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Best Exercise To Lose Weight With PCOS
One of the biggest factors I have found over the years in helping thousands of women with PCOS lose weight is that you need to reframe your thoughts on the role exercise plays in your life with regard to your condition.
Women shy away from getting in the Gym and lifting weights in a structured manner, for gruelling HIIT workouts and hours upon hours of cardio work because they believe this will burn the most amount of calories for them.
If you have PCOS and you are doing this, please see this Blog Post as a sign to stop.
One of the key aspects of your condition is raised testosterone and androgen levels. You should see this aspect of your physiology as an opportunity — an opportunity to stop focusing your exercise regimen on losing weight, but actually on getting stronger.
Due to your condition, you have this natural ability to build strength and muscle, which will make your whole weight loss journey a lot easier.
It will:
Improve your relationship with fitness
Build your self-confidence
Build your self-esteem
Improve your dietary behaviours
When you get these in place, your weight loss will come along as a consequence of your desire to get strong. Getting stronger will help you with dealing with your PCOS Belly Fat, weight loss with PCOS and getting a lot stronger in your mind, body and soul.
Building strength first and then achieving your weight loss goals, because no bad comes from getting stronger.
I have been working with women just like you, with PCOS for a long time, and this is the exact strategy I have used to help them achieve the changes in their life that they were after.
Just like my client Sarah who is on the Strong & Confident Program who lost two stone when getting stronger:
“The foundation of a leaner body is muscle mass, not the absence of fat. ”
My coaching program is called The Strong & Confident Program and yes, it does help people lose weight, but it also teaches you get stronger in your soul, body and mind.
If that sounds like something you might need help with either right now, or you think you might at some point in the future then it’s probably a good idea you send me a friend request. You can do that by just putting in your email address below, and we can stay in touch that way….
Thank you for becoming my friend.
Now let me show you the best way to exercise to lose weight with PCOS.
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Table of Contents
How This Workout Plan Works
The Best Workouts To Lose Weight With PCOS: Day 1 and Day 2
How To Lose Weight And Get Strong with PCOS
HOW THIS WORKOUT PLAN WORKS
How Many Workouts A Week Are You Going To Do?
This plan is two full-body workouts a week.
If you are new to working out, or even if you are just resetting yourself and getting back into it, the good news is you don’t need to be in the gym four to five times a week in order to get stronger and lose some fat.
You will make incredible progress if you can just get into the gym two times a week and work out with enough intensity for the next 3-4 months.
And this program is the start of that.
How Many Workouts Are In The Plan?
Two. Two Beginner Workouts.
I am aware that variety can be important when it comes to working out, but variety is also counterintuitive to your long-term motivation and your ability to be consistent.
I could very easily come up with 8 different workouts for you, but that would overwhelm you. Each week you would have to learn new movement patterns, you wouldn’t develop the skill to get the most out of the movements you are doing and thus you wouldn’t be working to enough intensity for progress.
So there are two workouts.
These two workouts are designed for you to grow within them. They are designed so that by the end of the month you can see that you have improved:
The weight you are lifting
The form with which you are lifting the weight with
The amount of confidence you have from executing the plan consistently.
If you want variety, gain it by adding more weight, improving your form, and by trying to push yourself a little harder each time you do another rep.
The variety comes from your skill and development to achieve.
If you manage that, you will indeed make progress you never thought possible.
Best Time To Exercise with PCOS
Don’t overthink this. In an ideal world, you would have a few days between each workout so that you can recover fully from your last workout, and manage to then put your most into the next workout you do - and the time of day you workout is totally irrelevant.
But we don’t live in an ideal world - we live in a world where you have to balance an awful lot of your life against your health and fitness - so in truth, you have to go back to back days, then do, it won’t hinder you anywhere as much as you think it might or that the internet would have you believe.
When coaching clients I am always telling them to remember to balance what is optimal with what is possible.
We don’t all have the privilege to be optimal all of the time.
How Much Weight Should You Lift?
I can’t answer this in the way that you would probably like me to. I can’t tell you how much you can Lat Pulldown or Goblet Squat - and any program you find on the internet that tells you how much weight to lift - you should find another plan. Like this one.
I have never seen you move. I have no idea how strong you are.
But luckily in the Fitness Industry, we have a way around this.
It is called the RPE Scale. RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion and is a subjective scale upon which you can judge how hard you are working across a set.
Across both of your workouts, you want to work to an RPE between 8-10.
In terms of the weight you lift, I would say this:
You are probably stronger than you give yourself credit for, you are probably more capable than you think, and that capability will grow very quickly if you remain consistent.
READ MY ARTICLE THAT HAS HELPED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NAVIGATE THE GYM MORE SAFELY
Progressing Through The Workouts?
As the weeks roll on - you should be wanting to progress your workouts as much as possible.
This will mean one of three things - you either:
Increase the weight you are lifting
Change the weight you are using
Change aspects of the form to make the lifts harder
You will adapt to these workouts, and therefore I want you to feel empowered to make the changes you feel you need to in order to make sure they remain challenging.
With some exercises, an increase in weight will not be possible, and therefore I would recommend you change the exercise you do.
Here is a list of adaptations you can try:
DAY 1
Box Squat -> Barbell Back Squat
Lat Pulldown -> Assisted Pull Up Machine
Incline Push Up -> Push Up
Glute Bridge -> Single Leg Glute Bridge or Hip Thursts
DAY 2
Reverse Lunges -> Split Squats or Walking Lunges
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row -> Single-Arm Dumbbell Row with a 1-second pause at the top
You can also change from Kettlebells to Dumbbells or to Barbells to help change the intensity and the variety of the movements you might do.
Do I Have To Do HIIT Workouts with PCOS?
No.
Well, certainly not in the manner upon which you think you probably do.
I haven’t written any HIIT or Cardio in your workouts for you.
I personally am a huge fan of walking - and if your goal is to lose weight, you are probably underestimating the benefits that walking for 20mins a day can have, and overemphasising the effect that a workout can have on your ability to lose weight.
Put as simply, you don’t burn anywhere near as many calories working out as you think, and you burn a lot more calories walking than you think.
This is why at the heart of working out to lose weight, the conversation has to be changed from working out to burn calories and lose weight, to working out to get strong and once your strength is built, good things will happen from there.
If you want to do Cardio, of course, you can. It won’t hinder your progress, it will look after your heart which I am a huge fan of. It won’t burn away all of your muscles. I promise.
And here is another dose of good news - you don’t need to do hard 5kms or sit on the recumbent bike for an hour - that hardly will fit into your life, will it?
You need to do 20mins a day - walking - at a pace that makes you feel like you don’t need a jacket and do need a bottle of water if it is late Autumn or Early Springtime.
How Much Rest Should I Take?
Rest is quite a personal thing.
I personally like quite a lot of rest between heavy sets, usually at the start of my workout. Then I can put the most effort into what I am about to do.
Then as my workout progresses, I reduce my rest between each set.
See how you go. Work to the maximum rest you can take at 2mins and the minimum to 30secs.
In the workouts, I have put rest between each set or superset - but they are just guidelines.
What is a Superset?
I feature Supersets quite a bit in this 4-Week Beginner Strength Training Routine for Weight Loss. For, two reasons.
Firstly they save time - and long gone are the days where you should be spending hours on end in the gym working out.
Secondly, they are a great way to get variety into your workout - and help stop the feeling of boredom
It basically means that you do one exercise, then the next exercise with no rest between exercises.
You can also superset three exercises together as a little circuit.
Warm-Ups and Cool Downs
In the workouts, I have put “optional” warm-ups.
I strongly advise you do them, but if you are short on time, you will probably be ok if you skip them.
They aren’t “walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes” although if you are short on time, and you need to just get in and get out, that is an adequate warm-up.
The warm-ups focus on developing mobility and improving your ability to work out in a much better way that will improve your results over time, and thus actually end up costing you less time - as you will make more progress quickly.
The Best Workouts To Lose Weight With PCOS: Day 1 and Day 2
DAY 1 - FULL BODY
WARM UP
The Worlds Greatest Stretch - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Spiderman Rocks - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Split Stance Rock To Tall Split Kneel - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
CORE
Bird Dogs - 2 Sets, 10 on each side
Russian Twists - 2 Sets, 10 on each side
MAIN MOVEMENTS
Box Squat - 4 Sets, 8 Reps - (use a Barbell, a Dumbbell or your Bodyweight)
1.5 Dumbbell Bench Press - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for 2 minutes between all sets.
SUPERSET 1:
Lat Pulldown - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Incline Push Up - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Squat Thruster - 3 Sets 12 Reps
Rest for 1 minute after completing one set of all exercises
SUPERSET 2:
Plank Shoulder Taps - 3 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Overhead Press - 3 Sets, 12 Reps on each side
Glute Bridge - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Rest for 30 seconds after completing one set of all three exercises
DAY 1: SUMMARY
Warm-Up:
The Worlds Greatest Stretch - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Spiderman Rocks - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Split Stance Rock To Tall Split Kneel - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Core Activation:
Bird Dogs - 2 Sets, 10 on each side
Russian Twists - 2 Sets, 10 on each side
Main Movements:
Box Squat - 4 Sets, 8 Reps - (use a Barbell, a Dumbbell or your Bodyweight)
1.5 Dumbbell Bench Press - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for 2 minutes between all sets.
Superset 1:
Lat Pulldown - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Incline Push Up - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Squat Thruster - 3 Sets 12 Reps
Rest for 1 minute after completing one set of all three exercises
Superset 2:
Plank Shoulder Taps - 3 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Overhead Press - 3 Sets, 12 Reps on each side
Glute Bridge - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Rest for 30 seconds after completing one set of all three exercises
DAY 2 - FULL BODY
WARM UP
The Worlds Greatest Stretch - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Wide Stance Rock on Forearms - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Toes Touch to Squat - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
CORE
Plank - 2 Sets, 30 seconds
Air Bikes - 2 Sets, 30 Reps
MAIN MOVEMENTS
Deadlift - 4 Sets, 8 Reps - (use a Barbell, a Dumbbell or Kettlebell)
Barbell Bench Press - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for 2 minutes between all sets.
SUPERSET 1:
Reverse Lunges - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for 1 minute after completing one set of both exercises
SUPERSET 2:
Romanian Deadlift - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Seated Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Hamstring Walkouts - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for 30 seconds after completing one set of both exercises
FINISHER: SUPERSET 3
Walkouts - 2 Sets, 5 Reps
Lunge Driver - 2 Sets, 5 Reps on each side
No rest between sets or exercises
DAY 2: SUMMARY
WARM-UP
The Worlds Greatest Stretch - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Wide Stance Rock on Forearms - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Toes Touch to Squat - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
CORE ACTIVATION
Plank - 2 Sets, 30 seconds
Air Bikes - 2 Sets, 30 Reps
MAIN MOVEMENTS
Deadlift - 4 Sets, 8 Reps - (use a Barbell, a Dumbbell or Kettlebell)
Barbell Bench Press - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for 2 minutes between all sets
SUPERSET 1:
Reverse Lunges - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for 1 minute after completing one set of both exercises
SUPERSET 2:
Romanian Deadlift - 3 Sets, 12 Reps (use a Barbell,m Dumbbells or Kettlebell)
Seated Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Hamstring Walkouts - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for 30 seconds after completing one set of both exercises
FINISHER: SUPERSET 3
Walkouts - 2 Sets, 5 Reps
Lunge Driver - 2 Sets, 5 Reps on each side
No rest between sets or exercises
How To Lose Weight As Well As Get Strong with PCOS
Over the years I have been doing this job I have worked with people who solely wanted to lose weight.
I have also worked with people who solely wanted to get strong.
And I have found that those who work on getting stronger first, usually lose weight and maintain it at a much more successful rate than those who only focus on losing weight.
And those who have PCOS also realise a whole new world of movement and empowerment by focusing on getting stronger as well. They have learnt to work with their body as opposed to against it.
They also enjoy their movement a lot more.
I have written about this topic extensively and I have much more in-depth guide on losing weight with PCOS right here:
When you’re dragging yourself to the Gym as a means to lose weight it can often feel like you are doing it with a weight around your neck. It’s a chore, it’s something you “have to do”, and the results never seem to come quickly enough.
When you approach your movement as a way of improving your strength, and not just your physical strength…but your mental strength, your emotional strength and your overall resilience, movement takes on a whole other meaning.
You embrace the challenge, you embrace the gift of your body.
Which is pretty epic.
So if you want a workout plan to solely lose weight, I am very sorry that doesn’t exist.
Yes, you do burn calories in the Gym, but nowhere near as much as you would need to create a deficit appropriate for you to lose weight.
You control your weight loss by controlling your energy balance - also known as a Calorie Deficit. On this website, I have extensive resources educating you and empowering you on how to execute a Calorie Deficit.
Articles like:
Any one of those articles will give you a blueprint to losing weight - and the article you are now at the end of is the blueprint for getting strong.
What’s Next?
Well, I suppose you had better get to the Gym to start your journey of getting strong…
However, there’s also some other things I would love to draw your attention to.
The first is my Facebook Group - which you can now consider yourself personally invited to.
It is called Straightforward Fat Loss and I would adore you to join - you can ask me direct questions there, I go Live once a week and jam on a topic. It also has lots of resources to help you make your Fat Loss journey as straightforward as possible.
You can also let me know in the group how you are getting on with these workouts - which would be one of the greatest honours I would have as a coach - to see you sharing your work with me.
If you aren’t on Facebook, we can still become friends and you can get just as many resources from me for your Weight Loss Journey with PCOS as if you were on Facebook.
Just send me a friend request using the form below - and I will be in touch immediately with you.
Thank you so much for reading my work, and good luck with your new gym routine and your weight loss journey with PCOS
I cannot wait to see how you go!
Coach Adam
How To Stay Active in the Winter - 3 Pillars for Success
A more succinct version of this article was originally published in Cove Magazine’s July/August Issue- which was a true honour of mine - to actually be published as a Fitness Writer.
It still feels very odd to me, being English, and talking about Winter in Australia over the months of June, July and August.
Right now the Northern Hemisphere is on fire because of incredibly hot temperatures - and I’m looking at buying a dressing gown to match my slippers as I’m really rather cold in Australia at the moment.
Just one of those other things that get turned literally upside down when you move hemispheres.
And it’s one of those things that you don’t realise will affect you as much as it does - moving your entire seasons around is weirder than you would believe.
However, I digress…
Cove Magazine asked me to write about staying active in Winter for them in their July 2022 edition, and I thought it a great time to publish this article on my website as well as before the Northern Hemisphere knows it - the heat will have calmed down and the nights will be drawing in, and you will be back to seeing your breath more often than not.
Summer only lasts a matter of weeks in England.
So I figured this would be apt.
This article focuses on a series of “Pillars of Success” that you should work on in order to help you remain active throughout Winter. The role of this article is to increase the chances of you being able to be active in Winter - as opposed to giving you a “by write” plan of what to do - because let’s face it - “by write” plans seldom work when you have to deal with that thing called life as well.
My job is to make things possible for you.
Not to tell you what to do.
Because I have never lived a day in your shoes - your experience of life will be individual to you.
But these pillars are designed for you to work on building that pillar up in your life to make the likelihood of activity increasing during the winter months a lot more likely.
Many people experience lower activity levels in Winter. As this study [1] in the Journal of Sports and Health Science found that 43.9% of people are likely to delay exercise in Winter compared to Summer which was 51.8%. Individuals who listed “Rain” as the adverse weather condition were 3.49 times more likely to delay exercising compared to “Heat” as the adverse weather condition and those who listed Ice and Snow were more likely to delay exercise compared to those who were just concerned with the cold.
And then again in this study [2] you can see the varied activity levels per season in 5085 participants:
So let's get to work on fleshing out the three pillars designed to help you succeed in Winter. On their surface they seem quite obvious and straightforward - but understanding the nuance of what is behind that surface will really help you strengthen your resolve and resilience in this field.
Before we get into it, I want to thank you for being here and reading my work. I want to thank you so much - that I would love it if you sent me a friend request so we can stay in touch a little more - and I can offer much more help to you than just this Blog Post. I will send you a Calorie Calculator, my book, free workouts and much more (some of which will be appropriate - some of which might not). So if you like the cut of my jib I have two options for you to become my friend.
Firstly just put your email address in here:
Secondly, you can join my Free Facebook Group called “Straightforward Fat Loss” - just click on the button below…
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR:
How To Stay Active in the Winter - 3 Pillars For Success
PILLAR 1: Get your Sleep on Track
- The correlation between Sleep and your Activity Levels
- How to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
PILLAR 2: Understanding your Exercise
PILLAR 3: Managing your Diet
PILLAR 1: Get your Sleep on track
When it’s dark outside we tend to hibernate a little bit more – and this can cause very different behaviour relating to your sleep. For example, you might stay up later watching Netflix because you don’t feel as tired from the day due to a drop in activity levels as it is in Winter. Or you end up eating later into the evening causing your sleep to be interrupted at night making you less likely to have the energy to work out the next day.
The second your sleep is negatively impacted, your desire to remain active will diminish greatly regardless of the season.
