20 days beginners’ workout
Coach Ngoni “Foreign Guy”
Fitness Correspondent
Working out at home has its benefits: It’s convenient, it’s time-efficient (compared with traveling to a gym or fitness studio), and it’s cost-effective.
No matter your fitness levels, exercise history, or at-home equipment set-up, home workouts can help you meet specific exercise goals (like improving strength or boosting cardiovascular fitness) and can improve and boost overall health.
As a certified personal trainer, training at Invitcus Fitness Centre, Westgate Shopping Centre, I would like to share my 20 day challenge for beginners to workout.
For the best results, it is highly recommended that people join the gym.
Working out 3 to 4 times a week for 20 to 40 minutes is more than enough to get you started.
These moves can help you build muscle and endurance as you get started.
Bridge
Knee push-up
Side-lying hip abduction
Wall squat
Straight leg donkey kick
Here is the 20-minute at-home workout for beginners in detail:
Bridge
The bridge will boost your glutes all over. It works your gluteus Maximus, medius, and minimus muscles. It’ll also help get your heart rate up before you move on to more challenging exercises.
How to do it:
Lie flat on your back.
Bend your knees and plant feet flat on the floor.
Extend arms at your sides and press palms into the floor.
Push your feet into the floor and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
Squeeze glutes and hold for a few seconds.
Return to the starting position.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Pro tip: Place a folded towel under your neck for extra support. You can also use a yoga mat to make things a little more comfy.
Knee push-up
This is a great way to build strength and stamina as you work your way up to classic push-ups. It targets your pecs, core, shoulders, and arms.
How to do it:
Start on hands and knees, keeping spine aligned and hands shoulder-width apart.
Bend elbows to a 45-degree angle as you lower your body toward the floor.
Push your palms into the floor to raise yourself back up.
Do 3 sets of 8–12 reps.
Pro tip: Keep your shins on the floor to take some pressure off your knees.
Side-lying hip abduction
This one is all in the hips. The movements will help loosen tight muscles and strengthen your sides.
How to do it:
Lie on your right side with your legs stacked. (You can bend your right leg for more support.)
Lift left leg up, then lower it toward the floor.
Repeat this motion.
Switch sides.
Shoot for 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
Pro tip: Add ankle weights or a resistance band if you want to kick it up a notch.
Wall squat
You’ll feel the burn in your abs, glutes, calves, and quads with this move. Wall squats can also help you learn to focus on your form and increase your stamina
How to do it:
Press your back flat against a wall.
Press your feet firmly into the floor, shoulder-width apart, about 2 feet in front of the wall.
Bend your knees until they’re at a 90-degree angle.
Keep your back pressed into the wall.
Hold this position for up to 1 minute at a time.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Pro tip: Try placing a stability ball behind your back. It can increase your range of motion while reducing your risk of injury.
Straight-leg donkey kick
This exercise will help strengthen and tone your glutes. It also adds some sweet shoulder action into the mix.
How to do it:
Start on all fours, with knees under hips and hands under shoulders.
Extend left leg straight behind you, keeping your foot flexed and toes pointed down toward the floor.
Return to the starting position.
Repeat on the other side.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
Pro tip: Remember to keep your spine aligned and glutes engaged.
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