Exclusive full-body + lower-body gym workout plan for beginners
Hands up if one of your 2024 goals is to get into a solid gym routine? We're here for that resolution - but it really helps to go in with a plan for what you're doing and an understanding of why. Without those, the gym can feel daunting (and, spoiler: it's not the '80s so slogging on a treadmill in the corner isn't the best place to start.)
So, if you're one of the 4,400 people who search for a 'gym workout plan' every month, you've come to the right place. In this guide we'll walk you through two solid gym workouts: one full body and one lower body. You'll also learn how to exercise in a safe way that keeps you free from injury or burn out. (This goes too if you're looking to upgrade your home gym workouts and limited home gym equipment to a proper gym workout plan, including workout splits.)
For those of you who find the thought of that first gym workout overwhelming – perhaps you're lost on knowing which free weights to use or wondering how long is a good workout at the gym – know that we're here to advise you. And that includes telling you about the best gym trainers or running shoes for your next workout, too.
Whether your gym workout questions pertain to following a celebrity workout routine or you're currently nailing our guide to strength training for beginners, we've got the answers to your questions, as well as a ready-made gym workout plan for women designed by PT Andy Vincent. You're welcome!
Keep scrolling for an effective 9-exercise full body gym workout to try, as well as a five-move lower body gym workout.
How long is a good gym workout?
A solid gym workout shouldn't be determined by the number of minutes spent in the gym. It's easy to half-arse an hour of "exercise", spending most of the time on your phone and not challenging your weights, while you can get in and out in 30 minutes still having bossed your workout. What you should be aiming for is focused minutes, completing reps and sets efficiently with correct rest time, good form and challenging but appropriate weights. As with almost everything else in life, quality trumps quantity when it comes to gym workouts.
How to start a gym workout for beginners?
WH’s best practice for beginners at the gym is:
Always warm-up - check out our round up of the best dynamic stretches to do before every workout
Keep workouts simple
Stay consistent
Start lighter than you think - use your bodyweight, or a weight that means you can easily complete three sets of 8-12 reps, without compromising on your form
Follow an expert plan not a bunch of random Instagram posts
Always include rest days in your weekly plan - read on for more specific advice on rest days from the experts
Always do a cool-down after a workout - we've rounded up the best cool-down stretches
There’s always scope to add on weight if the weight isn't enough, but starting too heavy runs the risk of injury, especially in the early days as your body adjusts to a new routine.
What makes a good gym workout for a beginner?
'As a beginner, it's important to focus on nailing your form and technique while lifting,' Laura Hoggins, PT at The Foundry advises.
'Recovery is also essential. So, depending on your goals, scheduling two strength training days and two cardio conditioning days, with a day off after each strength day would be ideal. We want to challenge the body and give it the time to make positive adaptations to your workout demands.'
'Once you feel confident as a beginner with free weights or resistance machines, you may benefit from splitting your strength days like so:
Upper and lower body sessions, to form a workout split
Ideally, complete your cardio after strength or preferably, on another day completely. 'We want to work hard but we must focus on our recovery!' she adds.
A beginners' full-body gym workout plan for women
Try these nine moves as a 30-minute gym workout once a week.
Do: three circuits, starting with exercise one and ending on exercise nine.
Rest: two minutes in between each round (from one-nine).
Focus: on the area you're working to really feel the burn and maximise effects.
1. Dumbbell hip bridge
This exercise benefits: glutes
Sit on the floor with a box or a bench behind you and a dumbbell over your the crease of your hips (the amount of weight you go for should be informed by your goal and capability).
Roll the bar so that it’s directly over your hips and lean back so that your shoulder blades rest on the bench.
Drive through the heels of your feet, pushing up your hips (shoulders and feet supporting you).
Squeezing your glutes, extend as high as possible. Hold for 5 secs then slowly lower. Do 20 reps.
Side note: if there's no barbell available you can use one heavy dumbbell instead, positioned horizontally across your hips.
2. Deadbug
This exercise benefits: abs
Lie on your back with your arms skywards and legs raised and bent at 90 degrees.
Slowly lower your right arm behind you, as you extend your left leg out in front.
Exhale, then gently return to the starting position and repeat, this time extending the right leg and lowering your left arm behind you. Reduce the weight if your back arches off the floor. Do 10 reps per leg.
To take it up a notch, hold a 6kg dumbbell.
3. Dumbbell lunge
This exercise benefits: glutes, quads, hamstrings
Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Step forwards into a lunge on your left leg. Hold for a beat.
Push off your left leg to return to the starting position and repeat. Do 10 reps per leg.
4. Renegade row
This exercise benefits: abs, shoulders
With a kettlebell in one hand, start in a high plank position, keeping your pelvis as stable as possible and hips lifted.
