Easy Workout Plan For Beginners: Tips To Help You Curate The Best Plan For Your Goals

Starting a fitness journey can feel like jumping into a maze of too much information, confusing routines, and unrealistic expectations. But it doesn’t have to be. 

The secret to a successful fitness journey for any newbie lies in building an easy workout plan that fits your lifestyle.

Whether you are juggling work, school, parenthood, or simply trying to build consistency after a long break, your routine should be doable and enjoyable. In this article, we’ll break down how you can design a workout plan that best suits you, help you determine the best schedules for you, and more.

What Is An Easy And Motivating Workout Plan For Beginners?

An easy, motivating workout plan for beginners is a simple, low-pressure routine designed to help anyone new to fitness build consistency without feeling overwhelmed.

Such a routine should be approachable, flexible, and fit the beginner’s current fitness level. It should also offer variety and include small, measurable wins that help keep the exerciser engaged and track progress in encouraging ways.

These aspects help the plan feel both doable and inspiring, increasing the likelihood of long-term commitment to fitness.

How Should A Beginner Start Working Out?

Here are a few things to consider before you start workout routines for beginners at home or the gym.

Why Are You Exercising?

Yes, you know you want to start exercising, but why are you doing it? What is the specific end goal for all of this? Identifying your ‘why’ helps keep you grounded and motivated. That particular goal–be it fitting into a specific pair of pants or a dress, building endurance so you can climb stairs better, or improving your mental health–will keep you motivated on days when you feel unmotivated to head out for your workout.

Go For A Health Check-Up

A physical examination is essential for anyone starting a fitness routine. 

While most people often overlook this step, it is essential as it lets you know what your body can or cannot handle.

Exercise is strenuous, and if you have an underlying issue you don’t know about, you could risk your health or even your life. To prevent this, please get a checkup to detect if you have any health problems or conditions that could be aggravated by intense physical activity.

BetterMe: Health Coaching app helps you achieve your body goals with ease and efficiency by helping to choose proper meal plans and effective workouts. Start using our app and you will see good results in a short time.

Set Realistic and Achievable Goals

You know your why, and your health check-up lets you know what your body can and cannot handle. With this information in hand, you can now proceed to set up your fitness goals.

For example:

• If the goal is to lose weight, research shows that the most effective approach is a combination of diet and exercise (1).

A realistic plan with achievable goals would include:

• Both cardio and strength training exercises help with fat loss and lean muscle gain
• A calorie-deficient diet to help with energy burning–Research shows that an energy deficit is the most critical factor in weight loss. Reduce your daily average calorie intake by 500–750 calories (2).
• A realistic date of when you should reach your goal–The CDC states that gradual, steady, and sustainable weight loss means losing 1-2 pounds a week (3). Thus, if the plan is to lose 20 pounds, a realistic and achievable time frame for success would be 10–20 weeks.
• Setting a shorter time frame could lead to frustration if results are not achieved, while a longer timeframe could lead to procrastination.

Assess Your Current Fitness Level

Be brutally honest with yourself about how fit you are. 

This honesty allows you to create a plan that works with you, rather than against you. 

For example:

• If you are a true newbie, i.e., you’ve never exercised before, you should not pick exercises or routines that are for an intermediate level, regardless of how much you wish to push yourself. Doing this could lead to fatigue and injury.
• If you had been exercising consistently before but fell off due to a busier schedule or health issues, your body already has some experience with exercise, so that an actual beginner routine may be too easy for you. However, you may not be able to start at the level you were previously at since you’ve likely lost the stamina and strength you had built before. Here, you should create a routine that’s at the level of a true beginner and work your way back up to the level you were previously at.

Gym or At-Home Workouts?

Some people prefer gym workouts, and others are more comfortable with at-home exercises. In contrast, others have no preference and will exercise anywhere as long as space and time are available.

Determine which of these options best suits you, your preferences, and your budget. 

This decision helps you align with a routine that works best for you. E.g., if you pick gym workouts, you will need to scout for gyms around your home or place of work, compare prices and facilities, etc., to see what works best for you.

