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Are you just starting out in the gym and verwhelmed by the sheer number of machines? In that case, you have nothing to worry about, as you don't need all of them to exercise.
If you're just starting your fitness journey and want to get the ball rolling, you don't need fancy machines or heavy-weight stations. What you need is a solid foundation of knowledge prior to setting foot in the gym.
Some basic exercises can build the foundation of fitness while helping you get stronger, put on some muscle and burn fat. Here are seven great exercises that can help you do so:
Easy Exercises For Beginners
1) Deadlift: The deadlift is a brilliant exercise if you're new to the gym and can be included in virtually any training programme.
Deadlifting is a skill that grows with you, and there are several advanced ways to do it as well. It offers full-body engagement and keeps all your important muscles active.
It strengthens your lower back and uses the core to keep your spine intact. It also employs your glutes and hamstrings for the pulling motion. Deadlifts are also great for joint health, as it promotes movement, balance and flexibility in your joints and muscles.
2) Squat: Squats are another great exercise with tremendous potential, and you can keep adding weight to your squat as you get stronger. If you've never trained your legs before, it is advisable to first nail the form by squatting without any weight before slowly building up to a decent amount.
You can perform squats with just your body weight or even dumbbells and barbells. Plain squats are great by themselves, and there's a slow and steady path carved out right at the beginning for you, allowing for linear progression as a lifter.
3) Push-Ups: Push-Ups are a phenomenal exercise for all-round functionality. This exercise may seem difficult to perform on first entering the gym, but there's nothing that comes close to push-ups, especially if you're new to the gym.
If you find it difficult to perform a push-up, don't panic, as there are several remedies for that. First, you can start by doing a half push-up, requiring you to just go down, break the tension by resting and try to push yourself back up.
You can also try assisted push-ups, which call for your knees to be slightly bent, allowing you to 'dip' towards the ground rather than going down slowly. However, if push-ups become too easy for you, there are several ways in which you can spice things up.
Try diamond push-ups or clap push-ups. If you're feeling extra adventurous, try a one-handed push-up. If you don't fancy any of those options, simply use push-ups as a warm-up before your chest day workout.
4) Shoulder Press: The shoulder press is the best exercise for building mass and strength in your shoulders, and the best part is that it's extremely easy to perform. All you need is a bar, empty or loaded, depending on your strength level.
You can also perform a shoulder press with dumbbells. What you use to perform this exercise doesn't matter as much as your form, as both barbells and dumbbells are great for different reasons.
5) Planks: Do you want a perfect six-pack? Trying to fire up your core? There's no exercise on this list that can do a better job than planks, if that's what you're looking for.
Love it or hate it, the plank is the ultimate way to fire up your core and build perfect abs. Planks can be done at the end of your lifting session or full-body workout or on a designated core day. Whenever you decide to do them, you'll be met with a burning torso and a tight strong core.
6) Jumping Rope: While the aforementioned exercises focus on building strength and muscle, this one's a cardio-intensive exercise. Jumping rope is arguably the best exercise when it comes to burning calories.
It's a type of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) that requires you to work out in short bursts of explosive pace, increasing your heart rate, resulting in burnt calories. As a beginner, balance is key, so try to squeeze in some cardio with your strength training workouts.
7) Crunches: Another great ab exercise, crunches can fire up your core and are generally more enjoyable and easier to perform than planks. That makes them a better option if you have a weak core, something that's not uncommon among gym rookies. You can try paused crunches, where you pause mid-crunch, just to add some extra burn to your abs.
Takeaway
As a beginner, time tends to work against you, especially if you walk into the gym and have no idea what to do. Figure out the type of physique you want; chalk out a routine, and find the right kind of exercises that can help you attain your dream body.
Be frugal with your time, and find the sweet spot between strength training and cardio, meaning you must do just enough of both for optimal performance and growth.
