Beginner Exercises

Below you can find explanations with videos of each exercise included in the beginners programme. The numbers represent increasing levels of difficulty, allowing you to progress each exercise to a level that you feel comfortable with.

Keep in mind that the exercises in the videos may look slightly different to how you will perform them, depending on which level of difficulty you choose. Use the links in the menu below to jump to an exercise:

Session 1 Exercises

Session 2 Exercises

Chair Squats 

Go from sitting to standing from a chair. Ideally you want a chair which allows your knees and hips to be bent at about 90 degrees. Point your toes forwards. 

Ensure you stand in a controlled manner, fully extend your knees and hips at the top (ensuring you are squeezing your quads and gluts). Then slowly lower yourself to sit again. 

Levels of progression:

  1. Use your hands to help push up into standing 
  2. No hands- just your legs 
  3. Hold a weight in your hands

Here’s an example of how to do chair squats without using your arms:

Chair squats with arm support:

Chair squats holding a weight:

Seated Knee Extension 

Sit on a chair with your knees bent. Slowly straighten one leg, contracting your quad muscles until you reach full extension. Hold this squeeze at the top briefly then slowly lower. 

Levels of progression:

  1. No band 
  2. Banded 
  3. Longer pause at top 

Here’s an example of a seated knee extension:

Here’s an example of a seated knee extension with a band:

Lunges 

Stand with one leg in front of the other, both feet pointing forwards. Slowly bend both knees, you are aiming for the line of your trunk to go straight down, rather than forwards. The heel of your back foot will lift further off the floor. The lower you go, the harder the exercise is. Then use both legs to stand tall again, focus on squeezing the glut on your back leg. 

Levels of progression:

  1. Hold on to a surface and perform a small knee bend
  2. No surface, small knee bend (increase depth to make it harder) 
  3. Hold a weight

Here’s an example of lunges holding on to a surface:

Bodyweight lunge:

Lunge with a weight:

Standing Hip Abduction 

Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Hold on to a surface if you need to. Slowly lift one leg straight out to the side, squeezing your glut. Keep your knee straight. Then lower it back down to the starting position. 

Levels of progression:

  1. No band
  2. Banded 
  3. Squeeze pause at top

Here’s an example of the standing hip abduction:

Here’s an example of banded standing hip abduction:

Chest Press

Lie on your floor or bed. Hold two light weights in your hands (water bottles, tins, or light weights if you have them). Start with your elbows bent out at right angles out to the side of your body. Slowly push the weights straight up, bring them slightly towards each other at the top as you extend your elbows. Then slowly bend your elbows and bring the weights back down in a controlled motion. 

Levels of progression:

  1. Light household objects
  2. Increase the weight 
  3. Slower lower

Here’s an example of the chest press with tins:

Here’s an example of the chest press with dumbbells:

Wall Press Ups

Lean against a wall with your palms flat, at about shoulder height. Walk your feet back, keeping your body in a straight line. The further your feet are back, the harder the movement is. Before you start, press into the wall slightly and hold your shoulder blades down. Slowly lower yourself towards the wall, keeping your body in a straight line. Your elbows can push out slightly, but shouldn’t be pushed out to 90 degrees. The closer you can get to the wall, the harder the movement is. Your shoulder blades should squeeze together as you lower yourself to the wall. Push yourself back up by pushing into the wall, keeping your body straight again. 

Levels of progression:

  1. Normal 
  2. Slow lower 

Here’s an example of a wall press up:

Shoulder Press 

Start seated. Hold two light weights in your hands (water bottles, tins, or light weights if you have them). Hold them just above your shoulders, with palms facing forwards. Push the weights straight up, aiming for just in front of an imaginary line up from your head as you extend your elbows at the top. Then slowly lower them back down to the starting position. 

Levels of progression:

  1. Seated light household objects
  2. Seated heavier weights 
  3. Standing

Here’s an example of a shoulder press with tins as weights:

Here’s an example of a shoulder press with tins as weights:

Lateral Raise 

Stand or sit. Hold light weights in your hands, with your palms facing down and lean forwards slightly. Lift the weights in the air to about 90 degrees, the movement should come from squeezing your shoulder blades together. You should keep the slight lean forwards throughout. Elbows can have a slight bend, and this bend maintained throughout. 

Levels of progression:

  1. Light household weights 
  2. Dumbells 

Here’s an example of a lateral raise with tins as weights:

Here’s an example of a lateral raise with dumbbells:

Glute Bridge

Lie on the floor or a bed with your knees bent, feet flat on the surface and feet about hip distance apart. Tuck your pelvis under (flattening the curve under your lower back) and maintain this position throughout as you squeeze your glute muscles and lift your hips in the air. Keep your glutes squeezed at the top, then slowly lower to the starting position.