In anything to do with fitness - whether you want to run a marathon, lose 20lbs or get strong enough to fight a bear in the woods, you need to prioritise your sleep. Ask any Athlete - the only way they can maintain their high-performance levels is through having very well-regulated and well-structured sleep.
Now I know you aren’t an Athlete. But it’s all relative right?
The Correlation Between Sleep and Activity Levels
There is a strong correlation between physical activity and quality of sleep.
As this study [3] shows:
“Twelve weeks of exercise training increased sleep duration and variables of sleep quality in adolescents. These investigators found exercise training to decrease NREM stage N1 (very light sleep) while increasing REM sleep, sleep continuity, and sleep efficiency when using polysomnography:”
This study [4] also found that:
“Regardless of the time of day, engaging in resistance exercise did improve sleep quality”
Makes sense right?
The more you move, the more tired your body will be and the better quality of sleep you will have.
So when that reduces, even slightly, during the Winter, it will have an impact on how restful your sleep truly is by stopping you from getting into that deep REM or Slow Wave Sleep.
This knowledge puts you in a catch-22 situation though.
Activity helps me sleep….Sleep helps me stay active…Winter stops me from being more active…
The key here is to just start somewhere. Try and get the ball rolling in some way.
Remember your goal is to be as active as possible throughout Winter, and we can improve your sleep in many different ways…
Want to find out Why Your Sleep Affects Your Body Weight?
Read my Blog Post that has helped hundreds of people get better sleep…and improve their fitness journey
How To Improve Your Sleep Hygiene during Winter
The rules here are the same as every other month of the year.
In my Blog Post “Why Your Sleep Affects Your Body Weight?“ I identify these 8 ways to improve your sleep:
Plan to get 8 hours of sleep a night
Sleep with the Sun
Exercise regularly
Listen to a Sleep Story
Listen to a Sleep Meditation
Put your phone down 60mins before sleep
Reduce Caffeine intake
Reduce Alcohol consumption
All of these stand true no matter what time of the year it is. However, Winter can cause issues with your achievement of some of these more than others and there are some that exist because of Winter that isn’t on that list.
So let me address that.
In Winter;
You will be more likely to eat more Comfort Food
On a cold winter day give me a nice hot mug of cocoa, any time of the day. Give me refined carbohydrates, and foods full of fat so that I feel like I am getting a nice warm hug from my food.
Added to that - a nice bit of Scotch or a Rum Toddy.
And plenty of Tea. I am English after all.
Or my Mum’s Roast Potatoes. Every night of the week.
During Winter we eat heavier meals - that’s just what happens. It’s not right or wrong, it is what we need. We want that warming hearty broth by the fire or the big bowl of Shepherds Pie to warm us through.
And we naturally consume more calories as we believe we are more hungry in the Wintertime too.
As this study [5] found;
“Daily caloric intake was higher by 86 kcal/day during the fall compared to the spring. Percentage of calories from carbohydrate, fat and saturated fat showed slight seasonal variation, with a peak in the spring for carbohydrate and in the fall for total fat and saturated fat intake. The lowest physical activity level was observed in the winter and the highest in the spring. Body weight varied by about 1/2 kg throughout the year, with a peak in the winter”
The extra calories aren’t so much of a problem, in relation to your ability to sleep, however, they might interrupt your sleep and you will wake up more during your sleep.
Added to this we also perceive ourselves to be more hungry in the Wintertime as this study [6] concludes:
“The subjects rated themselves hungrier at the end of the meal in the fall even though the larger meals resulted in a greater estimated amount of food in the stomach. In the winter and spring there was a strong negative relationship between the amount eaten in the meal and self-rated hunger at the end of the meal.”
This all means you are more likely to eat closer to bedtimes - as you feel like you are still hungry - and that will in turn affect how restful your sleep is once again.
Knowledge is power - and being able to understand this will hopefully help you make more informed choices throughout the colder months.
So when it's close to bedtime - and you are lurching for that hot chocolate before bedtime just asks yourself a series of questions:
Am I actually hungry?
If I’m not actually hungry what am i?
Am I bored?
Am I in need of a hug?
Am I stressed?
Am I anxious?
Am I feeling lonely?
What emotion is driving my hunger?
Will I be able to sleep without having this hot chocolate…if so do I then truly need it?
As you work through those you will be surprised how much you will realise you actually don’t want the Hot Chocolate, it was indeed something else - and then you will have a much more restful sleep.
Alcohol and Caffeine both affect your sleep negatively. They both stop you from being able to experience deep REM restful sleep which will in turn mean that getting your exercise in the next day will be just that little bit harder.
Try to drink water in the afternoons and evenings, or herbal teas. That will help greatly - although I do understand the need for a warm cuppa in the middle of winter.
In Winter;
You will get less daylight
Daylight is crucial to our body’s ability to release melatonin - the hormone that makes us sleepy and drowsy.
Your body needs a clear distinction between night and day. This distinction is critical in your ability to release melatonin appropriately to allow you to sleep well. This is known as a circadian rhythm - and it is mightily important we try to stick to it as best we can.
The key here is to make sure you still get daylight. Not necessarily sunlight.
I know the sun shines all of about 2 weeks in the UK - but unlike parts of Scandanavia you do still get Daylight - and that is critical.
Melatonin time and time again proves that it does indeed improve a person’s sleep, as this Meta-Analysis study [6] concludes:
“Our meta-analysis demonstrates that melatonin significantly improves sleep in subjects with primary sleep disorders compared to placebo. Melatonin reduces sleep-onset latency, increases total sleep time and improves overall sleep quality compared to placebo to a statistically significant degree.”
Therefore you want to do everything you can to make sure your melatonin is firing well for you - and this can be achieved without supplementation. To help with this make sure you are getting out and about in the Wintertime as best you can - exposing yourself to daylight at every opportunity. Get out for lunch, go for small walks, or even sit by a window despite how grey it might be just to get that extra dose of daylight to help improve your sleep.
The other aspect of this is regulating your sleep times. Avoiding daytime naps and making sure that your bed is a place for only sleep and sex will really help here. Even though it can suck to wake up at 5:30 am on a cold winters day (and trust me - I know it does I’m a Personal Trainer with clients all over the world managing many different time zones) making sure you went to bed at the same time each day - and you woke up at the same time will help your hormones, not just your melatonin, but all of your hormones regulate and function in a much better way - which is going to do one thing - help you have enough energy to exercise the next day.
In Winter;
You may be more stressed
The evidence here is quite inconclusive. I have seen a couple of studies that back up the notion of “Seasonal Depression Disorder” admitting there can be a slight increase in low mood through Winter, and there are other studies that say the difference is negligible to other seasons.
There is also one study [7] from Iran that concluded:
“Common depression was more prevalent in the parts of the country where cold and rainy weather was more abundant”
I also think colloquially we all seem a little more dreary in the Wintertime.
If nothing else it explains the English disposition.
And it makes a lot of sense to me - increasing energy prices in Winter, less socialising, anxiety around affording Christmas, and of course the lack of sunshine and the ability to enjoy the outdoors as much with shorter days will all play into the narrative of feeling lower during this time.
That within itself is just natural human behaviour; being denied these things will have an effect.
And the more stressed you are…the less you sleep.
For a whole multitude of reasons but this is physiological as well. In our brains, we have an emotional control centre called the “Amygdala” - and the more stressed you are the more active your amygdala is and when your amygdala is active your sleep is negatively affected.
I can’t very well tell you to just stop worrying about things that drive the low mood in the Wintertime. But I can very well tell you that a key to helping those feelings feel so prevalent in your day-to-day is to make sure you improve your sleep.
And to do that we need to process this stress properly.
And again here we end up in the catch-22 - as exercise is a great way to process stress - but as its winter - we know the likelihood of that happening is reduced.
So how else do you process your stress? There are many things you can do here - but that could be a whole Blog within itself…in fact, it is:
But here are some helpful bullet point tips from that Blog Post:
Understand you are not alone in feeling this way
Remove expectations from your life
Start with small things and build up from there
Acknowledge your wins
Get a plan
Another great tool here to process your stress and therefore allow you to stay more active in winter is to give yourself moments of stillness. Meditation can be a great tool in your toolbox when you need it and I know that when I am ever so stressed taking moments to breathe and just focus on that can really help me calm myself down and get ready to tackle the next task.
I have a series of Meditations called The Daily Stillness which you can get. by signing up right here
If you improve your sleep, even just a little bit, it will help kickstart the wheel to looking after your fitness during these darker months, and your motivation will return.
Pillar 2: Understanding Your Exercise
Within your fitness regime, it’s always very important to change your expectations based on the changing circumstances you’re facing.
To expect the same output from yourself in terms of energy for working out might be doing more harm than good for you over winter.
If you’re the type of person who gets energy from the bright sunshine it might be a good idea to have some self-empathy over the winter months and reduce the frequency with which you are working out, or the intensity, or both.
During the winter your ability to keep working out to the same intensity will likely be very reduced, for a number of reasons but mainly, you are cold, wet and miserable. That’s not good energy to be working out with and it will likely have an effect on how heavy you are able to lift.
Personally, when it comes to Winter, I would reduce the frequency with which you workout.
As this study [8] found:
“It appears that Reduced Strength Training frequency does not affect the maintenance of muscle mass and strength”
Reduced training is the key statement here. The study took 33 beginners to exercise and tested three groups. The three groups were divided into one session a week, two sessions a week and no sessions at all. Across the strength tests performed for the two groups that remained to train over a 16-week period, they lost no significant strength. In fact, even those who stopped entirely they lost 5% of muscle mass and 22% of strength.
Studies like this one [9] that showed when someone is completely immobilized they can lose 5-10% of muscle mass in just 10 - 21 days.
To combat this you don’t need to work out, you just need to keep moving. You still build muscle without working out. Moving builds muscle. That can be walking, it can be playing a sport, it can be working in the garden.
So if you can’t keep up the frequency of your normal regime throughout Winter then all you have to do is reduce the frequency, and try to keep mobile elsewhere in your life.
That will keep you ticking over nicely.
The issue with keeping active in the winter comes down to people taking a small break, and that break lasting for the best part of the year, as opposed to a few weeks with reduced frequency.
It is similar to going on holiday. No one is expecting you to work out on holiday, you should enjoy yourself when on holiday. But the reason many people think that holidays ruin their progress is because of their inability to get back into the gym when they get back.
They don’t realise 9 months have passed since their holiday - they just remember their holiday being the reason they stopped going.
Winter is three months long.
If you can keep going to the gym once a week for three months - you will lose no progress.
Then when the three months are over just back on track.
PILLAR 3: Managing Your Diet
It wouldn’t be a fitness article without the proverbial ‘eat a balanced diet’ would it?
But there is a reason a cliché is a cliche, because there’s always an element of truth to it.
Fundamentally calories give you energy to do things.
When trying to lose weight you restrict your calorie intake which causes a reaction in the body to move less. This is known as Metabolic Adaptation.
Simply put, the more weight you lose, the more your body will fight against you in your goals to lose weight. This happens through a number of processes but one that impacts us the most is that it makes you move less.
As this study [9] done in pre-meonpausal women found:
“Metabolic adaptation after a 16% weight loss increases the length of time necessary to achieve weight loss goals”
Your body loves being where it is at. This is known as homeostasis, and is one reason that weight loss requires a lot of effort, and combined with metabolic adaptation shows why it so many people don’t succeed at losing weight.
If you’re struggling with your energy levels in winter, and you’re trying to lose weight by reducing calories, then you’re compounding two problems.
I know we have spoken about trying to protect your energy through improving your sleep, but most people in the world don’t have as much energy in the Winter as they do in the Summer. That is simply human.
Therefore in Winter if you are chasing physique goals as well - as in trying to lose weight - you might be trying to bite off more than you can chew.
Lower Calories to lose weight results in less energy. Winter results in less energy, Then there will be less likelihood of you feeling like moving.
To combat this I strongly suggest, nay, I recommend exclusively that you increase your calories to maintenance. Give yourself a scheduled “diet break” enjoy eating a few more calories and all of the benefits that will bring you.
Read my article that has helped 100s of people understand maintenance calories a lot better:
The quickest and simplest way to find your maintenance level would be to take your Goal Bodyweight in LBS and multiply it by 14.
The other method is to keep adding 200kcals into your diet until the scale represents between 1-5lbs above where you started. This method requires much more adherence to tracking your scale weight, and trusting the rollercoaster that is tracking your weight regularly.
And yes. By increasing your weight to maintenance, the scale will go up for the period of time you do that.
But…if the aim is to do this as you try and continue to keep your workouts up, as you will have more energy with which you can workout with, then you will likely not notice an increase in body fat, as much as you think you will.
Scale Weight might well increase.
Body Fat likely will not.
Especially if you only do this over the period of Winter.
As you are increasing your intake, sadly I wouldn’t advise this all comes from alcohol and take outs. Rememebr the goal here is to help you maintain positive energy. Therefore please try and fill these extra calories up with lots of fruits and vegetables and other nutrient dense foods.
How To Stay Active in the Winter - 3 Pillars For Success
And that’s it…
Remember the goal throughout Winter is to keep your energy levels up by managing your sleep, exercise and diet a lot better. Which will in turn make your winter feel more of a success to you.
Increase your sleep and your diet as best you can, and allow that extra energy to keep driving you to being active.
Winter will make you want to move a little less, and being aware of that is one of the key aspects in helping you understand how to manage other aspects of your health through Winter.
Knowledge is power.
You know that Winter will decrease the likelihood of you being able to remain active, therefore you need to keep putting yourself in the best position possible each day to stay on track in the best way possible.
And above all, prioritise your sleep, that will make everything else more likely to happen .
And as always if you have any questions you only have to ask me.
To be able to do that don’t forget to send me a Friend Request by filling out the form below
I hope you found this article useful and that you enjoy the Winter.
I cannot wait to see you again soon…
Coach Adam
References:
Abram L. Wagner, Florian Keusch, Ting Yan, Philippa J. Clarke, The impact of weather on summer and winter exercise behaviors, Journal of Sport and Health Science, Volume 8, Issue 1, 2019, Pages 39-45, ISSN 2095-2546, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2016.07.007.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254616300576)
Pivarnik, James M., Mathew J. Reeves, and Ann P. Rafferty. "Seasonal variation in adult leisure-time physical activity." Medicine and science in sports and exercise 35.6 (2003): 1004-1008.
Mendelson M, Borowik A, Michallet AS, Perrin C, Monneret D, Faure P, Levy P, Pépin JL, Wuyam B, Flore P. Sleep quality, sleep duration and physical activity in obese adolescents: effects of exercise training. Pediatr Obes. 2016 Feb;11(1):26-32. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12015. Epub 2015 Mar 2. PMID: 25727885.
Alley J. R., Mazzochi J. W., Smith C. J., Morris D. M., Collier S. R. Effects of resistance exercise timing on sleep architecture and nocturnal blood pressure. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2015;29(5):1378–1385. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000750.
Ma, Y., Olendzki, B., Li, W. et al. Seasonal variation in food intake, physical activity, and body weight in a predominantly overweight population. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 519–528 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602346
Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH. Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PLoS One. 2013 May 17;8(5):e63773. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063773. PMID: 23691095; PMCID: PMC3656905.
Mirzakhani L, Poursafa P. The Association between Depression and Climatic Conditions in the Iran Way to Preventive of Depression. Int J Prev Med. 2014 Aug;5(8):947-51. PMID: 25489441; PMCID: PMC4258674.
Brad Jon Schoenfeld, Jozo Grgic, James Krieger. (2019) How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences 37:11, pages 1286-1295.
The Best Barbell Exercises and Workout For Beginners
The Barbell.
It can feel bloody intimidating if you are new to the Gym.
In many Gyms you will see scary looking men lifting scary looking weights, and that alone is enough to put someone off ever grabbing a Barbell for their own fitness journey.
You may well have seen stupid people doing stupid things with them on the Internet and it has put you off for life.
Or you may have seen this fella in your village and you thought…well
And that is a grave shame.
The Barbell can be one of the most empowering tools in the Gym.
There is something more magical about getting a Barbell off the floor or above your head compared to a Dumbbell or an Exercise Machine.
There is an aura about it, a feeling in the body that creates an equilibrium between strength and difficulty and you can feel your whole body just feel strong, empowered and confident when you achieve it.
And if you never explore that feeling in your fitness journey, then you are leaving one of the most important aspects of your workout behind.
This article will take you through a whole workout using a Barbell to help you learn how to use one safely, effectively and with confidence - but if you would like a lot more workouts from me, as well as becoming my friend - where I may send you things that make you smile, things that help you on your fitness journey and things that might be a little inappropriate - then please just send me a friend request via the form below:
Thank you for becoming my friend!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The Anatomy of a Barbell
The value of using a Barbell
Different types of Barbells
The Best Barbell Exercises and Workout for Beginners
The Anatomy of a Barbell
When something is misunderstood in my life…I often find one of the most important things I can do is learn as much about it as is possible.
For knowledge is power - and the only way to empower yourself over something that gives you fear is to learn what to do with it.
Since moving to Australia I have adopted this policy on all things that might kill me - basically every animal in the country - however, I am yet to actually have to test my knowledge out when face to face with a snake - so let’s hope my theory holds up all the same.
