Walking into the gym with a plan will boost your confidence and results!
Walking into the gym for the first time can be scary. We get it—we’ve all been there! But having a plan when you walk through the doors is a great way to replace anxiety with confidence.
The ultimate 7-day workout plan is a wonderful place to start if you want to reduce weight. Why? You’re certainly aware that a nutritious diet and a consistent fitness regimen are the most effective ways to lose weight and get fit, but few things are more scary than getting back into shape, whether for the first time or after a break.
To gain the benefits of regular exercise, such as reduced risk of heart disease, improved mood, and improved sleep, you’ll need to discover a well-balanced fitness plan that you can adhere to. To gain the benefits of regular exercise, such as reduced risk of heart disease, improved mood, and improved sleep, you’ll need to discover a well-balanced fitness plan that you can adhere to.
If you’re ready to get fit, our ultimate 7-day workout plan for beginners is an excellent place to start. Walk into the gym with your head held high! You’ve got a plan and you’re going to execute it.
If you’re ready to get fit, our ultimate 7-day gym plan for beginners is an excellent place to start. Walk into the gym with your head held high! You’ve got a plan and you’re going to execute it.
Everything You Need to Know About this Beginner Plan
There are a few things you need to know about this week-long program. First, it’s designed with beginners in mind. The exercises are basic but effective. That said, we’ve included alternative exercises for the majority of the moves— just in case a piece of equipment is unavailable.
Now we realize that, as a beginner, you might not know how all of the gym equipment works. For this reason, we’ve included instructional videos for each exercise and its alternatives. We highly recommend saving this plan to your phone so you can refer back to it while you’re at the gym. Most machines also have instructions printed on them, so you can always check that out, too. And of course, if you’re still unsure of how to use a piece of equipment, ask a staff member or trainer for help. It’s better to be sure than to risk injuring yourself.
The Ultimate 7-Day Workout Plan for Beginners
All you need to participate in this gym plan for beginners is access to a gym. We highly recommend bringing a bottle of water and a gym towel with you, too.
Before we get to the actual exercises, we want to go over how many reps and sets you should perform, how long you should rest, and what weight you should use to reach your specific goals.
How Many Reps and Sets Should I do?
The answer to this question depends on what your goals are! Here are some suggestions based on common goals.
- Improve general fitness: Perform 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps with a medium weight. Rest for up to 60 seconds between sets.
- Increase endurance: Perform 3 to 5 sets of 15 to 20 reps with a light to medium weight. Rest for up to 60 seconds between sets.
- Build (tone) muscle: Perform 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps with a moderately heavy weight. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes between sets.
- Get stronger: Perform 5 sets of 5 reps with a heavy weight. Rest for 3 to 5 minutes between sets.
How Do I Choose the Right Weight?
How light or heavy a weight feels varies from person to person, so you’ll need to choose a weight that feels right for you. You may have to play around with it a little at first to figure it out. Keep in mind that the weight you use should be challenging by those last few reps of each set. Don’t make it too easy!
Pro tip: Once you know which weight feels right for you, write it down or make a note on your phone so you know what to use next week.
For instance, if you’re trying to build muscle, you shouldn’t have a whole lot left in the tank when you get to reps 8 through 12. Challenge yourself! That’s how you will see real change.
Now that you know how many reps/sets to perform, how long to rest, and what weight to use, we can jump into the program. You’ve got this!
Day 1 – Chest and Triceps
- Flat Bench Dumbbell Chest Press (if a bench is unavailable, use the chest press machine)
- Assisted Dip Machine (if the machine is unavailable, do bench dips)
- Pec Fly Machine (if the machine is unavailable, do dumbbell pec flys on the floor)
- Flat Bench Dumbbell Pullover (if a bench is unavailable, use a mat on the floor)
- Triceps Cable Push-Down (if cables are unavailable, do dumbbell triceps kickbacks)
Day 1 Instructional Videos
Flat Bench Dumbbell Chest Press
(Alternative) Chest Press Machine
Assisted Dip Machine
(Alternative) Bench Dips
Pec Fly Machine
(Alternative) Dumbbell Pec Fly (on the floor or flat bench)
Flat Bench Dumbbell Pullover
(Alternative) Dumbbell Pullover (on the floor)
Triceps Cable Push-Down
(Alternative) Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks
Day 2 – Rest Day
It’s your rest day, but feel free to do some cardio or perform a yoga routine to limber up! We recommend trying The Best Yoga Routine for Overall Flexibility!
Day 3 – Back and Biceps
- Standing Dumbbell Rows
- Standing Hammer Curls
- Note: Curl up with palms facing each other.
- Wide Grip Cable Pulldown (if the cables are unavailable, use the Lat Pulldown Machine)
- Back Extensions (if a Roman chair is unavailable, perform the exercise from the floor)
- Standing Cable Curls (if the cables are unavailable, do dumbbell curls)
- Note: Curl up with palms facing upward.
Day 3 Instructional Videos
Standing Dumbbell Rows
Standing Hammer Curls
Wide Grip Cable Pulldown
(Alternative) Lat Pulldown Machine
Back Extensions on Roman Chair
(Alternative) Back Extensions on Floor
Standing Cable Curls
(Alternative) Standing Dumbbell Curls
Day 4 – Rest Day
Go for a walk, jog, or run, try these 10 Yoga Poses for Faster Weight Loss, or just take the day off!
Day 5 – Legs and Glutes
- Dumbbell Squats (you can use the Leg Press Machine instead)
- Dumbbell Deadlifts (you can use the Hamstring Curl Machine instead)
- Leg Extension Machine (if the machine is unavailable, do dumbbell walking lunges)
- Hip Abduction Machine (if the machine is unavailable, use bodyweight or a band)
- Glute Bridges on Floor (if you’re unable to get on the floor, do standing kickbacks)
- Note: Feel free to add resistance to this one! (rest a dumbbell on your hips or place a band around your thighs)
Day 5 Instructional Videos
Dumbbell Squats
(Alternative) Leg Press Machine
Dumbbell Deadlifts
(Alternative) Seated Hamstring Curl Machine
Leg Extension Machine
(Alternative) Dumbbell Walking Lunges
Hip Abduction Machine
(Alternative) Bodyweight Lateral Walk with or without Band
Glute Bridges on Floor
(Alternative) Standing Glute Kickbacks
Day 6 – Rest Day
Go for a walk today and stretch out those legs! Try these 6 Yoga Poses that Lift and Tighten Your Butt.
Day 7 – Shoulders and Abs
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press (if a bench is unavailable, perform from a standing position)
- Reverse Fly Machine (if the machine is unavailable, do dumbbell reverse flys)
- Dumbbell Alternating Front to Side Raise
- Plank (Hold for 30 to 60 seconds)
- Note: You can start on your knees and work your way up to your toes.
- Reverse Crunches (if these are too difficult, you can do regular crunches)
Day 7 Instructional Videos
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Reverse Fly Machine
(Alternative) Dumbbell Reverse Fly
Dumbbell Alternating Front to Side Raise
Plank on Knees (Easier)
Reverse Crunches
(Alternative) Regular Crunches
If you participate in this 7-day gym plan for beginners, be sure to share your thoughts with us! What did you think? How do you feel? We want to know! Comment below!
Need a healthy diet to follow, too? Eating healthy and working out will accelerate your progress! Try any of these yummy options in conjunction with this fitness plan:
- The 7-Day Mix and Match Meal Plan for Long-Term Weight Loss Success
- 7-Day Whole Foods Meal Plan for Beginners
Enjoyed this post? Discover more:
- Quick & Easy Sweet Potato Crunchies
- 30-Day Arm Training Challenge
- The Best Leg Workout for Absolute Beginners
Be sure to follow us on Facebook , Instagram and Pinterest for more fitness routines and healthy-eating recipes and meal plans!
Thank you! This is so helpful. I pinned it and saved it in my phone. I plan to use it soon. It’s exactly what I was looking for, including the video demos.
Stephanie, That’s great! Enjoy the plan. Please keep us posted on your progress.
