Gym Workouts For Beginners
If you’re new to fitness and not sure where to start, don’t worry! At Sherpa , a top-rated personal training facility in Westport, Connecticut, we’ve created a variety of beginner-friendly gym workouts to help you build strength, gain confidence, and improve your overall fitness. Whether you live in Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk, or anywhere in Fairfield County, these workouts can be the perfect introduction to your fitness journey.
Make sure to warm up properly before the workout and cool down once you’ve completed it. As always, please consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
Beginner Ab Workout
Improve your core strength with this ab routine. All you need is a mat:
- Plank walkouts
- High plank, knee to elbow
- Bicycle
- Toe taps
- Glute bridge
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on your ability to maintain proper form. Rest for 30 seconds between exercises. After completing all five, rest for a minute and repeat the entire circuit two more times. This might be a beginner’s workout, but our Sherpa Personal Trainers use it to build a foundation of fitness for our clients.
Beginner Upper Body Workout
Strengthen your chest, shoulders, arms, and back. You’ll need dumbbells, a lat pulldown machine, and a mat:
- Lat pulldown: 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Floor press: 10 reps, 3 sets, 1 min rest
- Seated row machine: 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Lateral raises: 10 reps, 3 sets, 1 min rest
These exercises are ideal for anyone looking for upper body functional strength.
Beginner Lower Body Workout
This lower body routine targets your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves using dumbbells and a mat:
- Goblet squats: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Stiff-leg deadlift: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Bulgarian split squats: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Glute bridges: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Calf raises: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
Even though these are for beginners, some of the movements here are better suited for sessions with a Sherpa Trainer. Our Westport facility has safe and effective equipment to tackle these exercises.
Beginner Full Body Workout
Looking for a full-body gym workout? This routine hits every major muscle group. You’ll need dumbbells, a medicine ball, a cable row machine, and a mat:
- Goblet squat: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Medicine ball slam: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Stiff-leg deadlift: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- Cable row: 8 – 10 reps, 4 sets, 1 min rest
- High plank: Hold 30 seconds, 4 sets, 1 min rest
Beginner Cardio Workout
Great for fat loss, heart health, and stamina. You can use any cardio machine available at Sherpa. We have treadmills, bicycles, and rowing machines to create effective cardio workouts.
- Warm up: 3 – 5 minutes at light intensity
- Set moderate resistance
- Work at a challenging intensity for 30 seconds
- Rest for 20 seconds
- Repeat 10 rounds total
Additionally, you will see us use the concept of Beyond the Gym with everything we do. This means that there are amazing places to run, hike, paddle, swim, bike, and more in Fairfield County. Take the gains you make in the gym, to enjoy an active lifestyle outdoors…and vice versa!
Top Tips for Beginners
- Focus on good technique – It’s better to go lighter and move well than to risk injury.
- Listen to your trainer – Sherpa Trainers are certified and to assist, demonstrate, and guide you through a work out plan.
- Rest & recover – Your body needs time to adapt, especially when you’re just starting out.
A clear plan helps reduce anxiety and build consistency. If you’re looking for personal training for beginners in Fairfield County, Sherpa offers tailored programs and supportive coaching to help you succeed. Check out our Private, Semi-Private, and Group Fitness plans to find out what’s right for you