The anatomy of a Barbell may seem a little “extra”. But when I learnt this I found it truly interesting - and it actually inspired me to go and work with a Barbell - something that up until that point I had actually tried to avoid.
Yup. Even as a Personal Trainer for the first year of my career I avoided using Barbells for myself and for my clients - simply because I didn’t know how they worked or saw the use of using one.
Even us Personal Trainers are working progress’s just like everybody else.
A conventional Barbell does not weigh 4lbs.
A conventional Barbell is also known as an Olympic Bar or “Olly Bar” if you are one of the cool kids - and they weigh 20kgs or 44lbs. They are 28mm in diameter and are usually around 7ft 2in in length.
Here is a breakdown of what it looks like:
Sleeves: These are where you put the plates on and load the bar.
Bearings and Bushings: These are designed to let the bar Spin which makes movements like the Clean and Press a lot easier to execute. If you have ever used a Barbell that isn’t an Olympic Bar you will notice it doesn’t rotate in your hands in the same way.
Collar: These stop the plates from moving in towards your hands.
Shaft: The main length of the bar that you grip.
Knurling: A rough hashed part of the Bar which is designed to help you grip the bar with your hands.
Knurling Marks: Two little smooth intersections in the knurling which help you judge whether your hands are evenly placed on the bar. They ar usually 36in apart.
Fastener: Holds the sleeves in place.
Endcap: A little bit of plastic which help hold the sleeves in place - also a good place to look to see what weight the bar is - as they can sometimes vary and it’s usually printed on this part of the bar.
There are two other elements to using a Barbell that I should mention:
Plates: The weight you add to a Bar. Can either be “bumper” plates or standard plates - for most Barbell work bumper plates are most common.
Cuffs: These keep the plates from sliding off the Barbell. They come in two forms “spring cuffs” or “clip cuffs”
Spring cuffs were one of the other reasons I didn’t use Barbells in front of clients because I struggled so much to put them on the bar and take them off the bar and I didn’t want my clients thinking I was too weak to do it (body dysmorphia alert!)
…until I learnt there is a technique behind it and it has nothing to do with strength at all.
And now - let me share that technique with you:
And thats all there is to what makes a Barbell a Barbell.
Pretty straightforward right? Now you know exactly what your equipment is made up of let me show you why they are such crucial pieces of the puzzle to your fitness journey…
STRAIGHTFORWARD FAT LOSS
My Facebook Group for anyone who needs a little extra support with their journey…
The Value Of Using A Barbell
There are studies galore that compare the use of a Dumbbell to a Barbell for building more strength - from what I can see the balance of the evidence would suggest that a Barbell can lead to you being able to lift heavier - but a Dumbbell is far greater at targeting a single muscle in more movement patterns.
Most people can lift about 20% more with a Barbell compared to a Dumbbell - as a Dumbbell stresses more stabilising muscles and thus takes away from your power in your lifts.
As this study [1] in the Journal of Trainology, which compared the velocity of a Barbell Bench Press to a Dumbbell Bench Press and concluded:
“Peak power output was significantly higher for Barbell than dumbbells at 50% and 70% loads.”
and
“Peak power output was reached at 70% of body mass with barbell and 50% with dumbbells”
There is also this study [2] published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine compared a Barbell Bench Press and a Dumbbell Chest Flye for muscular activation in the chest.
The results were overwhelmingly in favour of the Barbell compared to the Dumbbell.
The study concluded:
“If the primary aim of the training is maximal mechanical stress (i.e., loading) and muscle activity of the prime movers, the authors recommend the use of barbell bench press and not dumbbell flyes”
To be clear I am not saying that Dumbbells are useless - and all well thought out Training Programs will provide a balance between all three modes of weight lifting - Barbell, Dumbbells and Machines - but what I am saying is that if you want to get strong and confident and feel empowered and lift heavier weights to expedite your progress in the Gym then you do need to start using Barbells in your training.
And they will help you gain muscle and strength faster than anything else.
This happens because:
As I said previously you can lift 20% more with a Barbell. You can Push, Pull and Squat more weight with a Barbell than you will ever manage to with a Dumbell. With my Online Clients I seldom get them to do a Goblet Squat heavier than 20kgs - because at that point it’s just too uncomfortable to hold - and when they move onto a Barbell Squat they can usually hit 30kgs really comfortably.
With Barbells you have the ability to use both hands for stability and the weight is evenly distributed over your body - thus meaning you can put more effort into the actual movement you are executing rather than losing energy trying to remain balanced.
You can incrementally increase a Barbell far easier than with Dumbbells. Most Dumbbells jump up in 5kgs increments across the body whereas with a Barbell you can increase in 2.5kg increments - this is important because to get stronger you need a Progressive Overload.
You can also get into position to lift a Barbell far easier than you can with Dumbbells. With a Barbell you can start with it racked in a position that will be the start of your movement - whereas with Dumbbells you have to nudge, flick, lift and knee them into position.
All of this aside, making your workouts both effective and fun is important for you ability to adhere to your training program - a huge part of that is variety - and by engaging with a Barbell you will make your workouts just that little bit less boring.
Moreover, when I lift a heavy barbell I get a greater sense of “HELL YEAH” than I ever have with a Dumbell.
I don’t know why.
But I do.
And that keeps me training.
Different Types of Barbells
There are many many different types of Barbells - which can confuse things a little bit.
They all have their uses and their drawbacks - but it’s probably a good idea to talk you through them just so you know what is what.
The Olympic Bar
Or the Olly Bar - if you’re a cool kid - I keep cracking that joke hoping that one day I will be a cool kid.
I went into this Barbell in the Anatomy of a Barbell section - a fair bit.
It typically weighs 20kgs and is best used for explosive movements like a Clean and Press, a Deadlift and or a Snatch. They are equally as effective for Bench Pressing, Rowing, Overhead Pressing or Squatting.
The Fixed Barbell
These are usually found on the Barbell Rack- and normally go up by 2.5kgs. They are a great alternative if you can’t lift an Olympic Bar to begin with because 20kgs is too heavy for you.
These are “fixed” as you cannot change the weight on the Bar without getting a whole new bar. Which makes them a less desirable option if you are building a home gym set-up. They are however awesome for beginners and for movements like Walking Lunges, as they are far less cumbersome than an Olympic Bar and are much smaller in length - so if you are moving and working out - then you are less likely to knock someone out.
Oftentimes Gyms will have these Barbells from 10kgs all the way up to 35kgs.
You can use them for any Barbell movement you wish to - just bear in mind they won’t fit on the racks for Bench Pressing or squatting as they aren’t long enough.
The Trap or Hex Barbell
Personally, I hate the Hex Bar. For one very specific reason: Every time I get one out I hurt myself. If the Olympic Bar is cumbersome - then the Hex Bar is like trying to get a double-decker bus through the quiet village of Castle Combe.
That being said - they are awesome pieces of equipment for beginners and anyone who wants to Deadlift but has lumbar spine worries or issues.
The Hex Bar distributes the weight of the Deadlift evenly around the body, putting less stress on your format loading which in turn creates less stress on your lower back as this study [3] concludes:
“the hexagonal barbell may be the better choice for barbell selection because of its ability to evenly distribute the load among all joints and reduce the moment at the lumbar spine.”
The Hex Bar also requires far less technical skill to be able to execute without you losing much effect on the body in terms of gaining muscle and developing strength.
Added to that this study [4] looked into a Hex Bar Deadlift vs a Barbell Deadlift and found some really interesting results.
It found that powerlifters could produce a great one rep max compared to the standard Barbell Deadlift and the Hex Bar caused greater peak force, peak power and peak velocity.
So a cumbersome choice, but a very effective one all round.
EZ Barbell
Anyone who has used one of these effectively will tell you - they aren’t easy at all.
Also known as a “Curl” Bar the bar is wavy which makes exercises like Bicep Curls and Tricep Extensions a lot more comfortable on your wrists and elbows.
I personally don’t do a lot of Bicep and Tricep Work but whenever I do with a Barbell I will always look for the EZ Bar as opposed to a straight or fixed bar as my elbows specifically prefer being slightly internally rotated when working the Biceps.
They are also useful as you can load any weights you wish onto them - just remember to clip the plates in place!
There are other variants of Barbells you can get - like Log Bars and Cambered bars, but they are seldom found in Gyms and unless you are getting very specific about certain aspects of your training you won’t need them.
The Best Barbell Exercises and Workout for Beginners
Now I will take you through a workout using only your Barbell.
It is a Full Body Workout which will hit every major muscle group in your body.
The workout is written thus:
A1,
B1,
C1, C2, C3
D1, D2, D3.
If exercises have the same letter in front of them eg: C1, C2 then you need to do them as a Superset - with no rest in between - and then rest once you have done each round.
For all other exercises please rest for up to 2mins between them.
In terms of the weights you should be lifting, you want to be working to a feeling of exertion to a level of around 8/10.
You should probably warm yourself up first…
Here is your Warm-Up. This was originally designed as a monthly challenge for my clients on the Strong & Confident Program - but teaching you to warm up is terribly important to me - and I, therefore, thought it would be a good idea to share it with you publicly too.
Warm Up Routine:
A1: Deadlift or Hex Bar Deadlift - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for up to 2mins between sets
I love a Deadlift. I think being empowered right at the start of your workout is terribly important - and it is a fundamental exercise to do for human movement.
If you prefer you can also do a Sumo Deadlift (video below).
This exercise works nearly every sinew in your body, and when you safely get the bar from the floor to your hips, it is incredibly gratifying.
B1: Overhead Press - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for up to 2mins between sets
I love working my shoulders. When you get that very heavy Barbell above your head, and you get yourself into a full lockout at the top - there are few greater feelings in the Gym.
Other than hometime.
Added to that, if you get this right, it works the Full Body as well, make sure you squeeze the Glutes the whole time to protect the lower back and use the upper back and chest to help you move that Barbell up and down…
C1: Barbell Bent Over Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
The Barbell Bent Over Row is a very challenging exercise for your hip hinge movement and your Core strength. It is great to build upper and lower back strength, and I use it very often in my programming for clients.
C2: Front Squat - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
I do love a Front Squat. The way in which it challenges your Core is fantastic as well as working your Legs and Glutes in a challenging way.
C3: Barbell Bench Press - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for up to 60secs before you go back to C1.
Again, a fantastic compound movement that will help you get strong through the upper body and in your chest. Make sure your feet are nice and stable on the floor, and you line your hands up using the Knurling Rings on the bar.
D1: EZ Bar Bicep Curl - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
The EZ Bar Bicep Curl is a great exercise for working those guns. Just like Dwight does…
It is also a fantastic exercise to protect your elbow from injuries such as Tennis Elbow and some shoulder injuries in relation to your rotator cuff.
I used to seldom program them for clients due to the fact that the Biceps Brachii are a very small muscle and therefore if your goal was Fat Loss I saw it as not being the most time-efficient exercise for your goals - especially when you consider the Bicep gets worked on in many other movements as well. However, I was wrong. Aside from Injury Protection the Bicep Curl should be in your workout programming somewhere at least - so that it can help you with all the other lifts you have to do as well. Remember even if your goal is. to lose weight, you should always focus on being as strong as possible as well.
D2: Barbell Romanian Deadlift - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
The RDL is a crucial exercise for your posterior chain and therefore your posture. This exercise will help you run, lift, stand and walk. The posterior chain goes from your hamstrings all the way up to your upper back - so I am sure you can see the benefit to the exercise.
Added to that if you want to work and develop the Glutes then this exercise has to be in your regime.
D3: EZ Bar Skull Crusher or Lying French Press
Rest for 30secs before you go back to D1.
I have no idea why this is called the French Press and I could take a guess - but I don’t really want to fall into stereotypes about French people - as it is a gorgeous country with lovely people.
But I’m thinking of something to do with baguettes…
This is a great exercise to work your Triceps and again requires great elbow control - just like the Bicep Curl. Having strong Triceps will very much help you with your Push-Ups, Bench Pressing and other pushing movements.
I Hope You Found This Useful…
And that’s it.
That is everything you need to know as a Beginner about a Barbell.
As I said before, I get it. I used to avoid using Barbells because I didn’t understand them - and I was a Personal Trainer at the time. But my goodness are they now a really important aspect of my training and what I ask of my clients on The Strong & Confident Program.
Please don’t be scared. You can adapt everything to suit your ability, and the benefits are worth it tenfold.
And as always if you have any questions you only have to ask me.
To be able to do that don’t forget to send me a Friend Request by filling out the form below:
Or you can join my Facebook Group where we talk all things Fitness and is for anyone who needs a little extra support with their journey…
I hope you found this article useful and that you enjoy the workout.
I cannot wait to see you again soon…
Coach Adam
References:
Jared D. Littlefield, Kellie K. Schramm, Jerry L. Mayhew, Comparison of lift velocity and power output between barbell and dumbbell bench presses, Journal of Trainology, 2021, Volume 10, Issue 1, Pages 5-9, Released on J-STAGE May 26, 2021, Online ISSN 2186-5264, https://doi.org/10.17338/trainology.10.1_5,
Solstad TE, Andersen V, Shaw M, Hoel EM, Vonheim A, Saeterbakken AH. A Comparison of Muscle Activation between Barbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes in Resistance-Trained Males. J Sports Sci Med. 2020 Nov 19;19(4):645-651. PMID: 33239937; PMCID: PMC7675616.
Camara, Kevin D.; Coburn, Jared W.; Dunnick, Dustin D.; Brown, Lee E.; Galpin, Andrew J.; Costa, Pablo B. An Examination of Muscle Activation and Power Characteristics While Performing the Deadlift Exercise With Straight and Hexagonal Barbells, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: May 2016 - Volume 30 - Issue 5 - p 1183-1188
doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001352
Swinton PA, Stewart A, Agouris I, Keogh JW, Lloyd R. A biomechanical analysis of straight and hexagonal barbell deadlifts using submaximal loads. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Jul;25(7):2000-9. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e73f87. PMID: 21659894.
4 Week Beginner Strength Training Routine for Weight Loss: A Video Guide
I want to take a hot second to talk about the title of this post.
Whenever I engage in writing like this I always do some research on what title I want to go for exactly. I have an idea in my head, and then take to Google and start looking at things.
My first idea for this post was:
“Full Body Workout Plan”
Then I realized I am known as The Gym Starter and thought I better add the word beginner:
“Full Body Workout Plan for Beginners”
Which sent me into a wormhole of things like:
“Strength Training Routine for Beginners”
“4 Day Gym Plan for Beginners”
“Weight Lifting for Weight Loss Female Plan”
And then the title of this article popped out at me:
“Beginner Strength Training Routine for Weight Loss”
The reason this one popped out at me is that it combines my two loves when it comes to fitness.
And it puts those two loves in the order upon which I try to get all of my clients to focus.
Building strength first and then helping people achieve their weight loss goals.
This is why today I am sharing with you a four-week beginner strength training routine - with a video guide to help you feel comfortable and at ease when you go to the gym to do it.
I firmly believe in seeing you get stronger, and then allowing that strength to allow the weight loss to happen.
The foundation of a leaner body is muscle mass, not the absence of fat.
My coaching program is called The Strong & Confident Program and yes, it does help people lose weight, but it also teaches you to move better, learn to fit fitness into your life, and help you build a better relationship with food, exercise and yourself.
If that sounds like something you might need help with either right now, or you think you might at some point in the future then it’s probably a good idea you send me a friend request. You can do that by just putting in your email address below, and we can stay in touch that way….
Thank you for becoming my friend.
Now here are the workouts you are after…
4 Week Beginner Strength Training Routine for Weight Loss: A Video Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR:
4 Week Beginner Strength Training Routine for Weight Loss: A Video Guide:
How This Workout Plan Works
The Workouts: Day 1 and Day 2
How To Lose Weight As Well As Get Strong
HOW THIS WORKOUT PLAN WORKS
How Many Workouts A Week Are You Going To Do?
This plan is two full-body workouts a week.
If you are new to working out, or even if you are just resetting yourself and getting back into it, the good news is you don’t need to be in the gym four to five times a week in order to get stronger and lose some fat.
You will make incredible progress if you can just get into the gym two times a week and work out with enough intensity for the next 3-4 months.
And this program is the start of that.
How Many Workouts Are In The Plan?
Two.
I am aware that variety can be important when it comes to working out, but variety is also counterintuitive to your long-term motivation and your ability to be consistent.
I could very easily come up with 8 different workouts for you, but that would overwhelm you. Each week you would have to learn new movement patterns, you wouldn’t develop the skill to get the most out of the movements you are doing and thus you wouldn’t be working to enough intensity for progress.
So there are two workouts.
These two workouts are designed for you to grow within them. They are designed so that by the end of the month you can see that you have improved:
The weight you are lifting
The form with which you are lifting the weight with
The amount of confidence you have from executing the plan consistently.
If you want variety, gain it by adding more weight, improving your form, and by trying to push yourself a little harder each time you do another rep.
The variety comes from your skill and development to achieve.
If you manage that, you will indeed make progress you never thought possible.
What Days Should I Work Out?