If the gym is your preferred option and you are looking for male-specific workouts, here is a good gym workout plan for beginners male.

If at-home workouts are your preferred option, then you need to create a dedicated space that will work as your at-home gym, decide whether or not to purchase at-home weights (or use only bodyweight exercises, or get resistance bands), and choose the best time for exercise depending on factors like family, work, etc.

Find A Schedule That You Can Stick To

In fitness, consistency matters above all else–which is why it’s imperative to find a routine that you can handle. Find a schedule that’s manageable with your current fitness level and lifestyle demands.

Once all these things are in place, you can create a workout routine that works best for you.

Read more: The Perfect Daily Workout Routine For Women Who Hate Long Gym Sessions

What Is A Good Workout Schedule For A Beginner?

The CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, with 2 of these days including muscle-strengthening activity (4).

This 150-minute recommendation usually equates to 30 minutes of exercise per day, 5 days a week, and is a good schedule for beginners to start with.

However, some people, for various reasons, might find such a schedule difficult. If you fall into this category, you can instead start with a 30-minute-a-day, 2- or 3-day workout schedule.

For beginners, a 2-3 days per week workout schedule allows you to:

1. Rest more, giving your body enough time to recover and repair before the next workout.
2. Slowly adjust to working out after leading a sedentary lifestyle for a long time.
3. Be flexible with when you exercise. Unlike a 5-day-a-week schedule, where there’s pressure to exercise Monday-Friday, a 2 or 3-day-a-week schedule gives you more flexibility on when to exercise.

Looking for an easy workout plan for beginners no equipment? Check out this article for a beginner-friendly routine.

Can I Work Out Every Day As A Beginner?

No, you cannot. In fact, no one, be it a beginner, intermediate, or experienced/advanced exerciser, should work out every day. Doing so could lead to overtraining, a condition characterized by excessive physical activity without adequate rest/recovery (5, 6, 7, 8).

While this condition is most common among elite athletes and military personnel, it can occur in anyone with a long-term imbalance between training and recovery. 

Some common symptoms associated with this condition include:

• Stagnant or worsening exercise performance,
• Undesirable mood/behavioral changes,
• A greater risk of injury
• Lowered immune function, thus a higher risk of illness
• Physiological issues like depression, anxiety, and increased stress
• Sleep problems, etc.

Here is an easy workout plan for beginners female to help you improve your fitness and health.

How To Create A Workout Plan For Beginners

To create an easy workout plan for beginners that works best for you, you should:

• Start With Your Goals

Your plan should be shaped around your primary target. Whether it is increased muscle growth, improved flexibility, completing a 5K, or weight loss. Know your goal, then curate exercises that help you reach it.

• Know Your Schedule

As explained above, beginners can start with as few as 2 or 3 exercise days a week. 

Take a look at your weekly schedule and add your exercise routines to days that aren’t too packed. Doing so allows working out to easily fit into your life, making it easy to maintain.

• Choose Exercises That You Love

Fitness trends can confuse you, especially in the beginning stages of your fitness journey. Instead of going with the flow and trying every new workout that trends, sit with yourself and ask yourself what you honestly think you will enjoy.

E.g., 

• Both Pilates and yoga are low-impact workouts that can help increase your daily physical activity and improve flexibility. Pilates is trending, but you might not be feeling drawn to it. Instead of going with the crowd, stick to yoga.
• Swimming and running are both cardio workouts that can improve cardiovascular health and endurance. Running is a straightforward sport to get into, but you may not like running. Rather than force yourself to run because everyone does, opt for swimming or walking as your cardio of choice.
• Bodyweight workouts and gym weightlifting can help with increased muscle growth and strength. Gym weightlifting is the more traditional way to do this, but you may feel inclined to try calisthenics more often. Do not opt for gym weights if you genuinely feel like calisthenics excites you more.

Remember, your choice of workout should excite you and fit your lifestyle and preferences. Liking what you do increases your chances of consistency, thus making it easier for you to see results eventually.

