Most beginners don’t know how to work out to lose weight fast. They don’t know what to do enjoy maximum weight loss benefits. This is why it is important for beginners to know what to do to lose weight without leaving their bodies sore from exercising too much.
I faced the same challenge three years ago when I decided to take back my body from unnecessary weight. I weighed over a 110kg when I went back to the gym in February 2018. I was feeling so heavy and ashamed for letting myself get that big. I even stopped taking pictures because I hated the way I looked.
But getting up every morning to go the gym to work out was one of the challenges I had to scale back then. The second challenge was knowing the exercises to do so that I could lose weight faster.
As a beginner, it was hard not being able to do jumping jacks, burpees, lunges and jogging. I felt like a failure. So, I understand what a beginner might face when he or she decides to start exercising to lose weight.
What should a beginner do at the gym to lose weight? A beginner should do body weight exercises like walking, jumping jacks, knee raises, skipping, running the stairs and using the cycling machine to burn some calories.
The most important thing is to get moving first. Once you are determined to lose weight, things will begin to fall into place.
As a beginner you will lose weight effectively if you create a weekly workout plan to lose weight. You must plan to succeed so you don’t get discouraged along the way and quit.
When you create a weight loss workout plan, you won’t suffer from last-minute guesswork when it’s time to exercise. You should also know that when your workouts are planned in advance, it’s more likely that you will complete them and reach your goal weight on time.
I know you might be asking how long do you have to work out before you start losing weight? Well, that depends on your body, the intensity of your exercises, how healthy your foods are and how much sleep you get every night.
Beginners should know that exercising alone doesn’t result in weight loss. There are other factors they must pay attention to for overall weight loss and healthy life.
Let me share the simple routine that has worked for me and made me lose over 20kg of my body weight. If I can do it, you can do it too.
It feels so good looking at my old pictures and seeing the difference. I also love when family and friends compliment my new body. It makes me feel like a million dollars.
Below is the weight loss workout plan for beginners that worked for me:
I use a gym close to me and there are specific body areas that are targeted every day as part of the daily workout programme.
Monday
1. 30 minutes cardio which includes walking, jogging, running, skipping, cycling, jumping jacks, burpees, knee raises etc.
2. Upper body exercises with weights and they include chest presses, bicep curl, triceps dip, overhead dips, dead lifts, lateral raises, push ups, and lateral pull downs.
3. Abs exercises. Planks, sit ups, and belly crunches.
4. Post workout stretches. This is very important to minimize the soreness of your muscles.
Tuesday
1. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
2. Lower body exercises with weights. Squats, Lunges, donkey kicks, sumo squats, wall sit, butt bridges, mountain climbers, bear crawl, squats with weights and glute kick backs.
3. Abs exercises.
4. Post workout stretches.
Wednesday
1. 40 minutes dance aerobics. This is a low impact workout session where you work on both your upper and lower body with different movements. I love dance aerobics because it relaxes me. I look forward to it because I love music and the rhythm of the different moves.
2. 15 minutes abs exercises.
3. Post workout stretches to relax the muscles.
Thursday
1. 30 minutes cardio exercises.
2. Arms, shoulders and back exercises. The focus is on the upper body.
3. Abs exercises.
4. Post workout stretches.
Friday
1. 30 minutes cardio exercises.
2. Lower body exercises. The focus on the legs, thighs, glutes, and butt.
3. Abs exercises.
4. Post workout stretches.
Saturday
1. Dance aerobics with steps.
2. Abs exercises.
3. Post workout stretches.
Sunday
Rest day. You have to give your body a break. You don’t have to exercise seven days a week to lose weight.
You have to listen to your body as you hit the gym to lose weight. If you are tired and can’t work out on a particular day which is not Sunday, please rest and relax your muscles. I had an intense session at the gym yesterday and rested today.
Take Away
Beginners don’t have to punish themselves in the gym in order to lose weight fast. Working out 30 minutes a day is enough to lose weight if you eat low calorie foods and drink lots of water. You don’t have to starve yourself though. Just eat when you are hungry and if you are not hungry, don’t eat. It’s that simple.
Exercise can be an effective tool for weight loss and prevention of weight gain. Beginners who want to lose weight should aim to be physically active for 60+ minutes per day to notice significant changes. This is how long you have to work out before you start losing weight as a beginner.
A beginner can start losing weight by doing the following:
1. Exercising for one hour four to five times a week.
2. Eating high protein breakfast with lots of vegetables.
3. Avoiding sugary drinks and beverages.
4. Drinking water 30 minutes before meals.
5. By doing strength training and lifting weights three times a week.
6. Eating healthy fats such as butter, olive oil, ghee, avocado oil and coconut oil.
7. By drinking tea and coffee without sugar or milk.
8. By eating whole foods and foods rich in soluble fiber.
9. By eating slowly and avoiding distractions when eating.
10. By avoiding stress and sleeping well.