Don’t overthink this. In an ideal world you would have a few days between each workout so that you can recover fully from your last workout, and manage to then put your most into the next workout you do. But we don’t live in an ideal world - we live in a world where you have to balance an awful lot of your life against your health and fitness - so in truth, you have to go back to back days, then do, it won’t hinder you anywhere as much as you think it might or that the internet would have you believe.
When coaching clients I am always telling them to remember to balance what is optimal with what is possible.
We don’t all have the privilege to be optimal all of the time.
How Much Weight Should I Lift?
I can’t answer this in the way that you would probably like me to. I can’t tell you how much you can Lat Pulldown or Goblet Squat - and any program you find on the internet that tells you how much weight to lift - you should find another plan. Like this one.
I have never seen you move. I have no idea how strong you are.
But luckily in the Fitness Industry, we have a way around this.
It is called the RPE Scale. RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion and is a subjective scale upon which you can judge how hard you are working across a set.
Across both of your workouts, you want to work to an RPE between 8-10.
In terms of the weight you lift, I would say this:
You are probably stronger than you give yourself credit for, you are probably more capable than you think, and that capability will grow very quickly if you remain consistent.
READ MY ARTICLE THAT HAS HELPED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NAVIGATE THE GYM MORE SAFELY
Progressing Through The Workouts?
As the weeks roll on - you should be wanting to progress your workouts as much as possible.
This will mean one of three things - you either:
Increase the weight you are lifting
Change the weight you are using
Change aspects of the form to make the lifts harder
You will adapt to these workouts, and therefore I want you to feel empowered to make the changes you feel you need to in order to make sure they remain challenging.
With some exercises, an increase in weight will not be possible, and therefore I would recommend you change the exercise you do.
Here is a list of adaptations you can try:
DAY 1
Box Squat -> Barbell Back Squat
Lat Pulldown -> Assisted Pull Up Machine
Incline Push Up -> Push Up
Glute Bridge -> Single Leg Glute Bridge or Hip Thursts
DAY 2
Reverse Lunges -> Split Squats or Walking Lunges
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row -> Single-Arm Dumbbell Row with a 1-second pause at the top
You can also change from Kettlebells to Dumbbells or to Barbells to help change the intensity and the variety of the movements you might do.
Do I Have To Do Cardio?
No.
Well, certainly not in the manner upon which you think you probably do.
I haven’t written any Cardio in your workouts for you.
I personally am a huge fan of walking - and if your goal is to lose weight, you are probably underestimating the benefits that walking for 20mins a day can have, and overemphasising the effect that a workout can have on your ability to lose weight.
Put as simply, you don’t burn anywhere near as many calories working out as you think, and you burn a lot more calories walking than you think.
This is why at the heart of working out to lose weight, the conversation has to be changed from working out to burn calories and lose weight, to working out to get strong and once your strength is built, good things will happen from there.
If you want to do Cardio, of course, you can. It won’t hinder your progress, it will look after your heart which I am a huge fan of. It won’t burn away all of your muscle. I promise.
And here is another dose of good news - you don’t need to do hard 5kms or sit on the recumbent bike for an hour - that hardly will fit into your life, will it?
You need to do 20mins a day - walking - at a pace that makes you feel like you don’t need a jacket and do need a bottle of water if it is late Autumn or Early Springtime.
How Much Rest Should I Take?
Rest is quite a personal thing.
I personally like quite a lot of rest between heavy sets, usually at the start of my workout. Then I can put the most effort into what I am about to do.
Then as my workout progresses, I reduce my rest between each set.
See how you go. Work to the maximum rest you can take at 2mins and the minimum to 30secs.
In the workouts, I have put rest between each set or superset - but they are just guidelines.
What is a Superset?
I feature Supersets quite a bit in this 4-Week Beginner Strength Training Routine for Weight Loss. For, two reasons.
Firstly they save time - and long gone are the days where you should be spending hours on end in the gym working out.
Secondly, they are a great way to get variety into your workout - and help stop the feeling of boredom
It basically means that you do one exercise, then the next exercise with no rest between exercises.
You can also superset three exercises together as a little circuit.
Warm-Ups and Cool Downs
In the workouts, I have put “optional” warm-ups.
I strongly advise you do them, but if you are short on time, you will probably be ok if you skip them.
They aren’t “walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes” although if you are short on time, and you need to just get in and get out, that is an adequate warm-up.
The warm-ups focus on developing mobility and improving your ability to work out in a much better way that will improve your results over time, and thus actually end up costing you less time - as you will make more progress quickly.
THE WORKOUTS
DAY 1 - FULL BODY
WARM UP
The Worlds Greatest Stretch - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Spiderman Rocks - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Split Stance Rock To Tall Split Kneel - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
CORE
Bird Dogs - 2 Sets, 10 on each side
Russian Twists - 2 Sets, 10 on each side
MAIN MOVEMENTS
Box Squat - 4 Sets, 8 Reps - (use a Barbell, a Dumbbell or your Bodyweight)
1.5 Dumbbell Bench Press - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for 2 minutes between all sets.
SUPERSET 1:
Lat Pulldown - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Incline Push Up - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Squat Thruster - 3 Sets 12 Reps
Rest for 1 minute after completing one set of all exercises
SUPERSET 2:
Plank Shoulder Taps - 3 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Overhead Press - 3 Sets, 12 Reps on each side
Glute Bridge - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Rest for 30 seconds after completing one set of all three exercises
DAY 1: SUMMARY
Warm-Up:
The Worlds Greatest Stretch - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Spiderman Rocks - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Split Stance Rock To Tall Split Kneel - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Core Activation:
Bird Dogs - 2 Sets, 10 on each side
Russian Twists - 2 Sets, 10 on each side
Main Movements:
Box Squat - 4 Sets, 8 Reps - (use a Barbell, a Dumbbell or your Bodyweight)
1.5 Dumbbell Bench Press - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for 2 minutes between all sets.
Superset 1:
Lat Pulldown - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Incline Push Up - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Squat Thruster - 3 Sets 12 Reps
Rest for 1 minute after completing one set of all three exercises
Superset 2:
Plank Shoulder Taps - 3 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Overhead Press - 3 Sets, 12 Reps on each side
Glute Bridge - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Rest for 30 seconds after completing one set of all three exercises
DAY 2 - FULL BODY
WARM UP
The Worlds Greatest Stretch - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Wide Stance Rock on Forearms - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Toes Touch to Squat - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
CORE
Plank - 2 Sets, 30 seconds
Air Bikes - 2 Sets, 30 Reps
MAIN MOVEMENTS
Deadlift - 4 Sets, 8 Reps - (use a Barbell, a Dumbbell or Kettlebell)
Barbell Bench Press - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for 2 minutes between all sets.
SUPERSET 1:
Reverse Lunges - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for 1 minute after completing one set of both exercises
SUPERSET 2:
Romanian Deadlift - 3 Sets, 12 Reps
Seated Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Hamstring Walkouts - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for 30 seconds after completing one set of both exercises
FINISHER: SUPERSET 3
Walkouts - 2 Sets, 5 Reps
Lunge Driver - 2 Sets, 5 Reps on each side
No rest between sets or exercises
DAY 2: SUMMARY
WARM-UP
The Worlds Greatest Stretch - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Wide Stance Rock on Forearms - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
Toes Touch to Squat - 2 Sets, 10 Reps on each side
CORE ACTIVATION
Plank - 2 Sets, 30 seconds
Air Bikes - 2 Sets, 30 Reps
MAIN MOVEMENTS
Deadlift - 4 Sets, 8 Reps - (use a Barbell, a Dumbbell or Kettlebell)
Barbell Bench Press - 4 Sets, 8 Reps
Rest for 2 minutes between all sets
SUPERSET 1:
Reverse Lunges - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for 1 minute after completing one set of both exercises
SUPERSET 2:
Romanian Deadlift - 3 Sets, 12 Reps (use a Barbell,m Dumbbells or Kettlebell)
Seated Row - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Hamstring Walkouts - 3 Sets, 10 Reps
Rest for 30 seconds after completing one set of both exercises
FINISHER: SUPERSET 3
Walkouts - 2 Sets, 5 Reps
Lunge Driver - 2 Sets, 5 Reps on each side
No rest between sets or exercises
How To Lose Weight As Well As Get Strong
Over the years I have been doing this job I have worked with people who solely wanted to lose weight.
I have also worked with people who solely wanted to get strong.
And I have found that those who work on getting stronger first, usually lose weight and maintain it at a much more successful rate than those who only focus on losing weight.
They also enjoy their movement a lot more.
When you’re dragging yourself to the Gym as a means to lose weight it can often feel like you are doing it with a weight around your neck. It’s a chore, it’s something you “have to do”, and the results never seem to come quick enough.
When you approach your movement as a way of improving your strength, and not just your physical strength…but your mental strength, your emotional strength and your overall resilience, movement takes on a whole other meaning.
You embrace the challenge, you embrace the gift of your body.
Which is pretty epic.
So if you want a workout plan to solely lose weight, I am very sorry that doesn’t exist.
Yes, you do burn calories in the Gym, but nowhere near as much as you would need to create a deficit appropriate for you to lose weight.
You control your weight loss by controlling your energy balance - also known as a Calorie Deficit. On this website, I have extensive resources educating you and empowering you on how to execute a Calorie Deficit.
Articles like:
Any one of those articles will give you a blueprint to losing weight - and the article you are now at the end of is the blueprint for getting strong.
What’s Next?
Well, I suppose you had better get to the Gym to start your journey of getting strong…
However, there’s also some other things I would love to draw your attention to.
The first is my Facebook Group - which you can now consider yourself personally invited to.
It is called Straightforward Fat Loss and I would adore you to join - you can ask me direct questions there, I go Live once a week and jam on a topic. It also has lots of resources to help you make your Fat Loss journey as straightforward as possible.
You can also let me know in the group how you are getting on with these workouts - which would be one of the greatest honours I would have as a coach - to see you sharing your work with me.
If you aren’t on Facebook, we can still become friends and you can get just as many resources from me for your Fat Loss Journey as if you were on Facebook.
Just send me a friend request using the form below - and I will be in touch immediately with you.
Thank you so much for reading my work, and good luck with your new gym routine.
I cannot wait to see how you go!
Coach Adam
How To Set A Fitness Goal For Beginners
Upon researching “How To Set A Fitness Goal For Beginners”, on page one of Google, an example of a good fitness goal which was number two on their list, to help you live a healthier life by a website called “Life Hack” was, I kid you not,
“Add Some Lemon and Apple Cider Vinegar to Your Water”
Confirming my urgent requirement to get this Blog Post written. When Google allows Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon as the epitome of fitness goals and health - the world needs to be put to rights.
I got the idea for this article when I was writing the second edition of my book: “27 Ways To Faster Fat Loss”.
There was a section in there all about SMART Goals, and now that I am older, wiser and a little more experienced with Fitness compared to when I first wrote my book, I realised how dumb a SMART Goal is for a Fitness-led goal. This is despite what all Personal Trainers are taught in PT School - and what many personal trainers will tell you.
I think now we need an obligatory pitch: here’s me and my book:
I will give you this book - for free.
But there is a catch. I also want us to become friends. If we become friends, I won’t just send you this book for free, I will also send you a Free Calorie and Macro Calculator, and Two Workout Guides. I might also send you some funny stories from my life, some links to other helpful content that I create and generally some musings from my life.
If you would like to become my friend, then please send me a friend request by filling out the form:
Thank you for becoming my friend.
And now that we are friends let me show you exactly how to set your fitness goals as a beginner for success as opposed to failure - because success is what you want…isn’t it?
Table of Contents for:
How To Set A Fitness Goal For Beginners:
SMART Goals And Why They Won’t Help You
What Do Fitness Goals and The Theory of Acting Have In Common?
How To Set Process-Driven Goals
The Art of a Promise
SMART Goals And Why They Won’t Help You As A Beginner
One of my favourite all-time Joey quotes
If you are unfamiliar with the term SMART Goal then let me take a brief minute to explain them. Developed by a man called George Doran. He was a consultant and former Director of the Washington Water Power Company.
To me, this is a red flag immediately for applying a SMART Goal to a fitness desire - because business and fitness are very different beasts.
SMART stands for:
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Achievable
R - Realistic
T - Time-Bound
And let me be clear, I don’t think SMART Goals are wrong or don’t have a place - I just don’t think they are right in a fitness setting, especially for someone new to fitness.
You can look at the acronyms and think - huh - that would make sense for a fitness goal - especially if i am a beginner.
So let’s run it through and set a SMART goal for your fitness goal:
S - To Lose 5kgs
M - I will use the scale to measure my weight loss
A - 5kgs is a realistic amount of weight in the time frame I am setting.
R - I weighed 5kgs less two years ago - I believe I can do it again
T - I want to do this in four months
As you can see - the set goal to lose 5kgs makes sense and seems perfectly fine on the surface.
But SMART Goals do have their critics away from me. One of the biggest criticisms is that they are inflexible and therefore in terms of long-term goals they can be problematic. If you’re new to fitness then the long term is where your mind wants to be.
This is the first issue with SMART Goals in a fitness setting for beginners especially.
Fitness takes time - a lot longer than people will have you believe - and therefore the larger the goal, the more flexibility you will need as you progress through your journey.
One of the other issues I have with SMART Goals, and the bigger sticking point with them in terms of starting your fitness journey is that they set you up to focus on the result a lot more than the process. This can lead you to feel like you are only accomplished or worthy of praise when the result is achieved.
This is problematic because fitness, whether that be performance-based goals, or weight loss goals, is driven by executing a process.
Even if it is your first day or your 4000th day.
In fact, this study [1] emphasises the point of why SMART Goals shouldn’t be set and need to be rethought in the fitness industry, especially when it comes to beginners.
It states that:
“Both goal types are context-dependent and it is now recognised that, in some cases, performance goals can even be detrimental to the achievement of desired outcomes. Consequently, the current practice may be theoretically appropriate for physically active individuals but a different approach (e.g., learning goals) may be preferable for inactive individuals who are new to physical activity (i.e., most of the population).”
So the goal should be about learning, not about achieving. When you focus on just achievement it can be detrimental to achieving your fitness goal.
Now that, to me, sounds like the smartest idea I have heard yet when it comes to goal setting.
What Do Fitness Goals and The Theory of Acting Have In Common?
If you are new here…a quick little bio about me:
Alas, it’s true. I’m a fitness charlatan, a fitness fraud; a downright fake.
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Acting and actually, it is one of the best blessings I ever had as a fitness professional. I was able to learn movement, the theories and application of fitness and physical work, but understanding human psychology and why people behave the way they do is all down to my career and training as an actor.
If you are interested you can find out all about my acting life here - but that won't help you set a fitness goal as a beginner.
And I apply what I learned about building a character and a role to how to go about setting fitness goals.
Now let me try to break it down as quickly and as succinctly as possible for you.
You may have heard of the Actors Studio in New York. This is one of the meccas of acting in the 20th century responsible for the likes of Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Steve McQueen, Mark Rylance, Sally Field, Sidney Poitier and many many more.
They were schooled by a man called “Lee Strasberg” who created the “methodological approach “. This approach hails back to the work of a Russain Director and Actor called Konstantin Stanislavski.
The Drama School in London which I attended, known as The Drama Centre, is also responsible for actors such as Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Simon Callow, Emilia Clarke, Alexander Dreymon (who was actually my roommate), Rege-Jean Page and many many more, also schooled us on the workings of Konstantin Stanislavski.
Stan - as we call him in the industry - believed that each and every character in a play has one overarching “Super Objective”
Hamlet wants to avenge his father’s death. Juliet wants to be happily married and create peace between the houses. Richard III wants to be accepted by England and the Court. Prospero wants to be acknowledged as the great man he is. Iago wants to usurp Othello at any cost and get revenge on him because he believes he is the better man.
These are all my interpretations of the situation, and each actor and director will interpret different things from the text.
There is no right or wrong just exploration. Just like in fitness.
But once the Super Objective is set - you then break it down even further - into something called “Actions”.
I would then apply my actions to each scene I appear in - and over time the actions build up and lead to getting closer to my super-objective.
If I was Juliet on the balcony, for the first part of the scene would be “To plan a way to see Romeo again, in order to stay safe and protect my family” then when Romeo appears the action would change to “Collaborate with Romeo to meet safety and to show him how much I loved him, in order to seduce him into marrying me”
Then we can break it down further into an “Activity” which is literally the attitude with which you execute each line to help achieve your “Action” for the scene and this is how you break down a script to create a story and a performance.
As actors, we call it “the process of creating a role”
How To Set Process-Driven Goals?
As I mentioned previously - the SMART Goal focuses you too much on the result.
Whereas setting yourself Objectives and Actions focuses you a lot more on the process - and without a process, you simply won’t achieve your goals.
Let’s run the SMART Scenario from before setting a Super Objective, style goal, for beginners.
Super Objective: To lose 5kgs
Actions: Workout 2x a week, Increase Water, Increase Sleep, Increase Daily Steps, Eat Breakfast every day
Activities: Plan my diary to accommodate the Gym, Buy a water bottle I love drinking from, Stop scrolling on Instagram before bedtime (unless I am catching up on @the_gym_starters page), park further away from work each day, plan my breakfast the night before and protect the time I have to eat it.
Do you see how that throws you into the process of accomplishment and habit creation, whilst also prioritising your health?
