MUSCLEBLAZE

Hello Ziddis! Everyone wants to get fit, but what does ‘fit’ even mean? Can you get fit without discipline? How do you know whatever you are doing is leading the way to make you fit? There are tonnes of questions when it comes to fitness, and we try to answer all of them. Today, we will help you build a workout routine tailored to your fitness goals! Fitness is not a one-size-fits-all, and that is why building a workout routine centred around YOUR fitness goals will require your participation more than anything. So let’s build a lifestyle together!

Fitness Goals

Before we pull up our joggers and lace up our shoes or start grabbing the heaviest dumbbells on the rack, let us figure out what your ideal fit self looks and feels like. Your fitness goals can be varied, and they will determine what kind of workout you do and how often you should do it.

Here are some common fitness goals that can help you understand or give an idea about yours:

• Fat loss: Prioritise a mix of cardio and strength training with a calorie-controlled diet.
• Muscle gain: Focus on resistance and weight training with progressive overload. This can be supported by high high-protein diet.
• Improved endurance: Engage in intense cardio like running, cycling or swimming and increase the duration or speed over time.
• Better flexibility: Try yoga, pilates, stretching, or mobility work to improve your joint health and reduce the risk of injury.
• General wellness: Combine some movement like a brisk walk with some light weight training and functional fitness in your routine, and maintain a nutritious diet to keep your health up to the mark.

Being specific about what getting fit means to you can help you form an actionable plan to achieve your goal sooner.

Do You Need a Workout Routine?

The short answer is YES! A longer one is us helping you devise a workout routine. If you have a goal, just staying active is not enough. A routine provides structure and consistency.

Here is why you need a workout routine:

• It keeps you accountable
• It helps you track your progress
• Stops you from overtraining and getting injured
• It brings some clarity
• You break down your goals into actionable
• This gives you a fair shot at your fitness goals

Without a plan, you might either undertrain some muscle groups, skip some important workouts or even skip your rest days or neglect a part of the workout that could be more relevant to your goals. A workout routine ensures that your effort is targeted towards your objective.

How to Build a Workout Routine

Creating a routine is not about picking a template from an influencer and following it. Your plan needs to be customised. Here are a few ways in which you can customise your workout routine to fit your goals:

1. Assess your current fitness level:

Knowing your capabilities and limits is necessary to start on the right note. By overestimating your fitness, you increase the risk of injuries. This also helps you set realistic expectations and timelines.

2. Set a clear goal:

Your workout routine should bring you closer to your fitness goals. Take a moment to go through the goals we spoke about earlier and pick one for yourself.

3. Decide on possibilities:

Answer these questions. 

• How many days can you dedicate to working out per week?
• How much time do you think you can work out for during each session?
• What time works out the best for you?

Based on these, you can understand what you can do for your fitness routine

4. Divide the workouts:

Depending on how many days a week you can dedicate to working out, you can figure out what needs to be done.

• 3 days/week: full body session every alternate day
• 4 days/week: divide your training into 2 days for the upper body and 2 for the lower body
• 5 to 6 days/week: Push-pull-leg could be the right approach for you, or you can try muscle-group specific training.

5. Choose your type of training:

• Strength training
• Cardio
• HIIT
• Yoga

Pick from these or spread them across the week.

6. Progressive overload:

It is important to improve yourself and push limits.

7. Ideal workout routine:

• Monday: Cardio
• Tuesday: Strength training
• Wednesday: HIIT
• Thursday: Legs
• Friday: Core training
• Saturday: Yoga
• Sunday: Rest day

Beginner Workout Routine

If you are just a beginner, then it is normal to feel overwhelmed. You do not need fancy equipment or gym access. You need a well-planned workout routine. Here is an example of a 3-day full-body workout plan to help you get started

Day 1: Strength training

• 10 squats
• 8 knee push-ups
• 10 glute bridges
• 20-seconds plank

Go for 3 rounds of this circuit and remember to take breaks in between.

Day 2: Cardio and Core

• 20 minutes of brisk walking
• 10 crunches
• 15 mountain climbers
• 1 minute of side planks.

Repeat this circuit twice, and remember to warm up and cool down after the training

Day 3: Full body mobility or yoga flow

• Cat-cow stretch
• Downward dog
• Child’s pose
• Standing forward fold
• Seated twists

Each pose should be held for 30 seconds, and repeat this flow twice.

