Beginner Workout

In thinking through limitations with upper body movements, I went back to basics and have pulled up the beginner workout that I've used with folks over the years and those with lack of shoulder range of motion. If you have shoulder issues, recovering from chest injury/surgery, or a beginner to workouts, this workout will help get you going. Take it slow and make each movement purposeful. Start where you are and progress as you can. At the bottom is the workout previously posted for those with knee issues needing alternatives to squats/lunges (knee engaged movements).

Warm Up & Cool Down for All Levels:

Warm Up *

• Arm Circles 5 each direction
• Arm Crosses 10 times
• Toe Touches 10 each leg
• Inchworm to Spiderman Crawls 5 each leg

*Proper Warm Up:  If you do stretching, even brief stretching, before high-intensity workouts it may actually inhibit the ability to achieve full intensity during your workout. This is attributed to the fact that stretching improves muscle elasticity (decreasing tissue viscosity), which lowers the force-generating capacity of the contractile proteins of the muscle. Moreover, the practice of stretching before performing any warm-up is not justified either and may potentially be harmful. The warm up may be subdivided into a more general cardiovascular warm-up followed by a more exercise or event specific dynamic warm-up based on unique muscular elements that are to be performed during the workout session. For these reasons is why you want to do Spiderman Crawls or Squats or Lunges or Jumping Jacks or a handful of exercise specific dynamic moves before workouts as opposed to static stretches…..Save the Static stretches for your cool downs and in between workout days. 

Cool Down Stretches **

• Standing Quad Stretch
• Standing Hamstring Stretches
• Arm Stretches (Shoulder Pull & Tricep Stretch)
• Shoulder Stretches (Eagle Arms & Table/Upward Plank)
• Forward Bends (Standing & Seated)

**Proper Cool Down:  The cool down post workout should be of approximately the same duration and intensity as the warm-up (i.e., five to 10 minutes of low to moderate intensity activity). As opposed to the warm up, the cool down is an excellent time for stretching of your worked muscles. The cool down is directed primarily toward preventing the tendency for blood to pool in the extremities, which may occur when exercise ends. An active cool down also helps remove metabolic waste from the muscles so that it can be metabolized by other tissues as well as reduce the potential for muscle soreness and stiffness.

 Beginner Workout w/Move Explanations:

  

• Chair or Bodyweight Squats 8-10 Reps
• Wall Press Ups 8-10 Reps
• Wall or Assisted Kneeling Push Ups 8-10 Reps
• Split Squats 6-8 Reps each side
• Bird Dogs 6-8 Reps alternating each side
• Forearm Plank Hold for 15-25 seconds

Complete Circuit 2-4 times through with 30-90 seconds rest between each circuit for best results.  Followed by intervals as explained below ***.

Chair or Bodyweight Squats:

Starting Position: Stand in front of a chair with your feet just greater than shoulder-width apart.

Action: With your abs braced and glutes squeezed, start the movement at the hip joint, push your hips backward, and "sit back into a chair."  Make your hips go back as far as possible and keep your knees in a straight line.  Squat to chair level, but don't sit down.  Push with your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps to return to start position.

Be Sure to: Keep your lower back tensed in a neutral position. Don’t let your lower back round.

You are working: Glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps

Body Benefit: Lower body strength

Wall Press Ups:

Starting Position: Stand with your back against a wall. Your feet should be 6 inches away from the wall and your butt, upper back, and head should all be in contact with the wall at all times in the exercise.

Action: Stick your hands up overhead. Try to keep your shoulders, elbows, and wrists in contact with the wall at all times. Slide your arms down the wall and tuck your elbows into your sides. This should bring your shoulder blades down and together. You should feel a strong contraction in the muscles between your shoulder blades as well as the shoulder muscles. From the bottom position, try to slowly slide your arms up until they are straight and in a “stick-em up” position.

Be sure to: Keep everything in contact with the wall. Try to improve your range of motion in this exercise each week.