Now Let’s Get Fancy…
“In Order To’s” With Your Goals
If you want to get really fancy, and I really recommend this because the more specific you are with your objectives and investigations, the more specific you will be with your actions to execute them, to be fancier, let's add the “In Order To” aspect. Having worked with 100s of beginners to fitness before I am aware that being specific about your process is really helpful.
Super Objective is set as a goal: To lose 5kgs in order to have more self-confidence
Actions:
Workout 2x a week in order to feel strong and powerful which will help my confidence increase,
Increase Water in order to keep hydrated helping me move better, digest better and curb hunger, therefore, helping me create a calorie deficit,
Increase Sleep in order to keep my emotions under control a lot more and to help decrease my stress and therefore my diet should be more aligned to my goals,
Increase Daily Steps in order to increase easily accessible movement will give me more energy as my heart health improves,
Eat Breakfast every day in order to start my day with structure around my food and therefore reduce the likelihood of binging in the evenings and snacking throughout the day
Activities:
Plan my diary to accommodate the Gym in order to be more likely to execute the movement side of my training plan
Buy a water bottle I love drinking from in order to keep up the habit and to try to get closer to my objective of 3L a day
Stop scrolling on Instagram before bedtime in order to help me sleep more restoratively and deeply as well as bring my bedtime forward a little each night - unless, of course, I am reading Adam’s posts…
Park further away from work each day in order to help me increase those little pieces of movement which add up over time and to help me compose myself ready for the next thing I have to execute in my day
Plan my breakfast the night before and protect the time I have to eat it in order to help me create a better relationship with food by spending time with my meals and setting the tone for the rest of the day
Suddenly the word “Goal” takes on a lot more meaning, and the act of setting that goal will have inspired you a lot more.
And you can see why as an actor we would be this meticulous in planning our performances…
And yes, it is a lot more work at the start as a beginner. It does take a little more time and practice of course, but by spending this time in the beginning, you are buying yourself more consistency, and better relationships with exercise and nutrition and you will reach your super-objective a lot more efficiently. Mainly because you won’t be stopping and starting over and over again…you will just execute straight away.
One Last Step: Prioritise Education
Looking at the study [1] I previously spoke about they said this:
“a different approach (e.g., learning goals) may be preferable for inactive individuals who are new to physical activity (i.e., most of the population)”
Which led me to create this:
You have to view your Fitness as your Hobby.
You have to have the same approach to it as you do your Cross Stitch, your baking and your learning to play a musical instrument.
You read books on it, you study the subject, you experiment with things and you learn from as many different people as possible to get better at your hobby.
You have started in a fantastic way, you are here, reading this.
You have got further on this page than most people will have, which means you personally really want to succeed with your objectives. That immediately sets you apart. I am sure you have heard the stat that 95% of Diets fail, although we can debate the validity of this stat, it does reveal something.
Changing your physique is a really hard thing to do, and most people, the vast vast majority of those people who try, don’t succeed. I personally believe that it is because they don’t adopt an educational attitude towards their fitness journey in the beginning.
They don’t develop their own fitness brains enough, they don’t investigate themselves enough, and always remain focused on one thing and one thing only - the end goal - without a worry about what you can learn as you go through the process.
If you want to be in the minority, you have to adopt different behaviours and attitudes to what you do compared to what others have done - and that is the main reason that fitness is so terribly personal to each individual human.
“Everybody is different and every body is different”
Without a doubt the more you personalise your fitness journey and set fitness goals in a process-driven way - as opposed to comparing yourself to what others are doing and the results they are achieving, the more you will learn about yourself and the more your fitness will become a priority for yourself.
Think about the huge world that fitness is, and all that there is to learn within it.
Heck, I have been a Coach for nearly a decade and I keep learning about new things, and different ideas and investigating what fitness means to me on a day-by-day basis.
It’s a treasure trove of learning new skills and discovering new things about oneself in order to keep progressing through life.
One of the reasons I became a coach was because I was sick and tired of feeling like I had stopped learning as a human. I was sitting in my corporate office, doing the same mundane things each and every day…and I was missing a vocation in my life. Coaching has become that vocation and it is a beautiful feeling.
Looking at our goals from above, we can then add a learning outcome to them as well:
Plan my diary to accommodate the Gym in order to be more likely to execute the movement side of my training plan and then I can learn and identify the things in my life that might stop me from being as consistent as I wish.
Buy a water bottle I love drinking from in order to keep up the habit and to try to get closer to my objective of 3L a day and I can learn how much more positive my body feels in the gym and throughout my day when it is hydrated properly and whether or not I enjoy that feeling.
Stop scrolling on Instagram before bedtime (unless I am catching up on @the_gym_starters page) in order to help me sleep more restoratively and deeply as well as bring my bedtime forward a little each night - unless, of course, I am reading Adams posts…so that I can learn how to get the most out of my day and how having that focussed energy that sleep brings me can make my day so much easier to get through.
Park further away from work each day in order to help me increase those little pieces of movement which add up over time and to help me compose myself ready for the next thing I have to execute in my day and I can learn how much better my body feels for these micro-doses of steps and regulated movement
Plan my breakfast the night before and protect the time I have to eat it in order to help me create a better relationship with food by spending time with my meals and setting the tone for the rest of the day so that I can learn and discover how much better my nutrition is throughout the day when I give myself a big win at the start of the day.
As you can see, these learning outcomes refocus you onto the result of your actions as opposed to the result of your “fitness”, and when you start noticing those results that are tied into your process you will be more motivated to continue.
Other topics you can try to learn about when on a fitness journey as a beginner are:
How certain foods make you feel
How to improve your form in your exercises
How to increase your strength
How to protect yourself from Binge Eating episodes
The effect that sleep has on your day
The differences between different exercise setups and why some are more preferred than others
The nuances of a Calorie Deficit
The calories in your food
How your hormones might change the way you feel about training
How to build muscle
How to lose body fat
I could go on and on and on…
And each one will create a rabbit hole you can get lost down and discover so much about yourself as you explore and crucially learn.
The Art Of A Promise
Each week I ask my clients on their Weekly Check-In Forms to set goals for themselves in the context of a weekly promises on their movement and their nutrition.
I state the following:
“The promises you make for yourself are the most important. They are the foundation of your confidence - and should take priority in how you move towards what it is you want for yourself. Focusing on actions over outcomes means you are focusing on what you can control not what you can’t. Promises will be set and split between movement and nutrition - and these are non-negotiable - they are the standards you set for you - and these promises will create actions which will ultimately get you closer to where you want to be”
When you view your goals which you set as a promise to yourself, you are more likely to fully commit to them.
It’s very interesting to me that we are all more than accepting of the idea that we would keep a promise to a friend - and make sure that we did not betray that trust or not keep our word to that person, yet when it comes to ourselves it’s almost normal to let ourselves down.
It’s almost accepted as the default state.
I would like to propose that this is completely inverted.
For if you cannot keep a promise to yourself, how would your friend truly know that they would be able to trust you when you can’t trust yourself?
As Plato said:
““The first and best victory is to conquer self””
and Mahatma Ghandi said:
“Your capacity to keep your vow will depend on the purity of your life”
I know so many people who just cannot keep a promise to themselves, and their confidence has hit rock bottom, they question everything and never feel like they are good enough for themselves - let alone others.
This then leads them to look for validation from others - so they then begin to over-commit to everyone else around them - and they are left with no time to actually set promises for themselves, let alone execute on them too.
I’m sure you can see the vicious cycle that gets created here.
And I am sure you can relate to the people-pleasing nature that occurs in these situations.
If you struggle with your confidence, and if you struggle with people-pleasing, then I have a worksheet for you to fill out in order to start rebuilding that confidence for you. To access it then all you need to do is click on the button below - and it will open up a Google Form for you.
Please feel free to fill it out and start working on yourself in this manner.
Setting promises is an art form, and setting fitness goals for beginners is an art form.
And the more you work on the art, you develop the skill, the more you investigate, the more beautiful the journey becomes.
What’s Next?
I really hope you found this article useful, and that you feel a lot better about setting goals as a beginner in fitness.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my work, it really does mean a lot to me to have you here.
I also have some other articles you might find useful to help you navigate the early stages of your Fitness Journey:
Added to all of that, don’t forget to add me as your friend, and you can get two workout guides from me, a calorie calculator AND my book: “27 Ways To Faster Fat Loss”
Thank you so much for reading my work and for being here.
References:
Swann C, Rosenbaum S, Lawrence A, Vella SA, McEwan D, Ekkekakis P. Updating goal-setting theory in physical activity promotion: a critical conceptual review. Health Psychol Rev. 2021 Mar;15(1):34-50. doi: 10.1080/17437199.2019.1706616. Epub 2020 Jan 27. PMID: 31900043.
Is Online Personal Training Effective To Lose Weight?
In this article I am going to lay out for you a true vision of what working with an Online One-To-One Personal Trainer is and what you should expect from the experience. Especially with beginners to fitness, there is a worry that they just won’t be motivated enough or disciplined enough to do it for themselves, and this often comes from a lifetime of trying and failing.
By the end of this post, you will have a true vision of what working with myself online looks like, what you can expect, and whether having me as your coach feels like a good idea for you. You will see what Online Coaching is, and then by the end of it, you will have a much much better idea of whether or not it is a good idea for you to do.
You will be able to make that call on whether this will just be another thing to add to your list of “tried and failed” or whether you can see how the constant communication and continuing updates really will work for you to get the results you want for yourself.
Whenever I get into a conversation with someone regarding Online Coaching, the conversation normally goes one of two ways:
Ghosted like the Tinder mess I truly am
Someone saying “but I need to see someone in person to get fit”
I have had success time and time again with people from all walks of life, people who have lifted barbells their whole life, or people who have no idea what a Squat is before they talk to me.
The heartbeat of what I do is to make Fitness as accessible to everyone as I possibly can In fact Fitness should be accessible to everyone. Online Coaching isn’t only for the highly motivated and highly skilled amongst us. It’s in truth, a test of how empowered you can become by learning and educating yourself on how your body works.
I don’t care if you do or do not know how to Squat, this isn’t a space for elitism. It’s a space for truth, honesty, and progress…and they are traits that we all have within us.
Just like my friend Liz.
Liz is nothing short of just astounding. She saw me talk at an event on Mental Health, and she then followed me on Instagram and that led to her working with me. We have never ever met in person, but she is the epitome of consistency when it comes to online training.
In our initial call with each other, she was so nervous and worried about where she currently was but was equally excited about seeing some change. We spoke for 90 minutes and I learned all about her family, her son Thomas (who is super cute and always says hello on our Coaching Calls), her job as a Cover Supervisor in a local school, and everything in between.
She is so consistent in her communication, and that is where her success truly lies. She has put in the hard work and dealt with some pretty huge stressors in the 18 months we have worked together, but despite all of that she has managed to lose and sustain 2 stone weight loss.
Here is Liz. The first work in process picture is from 02nd September 2019 and the second one was the 11th June 2020.
Every time I look back on this photo I just think “wow”. The hard work and effort she has put in really has paid off, and I am so incredibly proud of her.
Today I am going to address everything you need to know about Online Fitness Coaching, and whether or not it is a good idea for you to engage in.
Liz had never done any form of prescribed training or exercise before she met me, and look at what she has achieved.
You might think you can’t ever see yourself being consistent without seeing someone for 0.6% (1 hour) of your week, you might think that Liz had something you don’t, and you might think you have tried Apps and Workouts Online before and never done more than one or two, and therefore you think that this kind of coaching just isn’t right for you.
I get it.
But have a read. Find out what it truly looks like, then make up your mind.
Try not judge the “Online One-To-One Coaching” Book by its cover.
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR Is Online Personal Training Effective To Lose Weight?
Is Online Personal Training Effective To Lose Weight?
The Pros and Cons of Online Personal Training
Like all good summaries, a Pros and Cons list has a place because let’s face it…nothing is perfect.
The Pros of Online Personal Training
You can work with any trainer you want in order to achieve your goals
Its like putting on your favourite album by your favourite artist. It literally doesn’t matter where they are in the world, you can always listen to what they have created. How often have you found something online that you really resonate with, really love and trust and not be able to actually do it, because the person or thing is only available in Australia or Peru? Online Personal Training literally means if you find a coach that you love following on Social Media, you can work with them no matter what.
Your Program is fully designed for you so that you know you are getting the one on one attention you are paying for
You might think that by seeing someone in person you are getting more personal experience. Well quite often with in-person coaching, the trainers are so exhausted and worn down from the back to back nature of their work that they will roll out the same workout for client after client and make a lot of what they do up as they go. Online Personal Training, sorry, very good online trainers will create your workout programme for you and exactly what you want and need to achieve your own personal goals
More contact with your trainer so that you stay on track and motivated a lot more
The very nature of Online Personal Training means you get more contact with your trainer. With my clients I will email them daily, they get access to coaching calls, they get access to Q and As, they get access to my online platform, and they know they can ask me anything at any time in any way shape or form and will get a response from me within 24-48 hours. If a friend I work with online doesn’t get more contact with me than any other in-person trainer they have had, then I am not doing my job correctly.
More Workouts so that you achieve the goals you are after in a more productive way
In-person training is expensive and the more you want to workout, the more expensive it will get. Trainers will nearly always let you have your session with them, but if you wanted a programme to compliment that, that you can do on your own, I know many trainers charging extra on top for this. The reason you pay a trainer is for a result. Not for a certain number of workouts. Online Personal Training completely avoids this issue as the coach is always there for you to get the result. Not there to charge you for their time as you are taking them away from other potential clients.
No Upfront Cost so that if something unforeseen happens you still have financial flexibility
So you decide you want a personal trainer. You try to find one, you might get a “free taster session” and then without really knowing if you are going to get along well with your trainer, for 10 workouts you have to find quite a large amount of capital. You might need anywhere between £350 and £500 non-refundable. How do you know what the next 10-12 weeks are going to look like? That’s a lot of money to just part with on a human you just met and are now locked in to spend time with for the next three months of your life. Online Personal Training with me is fluid, flexible and without any upfront costs. You don’t have to part with £2000 for a 12-week programme or worry about what will happen if your child care fails you and you can’t meet me at the gym. I’m here to make this as sustainable as is humanly possible for you as that is what is going to give you the best weight loss results - the ability to give yourself time.
It’s More Affordable so that you can have more money for a Gym Membership or to spend on your family
Online Personal Training is more affordable for you than in-person training because I don’t have to pay a Gym to use their space. You aren’t paying me for the hour. You are paying me for results, and you get those results through a system that is personalised for you. You aren’t just paying me for 10 workouts, you are putting me on a retainer for your fitness and I will do everything within my power and what we have agreed to in order to get you those results.
You Will Get Results so you know your hard work and financial outlay isn’t wasted
There is no doubt about it, online personal training is as effective as in-person training when it comes to results. If you are a person who is willing to work hard, communicate with your trainer and be honest and open…you will get results. You do not need to see someone in person to lose weight because to lose weight all you need is a Caloric Deficit and therefore being able to communicate with a coach and ask questions and learn and educate yourself on what you need to do to get into a calorie deficit then you will get incredible results.
The Cons of Online Personal Training
You Will Be At The Gym Without Your Personal Trainer
There is no way around this. If you are in the UK, and I am in Australia - I can’t physically train you for that workout. However what I can do is review video footage of your form, advise you based on your feedback which you can give me daily and send you video “How To’s” on every exercise you will ever need in the Gym. Of course, there are people out there who just need that person next to them and if that is truly you, then start with an In Person Coach, and then to save money move to an Online Coach
Often Times Your Workouts Are “Custom Made”
As in they aren’t. They are sold to you as a Custom Plan, but they aren’t really. They are rolled out on an App and have been to hundreds of people before you. I have a guarantee that your workout is 100% designed for you when you work with myself online, but that is only possible when you fill out an initial form detailing for me the information I need. If you haven’t gone through that process with an Online Trainer, chances are, your workout is exactly the same as Bills who is 68 and a powerlifter.
You Might Need To Video Yourself From Time To Time
Correct Form is useful in the Gym environment. It can protect from injury and it can also allow you to reach your goals more efficiently as activating the correct set of muscles for an exercise will make it more effective. But correct form doesn’t just happen. It’s not something that being with someone in person can just create all of a sudden. Its to be coached worked upon and takes a long time to create. The “quick fixes” that can occur in form from a first glance can be nearly always seen on a video as well as being in person. So to check a few things over, grab a camera, and video yourself in an environment you feel comfortable in. You then have to email that to your trainer, and they will analyse what they see and give you corrections on what they see.
You have to trust yourself
I personally don’t think this is a con. But I bet you do. You probably think that Online Training leaves you on your own. That you have to do it all yourself, and you just can’t trust yourself to do that. I personally think that learning and nurturing your ability to trust yourself, going on a process of self-development with this as one of your goals is a very inspiring and positive thing to do, and I have no doubt you are capable of doing it.
Is Online Personal Training Effective To Lose Weight?
What is the Process of Online Personal Coaching?
This is what a month of Online Personal Training looks like. I personally would like to think this is how it works for all online training, but alas that just isn’t the case as there are lots and lots of “quick buck” and “plug and play” trainers out there.
