Fitness Freshman is a beginner-level workout, and it’s a great place to start if you are new to exercise and/or it’s been awhile since you last worked out. The exercises presented here focus on toning and strengthening the entire body, with special attention directed towards improving core strength (think of the core as the center of your body: your abdominals, lower back musculature, and hip complex).
This workout should take between 45-60 minutes, but you can adjust it as needed for your schedule. The plan is to first run through each exercise once for the specified number of repetitions, then return to the first exercise to run through them all a second time. As you progress through this workout over the coming weeks, you can add a third set to all of the exercises.
You don’t need any weights or equipment for these exercises, nor do you need access to a gym. Everything can be done on your own, at home – you just need a mat (or a few towels for padding) and a kitchen chair. Good luck!
To begin, take five minutes to warm up your body. This can be done simply by climbing some stairs at your house, dancing around your kitchen, or going for a quick walk around the block. You just want to elevate your heart rate and prepare your body for the exercises to come. After five minutes, you’re ready to move on!
Basic Squat
Target: quads, hamstrings, and glutes
1. Set up your kitchen chair and stand in front of it, facing away. Take one step forward. This is your starting position.
2. Slowly sit back as if you were going to sit on the chair, aiming your butt back and down towards the chair. Lower yourself as far as you can (but no lower than a 90 degree angle at the knee) and return to the starting position.
3. Perform 12-15 repetitions.
Tips: Your knees should remain behind your toes at all times. If you’re doing the exercise correctly, it will feel like you are sticking your butt out and that you might tip over backwards. That’s a good sign! Your weight should be completely in your heels at the lowest point, which will make you feel slightly unsteady. Also, keep your shoulders back and look straight ahead as you perform the squat – do not look down at the floor.
Plank Hold
Target: abdominals, lower back, shoulders
1. Set up your mat (or towel) and lay on your stomach. This is your starting position.
2. Lift yourself onto your forearms and knees, placing elbows directly under the shoulders. Your body should form a straight line from knees to head.
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Tips: If you feel this exercise more in your shoulders than your core, chances are your butt is too high. Check to make sure your body forms a straight line from knees to head. If your lower back starts to ache, focus on tightening your stomach muscles – this will actually support your back. And make sure to BREATHE!!
Stationary Lunge
Target: quads, hamstrings, glutes
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, shoulders back, and chest lifted. Take one big step forward with your right foot, so you are balancing on your right foot and the ball of your left foot. Toes, hips, and shoulders should all be facing directly ahead. This is your starting position.
2. Bend your knees and lower yourself straight down to the floor, bringing the right knee to a 90 degree angle (or as low as you can).
3. Slowly straighten your legs and return to the starting position.
4. Perform 12-15 repetitions on the right leg, then switch legs and repeat.
Tips: Just like with the squat, make sure your front knee does not extend beyond your toes. Your upper body should remain upright as you lower yourself down into the lunge, bringing your torso straight down over your back knee. There should be no forward movement to the lunge.
Wall Push-up
Target: chest, triceps, abdominals, lower back
1. Stand about 2-2.5 feet from a wall, facing the wall. Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height. Your body should be in a straight line from heels to head. This is your starting position.
2. Engage your abdominals (which means tighten them, not suck them in) and bend your elbows, bringing yourself towards the wall. Get yourself as close as you can to the wall.
3. Slowly reverse that movement, pushing yourself away from the wall while keeping your body straight.
4. Perform 12-15 repetitions.
Tips: Think of your body as a board throughout this exercise. Nothing should move except your arms. As you bend your elbows, allow your feet to tip towards the wall so you end up on your toes at the end of the exercise.
Reverse Crunch
Target: abdominals, lower back
1. Set-up your mat (or towel) and lay down on your back. Place your hands behind your head and lift your legs off the ground, crossing your ankles and positioning your feet directly over your hips. This is your starting position.
2. The goal here is to “crunch” your lower body towards your upper body, using the lower portion of your abdominals to do the work. With that in mind, lift your butt of the ground and push your feet towards the ceiling, bringing your lower body up and slightly towards your head.
3. Slowly return to the starting position, controlling the motion so you don’t fall back to the floor.
4. Perform 12-15 repetitions.
Tips: Focus on using your abdominals to do this exercise, not your legs. It is very easy to simply swing your legs back and forth, using momentum to perform the exercise rather than the muscles we want to strengthen. If you’d like, place your hands on your stomach instead of behind your head so you can actually feel your stomach muscles working as you perform this exercise.
Back Extensions
Target: upper and lower back, abdominals
1. Flip yourself over on your mat so you’re lying on your stomach. Place your hands under your head, elbows out, and rest your cheek on your hands (like you’re about to take a nap… but don’t rest yet!). This is your starting position.
2. Simultaneously lift your head and arms off the mat, lifting your chest off the mat as well if you can.
3. Hold this position for 5 seconds (that’s a SLOW count to 5 guys… no rushing!) and slowly lower yourself back to the mat. That’s one 
repetition.
4. Perform 8-10 repetitions.
Tips: Make sure to BREATHE throughout this exercise!
Once you can complete 3 full sets of each exercise easily (and for 2 consecutive workouts), then it’s time to move to the next fitness level: Avid Exerciser.
Special thanks to my model and photographer, Michelle Dorval Malone.
