Exercise provides many possibilities. It can control your weight, minimize the risk of heart disease, help the body manage insulin levels, improve mental health, and more. But doing challenging exercises can lead to accidents and even severe injuries, which you do not want to experience. Strength training, for example, is intense. But that does not mean it is not ideal for beginners. While it is tempting to try challenging resistance training exercises, do not be ashamed to start with simple routines for your safety and comfort. Once you have mastered the basics, you can then move on to more challenging exercises, like calisthenics. Here’s a blog post on calisthenics so you can learn more about that in your own time, but in the meantime, here are some beginner’s exercises you can master.
Squat
Who does not know how to squat? Everyone knows that. Although commonly referred to as a classic exercise, a squat remains in many people’s routines. It’s no wonder as it helps us master hip movements. While it appears a simple exercise, it is a full-body routine. That means the quads, core, glutes, and other parts of the body are used when squatting. If you have never tried this exercise, the basic squat is a perfect choice for you. Once mastered, try different variations of squats. Popular options include the wall squat, prisoner squat, side squat, pistol squat, single-leg squat, plie squat, side-kick squat, and more.
Romanian Deadlift
Another vital strength exercise you should explore and learn is a deadlift. Like the other exercises, a deadlift comes in different types, including the traditional deadlift, Romanian deadlift, and stiff-legged deadlift. The conventional deadlift is the most complicated among the three because you need to use a bulky barbell, which is not suitable for starters. Ultimately deadlifts help you to build your core strength, improve coordination, and stabilize your trunk. Put simply, a Romanian deadlift should be on top of your workout list. In particular, it trains our hip-hinge movement, targets hamstrings, works the core, and exercises the glutes. Usually, it is done with weights, but some experts say you can do this exercise without them.
Wood-chop
It is probably your first time hearing about the wood-chop. But many athletes and health enthusiasts have been performing this exercise for years now. What is it? How does it work? A wood-chop is a workout that uses a dumbbell, medicine ball, or a cable rack to stimulate a perfect woodchopping action. It imitates activities in most sports like swinging a bat and twisting the torso. Apart from targeting the obliques and abdominals, it also works glutes, shoulders, and back muscles. For a more specific or step-by-step tutorial, do not hesitate to browse video platforms today.
Glute Bridge
Another strength training exercise that I love is the glute bridge. What I enjoy about this routine is that it helps mobilize our hip joints and strengthen our glutes. Although many people perform this as a warm-up exercise, I include the glute bridge in one of my resistance workouts when getting myself ready for harder hip dominant moves. To do a glute bridge, all you have to do is lie on your back while your knees are bent, and your feet are flat on your mat. Next, squeeze your abs and glutes. Just push through your heels to lift your hips without any trouble. That’s it! There are no complex rules or procedures to follow.
Reverse Lunge
Are you searching for another resistance training exercise that will strengthen, tone, and sculpt your body? There is no need to look further than lunges. When done perfectly, lunges can promote weight loss, balance, stability, symmetry, and alignment. If you have tried stationary lunges, side lunges, walking lunges, twist lunges, or curtsy lunges, you cannot afford to miss the reverse lunge. Experts say this type of lunge activates our core, hamstrings, and glutes. While giving your front leg more stability, it puts less stress on your joints. Whether you have less hip mobility or some knee concerns, a reverse lunge is highly recommended.
Push-up
The push-up is a resistance training exercise you cannot afford to ignore that trains your push and press movement. Although it is commonly called a simple bodyweight move, a push-up is not as easy as you might imagine. Yes, it is hard and may discourage you as a beginner. But there is nothing to worry about as you can modify this exercise. You can try incline push-ups, decline push-ups, one-armed incline push-ups, spider-man push-ups, and eccentric push-ups. Do not forget to ask a fitness trainer for some help if you need additional support either. There is no harm in seeking professional guidance for your workouts.