So this is what you can expect if you work with me because that is the only process I truly know.
Your Initial Application
At some point, you will need to state your intention to me that you are considering hiring me as your coach.
On my Online Coaching Page I have a section at the bottom where you can send in an email to me with a few questions that you have answered so that I can get to know you.
There is also one at the bottom of this page right here
I ask the usual about Height, Weight, and Age, etc….then I also ask you two things:
What are your fitness goals?
What are you struggling with most right now?
Once you fill that out I will then respond to you within 48 hours and let you know if I think that I might be able to help you.
In that email, I will send you a link to book a video chat with me.
Your First Call
In my life, I have done these very “salesy” calls. I’ve literally sat there with a script in front of me, and tried to negotiate my way through a conversation in order to literally “make a sale”.
What is really interesting is that I personally didn’t find it very successful, and that was because I hated doing them, and I have always hated selling.
Therefore on your “Initial Call” now we just chat. Clearly, you want to learn more about Coaching and this is your opportunity to find out more about who I am, how I work and what I would expect from you. But more importantly, it’s my opportunity to find out all about you, because the more I get to know about you, the more empathy and understanding I can use when creating your program and when coaching you.
If you listen to my Podcast “The Fitness Solution” you will come across a few episodes with members of The Fitness Collective (my group coaching program) where we just chat about who they are and what they need help with. Your initial call with me will be very much like one of those podcasts.
So what I am really trying to say is make sure you bring a cup of tea and get ready for a good ol’ fashioned chin wag.
Let us now assume I thought we were a good fit for this relationship I will then send you:
Your “New Client Questionnaire”:
This is probably the most in depth fitness questionaire you have ever seen, and your answers on this will form the structure to how I write your programs and what goals you will set for yourself.
It is designed to give you a vision of what you want to achieve in the context of actually working with me, as well as giving me a vision of what you will be able to do and how you will do it.
It covers things like:
Your Fitness history
Your Nutrition history
Your current lifestyle factors like sleep and energy levels
Your Social life
What equipment you have at your disposal
What your long and short term goals are
Once I recieve this you then get:
Your Program:
Exercise/Training:
Every month you will get a new training program from me, it might be very similar to the month before, it might be completley different as you change and adapt.
How I build your program is completley up to you based compleltey on a couple of factors:
Your Goals and the amount of work that will be required to achieve them
How much work you feel you can be adherent to in order to remain consistent and enjoy the work set for you.
Like with all things, the key word here is balance.
You must always balance what you want with what you can achieve.
Then you must react to what life is throwing at you, and how you are feeling, and how that will affect your training over a certain period.
You may go through times in your life where three workouts a week is totally achievable - two at the Gym and one at home. But then all of a sudden you have a busier work schedule next month, combined with Christmas and a few family birthdays…and you need to drop to two workouts a week.
All you have to do is to tell me.
Tell me what you are expecting and what you think is achievable and we can amend your plan to allow for that.
I will of course send you any video tutorials you need and any advice you would like along the way in terms of your exercise. In The Fitness Collective, there is an Exercise Video Library which you will have access too and I am constantly updating that and adding new content to it for you.
Nutrition:
First of all I want to tell you that I will not give you a Meal Plan, I will not tell you when to eat or what to eat directly. You might think right now that you need a lot of guidance in this department, but restrictive Meal Plans especially in the Weight Loss field traditionally have very low success.
Remember this Chinese proverb:
“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life”
I will teach you how to fish.
You will get guidelines and parameters on what you should be doing with your Diet.
All of my clients also get access to The Fitness Collective and in there I have over 250 recipes that are all Calorie counted, Macro Counted and are really tasty to help give you some fresh ideas on your Diet.
Your Diet will be checked in with every month as well, and we will spend a lot of our time strategising and getting this working for you in the best way possible for your goals.
REGULAR CONTACT WITH ME
The rule of more applies here. More contact. More help. More communication so that you do not feel alone in this journey. Many In-Person Trainers will only communicate with you during the time you pay them for, i.e your 1 hour a week, and maybe you get access to their Facebook Group…
But I don’t trade time for money.
I trade results for money.
Part of getting great results is effective communication. It doesn’t matter what team environment you are in whether that be a sporting team or a business team you must have effective communication.
And have no doubt.
We are a team.
Therefore to encourage results we will communicate in this manner:
Daily Email Communication: so that you don’t feel lonely on this journey, and I will respond to every email you send me within 48 hours.
Weekly Review Forms: so that we can have all of your data and track your progress regularly so the results you are getting are clear to see over time
Weekly Q and As and Group Training Calls: each week in The Fitness Collective I hold group Q and As and group Coaching Calls so that you can keep on track and stay super focussed.
Monthly Review Forms: Once a month you will receive a more in-depth review form to fill out so that we can get a wider look at your progress and see what changes need to be made for the upcoming month.
Monthly Video Calls: you also get Monthly Video calls with me to review, chat and figure out anything and everything you need to make sure that you head into the next month ready and raring to go.
The Fitness Collective: added to all of that as one of my one-to-one clients you get bonus access to The Fitness Collective which is basically the fitness equivalent of the inside of Gringotts Bank.
That’s about it. That is everything you should get from your Online Personal Trainer.
Is Online Personal Training Effective To Lose Weight?
How Online Personal Training Can Be Effective To Help You To Lose Weight
I cannot guarantee you results, and anyone that says they can are lying.
The only person that can guarantee you a result in your Weight Loss Journey is yourself.
What an Online Personal Trainer or Coach can and should do is facilitate your ability to believe in yourself.
What I will guarantee for you is that you will have all of the knowledge, facts, educational resources, and communication you need to become a success. You will always be treated with empathy and understanding and I will always hold up my end of everything I say.
We will almost definitely become friends, and we will celebrate all of your wins together. I will be there for you when the going gets tough…because it will get tough at some point…and no matter what happens you will get something out of this relationship.
To lose weight, you don’t need drastic measures and extreme diets.
You don’t need to be punished in the Gym each and every day.
You don’t need hours and hours of Cardio.
What do you need to lose weight?
You do need a modest Caloric Deficit so that you are behaving in a way that will lead to your desired outcome.
You do need someone to talk to so that when things get hard you can get some objectivity in your life.
You need to make learning and understanding yourself in this manner as enjoyable as possible.
You need someone to help you to keep you motivated and inspired to keep going even when you don’t want to and everything is telling you to give up.
You need regular communication and methods to keep track of what you are achieving so that you don’t lose focus and forget how far you have come.
And the bottom line?
You need to make it as sustainable as possible so that you can be consistent and do it for as long as you need to do it to get your result.
Weight Loss is a slow process.
And it is my job to make all of that happen for you.
To make it enjoyable because enjoyment leads to adherence, which leads to action, which leads to results, which leads to motivation.
For as long as you can enjoy the process of understanding and going through a Weight Loss Coaching Program then you will be successful.
And that means enjoying making progress, enjoying time off, enjoying building a relationship with a Coach, and everything in between.
Is Online Personal Training Right For Someone Like You?
This is hard for me to advise on a Blog post.
But what would I say is this…
If you have got to this point of the Blog and if what I have laid out has got you thinking about the possibilities that could come from working on your goals in this way, then yes. It is right for you.
If you can see yourself with a plan in your hands, a coach by your side, and open to the idea of not losing weight fast but losing weight effectively so that you can keep it off…then yes, I personally think this could be right for you.
Words are very powerful.
And they have the ability to help you visualize what you want.
If you can see yourself doing anything I have said in this post, then chances are you will do very well working with me.
One of the big resistances I get from people who are thinking about Online Training is that they aren’t going to be motivated enough to go to the gym themselves.
Which I understand.
But it is also a huge misunderstanding of how motivation works.
This is how motivation works:
You don’t need to be motivated to get the results you want.
You just need to keep going and keep taking action.
The more action you take, the more motivated you will become.
As an Online Personal Training Client all I would ask for from you is the following:
Try your best even if your best is still not getting you the results you want
Be honest even if it is hard and scary, worried, and disappointed with what the truth is.
Engage in the process talk to your coach, try things out, trust the process, understand that you learn through failure as well as success.
Do what is asked of you if you are asked to track your weight, then track it. If you are asked to fill out a form then do it. Don’t give into excused but be inspired by taking action.
Be coachable, allow yourself to be pushed, and take on feedback both positive and negative.
Ask questions both of your Coach and of yourself…and allow the answers to surprise and educate you.
Always be learning, being a student of what you are investing time and energy into is a very important part of the process. Through education comes inspiration.
If you are willing to do those things that I have listed, then I believe that Online Personal Training is right for someone like you.
You shouldn’t expect perfection from yourself.
In fact, I openly discourage it.
Because you are human, and understanding and engaging in your humanity will bring you success as opposed to treating yourself like a robot.
Be human.
Be perfectly imperfect.
And Online Personal Training will be very good for you.
What’s Next?
Well if after reading this blog post, you feel fired up, inspired and you want to chat with me about whether I think we could work together then you can start the process right now by filling out this Application Form:
4 Gym Workouts For Beginners Both Female and Male
The Gym. That place. With the lights on and lots of people who “know” what they are doing.
And you just don’t?
Well right now, as you are very much at the beginning of this article, you might not know what to do, and that’s ok.
But by the end of this article. You will feel confident, knowledgeable, and empowered to feel comfortable on the Gym floor and start your journey like the legend you are.
Read this article….and:
Continuing on our theme of creating legends - there is a ton of free help in this article - but I also send a lot of help to my friends. And I love getting new friends - I hope you do too.
And lets face it, if you are on my website, reading my article, as far as I am concerned you are already a dear friend to me.
If you would like me to send you some more help, like workouts, calorie calculators and lots of other things - some appropriate, some that are inappropriate (but that’s what being friends is all about right?) then please send me a friend request by filling out the form below.
And once you are finished with this article, you will have a message from me. in your Inbox confirming our new found friendship.
You have made a stellar choice
Table of Contents for “4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male”:
4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male
Myth Busting Your Fears Of The Gym — Overcoming Gym Anxiety
Gym Anxiety is caused by four main factors: Feeling uncertain, comparing to others, feeling judged, and feeling like you don’t belong.
The good news is that if you have ever spoken to a Psychologist or Psychotherapist they will all tell you one thing about feelings: They are temporary and can be worked upon to be improved. I’m not saying there is always a quick fix for your feelings, but knowing that you can work upon them to overcome fears and anxiety is a wholly positive thing. Therefore let's look at the causes of Gym Anxiety and then we can input a couple of strategies to help you
Fear #1: I Don’t Know What To Do In The Gym (feeling uncertain): Once upon a time in the world, that feeling was true of every human on the planet. Gyms didn’t exist and so no one knew what to do. How humanity got educated on the subject is that they explored. They picked stuff up, they moved their arms and legs in different ways to slowly establish what is now known as “The Human Movement System”
In the Gym, when it comes to exercise you must remember this:
“There is no right or wrong, just exploration”
— Adam Berry, The Gym Starter
If you still feel a little uncertain remember that hardly anyone in the Gym really knows what they are doing, but they do one thing really well.
They do what they enjoy and just keep repeating that.
And if you keep that at the heart of what you do, you will be just fine.
Another thing you can do is go into the Gym with an Online Coach in your pocket…that way you know you already have your number one cheerleader behind you, you have a plan all laid out, one that you have spoken about, read and learned and now you are prepared. And preparation protects you from failure. This is why in The Fitness Collective all my clients can print all their manuals off, or access them really easily on their smartphone so they know they have the power of the group behind them as they workout.
You can learn more about The Fitness Collective right here: https://www.thegymstarter.com/the-fitness-collective-sign-up
Fear #2: I can’t do what everyone else is doing so what's the point? (comparison):
“Comparison is the thief of joy”
— Theodore Roosevelt
It’s best if you stop comparing yourself to others as soon as possible, although that is easily said, not so easily done. But something that has helped my clients is the following phrase:
“Stop comparing your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 14”
— Jordan Syatt
The gym is full of people. And rightly so, you have as much right to be there as anyone else does. But you have never walked a day in their shoes. You have no idea how long they have been going to the gym, what they do for work or the journey they are on. So stop thinking they are better than you, and you will never be able to catch them up…you aren’t supposed to catch them up. You’re supposed to be working on you, and that will take as long as it takes…and that's okay.
Fear #3: Everyone is Judging Me (judgment): This is a perfectly reasonable feeling to have and the truth is we have all felt like that. What is important to remember here is that everyone in the Gym is self-obsessed. They aren’t looking at you, they are looking at themselves.
Think of it like this: how much are you thinking about yourself when you go to a Gym?
Lots right? Well so is everyone else. Everyone else is thinking about themselves 1000x more than they are you.
Fear #4: Feeling Like You Don’t Belong: Every new environment is scary. Every new country you go to takes time to adapt to, every new house you move into feels a bit weird to begin with, every new job you start feels awkward at first.
But you don’t stop at the first sign of difficulty with those things, do you? You keep exposing yourself to it. You know that exposure leads to a feeling of comfort because the more you spend time somewhere the more normal it feels. This might take longer at the Gym than at a new office because you are only there for 1–3 hours a week. So if it has been a month or two, and you still feel like you are getting used to it, that is perfectly normal. You’re doing just fine.
4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male
How To Make The Gym Stick And To Remain Consistent In What You Are Doing
Here are some tips and advice on making the Gym Habit stick:
Have A Schedule — you must make sure you know when you are going to work out and have it in your diary. One of the biggest reasons clients work with me one on one is because they knew they had a session booked, and they weren’t prepared to let me down. You need to stop letting yourself down, put your workouts in your diary, and plan your day around them.
Have A Plan Of Action — The most successful Gym goers are working out on a plan. So make sure you have one ready. Get one off of the internet, to begin with, or join The Fitness Collective and get plans galore for your workouts. Knowing what you are doing is going to make you feel more confident in the Gym when you get there.
Keep A Packed Bag In Your Car — I know it sounds daft. But I have had clients have to cancel on me because they have forgotten their Gym kit. I’m sure you have a busy family life, and I’m sure you have a crazy schedule. So take another barrier away and always be prepared.
Join A Gym That Is Not Out Of Your Way — This might sound daft. But believe me, the difference between having a gym that is on your way to work compared to in the other direction of your house is huge. My Gym attendance skyrockets when I have a Gym that fits into my commute compared to when I don’t.
Don’t Rely On Motivation — I’ve spoken about this before so I’ll just leave my YouTube Video on the subject right here for you:
6. Make What You Do Fun — If you enjoy what you do you are more likely to do it and stick to it. At the heart of everything, enjoyment leads to adherence and adherence leads to consistency.
4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male
Four Beginners Workouts For Both Females and Males
There is no reason…no reason at all to split workouts up into female and male unless the female is pregnant and then there needs to be some other considerations. But in terms of Skeletal Muscle, and especially in terms of beginning a workout routine, we don’t need to change the workouts you will be doing based on your sex. But all of the main movement patterns that you will need to work on apply to both sexes.
But aren’t men stronger? When I write programmes for people that I don’t know I ask them to judge their workout using the RPE Scale. Which is a Scale between 1–10 and looks like this:
This scale is subjective. What one person might find as an RPE of 8, another might find as an RPE of 6.
Remember, there is no right or wrong, just exploration.
If you need more information on The RPE Scale then read this article I have written all about Home Workout and how to create your own one! https://www.thegymstarter.com/blog/2020/8/20/how-to-plan-and-design-a-home-workout-the-ultimate-guide
How Many Days A Week Will You Workout For?
This is completely personal to you. The main factor in deciding this is as a beginner is to do whatever feels the best for you. Do whatever you are enjoying the most, and that is all you should expect from yourself.
I will make all four workouts for you Full Body so that you can get the most from the time you are spending at the Gym, especially if its all still new to you.
I would expect these workouts to take between 30–45mins. If they take longer…don't worry about it. That is perfectly fine. There is no right or wrong…just exploration. I’d also love to say at this point that there might be exercises in these workouts that you find hard, difficult, or just too hard.
That’s ok.
If you need to substitute things in that work for your body then you can.
That’s ok.
If you don’t know what some exercises are, then research them.
That’s ok.
There are target reps on each exercise…but if you can’t do 12 reps of the weights you have chosen.
That’s ok.
Let your RPE dictate what weights you will do as much as possible, and you will learn to balance the two against each other.
If you still feel lost in the jungle of the Gym Floor, most Gyms and Trainers are willing to give you an introduction. Call beforehand, book yourself in with a professional and just ask the trainer to talk you through your plan. They will be more than willing to do that.
There is nothing wrong with asking for help. At the end of the day that is the sole job of Gym Staff: to make sure you are safe, to make sure you want to continue coming to the Gym, and to help you as much as possible.
It also shouldn’t cost you. Gym Staff have a duty to help you figure out exercises safely and machines safely in order to make sure you don’t hurt yourself in their venue. If they do ask for money…then drop me a message on Instagram (www.instagram.com/thegymstarter) and we can arrange a call to chat through everything and what to do in the Gym for you.
