r/beginnerfitness

Serious question because every time I look into getting a coach the prices are insane. We're talking 60, 80, sometimes 100 euros per session. For someone who's a student that's completely out of reach.

But then I hear people say a good coach early on is the best investment you can make because you avoid years of bad habits and wasted effort.

So does the affordable version actually exist or is it just something people say? Online coaches, gym staff, anyone who actually knows what they're doing but won't cost a fortune?

Ive realized I dont quit tracking because of motivation, I quit because the app starts feeling annoying. Some apps technically do everything, but logging a single meal feels weirdly slow or clunky. Too many steps, too much scrolling, searching, etc

If youve used a few different ones, which app actually feels smooth and fast day to day? Not looking for the most features. Just the one that makes logging feel easy instead of tedious.

M, 19 from the UK. I accidentally joined a gym after Covid when a mate wanted to try it and I ended up signing up before I knew what happened.

That was 4 years ago. I'm not a personal trainer, I don't have a perfect physique, but I've spent 4 years figuring out what actually works for normal people and I've helped a few mates completely change how they train and feel about themselves.

I've been lurking and commenting on here for a few days and genuinely love helping people figure this stuff out. If anyone has questions about programming, form, consistency, getting started or anything else feel free to drop them below or message me directly. Happy to help.

I used to run all the time when I was younger I wasnt the best but I got like 3rd or 4th place consistently in track meets out of 8-10 kids.

But I stopped for years and now at 16 I can't even jog, everywhere I look it tells me "run more" or "run slower at first"

I can't run for more than 2 minutes and I'm embarrassed but I don't want to quit, I love going on walks and I love moving but I'm worried I've made zero progress.

I have a treadmill, how can I get better speed and such?

Male 6'2 336 pounds in January down to 294 now. I dont know what i expected but ive been actively using the treadmill since January atleast 4 times a week. Generally incline walking 7-9 incline 2.5-3.0 speed im happy with the weight loss dont get me wrong but the treadmill is still very hard for me I cant jog. Not really even a little bit. Just doesn't seem like im progressing like I thought I would. No matter what im still going and still doing it just thought it would be getting easier by now

So I'm 6ft 204 pounds and I'm 34 years old. At the moment I am eating at a calorie deficit I eat 2000 cals a day. My issue is i know how I'm going to look when I get my waight down. I will just look skinny it's not a look I want. So my main question is. When I get to my ideal wight should I eat at maintenance or should I bulk. Also do you think I should lose weight at a slower rate ?. Been training now for 7 months and I had no progress but I wasn't looking at what I was eating. So I'm doing that now I eat 150 grams of protein a day. I've lost 14 pounds so far so its going good. I'm just not sure what to do at the end of it all. Also do you think 150grams of protein is ok or do you think I should eat more. Any tips or anything will be appreciated. Thanks.

I do workouts where I want the back and forth of a movement to be a specific amount of counts. The problem is I often lose track of what number rep I’m on. I’ve tried looking for apps but no luck. I like to work out to music and use the beat as counts for my movements but I lose track of how many reps I’ve done. Any tips? Thanks in advance!

Hello I just started working out a month and a few weeks for someone who never was active throughout the life I have a good progress, I am 17, working out gave me more ambition to learn combat sports so I can know self defense and have a physique, right now I work out 3 times a week at the gym I do back biceps, then chest triceps, and leg and shoulder, with 100 sit ups and 30 min of cardio every workout, I want to know if adding a combat sport ( haven't chosen yet ) to my training will benefit me or decrease my performance due to recovery I have a strong ambition more then motivation and I am willing to do anything to achieve some level of combat sport knowledge I am not trying to become an athlete I just want to be ready for any situation Thanks to all for reading the post that was my question.

I (19 F) recently joined a gym, and my trainer ( around 30-35 year old ) is a guy. I didn't opt for personal training, only general training. Which is supposed to consist of them giving us a workout plan and we get to just follow that.

But the trainer is telling me to send pics of my face before and after the gym to see how tired I get after workouts, I mean can't he just see if I get too tired at the gym itself?

