New to the Gym? This Trainer’s Workout Plan Will Help You Navigate It Like a Pro

“The perfect cardio for beginners is jogging on the treadmill for 25 minutes,” Holly said. “Start with zero incline and get your heart rate up to where it’s hard to hold a conversation. The speed should be comfortably challenging.” After the first two weeks, try one of these treadmill workouts to kick it up a notch:

• 25-Minute Walk-Run Workout
• 20-Minute Beginner Incline Running Workout
• 20-Minute Fat-Burning Running Workout

Warm up by running for 10 minutes on the treadmill, then move on to the circuits ahead. Do three sets of 15 reps of each exercise (unless otherwise noted), with a 45-second rest between moves. Complete one circuit in full before tackling the next. When you’re finished, cool down with this head-to-toe stretch sequence.

Circuit 1:

• Bodyweight squats
• Upright row (use a 15-lb. EZ bar)
• Push-ups

Circuit 2:

• Lunges (do 30 per set, alternating legs)
• Cable machine lat pulldown (aim for 30 to 40 pounds)
• Triceps extensions (use an 8-lb. dumbbell)

Circuit 3:

• Stability ball hamstring curls
• Bicep curls (use a set of 10-lb. dumbbells)
• Triceps dips

Circuit 4:

• Plank (hold for 20 seconds for three rounds)
• Mountain climbers (do three 30-second rounds)
• Crunches (do three 30-second rounds)

“Indoor bike workouts are great for your joints and are one of the best ways to get a killer cardio workout,” Holly told POPSUGAR. To start, warm up for five minutes at a moderate speed and intensity, then move on to intervals. “Amp up your speed so you’re going as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then recover for one minute, then back to a spin sprint for 30 seconds,” Holly explained. “Try sticking to this pattern for the next 25 minutes, then cool down for five minutes at the speed of your recovery pace.” Once you’ve got the intervals down, try one of these indoor bike workouts:

• 30-Minute Bike Workout to Fight Belly Fat
• 35-Minute Stationary Bike Cardio Plan

The keyword is active. “Aim for 10,000 steps during the day and do some stretching or take a chilled-out class like yoga or barre,” Holly said.

Now that your body is getting accustomed to cardio, it’s time to up the intensity with a 26-minute rolling hills treadmill circuit that mixes incline with speed.

• 5 minutes: 3.3 speed at 5 percent incline
• 2 minutes: 3.6 speed at 7 percent incline
• 1.5 minutes: 4.5 speed at 5 percent incline
• 1 minute: 3.6 speed at 5 percent incline
• 2 minutes: 4.5 speed at 5 percent incline
• 1 minute: 5.5 speed at 7 percent incline
• 1 minute: 4.5 speed with no incline
• 2 minutes: 4.7 speed with no incline
• 1.5 minutes: 5.6 speed with no incline
• 1 minute: 5.0 speed at 5 percent incline
• 2 minutes: 4.7 speed 5 percent incline
• 1 minute: 4.0 speed 5 percent incline
• 5 minutes: 3.0 speed with no incline

Start with this dynamic warmup: 30 high knees, 30 mountain climbers, 25 jumping jacks, 10 inch worms. Once you’re loosened up, move on to the circuits ahead. Do three sets of 15 reps of each exercise (unless otherwise noted), with a 45-second rest between moves. Complete one circuit in full before tackling the next. When you’re finished, cool down with this head-to-toe stretch sequence.

Circuit 1:

• Dumbbell squats (use a set of 5-lb. dumbbells)
• Lunges (do 30 per set, alternating legs)
• Push-ups

Circuit 2:

• Upright row (use a 20-lb. EZ bar)
• Cable machine lat pulldown (aim for 30 to 40 pounds)
• Bicep curl to shoulder press (use a set of 5- to 8-lb. dumbbells)

Circuit 3:

• Clamshells
• Triceps dips
• Hip raises

Circuit 4:

• Plank (hold for 20 seconds for four rounds)

“Just because you’re not doing an official workout doesn’t mean you sit at home all day binging on Netflix,” Holly said. These exercises are the best way to take care of your muscles and joints on a rest day.