The Workouts
KEY: DB = Dumbbell, KB = KettleBell, BB = Barbell, BW =Bodyweight, Band = Resistance Band
KEY: Super Set = Both exercises with no rest in between, Circuit = All exercises with rest as stated, Tri Set = All exercises with no rest in between
Workout 1 — FULL BODY STRENGTH WORKOUT
The Full Body Strength Workout requires some Dumbells, some Barbells, and some Machines. It takes you through all three main movement patterns of Legs, Push and Pull and has a great little circuit at the end for you to do. With this workout, you are looking to be quite tired at the end of each set, and make sure you take your rest because the rest will allow you to put more into the next set you are about to do. Grab a weight that you find challenging, that you think will make it tough whilst keeping form and adjust from there. It also uses three different arrangements of your Sets; the traditional 3x12, Super Sets, and a Circuit.
Workout 2 — FULL BODY MACHINE STRENGTH WORKOUT
The Full Body Machine Strength Workout is there for you if you don’t quite have the confidence to pick up some Dumbells and Barbells yet. Just like the Free Weight workout, it will take you through all movements of Push, Pull, Legs, and again, take your rest so you can put in as much effort as possible over a set. Again, set the weights to levels you will find challenging without losing form.
Workout 3 — FULL BODY BANDS, BALLS AND BELLS WORKOUT
The Full Body Bands, Balls and Bells workout uses Resistance Bands, Medicine Slam Balls, and Kettlebells. This is all free-standing work and you will need to have a certain element of confidence when it comes to the Squat and Catches. However, to make that easier you can bounce the ball into the wall or just do a Squat and Press (Squat Thruster) with the ball. Again, this workout follows Push, Pull, Legs and includes two circuit arrangements. You need a good playlist for this workout so join me on Spotify here: The Fitness Collective on Spotify
Workout 4 — FULL BODY HIIT WORKOUT
The Full Body Beginners HIIT Workout should take 20–30mins to complete. Unlike the other workouts, as this will require higher loads and slightly quicker tempo you should maybe get slightly lighter weights. But again, exploration is key until you get the balance you are looking for.
If you are unsure about any of the exercises in any of these workouts, then please head to my YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/thegymstarter) where a lot of them are explained. Or if I haven’t covered them someone on YouTube will have.
4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male
Do’s and Dont’s For The Gym
I do not want to scare you into not going to the gym by giving you a whole bunch of rules that you need to remember as well.
So this is a list about how you will get the most out of what it is you are doing.
The Gym is your space to explore, but it is a shared space…so just remember its nice to be nice. These aren’t rules about whether you should train topless or not…yes…I have been in Gyms where this happens. Just be nice and courteous and you will do just fine.
But in truth, there is nothing you can do that will cause the building to burn down…except start a fire.
Dos:
Learn to enjoy yourself: This is your top priority, at the Gym. If you can master this everything else will come very easily for you.
Leave your ego behind: A Gym is a place where you are reminded of your humanity. It’s a fantastic equalizer between humans because everyone is there for one thing…improvement. You are in an environment of self-development…not narcissism. Behave accordingly.
Lift Lighter, rather than heavier: I always encourage people to pick up a weight they can move with confidence, rather than one that is just too big and bulky they can’t even get it off the rack. Erring on the side of caution will give you cause in those moments to improve your form, do more reps and give you a great sense of accomplishment.
Track your numbers: Seeing small changes bit by bit is very hard. That is why tracking your numbers at the Gym is really important. Your Sets, your Reps, your weight lifted, and your RPE. Over three to six months when you look back…you will be amazed at how far you have actually come…even though it might not feel like it.
Take a “Work In Process Photo” when you start: Every client I have ever trained has said the same thing when their weight loss journey has been a success: “I wish I took a photo 9 months ago”. I understand it can be well out of your comfort zone, but you will be so gutted if you don’t do it, and you throw yourself into working out fully.
For more information on what a “Work In Process Photo” is and how to take one then read this article that is changing the Fitness Industry’s views on Before and After Pics: https://www.thegymstarter.com/blog/2020/7/1/how-do-you-track-weight-loss-with-progress-photos
Be open to the idea of a challenge: It is meant to be hard. It is meant to be a challenge and it is meant to work you over. Remember it is called a workout for a very good reason.
“If your workout feels breezy, it’s too easy” — Adam Berry, The Gym Starter
Trust your instinct and listen to yourself — is Cardio good for weight loss? Well…do you enjoy doing Cardio? If you do…then do that. If a Lunge hurts your knees, then find an alternative that doesn’t…like a Sumo Squat. You are not a slave to your workout. It is very important that you find freedom within the structure. That means if you fancy going a bit off-piste then DO IT! It will help you develop independence and autonomy…and that is really important for your confidence.
Dont’s:
Think it will only take 3 months — give yourself the time you deserve. If you are getting into this with the idea that all your problems will be over in just three months…please rethink your timeline
Restrict yourself with short term goals — although I understand the sentiment of “losing weight for your wedding” or “getting beach ready for Marbella 2021” personally, I don’t think it's very helpful. It can lead you into very narrow paths of focusing just on your aesthetic health, and that can be a very up and down path to tread throughout your process.
Be disheartened if your workout sucked — we all have a rough workout, where we feel low on energy, low on mood and we are just going through the motions. This is one reason I want you to make sure the weights you are lifting is challenging you…it needs to be the sole focus of what you are doing at that moment in time. This is how working out keeps you in the present…and not thinking about next week's shopping list. If your workout does suck, just chalk it off, give yourself a pat on the back for getting something done and try to understand what happened to make it a bit more rubbish:
Maybe you had a tough day at work, maybe you had a bad night's sleep last night, maybe you hadn’t eaten something close enough to your workout so you felt a bit low on energy.
Let your environment stop you from achieving — not all Gyms are created equal. They all have different equipment and different machines. But Google is a wonderful thing, and if there is an exercise you cannot do because the equipment isn’t there just type in “[Exercise name] alternative exercise” there will always be another way to solve the puzzle.
Use the mantra “No pain no gain” — if you are in pain, STOP what you are doing. You’re an adult. I am sure you know the difference between a muscle working, and pain in your body. If you are in pain, or something hurts, listen to yourself and find alternatives away from the pain.
4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male
Conclusion
At the start of this article, I asked you to let me help you become a legend.
If you follow this format, your fears and anxiety about going to the gym, not knowing what to do in the Gym should be under control.
The key message to remember is that the Gym is there for you to explore yourself in.
There is no right or wrong.
Just be yourself, focus on doing the work, and allow yourself the time to change.
Give it two months…and I am sure you will be walking into the Gym like this:
And sending me an email saying…
“Adam…I cannot believe what I was scared of in the first place. Thank you so much”
And you will have made my day. Nay my week.
Good luck, Happy lifting and I can’t wait to see your progress.
If you want some more guidance and coaching from just £20/month then you can join The Fitness Collective right now.
-Coach Adam
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Coach Adam
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
I know this article is coming a little late into the “Lockdown” Home Workout Game…but cut me some slack. I did still have a business to run and build, and The Fitness Collective is now allowing me to sit down and write really helpful content for you. Like this.
The Home Workout. It’s a funny beast.
From where I am sat, it is something you know you could do. But it just isn’t that easy to actually execute.
And it doesn’t matter how many times you intend to do one, finding the right energy for it just seems elusive.
And I’ll let you in on a little secret…
During Lockdown I was really struggling to do Home Workouts too.
But keep that between you and me, please.
I’ve been writing Home Workouts for The Fitness Collective for many years now. From 10min Bodyweight Workouts to full-blown Programmes, and with great results I might add. Putting this format of a workout alongside their nutritional adherence to a Calorie Deficit here are some results:
From doing a minimum of 70mins a week I have had one client lose 26lbs. Another client has lost 14lbs by following this programme which I have laid out here. And using this format on the Gym Floor lost another client of mine 24lbs.
I know it works, and I have been using formats very similar to this for years as a one on one Coach as well as an Online Coach. This isn’t a program I learned in a book or even a method that I found out on some secret trainer coaching call.
This is a format I have been intuitively using with all of my clients for the last 5 years.
It keeps training fun, it keeps training optimal and it allows clients to feel progress but not feel overworked. It’s not a quick fix or a fast solution. It’s sustainable, achievable and the results stick over a long period of time.
There are a lot of issues out there with the way that many trainers structure and write a Home Workout for you, so my plan right now is to give you a plug and play formula, one that will challenge you every time you workout and will never get boring or too easy for you.
One that you can change at any moment if you wish, one where you can switch up exercises when you get bored of them or feel like you need a different challenge, however
This is way more advanced than a 20min Booty Workout on YouTube.
But because it's advanced, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be able to do it. It means this Article is going to take you through:
Table of Conetents for: How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
So if you’re ready…
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
GETTING INTO THE RIGHT MINDSET FOR A HOME WORKOUT
Knowing that you are going to the gym to do a workout is quite straightforward, and although you will have good days and bad days with that, you still seem to have the right energy for it when you are there.
But at Home that energy doesn’t exist.
And this is perfectly normal. Many, many, many people struggle to workout from home.
This relates to something called Environmental Productivity.
When everyone around you is working on the same thing you sense that energy and it keeps you accountable for what you want to do too. It helps keep you motivated. It's like going to study at a Library, despite having a perfectly good set up at home. The energy about the place matches your driven desire for your action.
So how can you create a Gym Environment at Home to help you get motivated to do the workouts?
Try Cranking Up The Music
Gyms have specific music on for specific reasons. The ideal Beats Per Minute for a Strength Training Workout is 130–140 for each song. Here Spotify has done the hard work for you and it groups Music by BPM: This Playlist is one example of that.
If you want a Playlist full of inspirational music for the Gym which we use in The Fitness Collective then all you have to do is click here: The Fitness Collective Spotify Playlist
Use Stock Footage Of Other People Working Out
You can head to YouTube and just get rolling footage of other people working out. Put it on your TV and away you go…it will be like you are working out next to other people who are doing the same thing as you.
One Example of that footage is right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfWaGAgU4ms
Give Yourself A Journey To Your Gym
Lay out everything you need for the Gym. Your Weights, your Mat, your Towel, your Water Bottle, put the stock footage on your TV, and start your music playing.
Then leave your house dressed and ready to workout.
Walk around the block knowing that when you re-enter it is not your Home. It’s your gym. Just make the walk 5 minutes and treat it as your workout.
That way when you enter your home, you will see it as a different space, and it will feel more like a fresh space for you.
Peter Hall, the very famous RSC Director said:
“The first act of creativity is sweeping the floor”
That is what you need to do. Clear the decks and set it up as your Home Workout space. Then clear your mind and your physical state by leaving the space and returning with a different intention.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
Are Home Workouts Effective to Lose Weight and/or Build Muscle?
Let’s look at this a little more objectively.
Are you able to get to a Gym? If so…then go to the gym to workout. You can increase the loads and perform much more optimal exercises for your body.
I highly doubt you have a Barbell at home…
Are you unable to go to a Gym? This could be for many reasons. Maybe you are scared of the Gym or it makes you feel uncomfortable. Maybe you have young children and can’t find the time. Maybe you can’t afford a Gym. All valid reasons and understandable reasons for your desire to workout at home, and this is why working out at home can be effective for you.
If you do get intimidated by a Gym environment then please read this article which has helped hundreds of people overcome their fear: https://www.thegymstarter.com/blog/how-to-stop-worrying-about-going-to-the-gym
If you fall into the “Unable To Go To The Gym” demographic then yes…home workouts can be effective for you. But they aren’t going to help you lose weight or build muscle unless you are a beginner and experience those “newbie” gains.
In order to Lose Weight, you must be in a Caloric Deficit
In order to Gain Weight and therefore Build Muscle, you must be in a Caloric Surplus.
So in truth, we need to be asking better questions of your Home Workouts (your Gym workouts too).
Your calories will always determine your ability to lose or gain weight. Your workouts will decide how you feel about yourself when doing either of these goals.
We need to be asking questions like:
Will this workout improve my ability to move? Will this workout help me improve how I feel about myself? Will this workout increase my mood? Will this workout boost my confidence? Will this workout give me a sense of accomplishment?
And the answer to every single one of those is Yes. A Home Workout will do that, provided you continue to follow some key principles laid out in the rest of this article.
Using these questions is how I have managed to focus the minds of my clients which has allowed them to get such great results when they just workout at home. Clients who have worked for just 10mins a day, do it every day. Therefore over a week, they are getting in at least 70mins of exercise a week. This plan is based on doing more than that in terms of time, but less frequently in terms of days.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
What Exercises Should You Do In A Home Workout?
Exactly the same exercises you would do in the Gym.
Thanks, Ron.
Let me clarify.
When I build a workout for anybody I will focus it around three movement patterns groups:
Push / Pull / Squat or Legs
And your Home Workouts should be no different at all. The issue we have here is that access to your ability to Push and Pull will be hindered by the equipment you have available to you.
To accommodate for this, you can allow a bigger bias to your Leg Exercises, which will keep the workouts very challenging for you.
Exercise Selection will always be based around the Muscle Groups of Push/Pull/Squat or Legs and then you will choose exercises starting with the Compound Movements.
These are:
Primary: Squat, Deadlift, Pull Up, Bench Press, Overhead Press
Secondary: Incline Row, Barbell Row, Push Up
As you are working out at home, personally I believe you should be doing three Full Body Workouts a week. These should be between 40–60mins in duration. You can do more, you can do less. It is entirely up to you. What is most important for your training is that you put it into a format that you enjoy, and will, therefore, keep adherent too.
Consistency is and always will be the most important part of ANY training program.
The majority of your workouts at home will be Compound Work (Multiple Muscle Focus). However, you can sneak a few Isolated (Single Muscle Focus) Movements in there too if you so wish.
The following lists will have crossovers for your Muscles and may engage many other muscle groups as well…but that’s ok. Also, the following list is where I would start…that doesn’t mean that other exercises aren’t justified.
The numbers next to each exercise is a difficulty rating based on a beginner working out, 1=Easy, 5=Hard. The difficulty is always subjective and just because an exercise is rated as 5 doesn’t mean you need to avoid it. What you are willing to put into your plan is completely up to you and I would recommend you challenge yourself as much as possible, whilst feeling safe and having a sense of accomplishment from what you are doing.
We can also limit or increase the intensity of an exercise and that will be very important for you to manage as you write and develop through your program (more on this in the section “What Sets and Reps Should You Do In A Home Workout”)
An exercise with FB written next to them means you can use them as a Full Body Compound as well
Bodyweight Push Movements (Compound)
Push Up (4), Incline Push Up (1–3), Wall Push Up (1), Bear Crawl (3), Spider Climbers FB (5), Push Up Plank (3), Mountain Runners (2), Pike Push Up (4), Hindu Push Up (5), Long Plank (4), Full Plank (3), Cobra Stretch (1), Stop Press Push Up (3), Walkout FB (2), Burpee FB (5)
Bodyweight Pull Movements (Compound)
Bodyweight Deadlift FB (1), Good Mornings (1), Towel Row (3), Bird Dog (2), Supermans (1), Prone Back Extension (1), Renegade Row (3)
Bodyweight Pull Movements (Isolation)
I’s, Y’s and T’s (2), Prone T (2), Wall Angel (3), Cobra Wings (2).
Bodyweight Leg Movements (Compound)
Squat (2), Forward Lunge (4), Squat Jump (4), Split Squat (3), Sumo Squat (2), Bulgarian Split Squat (5), Split Squat Jumps (5), Squat Pulse (3), Split Squat Pulse (4), Sumo Squat Pulse (4), Reverse Lunge (2), Side Lunge (3), Walking Lunge (3)
Bodyweight Leg Movements (Isolation)
Single-Leg Glute Bridge (3), Glute Bridge (1), Frog Pump (3), Clamshells (1)
If you have one set of Dumbells or one Single Kettlebell at Home you can add in any of these exercises:
Please note these exercises are not rated for difficulty as it will depend on the weight you have at Home
Push Movements (Compound)
Floor Chest Press, Overhead Press, Floor Chest Flyes, Arnold Press, Seated Overhead Press, Floor Pullover, Squat and Press FB.
Push Movements (Isolation)
Lateral Raise, DB or Bodyweight Arm Circles, Front Raises.
Pull Movements (Compound)
Deadlift FB, Bent Over Row, Renegade Row, Seated Low Row, Single Arm Row, KB or DB Swing FB, KB Halo, KB Single Arm Deadlift FB, KB Single Leg Deadlift.
Push Movements (Isolation)
Reverse Flyes, Upright Row.
Leg Movements (Compound)
Goblet Squat, Squat and Press FB. You can also add weight to any of the Leg Movements detailed above.
Leg Movements (Isolation)
Romanian Deadlift. You can also add weight to any of the Leg Movements detailed above.
Own Preference Training
This refers to anything additional you want to work on. This could be an Ab Circuit, some additional Arm Work, some Mobility Focus, anything you want to work on that is additional to your Goals. For example, in The Fitness Collective, we run Exercise Challenges, and you could insert that here.
Putting These Exercises Into A Structured Workout
A good dynamic warm-up is important for working out if you went for a brisk walk beforehand that’s a great start, and then from there just go into some Squat Swings, Arm Swings and any form of light movement that gets the heart rate elevated and your limbs moving.
