Introductory fitness exercises for beginners

Squats, wall/kneeling push-ups, bent-over dumbbell (or weight) rows, standard planks, supine glute bridges. You don’t need to take private lessons worth tens of thousands of dollars, or buy fancy fitness equipment. Just do it for 40 minutes three days a week. If you stick to it for a month, you can feel your strength increase and your body stretch. It’s much more effective than practicing blindly for half a year.

When I first applied for my first fitness card, I stood in the equipment area and was completely stunned. I touched the curling bar twice, and learned to ride a spinning bike like others. After two weeks of training, not only did I see no effect, my arms hurt for three days and I couldn't lift them up.

Oh, by the way, there has been a lot of quarrel in the fitness circle about whether newbies should practice freehands or fixed equipment first. One school of thought says that fixed equipment has a fixed trajectory and has a high error tolerance and is less likely to be injured. ； The other group says that the threshold for freehand movements is low and can be practiced anytime and anywhere, making it easier to develop a habit. I have taught seven or eight novice friends to get started. To be honest, both methods are fine. If you don’t want to go to the gym, practicing freehand training at home is enough. If you have a card and want to try equipment, just ask the tour instructor to teach you how to adjust the parameters of the fixed equipment. Don’t worry about who to listen to, just choose the one you can stick to.

Let’s just squat with bare hands. Don’t believe what is said on the Internet, “Knees must not go past the toes.” Everyone’s leg length ratio is different. If you stick to this standard, you will sit back with your center of gravity. Just remember to keep your back straight, open your knees toward the toes, and don’t buckle them in. Squat until your thighs are slightly below the horizontal plane. I had a friend who had a habit of turning his knees in when he first started practicing. After practicing for three days, he complained of pain in his knees. I asked him to turn his toes 15 degrees outward when standing, and deliberately push his knees to both sides when squatting. It was relieved in two days.

For newbies to push-ups, don’t just do 10 standard push-ups with your waist slumped and your butt stuck out. It’s not as effective as pushing 30 standard push-ups against the wall. Some bloggers also said that novices can just start with kneeling push-ups. As long as the core is tightened and the waist is not slumped, you can try it yourself and choose whichever one can make you feel the strength of the pectoralis major muscles. You don’t have to follow other people’s progress. If your arms are sore but your chest doesn't feel the same the next day after training, it means you used the wrong force. Next time you press, deliberately lower your shoulders and don't use all your strength on your arms.

Don’t miss out on the movements of your back. After all, we all sit for a long time now, and there are many people with rounded shoulders and hunched backs. Bent over and rowing can just exercise the muscles of the middle and back. If I don’t have dumbbells, I just carry two 5-liter buckets filled with water. I did this when I first rented a house and didn’t buy any equipment. It’s very easy to use. When leaning over, don't arch your back, bend your elbows and pull the weight toward your waist. When you pull, feel the two shoulder blades on your back squeezing into the middle, as if there is a coin stuck in the middle that can't fall out. Pull it to the highest point, pause for 1 second, and then slowly release it. The effect will be doubled.

I have encountered the most pitfalls in plank support. At first, in order to compete with my roommates who could hold it longer, I held it with my waist slumped for 2 and a half minutes. As a result, my back hurt so much that I couldn't straighten up the next day. Later I found out that the standard hold for beginners is 30 seconds. The core is tightened throughout the whole process, and the waist does not collapse or the buttocks are not raised. It is much more effective than holding it for 5 minutes with deformed movements. Of course, if your core strength is already good, it's no problem if you can hold it for more than 1 minute. Don't listen to others saying that "if you can't hold it for 2 minutes, your training is in vain." This is pure nonsense.

Don’t think that the glute bridge is only for girls to improve their buttocks. For boys, if your waist is uncomfortable after sitting for a long time, practicing this will be more effective than any amount of plaster you put on it. Lie flat on the mat, bend your knees and put your feet on the ground. When exerting force, push your hips up until your shoulders, hips, and knees form a straight line. When you reach the top, squeeze your buttocks, pause for 1 second, and slowly lower them. I went for rehabilitation for my lumbar prolapse in the early stages. The first rehabilitation exercise the doctor gave me was the glute bridge. I practiced 3 groups of 15 exercises every day. After two weeks, my waist became less sore.

Oh, by the way, novices don’t need to pursue exhaustion when practicing. They can do 3 sets of each movement, 12-15 times each, and rest for about 1 minute between sets. It is normal for the muscles to feel slight soreness the next day after training. If it hurts so much that you can’t move, you have practiced too much. Reduce the amount next time. There is no need to compete with the big guys in the gym. They have been practicing for five or six years. If you compete with others when you just started, it is purely to make yourself unhappy.

To be honest, there are really not many ways to get started with fitness, and there is no need to stock up on a bunch of fitness clothes, supplements, etc. First, wear a comfortable T-shirt and sneakers, practice these movements clearly, and if you can persist for a month, you will know where to go next. After all, no matter how good your movements are, it’s all useless if you don’t practice them, right?