Are you looking to start a strength training workout routine? If you’re a beginner, it can seem somewhat intimidating to start—with so many different workouts, how do you even know where to begin?!
Whether your goals involve weight loss or a more toned physique, here’s a tip about strength training for beginners: You need to work out your entire body.
If you only worked out your arms every day, you’d develop an unbalanced physique and put those muscles at an increased risk of injury. And when you’re injured, you may feel less motivated to stay with your workout program. So it’s crucial you target six key muscle groups:
- Arms
- Chest
- Shoulders
- Back
- Core
- Legs
The good news is that you don't need expensive gym equipment to exercise these muscle groups. With the Gorilla Bow, you can easily perform all of the necessary exercises in the comfort of your own home. That means no waiting for weights or for someone else to be done with the bench press—you can do your exercises exactly when and where you want to, even if you’re traveling.
Here are six exercises that target all of the key muscle groups, making it the perfect beginner workout plan.
1. Arms: Bicep Curls
You rely on your arm muscles every day, whether it’s for carrying groceries, moving a couch, or working all day in the yard. Bicep curls will help strengthen your arms, making all of those daily tasks a little easier.
To perform a bicep curl with a Gorilla Bow, place the band under your feet and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the Gorilla Bow with an underhand grip; your hands should also be shoulder-width apart. Stand up straight, with your shoulders pinned back and your elbows tucked back at your sides.
Start the curl with your arms extended downwards, so your knuckles are pointed at the ground. This is your starting position. Then move your forearms from the elbow joint until your hands come close to your shoulders, or wherever feels comfortable. Finally, slowly bring your forearms back to the starting position.
You should do three sets of 15-20 curl repetitions for this workout. You can also treat it like an endurance circuit workout and do as many curls as you can in 30 or 60 seconds.
2. Chest: Incline Press
Another critical source of upper body strength is your chest muscle group. Stronger chest muscles can mean improved posture and better breathing.
Incline presses are great for targeting your upper pectoral muscles. To do incline presses properly, sit on the ground with the resistance band securely under your butt. With an overhand grip, bring the Gorilla Bow directly above your chest and sit at a 45-degree angle (you can lean your back against an object to make this easier). Push the bow up and away from you and lower it down slowly.
Perform three sets of 10 repetitions. To give your chest a proper workout, make sure you’re squeezing your shoulder blades together. This will keep your back muscles from stealing the show and keep your chest activated throughout the exercise.
3. Shoulders: Shrugs
Shoulder muscles help support your arm muscles in your daily tasks. Working out your shoulders will also help prevent injury in your workouts, as many chest and arm exercises put a lot of strain on your shoulders. Having stronger shoulders can help reduce the effect of that strain.
Shoulder shrugs are a popular exercise used to strengthen your shoulder and neck muscles, which is particularly useful if your neck is bent forward all day at your desk job. While you can perform shoulder shrugs without resistance, adding resistance bands with Gorilla Bow will only strengthen your shoulders faster.
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, firmly plant the resistance band under your feet. Grab the bow with an overhand grip, with your arms at your sides. Then, making a shrugging motion with your shoulders, pull your shoulders and the bow upward without bending your arms.
Do three sets of 10. And don’t be afraid to use more resistance bands on this exercise—your shoulders can take it.
4. Back: Bent Over Row
Back muscles help you maintain good posture and can strengthen your overall muscle structure.
Bent over rows are a staple exercise for developing back muscles and are ideal for strength training for beginners. While the bent over row mostly targets the upper back, it uses muscles from your lower back, core, and arms as well.
Assume a standing position, feet shoulder-width apart, with the resistance band under the middle of your feet. Hinging from your hips, bend your torso until it’s at an angle to the ground, bending your knees as well. Grab the bow and pull it towards you to touch your stomach, then slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
We recommend doing three sets of 10-15 repetitions. Try to flex your abdominal muscles to ensure your back isn’t overly arched.
5. Core: Pike Crunch
Aside from the allure of six-pack abs, working out your core muscles is also good for improving your balance and posture.
The pike crunch is the perfect exercise to activate and tone your abdominal muscles, and the added weight from the Gorilla Bow can put your core to the test.
To do this exercise, lie on the ground face up with your knees bent and the Gorilla Bow band secured underneath your lower back. Your hands should be holding the bow directly above your chest in an overhand position. Then perform a sit-up-like motion, holding the ab flex at the top for a moment before relaxing back to your starting position.
Do two to three sets of 10 repetitions. If you want more of a challenge, raise your legs straight up into the air while doing the exercise.
6. Legs: Lateral Squat
Perhaps the most-often overlooked muscle group is your legs. Working out your legs can help you burn calories, build more muscle, and keep you from looking like a bird.
Lateral squats are a variation on the tried and true squat exercises. The side-to-side movements tone your butt, hip flexors, quads, and inner thighs.
To properly perform a lateral squat with a Gorilla Bow, secure a resistance band under one foot and bring the bow behind your head so that it rests on your shoulders. Bring your free foot out to the side shoulder-width apart and bend your knees into a squatting position. Then bring your foot back to your center and the starting position. Switch the foot that is securing the band and repeat the exercise on the other leg.
You should do three sets of 10 repetitions on both of your legs (for a total of 60 squats).
Start Down Your Path Towards Better Health with Gorilla Bow
These six exercises offer excellent resistance training for beginners that virtually anyone can start doing. And if you’re curious about our other exercises for beginner workout plans, don’t hesitate to look at Gorilla Bow’s workout videos to get some more ideas for your regime.
Depending on your current athletic ability, either the original Gorilla Bow or the Gorilla Bow Lite are both excellent options. The Gorilla Bow is great for all exercises and heavy resistance training, while the Gorilla Bow Lite is better for lighter but high-rep exercises.
For a full look at what Gorilla Bow offers, check out our catalog to find the perfect Gorilla Bow to help you reach your fitness goals.