Row your right arm back without twisting your shoulders, keeping your elbows tucked in to engage your lats.
End with your wrist by your hip, then lower the kettlebell back to the floor.
Repeat for 10 reps, then switch sides.
5. Romanian deadlift
This exercise benefits: core, hamstrings
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, keep your knees slightly bent, your back straight and your core engaged.
Hinge forwards at the hips, keeping your upper back and arms straight so the dumbbells lower directly in front of your legs. Hold for 3 secs then return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward (remember to keep your back straight). Do 10 reps per leg.
6. Floor press
This exercise benefits: shoulders, triceps
Lying on your back, hold two dumbbells in each hand in front of your shoulders. Tuck your pelvis under and keep your core tight.
Push the dumbbells overhead, holding your wrists strong. Then reverse to the starting position. Do 10 reps.
7. Goblet squat
This exercise benefits: hip flexors, quads, lats, calves, glutes, hamstrings
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell by its head in front of your chest, elbows down.
Push your hips back, keep your back straight and torso forward, and bend your knees to lower into a squat, elbows brushing the insides of your knees. Hold for 3 secs then push yourself back up. That’s one rep. Do 20.
This demonstration is shown using a kettlebell. Both a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell is fine for this exercise.
8. Russian twist with kettlebell
This exercise benefits: core, abs
Sit on the floor with your ankles together. Hold a kettlebell by its bottom with both hands. Twist your arms to one side so that your torso follows but your back stays straight, clasping the kettlebell firmly.
Twist as far as you can so that the kettlebell is nearly touching the floor. Engage your core and twist back through centre and over to the other side. Do 10 reps.
9. Forearm plank
This exercise benefits: core, abs
Get into a plank position with your forearms on the floor, elbows stacked under shoulders, toes tucked and hips raised so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your feet.
Engage your core (it should feel as though you are tensing) and hold for 30 secs. Remember to keep your hips raised, breathe and try not to arch your back.
20-minute lower body gym workout plan
If you know you want to focus on your body, make these four moves into a circuit.
Do: three circuits, starting with exercise one and ending on exercise four, performing each exercise for 40 seconds.
Rest: 20 seconds between each exercise, and 60 seconds between each round (from one-three).
Equipment needed: one pair of dumbbells (between 4-8kg, depending on how much of a challenge you want) and one kettlebell (between 6-12kg, again depending on how intense you want the workout to be).
1.Bodyweight squat
Standing with feet hip-width apart hinge at the knees to come into a squat position – making sure your knees track over your toes and don't extend past.
With the weight in your heels push back up to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.
2. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, keep your knees slightly bent, your back straight and your core engaged.
Hinge forwards at the hips, keeping your upper back and arms straight so the dumbbells lower directly in front of your legs. Hold for 3 secs then return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward (remember to keep your back straight). Do 10 reps per leg.
3. Kettlebell lateral lunge
Standing at the top of your mat with your feet together, holding a kettlebell by its bottom at your chest, engage your core and lunge laterally, pushing your bum out behind you and keeping your upper back flat.
Push through the heel of your lunging foot and repeat.
4. Dumbbell glute bridge
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and a dumbbell balanced on your hips.
Keeping your chin tucked in, push up through your hips to lift your bum off the floor.
Clench your bum at the top – your shoulders, hips and knees should be in a straight line.
Lower back down in a slow, controlled movement and repeat.
What to wear for a gym workout?
While everyone seems to have a different idea about what constitutes a home run in the trouser department, there are some key considerations when searching for the perfect gym workout leggings. Should they have handy pockets for locker keys and phones, end on or above the ankle, be fitted out with zips or totally seamless? The options are endless.
The way to determine the best leggings for you is by thinking about what you're going to use them for. If the basis of your go-to gym workout is strength training, you're probably going to want to think about a pair of gym leggings that are squat-proof and supportive; but if cardio workouts are more your thing, a pair of running leggings might be your steeze, instead.
After leggings, comes the sports bra - one of the most important bits of kit when it comes to gym workouts for women. If you have DD+ breasts, you're probably going to want a sports bra for large breasts, to make sure you get the right levels of support. There are also sports bras for running if treadmill intervals are more your jam. Basically, whichever one you choose, make sure it fits well and minimises bounce – breasts can move up to 14cm if left unsupported during exercise which can exacerbate sag and skin damage.
Fundamentally, the best gym workout outfit for you is the one that aligns with your budget, needs and is durable enough not to fall apart after one wash. A sweaty holy trinity, if you will.