Levels of progression:

  1. 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down 
  2. 3 second pause at top 
  3. Hold a weight over your hips
  4. B-stance 
  5. Single leg 

Here’s an example of a double leg glut bridge:

Here’s an example of a split stance glut bridge:

Single leg bridge:

Calf Raises 

Stand with feet hip distances. Lift your heels slowly off the floor, then slowly lower. The movement should be slow and controlled. A bigger range of motion can be achieved by having the front half of your feet on a step, and allowing your heel to drop down past the step on the lower. You can hold onto a rail or surface if you need to (you would then be aiming to be able to do it without the support).

  1. Double feet on floor 
  2. Double feet on step 
  3. Holding weight 

Here’s an example of the double leg calf raise:

Here’s an example of the double leg calf raise:

Here’s an example of the single leg calf raise:

Deadlift (Romanian Deadlift)

The key to this movement is the hip hinge – the movement comes from pushing your hips back and you should feel it in your posterior chair (hamstring, gluts + back extensors). You want to aim for a neutral spine, keep your neck in line with this. 

Stand tall with your feet hip distance with a form of weight in your hand(s). Keep your shoulder blades squeezed back throughout, and your arms straight (your arms don’t assist the movement at all). 

Lower the weight, moving from your waist and hips, pushing your hips back, keeping it close to your body throughout. You should have a slight knee bend throughout, and depending on flexibility, as you lower the weight your knees will bend to a varying degree, but the key is to keep your hips high and back, and the predominant movement should be coming from your hips, not your knees (like a squat). Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, depending on your flexibility this will be around your knees or to your mid shins. You have lowered too far if your back is no longer held in neutral. To bring the weight back up, push down through your heels, pull your knees back and push your hips forwards. Your spine should still stay neutral and you shouldn’t be lifting at your shoulders to lift the weight. Pull up until you are standing tall again, and squeeze your gluts at the top of the movement.

Levels of progression:

  1. Light household weight(s)
  2. Dumbbells

Here’s a video of a romanian deadlift with tins as weights:

Here’s a video of a romanian deadlift with dumbbells:

Step Up 

Step up on to a step with one leg, bring your other leg to meet it and fully extend your knees. Lower yourself off the step with the same leg, the other leg following. You can hold on if you need to. 

  1. Holding on to rail 
  2. No rail 
  3. Knee up
  4. Holding a weight

Here’s an example of a step up with support:

Here’s an example of a step up holding a dumbbell:

Here’s an example of a higher step up holding a dumbbell:

Row

You can sit or stand. Hold two light weights in your hands and lean forwards from the hips, keeping a neutral spine. Pull the weights back in towards your body by squeezing your shoulder blades together, keeping your torso forwards. Your elbows should stay close to your body, not pushing out to the side. Then slowly lower back down to the starting position.

Levels of progression:

  1. Light household weight(s)
  2. Dumbbells

Here’s an example of a standing row with tins as weights:

Here’s an example of a standing row with dumbbells

Bicep Curl 

Start seated or standing. Hold light weights in your hands with your elbows extended and your palms facing forwards. Slowly bring the weight up, contracting your biceps to bend your elbow. Your elbow should stay in close to your body, and your arm should be the only part of your body moving (don’t use momentum from the rest of your body to move the weight). 

Levels of progression:

  1. Light household weight 
  2. Dumbbells 

HeHere’s an example of a bicep curl with tins as weights:

HeHere’s an example of a bicep curl with dumbbells:

Plank

Wall Plank – Press your hands into a wall and walk your feet back, your hands should be at about shoulder height. Start with your weight pressed into your palms, with your shoulder blades pulled down and slightly rounded. The further your feet are back, the harder it is. Hold this position, keeping your legs and core tight. 

Knee and full plank – Start either on your knees or on your toes. Hands should be directly below shoulders, with slightly rounded shoulders. Maintain this position without letting your hips collapse down. Your legs, bottom and core should be held tight. 

Here’s an example of a wall plank:

Here’s an example of a plank hold on the knees:

Here’s an example of a full plank:

Tricep Extension 

Hold a weight, or two weights above your head. Seated or standing. Start with your arms extended. Slowly lower the weight by bending at your elbows, your elbows should stay pointing upwards, close to your head. Then lift the weight back up again, keeping your elbows in place. 

Levels of progression:

  1. Light household weight 
  2. Dumbbells 

Here’s an example of a tricep extension with tins as weights:

HHere’s an example of a tricep extension with dumbbells: