My Beginner Fitness Plan - 2/14/22

 

My Beginner Fitness Plan

by Jessica Taufer, 2/14/22

Here's how I went from zero exercising to doing 1 hour workouts four times a week in 6 weeks

It was a bit difficult getting active with all of my car accident injuries, but this plan worked really well for me and didn't make my injuries hurt any worse. I'm still following my low calorie diet plan (about 1200 calories per day, except I get 100-200 extra on the days I exercise.  I get 1500 calories a day when I do 1 hour long workouts). 

Week 1 January- I started walking for about 30 minutes 3 times a week

Weight 162.8

Body Fat 30%

Week 2 January- It was very cold so I used my stationary bike to bike for 30 minutes 3 times a week. I felt that I got my heart rate up higher on the bike than walking. 

Weight 160

Body Fat 29.4%

Week 3 January- I biked for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and I walked for 20-25 minutes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 

Weight 158.6

Body Fat 29.2%

Week 4 January- I biked for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and I walked for 30 minutes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 

Weight 158

Body Fat 28.9%

Week 1 February- On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I would do one set of strength training exercises before biking for 40 minutes, and then do another set of strength training exercises after biking. It took about 1 hour for these pretty intense workouts. 

One Set:

Wall sits (30 seconds)

Crunches (x20)

Leg lifts (x10)

Planks (30 seconds)

Standing Bicept Curls (5 pound weights)

Standing Tricept Lifts (10 pound weights)

Squats (x10)

Weight 157.2

Body Fat 28.7%

Week 2 February- On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, I would do one set of strength training exercises before biking for 40 minutes and another set after biking. It took about 1 hour for these pretty intense workouts. 

Mondays and Thursdays are LEG DAY

Low Impact Leg Day Workout for Injured Knees

One set:

Glute Bridge (x15)

Wall sits (1 minute, if I can't make 1 minute, I take a break for a second and then do it again until 1 minute is up)

Squats (x15) 

Open Squats, tippy toes, flat foot, tippy toes (x15)

Calf raises (x15)

Leg lift clap (alternate legs- x15 total)

Elbow cross to knee (alternate legs- x15 total)

Airplanes (alternate legs- x20 total)

Tuesdays and Fridays are ARM DAY

My ARM DAY workout: 

(I do abs on arm day, too.)

One Set:

Plank (1 minute, if you can't hold it the full minute, keep coming back up if only for a few seconds until the minute is up)

Crunches x30

Side crunches (lay knees down on each side) x10

Reverse crunches (knees come in then shoot out straight) x20

Standing bicep lift (10 pound weights) x15

Standing overhead tricept (10 pound weights) lift x15

Standing move straight arms to the outsides (5 pound weights) x15

Standing move straight arms forward (5 pound weights) x15

Leaning over onto a chair, pull weight backwards (10 pound weights) x15

Weight 156.8

Body Fat 28.4%

Tips for a more enjoyable and productive workout

I started using a heart rate monitor and tried to keep my heart rate in the 160's while biking this week. 

I love to finish my hour long workouts with a delicious post workout smoothie! It's such a fun reward!

My two most favorite low calorie high volume post workout smoothie recipes: 

Vanilla Berry Post Workout Smoothie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Post Workout Smoothie

After starting my high intensity work outs, I was tempted to spend the rest of the day in bed watching TV because "I earned it," but I decided that's not how I want to live my life and I try to be productive and moderately active, even after my workouts. 

I do give myself permission to get back in bed and watch 1 TV show (after showering) on Fridays if I've done all 4 workouts that week. It's such a luxurious reward and I look forward to it all week. 

This plan is awesome because I can easily do it in my living room, so I don't have to drive to the gym. 

I set up a "comfort station" next to my bike with water, chapstick, a remote to the fan, an alexa to play music, a book to read while biking, etc. Workouts are not hard to do when it's so comfortable. 

If you are trying to set up a new healthy habit, like exercising regularly, check out the post I wrote here.