• Decide The Length Of The Workout Session

30 minutes is the usual minimum time limit for beginner workout sessions (9). However, your schedule may not allow it. If this is the case, a 10 or even 20-minute session is better than nothing. Just ensure that you include both a warm-up and a cool-down session in the exercise routine.

1. If you have more time, do not attempt long exercise sessions at the beginning.

Start with the afore-mentioned 30-minute routine, and over time, you can gradually increase to 45 or even 60-minute sessions.

Remember, a good workout session should always start with a warm-up before the main workout and end with a cool-down.

• Allow For Slow But Consistent Progression

Whether it’s a workout plan for beginner females or males, a good routine should always aim for progress. 

Gradually: 

• increasing the number of minutes spent exercising,
• repetitions done per set,
• amount of weight used, or even
• more intense exercise variations, etc.,

helps you get stronger and prevents weight-loss or muscle-gain plateaus.

• Assessment & Adjustment

Remember that you are always allowed to reassess and adjust your routine. What you think you like or prefer in the beginning can change. If it does, do not force yourself to stick to the initial plan. Take a step back, take the lessons you’ve learned along the way, and adjust your schedule/plan to fit you better.

• Schedule Your Rest

As previously mentioned, exercise without equal rest will lead to overtraining. Allow yourself at least 48 full hours of rest per week to prevent this.

Read more: 30-Minute Fat Loss Workout Plan for Beginners

What Is An Example Of An Easy Workout Plan For Beginners?

Here is a simple 2-day routine for beginners looking to get more active and tone their bodies:

Day 1: Strength Training Routine

Warm-Up

• 1 minute of jogging
• 30 seconds arm and ankle circles (per arm/ankle)
• 30 seconds hip circles

Main Workout

• Bodyweight squats: 2 sets of 10 reps
• Wall push-ups: 2 sets of 8 reps
• Standing shoulder press (use resistance bands, water bottles, or light dumbbells): 2 sets of 10 reps
• Calf raises: 2 sets of 12 reps.
• Dead bug: 2 sets of 8 reps per  side

Cool Down

• Static hamstring, chest, and shoulder stretches

Day 2: Cardio & Strength Training

Warm-Up

• Jump rope or jog in place for 1 minute
• Leg swings: 30 seconds per leg
• Side lunges: 10 per side
• Torso twists: 30 seconds.

Main Workout

• Deadlift (with resistance bands, water bottles, or light dumbbells): 2 sets of 10 reps
• Reverse Lunges: 2 sets of 12 reps per side
• Wall sit: 1 minute
• Bicep curls (with resistance bands, water bottles, or light dumbbells): 2 sets of 10 reps per arm
• Elbow plank: 30 seconds

Cool Down

• Cat-cow pose
• Static arm, quad, and hamstring stretches
• Child’s pose

Can I Build Muscle By Just Using A Workout Plan?

Yes, you can build muscle with a well-curated workout plan. The plan in question should include strength training exercises–be it with free weights, bodyweight, or gym machinery–which help with this goal.

Apart from exercises, you should also ensure that you are consuming enough protein, up to 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day, and getting enough rest to allow your muscles to rest, repair, and grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many rest days for a beginner?

It is advisable to have at least 2 rest days per week.

• Is it better to start with cardio or weights?

It depends on the goal for the day. Cardio first works best on days where cardio exercises are the main point of the workout, and vice versa. 

The point to note is that you generally have more power at the start of your workout since you are not tired. So start with whichever option you need to pay the most attention to.

• Does walking count as cardio?

Yes, walking is a cardio exercise.

• How many exercises should I do per workout?

There isn’t a specific ideal number of exercises per workout. However, most people usually do around 3 to 6 exercises per workout session. For example: 3 upper-body exercises and 3 lower-body ones.

The Bottom Line

An easy workout plan for beginners helps an individual stick with and be consistent with their fitness journey. If you plan to create such a plan for yourself, ensure it fits not only your weekly schedule but also your overall goals and exercise preferences. 

Remember also to stay hydrated and eat healthy foods within your recommended calorie intake to help you achieve your goals faster.