Tips for Beginners

If you are new to the fitness habit, do not be overwhelmed. Follow these tips to stay safe and make the most out of your training:

• Start with 2 to 3 days per week to build the habit of showing up
• Do not compare your progress to others
• Focus on form
• Stay consistent
• Protein up by drinking a shaker bottle full of protein before or after a workout
• Stay hydrated

Read Also: How to Build Your Own Workout Routine

Takeaway

Building a workout routine is not just for athletes or influencers. Anyone who wants to make themselves fitter and better or live healthier can try it. Your fitness goal should be a reflection of what you think you need, not what others do or where they are. Everyone’s body is different, so make sure you realise what your body needs from your workout. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, show up for every session, and your future self will thank you!

Hello Ziddis! Do you hit the gym regularly? We hope you are lifting some weights too, not just running on the treadmill awkwardly! For those who are lifting weights, trying to build lean muscles or just starting to understand how to work out, chances are you may have heard the suggestions of amplifying your workout with fitness supplements! Creatine must have been brought up in this conversation, too. Trying to look more aware, you may have skipped asking what creatine even does. As a beginner, think of us as your helpful gym bro. Let us explain to you why all the gym goers swear by creatine for their regular workouts and how you can benefit from it too.

Creatine for Beginners

Creatine is a compound that is naturally generated in your body and mainly found in your muscles. Your body produces some of it, and the rest is obtained in small amounts from foods like meat and fish. But if you are working out and building muscles while burning fat, this amount of creatine will not be enough. Your body will require some more to help you build lean muscles. This is where creatine supplements come into play. It is one of the most researched and widely used fitness supplements after protein powders. People trust it for increasing their strength, improving muscle recovery, enhancing their performance and building endurance during workouts, especially those that leave you tired, sweating and fulfilled.

In layman’s terms, creatine can help build strength and support your muscles with the energy they require to work out more and grow, as well as recover and bounce back quicker.

Creatine is no rocket science, but if used the right way, it can reap you loads of benefits.

Benefits of Creatine for Beginners

Creatine is extremely trusted and used by gym goers in their fitness journey. Here’s why:

• It boosts strength to help you push harder in the gym and power through during workouts like HIIT.
• It speeds up muscle recovery by reducing fatigue and soreness post a sweaty workout session.
• It increases lean muscle mass, especially when combined with resistance training.
• It improves endurance by supporting better performance, which helps you squeeze in those extra reps and sets.
• An underrated bonus is its positive impact on your cognitive functions.

The reality is it is not a steroid, so one need not worry about its side effects, but neither is it a magic pill, so trying to check its effect now and then would only end up disappointing you. You must use it consistently to support your training in the right way.

How to Take Creatine

As we said, understanding creatine is no rocket science, nor is taking it. Here is how to take creatine for the most optimum, safe and effective results:

1. During your loading phase:

• Take 20 grams per day, ideally split into 4 doses of 5 grams each for 5 to 7 days.
• Post these 7 days, a maintenance dose of 3 to 5 grams per day should be followed.

2. Without the loading phase:

• Simply take 3 to 5 grams daily from day one.
• You will see gradual results.

Best Time to Take Creatine

Creatine intake is flexible. You do not require a strict schedule or stick to a timely. But what might help is:

• Creatine as a pre-workout works well when paired with a protein shake or accompanied by protein bars.
• Creatine, as a post-workout supplement, allows your muscles can absorb nutrients better, which can help in muscle recovery.

The key is consistency, not timing, so pick a time that works for you and you remember to have your creatine dose daily.

How Does Creatine Help in a Workout?

Even if you are a beginner and are still getting acquainted with the gym life, creatine can help. Here is how:

• During HIIT, your body uses ATP for quick energy.
• ATP reserves can run out fast.
• Creatine can help replenish ATP.
• This gives you extra fuel.
• You can push through for a few extra or final reps.
• If you feel like giving up after the 9th rep, creatine gives your body that extra charge to hit a 10.

Read Also: Creatine for Women: Is it Safe and Effective for Building Muscle?

Tips for Using Creatine the Best Way

• Stay consistent by taking creatine every day
• Hydrate yourself well
• Pair it with the right workouts, like resistance or weight training
• Choose the correct type of creatine, like creatine monohydrate is well-researched and effective. You can start with Creatine Monohydrate by MuscleBlaze.
• Be patient because it may take 2 to 4 weeks to see results.
• You can have it with gainers if you want to bulk up too.

Takeaway

Creatine is well-researched, safe and effective. We hope you have understood how creatine helps you in a beginner-friendly way. When taken the right way, creatine can help you train harder, recover faster, and get better! We know we say this about everything related to fitness, but really the key is just to start small, stay consistent and let your body show you how it feels when you take care of yourself and listen to your body’s needs.

Hello Ziddis! Among the most useful gym accessories is the one we will be discussing today! If you want to get toned, look strong, and get flexible, all without having to lunge around bulky gym equipment, here’s the thing for you: Resistance Bands! Lightweight, travel-friendly and super effective, these stretchy little things can be used anywhere. Now you don’t have to miss gym even when you are far from it. Let us check out benefits of resistance bands, may be your best workout buddy and level up your fitness game no matter where you start from.

Resistance Band Exercises for Beginners

If you are new to the concept of resistance training, you should start slow and focus on your form first. A resistance band can warm you up to the concept. Here are some resistance band exercises for beginners to help you get familiar with your band:

Exercise	Instructions	Muscles Targeted
1. Banded Squats	Place the band just above your knees. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Squat normally while pushing knees out to keep tension on the band.	Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
2. Banded Glute Bridges	Lie on your back with the band above your knees. Feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips while squeezing your glutes, then lower slowly.	Glutes, Lower Back
3. Seated Row	Sit with legs extended. Loop the band around your feet. Pull the ends toward your torso while keeping your back straight.	Back, Biceps
4. Standing Lateral Band Walks	Place the band above your knees or at your ankles. Bend knees slightly and step side to side, maintaining tension in the band.	Hip Abductors, Glutes
5. Bicep Curls with Band	Stand on the band with both feet. Hold the ends and curl your arms up, keeping your elbows tucked close to your body.	Biceps

Resistance Band Exercises for Weight Loss

Resistance bands can be a great help in your weight loss journey. You must combine strength training with the intensity of cardio to make sure you are burning fat. Some resistance band exercises that help the full body, calorie torching exercises for weight loss are:

Exercise	Instructions	Benefits
1. Jump Squats with Band	Place a resistance band above your knees. Perform jump squats while keeping tension on the band throughout the movement.	Builds power, tones legs, burns fat
2. High Knees with Band	Loop the band around your thighs and perform fast-paced high knees, driving knees up while maintaining resistance.	Increases heart rate, burns calories
3. Resistance Band Mountain Climbers	Anchor the band to a stable object and loop it around your feet. Get into a plank and perform mountain climbers against resistance.	Core activation, fat burn
4. Banded Burpees	Add a resistance band to your lower body. Perform burpees, using the resistance to increase intensity, especially during the jump-up phase.	Full-body fat burning, high cardio

Resistance Band Exercises for Flexibility

Resistance bands are not just for building strength, they are a great tool for improving your range of motion and flexibility. Some of the resistance band exercises for flexibility are:

Exercise	Instructions	Primary Stretch Target
1. Hamstring Stretch	Lie on your back. Loop the band around one foot and gently pull your leg toward you while keeping it straight. Hold the stretch and breathe deeply.	Hamstrings
2. Shoulder Mobility Pull-Aparts	Hold the band with both hands in front of you. Slowly pull it apart to stretch the shoulders and upper back, then return to start.	Shoulders, Upper Back
3. Seated Forward Fold with Band	Sit with legs extended. Loop the band around your feet and gently pull yourself forward, deepening the stretch gradually.	Lower Back, Hamstrings
4. Quad Stretch with Band	Lie on your stomach. Loop the band around one ankle and pull it over your shoulder to stretch the front of your thigh.	Quadriceps

Beginner Resistance Band Workout Routine

If you are a beginner and unsure where to start from, here is are simple beginner-friendly resistance band workout routine that will just take 20 minutes of your day but give you lasting benefits. The best part is, these exercises can be done anywhere. They are designed to balance strength and mobility

Workout Phase	Activity	Duration/ Rep
Warm-up	Jumping Jacks (no band)	30–60 seconds
	Arm Circles	10–15 seconds forward & backwards
	Bodyweight Squats	10–15 reps
Circuit (2–3 rounds)	Banded Squats	15 reps
	Banded Glute Bridges	12 reps
	Seated Rows	10 reps
	Standing Lateral Band Walks	12 steps on each side
	Bicep Curls with Band	10 reps
	High Knees with Band	30 seconds
	Hamstring Stretch	15 seconds each leg
Cool-down	Deep Breathing	5–10 deep breaths
	Forward Fold Stretch	20–30 seconds
	Shoulder Pull	10–12 reps, slow and controlled

Some tips you should follow are:

• Do not start with an extremely tight resistance band
• Never skip a warm-up
• Wear comfortable gym clothes like joggers.
• Stay hydrated throughout the workout, so carry your favourite shaker bottle with your favourite health supplement.
• You can add some creatine to make your workout last longer and more fruitfully.

Read Also: What’s Better: Treadmills v/s Outdoor Running?

Takeaway

Resistance bands are extremely beginner-friendly, budget-friendly and also very easy to carry around, making them your best companion in your fitness journey. Now you wouldn’t need to skip gym even when you are away from it, because your resistance bands can go wherever you go. With resistance bands, there are no excuses, only great effects!