How to fuel your gym workouts
Regardless of diet choice, good pre and post-workout nutrition is crucial. While there are a number of beliefs and practices to correctly fuel an exercise routine, there are a couple of core tenets to keep in mind too. You may want to consider a calorie deficit, or using a macro calculator to ensure you're including all food groups in your diet. Follow our guides to make sure you're all set.
How to achieve your goals with gym workouts
Whether your goal is fat loss, to improve your strength, or otherwise, there are a few key things to remember when doing your gym workouts:
Avoid overtraining by including regular rest days
Eat a balanced diet, including all food groups
Stay hydrated
Remember to warm-up and cool-down; this will prevent you from getting injured
Ask a professional or a PT at your gym for help if you need it
Always focus on form; check out our exercise library with technique tips and instructions on every exercise
10 best gym workout apps
1.Women's Health Collective
Here's some big news for 2024: we've only gone and launched our very own app. The Women's Health Collective app is available to download from your app store right and now and, once you're in, you'll find a heap of training plans for every goal. Whether you want to build power, strengthen your glutes or get your HIIT on from home, there's a guide for that. All of our plans come from eight expert trainers who are truly the best in the business too. Plus, the app also gives you access to premium content and catch ups with our editor-in-chief, Claire Sanderson. A pretty good deal, no?
Price: Get your first six months for £9.99
2. Evolve You
She's a super famous PT (2.4 million followers on Instagram 👀), business owner and app creator who made one of our favourite gym workout apps. Enter Krissy Cela. Her fitness app, Evolve You, boasts multiple trainers who focus on various disciplines; strength and power, muscle building and fat loss, and functional training and cardio.
Not only that but the gym workout plans are simple to follow with clear instruction and easy logging (brilliant if you're trying to see how much stronger/fitter/faster you're becoming). There are levels for absolute beginners, intermediate, advanced and expert exercisers, as well as a choice between trainers and plans based on your goals. It's a genuinely budget-friendly way to have a stellar PT in your pocket.
Price: 14-day free trial, then monthly from £14
3. FIIT
FIIT has a wealth of workouts and training sessions available for free on their app, ranging from cardio to strength, mobility, breathwork and Pilates. Their most recent venture includes launching the world's first interactive assault bike workouts. The concept will launch in January 2022 and will mean keen fitness aficionados can track their live stats and reps on an assault bike for the first time, using the FIIT app. Unlock their entire workout library by signing up for a monthly membership. With WH faves like Laura Hoggins and Richie Bostock on their PT roster, we can guarantee you're in for a brilliant experience.
Price: From free
4. SWEAT with Kayla
From the BBG queen herself, the Sweat with Kayla app is a winner when it comes to trying out a little bit of everything. From HIIT and strength training to weightlifting and yoga, there's something for everyone. The gym workout plan, PWR with Kelsey Wells, is a great way to build a solid routine at the gym and make some serious strength transformations too.
Price: £14.99 per month
5. Aaptiv
For a literal PT-in-your-ear experience Aaptiv has the answer by, er, putting an actual PT in your ear. Using audio and AI to give you ever-changing classes, you'll never feel lost in the gym again. Trust us.
Price: From free
6. Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log
'How long should I rest between sets?'; 'How much weight should I load up the bar with?'; 'What's my 1 Rep Max?'
If you've ever asked yourself any of these questions then this app is a godsend, letting you track your workouts, weights and recovery times in a simple way - removing the need to furiously scribble down hurried notes in your phone.
The 'warm-up calculator' tells you which weights to warm up with while the 'rest timer' makes sure you're resting just enough to maximise the chances of hitting your goals.
Price: Free
7. NTC Nike+ Training Club
If becoming a Nike athlete, like track star Dina Asher-Smith is a little far off, which for most of us it really is - then don't let that keep you from training with Nike's awesome coaches.
Benefit from a tailored gym workout plan that also works at home, top-shelf expertise and sessions that can be tailored to exactly how much time you have - or don't have!
Price: Free
8. Freeletics
Dependent on your goals, Freeletics designs bespoke gym workout plans based on a fitness test you perform at the outset of your journey. There's also a handy button to flick if you don't have much room to workout (hello, peak gym-times) - and your session adjusts accordingly. Magic.
Price: From £6.99 a month
9. Workit
Serving you daily workout routines as well as a killer 'how to' section with hundreds of explainers Workit is also your off-piste buddy when designing your own session sounds like fun.
Price: Free
10. Alive by Whitney Simmons
Instagram's favourite and most sunny influencer, Whitney Simmons, has her very own training app – designed to take the fear factor out of working out. There are five different multi-week plans to choose from, as well as daily workouts if you want to up the ante slightly. As Whitney always says, 'It's a beautiful day to be alive.'
Price: From £14.49 per month
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