation for you. You'll also need a towel and a water bottle during your training. Turn off notifications from any messengers that can distract your attention. Spend time one on one with your body!
Make a workout plan
There'll be no reason to change your mind if you create or find on the web a ready-made training plan in advance. Set your personal goal. For example, to lose belly fat or to work with hips. Try following a workout plan for a month, and you'll see the difference only in your body but also in your habits!
Fewer excuses
You can invent hundreds of reasons not to exercise at home: no time, no space, bad day, bad weather, a lot of work, etc. “There is no mood” or “I'd rather take a break and watch a series.” Does that remind you of somebody? You must clearly understand that gym and home training is no different. There's only your desire to work out that matters. Muscles build up in the same way, regardless of location. Create a comfortable atmosphere and forget about excuses!
Ready to jump into the fight with your extra pounds? Use the 30-day free workout plan above to improve your muscle tone, physical condition, and self-awareness! In the following pictures, you will find a more detailed description of all exercises.
To make the plan varied and include loads on different body parts, we divided it into two blocks of exercises. You can alternate them in any order. The main thing is that all combinations add up to a single complex workout.
The basics of this workout plan are upper body, lower body, and full-body workouts. You can mix them with simple activities such as light cardio and yoga. And don't forget about the "rest days"!
Week 1
Each week is a comprehensive set of exercises to pump your body. However, the first week is the starting position when you take your first steps, so there will be less training time, and the workouts will be reasonably simple.
Note: There is a golden fitness rule: start any workout with a 5-15 minutes warm-up (stretching or performing light movements). Warmed muscles are elastic and perceive physical activity well3. Once you've done that, you can start exercising.
Week 2
In the second week, it's time for the so-called progressive loads. If you want to improve your strength performance, the muscles must constantly adapt. Increase the number of sets, the length of the session, or the number of workouts per week.
Week 3
During the third week, it may seem that you are already working to the limit. Usually, it is a turning point for the development of habits. You may think the body has already pumped enough, but it is not. The muscles have just begun to gain tone. Try to combine the workouts on your own, considering the plan. That will help you to perform the exercises with pleasure.
Week 4
The last week of the month will be like a second wind for you. You'll already know the most effective exercises for your goals. The most important thing here – is not to quit! Continue to work out until you have your dream body!
Is it ok to workout every day as a beginner?
Some athletes believe that everyday training is effective and beneficial since the mass grows faster and the muscles become stronger. But professional trainers and doctors hardly share this opinion. If you work out more than 4 times a week, the nervous and skeletal systems may be unduly damaged4(A. J. Cheng, B. Jude, J. T. Lanner). (2020, August). Intramuscular mechanisms of overtraining. Redox Biology. DOI:10.1016/j.redox.2020.101480.
Workout tips for beginners
- Be organized
Plan your workouts in your diary and stick to the plan. Leave the right amount of time for sports. But also don't forget about the rest - the body needs time to recover.
- Set adequate loads
Do not turn yourself into a driven horse - adequately assess your level of training, and do not drive your body with planks and multiple sets. This is the path to fatigue, frustration5M. Kellmann. (2010, October). Preventing overtraining in athletes in high-intensity sports and stress/recovery monitoring. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01192.x, and refusal to train. The first training sessions should occur at a moderate pace, with a gradual increase in intensity. This will allow the body to adapt to stress.
- Make it regular
Try not to interrupt classes. 10 days after the cessation of training, you will experience aerobic performance deterioration6F. W. Booth, C. K. Roberts, M. J. Laye. (2012, April). Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Comprehensive Physiology. DOI:10.1002/cphy.c110025, muscle mass is gradually lost7A. M. Pearson. (1990). Muscle growth and exercise. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. DOI:10.1080/10408399009527522, and the metabolic response changes8D. L. Swift, J. E. McGee C. P. Earnest, et al. (2018, July-August). The Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Weight Loss and Maintenance. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases. DOI:10.1016/j.pcad.2018.07.014. In the end, you stop losing weight and building muscles9L. Busetto, S. Bettini, J. Makaronidis. (2021, November). Mechanisms of weight regain. European Journal of Internal Medicine. DOI:10.1016/j.ejim.2021.01.002.
- Proper nutrition and drinking regimen
Drink water! Water performs a thermoregulatory function, uses fat reserves, nourishes muscles, and regulates metabolic processes. Before training (1.5-2 hours), drink 350-500 ml of water10B. Murray. (2013, July). Hydration and Physical Performance. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. DOI:10.1080/07315724.2007.10719656.
Stick to the proper diet. Your diet should include:
- proteins - protect muscles from destruction during exercise, restore damaged tissues and promote fiber muscle growth11P. B. Z. Master, R. C. O. Macedo. (2021). Effects of dietary supplementation in sport and exercise: a review of evidence on milk proteins and amino acids. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. DOI:10.1080/10408398.2020.1756216;
- "healthy" fats - increase endurance, speed up metabolism;
- complex carbs - a source of energy, fuel for the body12(1995, July). D. Lineback, J. DeVries. Complex carbohydrates: the science and the label. Nutrition Reviews. DOI:10.1111/j.1753-4887.1995.tb01549.x.
Our program will help you create your optimal meal plan, considering your weight, height, age, and other personal data.
Final word
Workout ready-made plans are the easiest way for beginners. You can start exercising without wasting time on picking the right exercises. Choose the right exercise level; don’t start with the hardest ones. Pay attention to your diet and water intake for the best results. A suitable workout program and regularity will change your body lines and daily habits!
Unimeal does not diagnose or suggest treatments. Any description of the diet, training plan or supplement should be discussed with your current physician or nutritionist. This article does not address specific conditions and is simply meant to provide general information on healthcare topics. Following any advice is at your own initiative and does not impose any responsibility on the blog authors for your health and safety.
Sources:
By choosing high-quality sources, we make sure that all articles on the Unimeal blog are reliable and trustworthy. Learn more about our editorial processes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Related Articles