This is so helpful, thank you! After day 7, should you rest a day, or can you start over with day 1 without a rest day?
Thank you!
Joanna
Hi Joanna! I’m so glad you found it helpful! It really depends on how you feel. You absolutely can take a rest day after day 7, but if you feel energized and ready to jump right back in, go for it! 🙂
I just started and absolutely love how easy it is to follow along!!! Do you think a cardio cool down is beneficial or just stretching?!
Try cooling down on the treadmill by doing a 2.0 – 3.0 mile per hour walk. Five minutes is good.
Or, you could do 5 minutes of light stretching. Either are great!
Hello, on the strength days, how long will the exercises take roughly? Thank you for this detailed post, I can’t wait to get started!
Hi, Daisy! We’re so glad you’re excited about trying it! If you’re following the “build muscle” or “get stronger” recommendation for reps/sets, plan for each workout to take 40 to 60 minutes. This is mainly due to the increased rest times between sets. If you’re following the “general fitness” or “increase endurance” recommendations for reps/sets, each workout should only take between 15 and 30 minutes. Hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any more questions! 🙂
I followed Day 1 so far and it took me and a partner 45 minutes to complete following the general health for reps. It might have taken us less time on our own but there were times we were both doing the exercise at the same time. But it also took up some time to figure out how to use the machines and watch the videos for tips on form.
How many weeks would you recommend a beginner following this guideline? I like it so far, I love that you have the videos included! It helped A LOT with my gym anxiety. Still feeling super awkward but I felt less “in the way” following your plan.
That’s so great to hear, Danielle! I totally understand gym anxiety– I’ve been there! That’s the main reason I wanted to create a plan like this! That awkward feeling will go away– I promise! If you’re going for general fitness, you can really maintain this program for quite some time. The general fitness goal is to really just make sure you’re moving your body regularly. In my experience though, it’s usually around the 10-12 week mark when beginners start to feel a lot more confident and develop a drive to focus on strength or endurance. It really depends on where you’re at. If by week 10 to 12 you’re still feeling great just following the plan, you can stick with it. If you choose to focus more on endurance, building muscle, or getting stronger at that time, you will want to aim to make changes every 2 to 3 weeks. For endurance, you would increase resistance slightly and/or add in an extra set or a few more reps every few weeks. For muscle growth and strength, you’d want to increase resistance every couple of weeks. I hope that answers your question! Please let me know if you have any more! Keep up the good work and keep us posted! 🙂
Today will be my 4th Day 7 completed. I’ve been following the general fitness recommendations, since I’m going for weight loss and overall wellness, but I’ve been working on doing the full 4 recommended sets and the full 15 reps when I can. I can’t always. And I do plan to continue increasing my weight, but I haven’t been able to increase them by much. This plan is still a really great workout. It still takes me about 40-50 minutes to complete, but I have to spent some time cleaning up in between and I’ve been continuing to watch the videos along the way to focus on my form as much as I can. I’ve been going to the gym still on Day 2 and Day 6 and established those days as my cardio days, on which I complete a 40-60 minute treadmill workout and sometimes some core stability/pelvic floor exercises. Day 4 I take as a true rest day, maybe some calm yoga that focuses on stretching. Which, speaking of, I always do a 5 minute dynamic warmup I found on YouTube and I always do a 9-10 minute cooldown of some static holds at the end. I am sore nearly everyday of my life now. But by now, my clothes are fitting better, I’m feeling muscles I didn’t know existed, I’m feeling a new level of energy I didn’t know existed, and I’ve lost about 5 lbs. It feels good to be able to look in the mirror and not feel dread pooling in my belly for the rest of the day. My skin is looking and feeling the best it’s ever been. I can get a glance at my face without cringing. I’m crying less. I’ll continue with this plan for the 10-12 weeks mentioned. It works. It’s truly a good place to start for a beginner, no gimmicks. I’ll come back with an update in another few weeks!
Danielle, OMG, this is great!!! You are really kicking butt. We’re all so impressed. Please keep us posted. Can’t wait for the next update.
Thank you so much for keeping us updated! I LOVE IT! Proud of you! 🙂