You are working: Shoulders, upper body, back

Body Benefit: Shoulder mobility and postural control

Wall or Assisted Kneeling Push Ups:

Starting Position: Keep the abs braced and the body in a straight line from knees to shoulders. Place hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, thumbs coming to armpit. Knees stay on the floor (above kneecap). (If on the wall, then place hands on the wall slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and stand in a straight line far enough from the wall that your arms can push to full extension while keeping your feet flat on the floor.)

Action: Slowly lower yourself down until you are 2 inches off the ground (or wall). Push through your chest, shoulders and triceps to return to the start position.

Be sure to: Keep your body in a straight line at all times.

You are working: Chest, arms, core

Body Benefit: Upper body strength

Split Squats:

Starting Position: Stand with your feet “lunge” distance apart one foot offset in front of the other, both toes facing forward.

Action: Slowly lower yourself to the ground by bending your back knee. Right before you reach the floor, extend your BACK leg and squeeze your glutes.  Repeat for all of the repetitions on one side and then repeat with the other leg. 

Be sure to: Keep your back straight, shoulders back, and face forward with your body aligned, back leg is the working leg.

You are working: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes

Body Benefit: Lower body strength

Bird Dogs:

Starting Position: Kneel on a mat and place your hands on the mat under your shoulders, knees under hips. You should be on “all fours” like a dog.

Action: Raise your right hand and left leg simultaneously while keeping your abs braced. Point your right arm straight out from your shoulder and your left leg straight out from your hip. Your pelvis should not rotate (if someone placed a ball in the small of your back, it shouldn’t fall off.)

Be sure to: Keep your back flat like a table. Hold for 5 seconds then slowly lower without rotating your pelvis.  Repeat by alternating each side.

You are working: Abs, hamstrings, glutes, chest

Body Benefit: Core strength and balance

Forearm Plank Hold:

Starting Position: Lie on your stomach on a mat. Raise your body in a straight line and rest your bodyweight on your elbows and toes so that your body hovers over the mat.

Action: Keep your back straight and your hips up. Hold your abs tight but breathe normally.

Be sure to: Hold this position for the recommended amount of time

You are working: Core

Body benefit: Core strength and balance

***Intervals =  30 seconds of work & 30 seconds of active rest for 10 Complete Rounds.  Interval “Work” Moves can be Jumping Jacks, Jump Rope, Butt Kicks, Knee Highs (Running In Place).  Interval “Active Rest” Moves can be walking in place or Butt Kicks.  Active rest should allow your body to recover from the work phase without lowering your heart rate too much.  Most effective is to pick two work moves and alternate them each round. 

No Knees Workout

If your knees are an issue, you can still get a great leg workout in without using them. Strengthening (as well as stretching) your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves will help protect your knee, so don't forgo working out just because you can't do squats, lunges, and the like.


A Workout: Supersets = 2-4 Times Through

• Seated Quad Raises (in a chair w/left leg at 90 degree bend/foot firmly on floor..not working this leg...right leg bent at more 80 degree bend, toes toward ceiling, back straight, contract and draw right leg up and toward you (think knee to ceiling not chest)...if you're not feeling in quad but in crease of hip then readjust...use a weight by holding over quad (top of thigh muscles) with both hands) 10-12 Reps both legs
• Deadlifts (w/legs soft not bent and definitely not locked....this is for your butt, so if you're feeling it more in your back then it's wrong....ask me for help ;-) ) 10-12 Reps
• KB Swings (this is a hip hinge not a squat hinge mess that most make it....don't use your knees) 40-50 seconds

• Straddle Shoulder Presses (all of these "straddles" are on the floor with legs open to a v, toes up, knees soft not locked/not bent...takes the "cheat" out of the arm work) 8-10 Reps
• Straddle Curls 8-10 Reps
• Straddle Tricep Extensions 8-10 Reps

B Workout: Circuit = 2-4 Times Through

• Push Ups 6-10 Reps
• Forearm Plank Holds 20-40 seconds each side

• DB Bent Over Rows 8-12 Reps
• DB or KB Russian Twists 20-40 seconds

• Forearm Side Plank 20-40 seconds each side
• SB Passes 8-10 passes