Then to send pics of my meals throughout the day. He also asked me stuff other than the gym like how was my exam and if I reached home, and then said something like I thought of asking you to take a selfie, when I asked why, he said to see your reaction after your exams. Like bro.

So is this something normal at the gym? Do trainers ask people to send pics of their face before and after workout?

i’m overweight and trying to finally get in shape. i keep seeing people say to lift weights, but other people say just focus on losing weight first. not trying to get huge or anything, just want to feel better and not get out of breath so easily. i’ve mostly just been walking and doing basic machines so far. i feel like i’m wasting time because i don’t really know what direction to focus on yet. what worked for you guys?

This is lowkey embarrassing and stupid but recently, I have been living alone. Before that I lived with a relative that did a lot of heavy lifting but now it's been rough. When I buy groceries, since the store is near and I can't drive, I have to carry them and I'm always left so sore. It's so embarrassing because sometimes I need to buy more food in one run but I gotta buy a little less because everything is heavy.

I could always get a cart and stuff, but I genuinely want to know some exercises that help with this. I've started trying to do arm stuff lately with 4lb weights since that's the most I can do, but are there any ideal exercises that help with hauling along heavy plastic bags for 10 minutes?!

Im at a restart after quit long time ago and i became little fat again, right now I’m in my bed, don’t knowing what to do at the gym, purely beginner, my fitness program is not done yet, I’m super shy to be judged by people looking at me not knowing what I’m doing. How do I end this loophole 😫😫

I’m 24, 178cm, currently 125.5kg, and I’ve recently started taking fitness and weight loss much more seriously. Over the last 4 weeks I’ve dropped from 128.2kg to 125.5kg, with body fat and visceral fat both coming down too.

Current stats from my body composition scan:

- Weight: 125.5kg

- Body fat mass: 42.7kg

- Muscle mass: 78.8kg

- Fat free mass: 82.8kg

- Visceral fat rating: 15

- Phase angle: 7.4

My main goal is to get into the best shape possible while I’m still young enough to really commit to it properly. I’m not aiming to become a bodybuilder, more just leaner, athletic, healthier and generally capable.

At the moment my weekly training looks something like this:

- Weights: 5-6x per week

- Blaze HIIT classes: ~3x per week

- Tennis: ~2x per week

- Padel: at least once per week

- Battlebox: ~1x per week

I usually combine multiple activities in the same day (for example padel + weights + Blaze).

My weights split is Push/Pull/Legs twice weekly (legs usually once due to lack of time)

Push day:

- Barbell bench press

- Incline dumbbell press

- Dumbbell shoulder press

- Lateral raises

- Tricep pushdowns

- Short ab finisher

Pull day:

- Barbell rows

- Cable lat pulldown

- Seated cable row (close grip)

- Face pulls

- EZ bar curls

- Short ab finisher

Leg day:

- Barbell Squats

- RDLs

- Smith machine split squats

- Hamstring curls

- Leg press

- Calf work

- Short ab finisher

Nutrition-wise I’m trying to improve consistency rather than crash dieting. Typical protein intake is around 150g+ daily and I’m taking creatine + protein shakes.

Main things I’d appreciate advice on:

- Am I doing too much overall?

- Is this enough resistance training volume for preserving/building muscle during fat loss?

- How should I balance recovery with wanting to stay active?

- Any obvious weaknesses in my training structure?

- Would upper/lower make more sense than PPL with this amount of sport/cardio?

I’m already noticing improvements in fitness and body composition, but I also occasionally hit days where fatigue absolutely wipes me out, especially after multiple high intensity sessions stacked together.

Any advice appreciated.

Hi all, I’m looking for input on my strength workouts. I do lower body Tuesday and upper body Thursday. Are any of these a waste of time? Is there something vital missing? I do cardio Monday and Wednesday and run every Friday and Sunday.

Lower Body Strength Workout:

1 mile walk (3% incline)

Glute Bridges (3x12)

Bird Dogs (2x10)

Dead Bugs (2x10)

Leg Press (2x10) 50 lb.