Then you are going to use this structure (please note RPE is explained in the next section):
Full Body or Leg Compound (RPE = 9)
Leg Compound (RPE = 9)
Push Compound (RPE = 9)
Pull Compound (RPE = 8)
Leg Compound (RPE = 8)
Push Compound or Isolation (RPE = 8)
Pull Compound or Isolation (RPE = 8)
Leg Isolation (RPE = 7)
Leg Isolation (RPE = 7)
Own Preference Training (RPE =7)
What About Rest Periods? Your rest period between each exercise will be determined by your RPE. Therefore if you found an exercise was an RPE of 9 you would need longer to rest as opposed to if it was just a 7. You can dictate your rest, as long as within each set you reach your desired RPE.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
What Sets and Reps Should You Do In A Home Workout?
This is where so many Home Workouts fail you.
The typical Home Workout will tell you to do one of these many things:
The HIIT Format
30secs of said exercise, 10 seconds rest, or 40secs of said exercise, 20secs rest, etc, etc.
The Strength Format
3 Sets of 12 Reps, 5 Sets of 5 Reps, etc, etc.
The Failure Format
Do every exercise to exhaustion
It is impossible for myself as your trainer, or for anyone else to know truly how many Sets and Reps you need to do to gain what you need to gain from a Home Workout. We have formats in the Gym Environment of what Rep Range you need to work for, for certain outcomes. However at home, as you more than likely won't have enough weight to challenge yourself to the desired outcome across a Set you will need to judge everything based on your RPE, not Reps.
Therefore you need to learn to develop how many sets and reps you are capable of doing whilst sticking to the desired RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) across the set.
What is RPE?
RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion. It’s a scale of 1–10 of how exhausted you feel once you have finished a set of exercises.
1 = you can do it all-day
10 = you need a 10-minute rest once you are finished
What RPE Should You Work For?
Across the whole workout, you want to walk away feeling like you worked at an RPE of 7–8.
One of the principles behind making workouts successful and effective is that of a Progressive Overload. This is the concept that every workout you try and do a little bit better than you did before. This could be: More Reps, More Sets, Longer Time Exercising, Better Form or Lifting More Weight.
When you judge a workout on your RPE your Progressive Overload is taken care of by itself as you adapt. Month One your 5kg Goblet Squat could be an RPE of 8 which is your target exertion level.
Then in Month Three, the exact same exercise, for the same amount of Reps might only make you feel like you worked at an RPE of 6.
When this happens you need to add in Progressive Overload. You can now improve your form, do more Reps, add in an extra set or add more weight to make sure you keep your Exercise at your target RPE of 8.
How To Structure Your Sets
You can structure your Sets however you want and in whatever format you desire.
You can stick to a traditional Strength Training Format which would be typically 3 Sets and as many Reps as you need to hit your RPE.
You can group the exercises into Circuits. The time for each exercise will be determined again by your RPE. If you find an exercise easier then do it for longer, or rest for a shorter time period. If you find the exercise harder then do it for less time, and rest for more time.
You can Super Set the exercises which is when you do two exercises back to back and give yourself no rest between each set.
To begin with, whilst you are figuring out how hard you are working over a Set to get your RPE then aim to work towards the traditional 3 Sets of 12 Reps format.
Or if you want to do a more HIIT Style of training use the 40 seconds on, 20 seconds rest structure.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
An Example Training Programme Based On This Structure
Here is a Training Programme you can take straight into your Training based on the structure I have outlined in this article.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
What Equipment Do You Need For A Home Workout?
Luckily, you don’t need a Golden Retriever to do your Reverse Crunches.
This Article has laid down a plan that should allow you to build some amazing workouts for yourself without any equipment at all.
I’m called The Gym Starter and part of that means I want to make Exercise as accessible as possible for you, hence giving you a plan that requires no investment other than your own body.
That being said, most people know someone or can get their hands on some equipment, and if that’s something you want to find out more then here is what I would personally recommend:
Dumbbells: They don’t have to be flashy but do need to be heavy and if you can get some they will certainly make your Home Workouts more interesting. I would recommend anything two 5kgs Dumbells or above.
5kg Dumbbells are heavy for many beginners especially when they are dong Isolation Exercises. But as you know by now, at Home we want to work as many Compound Movements into your workouts as possible, and 10kgs+ in those movement patterns is going to make them a lot more effective for your body.
Kettlebells: The exact same rules apply here as with Dumbells. A Kettlebell is a wonderful tool for your Home Workouts, but if you can only afford one KB, try getting a 10–12kg+ Kettlebell. This will make exercises like your Deadlift and Goblet Squat a lot more effective for you.
TRX/Suspension Trainer: If you can get a Suspension Trainer it will add another dimension to your workouts, especially your Back Exercises. They are super safe to use, hook over your door, and super fun too. An official TRX is quite expensive, but there are plenty of affordable Suspension Trainers on the Market, and I do recommend them to clients.
Yoga Mat: You will be doing a lot of floor work and making that feel more comfortable is important. If you are going to add in a lot of Ab Work in your Own Preference Training then maybe consider getting quite a thick Yoga Mat to just help with that.
Resistance Bands/Mini Bands: I do love a Resistance Bands as they are really cheap and can very much add a useful dimension to your workouts.
If you can add those three items to your arsenal of Workout Equipment then you will do very well. But you shouldn’t be spending 100s of Dollars on this stuff.
I always say to clients, lets see how you get on being consistent with just your Bodyweight first, then we can look at investing in some equipment. The last thing I want is for you to spend $200 on all of this stuff, and it just collects dust, making you feel like you aren’t achieving what you want, and therefore making you feel rubbish about yourself every time you come across it.
How To Plan And Design A Home Workout — The Ultimate Guide
Conclusion
Now it’s your turn. Go and be creative. Go and create your workouts and explore what your body can do.
You now have a format that you can adapt completely for your own individual circumstances and you can create a fantastic training programme for yourself at home.
Track your progress, write down your RPEs on every workout and when you get bored of a workout change either the exercises or the workout structure.
Here is a Blank Template you can download and use for your Home Workouts:
And that’s it.
Have fun.
And make sure you let me know how your progress goes.
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How Does Your Menstrual Cycle Affect Your Fitness And Weight Loss?
Over the years, I have worked day in and day out with women in terms of helping them lose weight. Many, many of these clients whether it be online or in-person, have stuck with me for a long time and when you develop relationships like that we got to know each other.
This gave me plenty of data and analysis, combined with just being in rhythm with these clients to go away and study how the Menstrual Cycle will affect your ability to lift weights, lose weight and do all things fitness.
It was a topic I was really passionate about developing my knowledge on and learning more about, so I could coach my clients through it that little bit better. However, there was a problem.
Upon researching it some more, it felt like the information out there still didn’t break it down quite well enough. It would talk about how “Exercise can help beat fatigue and improve mood.” which is nothing we didn’t already know, but when it came to distinctly draw the parallels between your Hormonal Changes over a standard 28 Day Cycle and how that will directly affect how you are responding and able to manage this alongside your goal to lose weight…the internet started to fail.
So here it is.
This one-stop-shop article is designed to help you understand how your Menstrual Cycle really can work for you, and against you when it comes to losing weight, how you can manage that to keep adherent to your goals, and the science that dictates the management for you.
What a gift.
Please Note: I am not a Doctor. I am not a Medical Professional. I am just a Personal Trainer who wants to help you, and these are my findings. At all times I would fully recommend seeking Medical Advice if you have any major concerns about your Cycle.
As I am being so very generous at this time, it would be awesome if you could say thank you. byway of becoming my friend.
As your friend, not only will you get the opportunity to ask me anything in the world, but I promise to keep showering you with gifts to help you with your fitness.
Some of them will be very helpful, some of them will be very funny and some of them may be inappropriate - but that's what friendship is all about - isn’t it?
If you want to become friends then please just send me a friend request by filling out the form below.
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR “How Does your Menstrual Cycle affect your fitness and weight loss?”
Why Have I written this article for you?
For me, it all started with a client and a Podcast. Like a lot of what I do. One of my clients was infuriated at me for not recognizing that she definitely does require more calories on and in the lead up to her Menstruation, compared to the rest of the month.
A feeling I am sure you can relate to.
And although I was wholly understanding of her desires, I didn’t fully understand how much it correlated until I listened to the James Smith Podcast on Female Physiology and how it affects Fat Loss in Female Clients. James, it would appear, had much the same experience as me, and he was generous enough to put his research out there, for us all to learn from.
So what I am about to tell you, is inspired by him, interpreted by me, and backed up by science and the work I have done with female clients for 5 years.
Women are not weaker versions of men.
As a woman, you have an incredibly intricate Hormonal Profile that acutely impacts what you can and cannot do both in terms of lifting weights, and of course, how to adhere to a diet. You have 4 different profiles every 28-day cycle.
The only way you will be successful and sustainable in fitness is if you enjoy what you are doing, and ladies, that means working with your body rather than against it.
Get To Know Your Menstrual Cycle
So let’s learn to work with your system.
Oh and this is an article relating to the way in which your cycle quote “should” unquote be working. I am fully appreciative of different conditions that affect the cycle; PCOS to name one, Menopause as another, or external factors affecting your cycle like the Contraceptive Pill.
These all would require a different article…which I will write…so what I would ask is the following: try to adapt this information to your own circumstances, and if you have any further questions then email me on adam@thegymstarter.com.
Don’t Forget To Follow Me On Instagram:
This is Your Cycle:
Let's start with an Info-graphic so you can refer back to this at any time.
The Different Phases And Their Effect On Your Fitness and Weight Loss.
The Follicular Phase: Week 1: Day 1 to Day 7: Part 1 of The Follicular Phase
This part of your cycle has a secondary phase inside of it as well which is Menstruation which occurs typically at Day 1 to Day 5 of your cycle.
During this part of your cycle, you may experience cramping and may feel quite uncomfortable, despite the fact you may be wearing pads and/or other sanitary items to help with the bleeding.
During Week 1 your dominant Hormone is Oestrogen, which is a hormone that your body uses for Bone Strength, Regulating your Menstrual Cycle, Pregnancy, and maintaining Cholesterol Levels. In a nutshell, it’s useful and is a good thing to be aware of.
How is Fitness and Weight Loss Affected Day 1 — Day 5?
Many of my friends who I work with by coaching them online have reported different experiences during this phase and it is totally personal.
But my best advice for this period (no pun intended) is the following:
Work on strong and steady Resistance Training
Avoid activities like HIIT and Jumping movements if they cause you discomfort
Get plenty of sleep as your body is working hard
In terms of Calories, you might be a little more hungry, and a calorie deficit could be hard, so just use trial and error to see how you react
Week 2: Day 6 to Day 14: Part 2 of The Follicular Phase
This is the best time of the 28 days to maximize your results. Both in terms of Calories and your Strength.
Leading into Day 14 your Testosterone Levels will be increasing which combined with LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and the peak in LH especially is what causes Ovulation on Day 14.
If you are going to be adherent to a Calorie Deficit now is the time. Your energy will be at its highest, your strength at its strongest, and your ability to stick to it all should be at its greatest.
How is Fitness and Weight Loss Affected from Day 6 — Day 14?
But my best advice for this part of your Cycle is:
Keep working on your Resistance Training — you should be able to target your heaviest lifts in this part of your cycle.
In terms of Calories maximize your caloric deficit if you are trying to lose weight as you will have the most amount of energy to adhere to this.
And Cardio…? Well during this time you will feel rather horny due to the increase in Testosterone and LH. Your body will be signaling to you to get pregnant which makes perfect sense, as your eggs are releasing. So if you want to do Cardio…grab your fella and have a week of fun…just remember to be safe…
Ovulation happens on Day 14.
And things well…things take a slight turn for the worse in terms of your physiology.
The Different Phases And Their Effect On Your Fitness and Weight Loss:
The Luteal Phase: Week 3: Day 15 to Day 21: Part 1 of The Luteal Phase
Say hello to Progesterone. The dominant hormone of the next two weeks.
So whether you are pregnant or not, your body doesn’t wait to confirm this, before it starts preparing you for the growth of a tiny human. Progesterone is responsible for maintaining pregnancy which is why it is such a key player in this phase of your cycle.
Progesterone is responsible for building your uterine wall, and making sure your uterus is ready to receive a fertilized egg.
How is Fitness and Weight Loss Effected Day 15 — Day 21?
Your body will require an extra 100-300kcal a day — so moving to a Maintenance or Momentum (thanks to Jordan Syatt) Calories each day might be a good idea. I understand that in order to lose weight a Calorie Deficit is needed, but in this phase, understanding your need for more calories and fueling your body as it is working harder will help you manage your hunger and avoid cravings that may lead to overeating if you are trying to restrict too much.
Some women report headaches during this phase, and to combat that I would suggest some light Aerobic Exercise like Running or Rowing. Even regular outdoor walks would be good for you in nature — may I recommend a 10min Guided Walking Meditation…can be found on my Youtube Channel
You can continue to Strength Train as well, just be realistic that you might not be able to perform like you did last week
Week 4: Day 22 to Day 28: Part 2 of The Luteal Phase
This is the part of your cycle where PMS may start to creep in. You may feel a lot more fatigued, and your mood and energy levels may well vary from day-to-day. Your body is literally preparing itself to keep a fertilized egg in the uterus and to allow you to child bear. This takes its toll. As far as your body is aware you are now about to be pregnant. It doesn’t know that you won’t be, and so it takes the necessary steps to make sure that you have the most successful pregnancy possible. This is going to require energy, a redirection of your resources, and is going to have an effect on your performance. Progesterone is still dominant, and it is putting the finishing touches on your uterine wall for the egg.
During this phase, I regularly have clients tell me that they just are too tired, have too much fatigue, and feel a lot weaker in this phase of their cycle. It’s cool. At this point, I explain to them whats going on, why they feel that way, and make sure I lower their expectations of what to expect in terms of their output, and this way they don’t come away from the Gym feeling more exhausted, deflated and overwhelmed.
How is Fitness and Weight Loss Effected Day 22 — Day 28?
Stick at Maintenance or Momentum Calories for this final week, in order to keep your energy higher and to allow you to not have the extra stress of trying to stay in a Calorie Deficit.
As PMS kicks in, this can come with a multitude of different side effects: Depression, Anxiety, Physical Pain. Studies have shown that PMS can cause Dysphoric Disorder and its very important that you look after yourself if you experience this. Ways of managing this would be to increase calories to maintenance, to exercise in a way that brings you enjoyment, and not displeasure, and to talk to your trainer, or others about how you are feeling. Honesty is always the best policy.
You can continue to Strength Train…but lower your expectations, especially as you move further into this stage, as it will get harder, and you may feel weaker. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking this phase as a time to iron out your technique with lighter loads or to take a De-Load Week altogether.
Let’s Conclude
If you have read this diligently, I am basically splitting your Nutrition and your Training up into two very deliberate phases:
PHASE 1 — Day 1 to Day 14
Calorie Deficit, Solid Strength Training with a build into Day 14 for your strongest moments and highest energy in the Gym.
PHASE 2— Day 15 to Day 28
Maintenance/Momentum Calories, and move toward more quality movement, rather than quantity of load or Reps. Expect to feel more tired, so adjust your expectations to meet that.
Now I’m sure you’re thinking…
“Am I reading this correctly? I only have to be in a Calorie Deficit for two weeks…is that enough will I lose enough weight?”
I want to be talking to a person who is in this for the long run…if you want to lose 2 stone in 6 weeks, this plan is not going to work for you. But if you want to learn how to make Fat Loss, Calorie Adherence and Fitness sustainable and achievable then yes.
Yes I am saying you need to Calorie Deficit for two weeks. Maintain for two weeks.
I would much prefer you find adherence for four weeks, over the course of your cycle in this manner, rather than two weeks of a Calorie Deficit, and two weeks of going full-on “Shit Head”(thanks Mike Vacanti). By this, I mean eating way more than you Maintenance Calories and undoing two great weeks of your Calorie Deficit.
The choice is yours:
4 Weeks of Total Adherence?
or
4 Weeks of Yoyo-ing over and over again, and never making progress?
There will be aspects of this article that don’t apply to you right now…but may in the future. There may be parts of this article that mean nothing to you, but they might a friend. There is no one case that is the same. But its here, as a gift from me to you, to help you understand why and what is going on when things sometimes just feel impossible.
If you have any questions…please put them below or reach out to me by becoming my friend.
Did you find this useful?
I have plenty more articles about weight loss for females throughout this website.
Here is a selection I think would make great further reading for you:
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References:
Aaptiv. (2020). Here’s How Your Period May Affect Your Workouts — Aaptiv. [online] Available at: https://aaptiv.com/magazine/exercise-affects-periods [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
Smith, J. (2020). #6 Fat Loss For Females. [podcast] The James Smith Podcast. Available at: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/6-fat-loss-for-females/id1444720680?i=1000428908837 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
Healthdirect.gov.au. 2020. Oestrogen. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/oestrogen> [Accessed 10 March 2020].
HealthyWomen. 2020. Progesterone | Healthywomen. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthywomen.org/condition/progesterone> [Accessed 10 March 2020].
Indusekhar R, e., 2020. Psychological Aspects Of Premenstrual Syndrome. — Pubmed — NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17175199> [Accessed 14 March 2020].