Training

Best Beginner Routine I Can't Overcomplicate

tidotsujAug 16, 5:59 PM

Just starting out working out... and looking for advice on the most basic routine. I am hoping to stay dedicated to a daily body weight workout by only doing 3 exercises or less. Anything more than that I get stressed and quit (and if gym is involved I will eventually miss a day and then 2 and it snowballs and I quit). I want to master a few movements and add more once I see results. Does this super simple routine sound good? Day 1 - 100 push ups Day 2 - 100 body weight squats Day 3 - as many pull ups as possible (but what to do if I can't do 1)? \* each exercise is every 3 days \* reps to failure and rest then to get the total # as quickly as I can or should I do a set # of reps? Thanks for the advice! This looks like an awesome community and excited to get started on something so SIMPLE I can actually commit and stick with it!

6 replies

hnry_dvd_thr_awy·Aug 17, 1:26 AM
sure
excellent_whole_740·Aug 17, 1:46 AM
This is not a bad start. I like kboges on YouTube, he preaches this… watch some for inspiration. I do a daily rep target: 25 pull ups, 60 pushups, 120 squats. When life’s busy I just do 1 move a day. If I’m feeling “hungry” I’ll do 2 or even all 3 moves a day. Try and do this 6 days a week; sometimes only 5 days (life imposes a rest day or I do some long slow cardio). Some days I’ll do barbell exercises instead; main goal is still just getting 5-10 hard sets per week of each move: a pull, a push & legs. Then just try to get those done in as few hard sets as possible. Do it for a month then assess if you can add 1 pull up, 5 pushups & 10 bw squats or lunges. Can’t do pull-ups? Get some straps like TRX or gymnastics rings & do horizontal rows to build pulling strength. Building a good habit like this will absolutely build strength & improve muscle mass.
dreiter·Aug 17, 2:08 AM
[The Minimalist Routine](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/minroutine)
salt_ad_645·Aug 17, 2:28 AM
Looks god's but if you can't do pull ups replace it's with any chest building.
spirited_revenue_4_3·Aug 17, 5:22 AM
Three exercises is fine, but 100 reps to failure is the wrong version. Use push, pull, legs every other day or 3 days weekly, with a few clean sets of each and 1-3 reps in reserve. Track reps on the same push, pull, and leg variation. I'd track the progression in an app like GymSet. If you cannot do pullups yet, use rows, band-assisted pullups, or controlled negatives plus hangs.
illustrious_lack_849·Aug 17, 6:53 AM
I also needed something dead simple and not in a gym or I'd skip it. Focusing on just a couple movements made it doable. Having the weight and resistance adapt in real time with amp's kept things from ever getting too hard or boring, so I stuck with it.

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