RDLs (3x8)

Seated Leg Curl (2x10) 30 lb.

Cable Kickbacks (2x10) 10 lb.

Slow Calf Raises (3x10)

Side lying leg raises (2x12)

Plank (2x20-30s)

Upper Body Strength Workout:

1 mile walk (3% incline)

Lat Pulldown (3x10) 40 lb.

Seated Row (3x10) 40 lb.

Chest Press (3x8) 30 lb.

Shoulder Press [Machine] (2x8) 15 lb.

Tricep Pulldown (2x10) 15 lb.

Bicep Curls [Machine] (2x10) 10 lb.

Lateral Raises (2x10) 5 lb.

Back extension (2x10) 10lb

Plank (2x10-30s)

Bird Dogs (2x10)

Dead Bugs (2x10)

I usually walk most days for 2 hours and I lift weights 3-4 times a week and then also do 1h of treadmill after every workout (usually 12.5-15 incline at 2-2.5 speed)

I’m 27,6’0,165lbs and have a skinny fat physique.

So, basically I am working out and running the whole week.
Mon : Running
Tue : Push
Wed : Running
Thu : Pull
Fri : Running
Sat : Legs
Sun : Rest
Im trying to understand where I should fit in the ABS workout, on the rest day or like superset jt during my workouts?

hi! for quads, i usually do leg press, leg extension, and smith machine squats. i would do hack squats but my gym does not have that machine. i want to stop doing smith machine squats because i have really weak knees and the last time i did them i pulled a muscle 🫠 any recommendations on other quad exercises to do? i was thinking of goblet squats but lmk!

Hey everyone,

I’m a 20-year-old male, currently weighing 57kg. Growing up, I was always a massive sports enthusiast and an athlete. Speed, agility, and flexibility were my absolute biggest strengths.

However, after COVID-19, I completely lost my workout routine and structure. I ended up gaining a lot of weight (I used to be quite underweight at 42kg, so the weight gain itself isn't bad, but I've lost my conditioning).

A couple of months ago, I started getting back into it and spent a month consistently running and cycling. But over the last month, due to traveling, intense studying, and work, I haven't done a single workout.

Now that I'm trying to start again, I am seriously struggling with my flexibility, agility, and speed. It's incredibly frustrating because these used to be second nature to me. I feel like a complete beginner again.

I want to build a proper, consistent routine to win my athleticism back.

Equipment I have access to:

• Dumbbells (DBs)
• Swimming pool
• Treadmill
• Stretching machine

What are some highly effective exercises or specific routines you'd recommend for someone in my position to rebuild that foundation of speed and agility? How should I structure my week as a beginner without burning out?

Appreciate any advice or program recommendations!

I’m 17 5 9 or 10 I believe 10 I’m around 180 I want to Lose fat even though it’s not that big of a problem mainly because I noticed a single pound gain

My current sleep is inconsistent. I usually sleep around 1 AM to 7 AM or sometimes later, and I also nap during the day in school and on weekends.

I do not eat breakfast.

My diet plan is structured like this:

Morning:
I do not eat breakfast. I just drink water and stay active when possible.

First meal around 3 to 4 PM:
This is my main meal.
I usually eat eggs and sometimes chicken when available.
I also eat cheese and bananas.
If I am busy I might use a protein bar.

Evening meal:
I eat chicken and eggs or eggs and cheese depending on what is available.
Sometimes I add a banana if I am still hungry.

Snacks:
Protein bars, cheese, and bananas when needed.

My workout plan is:

Monday:
Push ups, squats, plank, and a short walk

Tuesday:
20 to 30 minute walk and light stretching

Wednesday:
Lunges, push ups, crunches, and a walk

Thursday:
Light movement or recovery day

Friday:
Push ups, squats, plank, and optional walk

Saturday:
Long walk or light activity or sports

Sunday:
Rest day

I try to increase reps or walking time every one to two weeks.

My questions are:
Is this a good plan for fat loss
Am I missing anything important
Would you change anything about the diet or workout