Beginner’s Fitness Guide Part 1: Which exercises should you start with?

Welcome to this new 5-part guide on how to get started with your health & fitness journey. Working with experienced coaches from Pinnacle Performance, each week you will discover a new post filled with helpful fitness tips and insights.

Ready to start? Let’s look at which exercises you should include in your new fitness routine.

Part 1 by Paul Magnus

Top 5 exercises for beginners:

1.Split squat

This is a squat using a staggered stance, and it targets the quads and glutes, with secondary emphasis on the hamstrings. This exercise is great because it allows you to master a simpler movement than the two legged squat. Split squats train the muscles of the legs, hips, and core to overcome muscle imbalances and help to promote flexibility and deep range of motion, as well as ensuring knee stability which will help reduce the chance of injuries. Novices should start with the front foot elevated on a stepper.

2.Leg curl (varied positions)

Strong hamstrings work to stabilize your knee and hips and help to keep your spine properly aligned. When doing hamstring exercises try varied foot positions, such as turning them inward or outward. Each foot position creates a different line of pull on the hamstrings.

3.Bench press

The bench press is an excellent exercise for the chest, shoulders and arms. It allows you to train pressing strength and power and is a key lift for achieving upper body balance.

4.Overhead press

This exercise is great for building the shoulders and traps, and can improve your overall shoulder health. It will also help you with doing other upper body multi joint exercises.

5.Seated cable row

The seated row is an excellent exercise for strengthening the back muscles and improving posture. Also, using a rope extension reduces the stress placed on the forearms and wrists.

And finally… some more tips:

• Be patient and consistent. Results take time.
• Shorter, more frequent workouts are ideal for beginners so limit workouts to less than 45‐60 minutes.
• Pick a training mode that suits your goal.
• Stick to the basics, don’t get sidetracked by more advanced training tools.
• Learn proper training technique.
• Always have a plan when you walk into the gym