5 Best Beginner Gym Workouts for Women

Finding a beginner gym workout that's reliable and not too challenging can be quite a demanding task. If you're new to the gym, it can be intimidating to walk into a room full of equipment and exercise machines.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the options, which is why you should do a few easy exercises that can give you an excellent beginner gym workout.

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Best Beginner Gym Workouts for Women

Here's a look at five such beginner gym workouts for women:

#1 Lat Pulldown

Lat pulldowns are a great way to engage and tone the back muscles. Most gyms have one of these machines, so you can do them at home if you don't have access to a gym.

To perform a lat pulldown:

• Sit down on the machine, facing away from the weight stack, and place both feet firmly on the platform in front of you. That will keep your body stable as it works through this exercise.
• Grab hold of both handles with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you), and let out a slow breath as you begin pulling them down towards your chest till they touch.
• Slowly return back up again till your arms are fully extended in front of you while keeping tension on lats throughout the entire range of motion.
• Perform the desired number of reps before repeating for additional sets/reps after some rest.
• Keep elbows close to the sides during movement to prevent injury when trying hard not only to lift but also to maintain good form throughout the set.

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#2 Squat

The squat is another great beginner gym workout for the legs. It works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glute muscles. As always with these kinds of moves, make sure you have a proper form, and don't worry about using weights at first.

Here's how it's done:

• You'll want to start in a standing position with your feet about hip-width apart and toes pointing slightly outward.
• Keep your knees straight (but not locked) as you bend at the hips — we're talking about a 90-degree angle here — till your thighs are parallel with the floor. Slowly return back up.

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#3 Arm Curl

Arm curls are a great beginner gym workout, as they don't require much equipment, can be done quickly, and are easy to learn.

They're done as follows:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
• Hold the dumbbells by your sides, palms up.
• Curl the weights toward your shoulders as far as possible without straining or locking out your elbows. Lower them with control till you feel a slight stretch in the biceps (the muscle on top of your arm).
• Complete all reps before switching arms; use lighter weights if it's too difficult to complete all repetitions in one set using heavier weights.
• Total sets should be six to eight, depending on your fitness level and goals.
• Try doing two sets twice daily after completing another cardio workout, such as walking or cycling.

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#4 Plank

Planks are a great way to build strength in your core. This exercise can be done with your hands on the ground, or on a bench.

The plank is one of the best beginner gym workouts for women, as it helps with overall core strength and posture by strengthening the muscles that surround your spine and pelvis.

It's done as follows:

• Get into a push-up position, and rest on your arms.
• Raise your body till it's parallel to the floor.
• Hold the pose for as long as you can.

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#5 Lunge

Lunges are a great beginner gym workout to target the glutes and thighs. You can use a barbell, dumbbells, or just bodyweight lunges to get the same benefits. One-legged lunges help strengthen the quadriceps on the front leg while also challenging the core muscles.

If you want to add more of an upper body challenge—which is always a good idea—try holding a weighted object in one hand as you take each step forward with that same foot (or if you're feeling extra strong, do both arms).

You can hold onto a dumbbell or kettlebell for this purpose; that will give you even more stability as well as extra resistance for those glutes.

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Takeaway

The aforementioned exercises are perfect for a beginner gym workout. All of them can be done in a small space and require little equipment other than a pair of dumbbells or resistance bands.

If you’re just starting out with your fitness journey and don’t have access to weights at home, don’t let it stop you from working out. Just try these beginner gym workouts with bodyweight as resistance instead.