Let's Move - Strength Building for Beginners

I'm excited to share with you a strength-building workout that's perfect for those just starting their fitness journey. Today, we'll focus on two key moves that can help build strength across your entire body: the reverse lunge and the up-down dog.

Let's start with the reverse lunge. This exercise is fantastic for working your lower body, particularly your glutes, hamstrings, and quads. I'll guide you through four variations, each progressively more challenging. As I always say, "If you're a beginner and you want to exercise but you don't know what to do, forget about exercise and instead let's move with this strength building for beginners workout."

The first variation is the alternating single leg heel push. This is an excellent starting point for anyone, especially those with hip or knee pain. As I explain in the workout, "What this does is it starts to work the Mind muscle connection between your legs and your brain giving you strength without motion." It's a simple yet effective movement that you can do while seated.

Moving on to the second variation, we have the supported reverse half lunge. This version introduces more movement while still providing support. I emphasize the importance of form here: "As you look down make sure your knee is going the same direction as your toes as you go back and forth on the supported reverse half lunge."

For those ready for more challenge, the third variation is the reverse half lunge without support. Here, balance becomes more critical. I advise, "As you step your foot back make sure there's space between your feet which will give you better balance as you do this movement."

The fourth and most advanced variation is the full reverse lunge. This movement provides the most range of motion and strength-building potential. Remember, "We're not going to smash the kneecap into the ground, we're going to just kiss the ground with the kneecap and then stand back up."

Now, let's talk about the up-down dog. This exercise is fantastic for working your upper body, core, and improving flexibility. We'll go through four variations of this move as well, starting with a simple arm raise and progressing to a full up-down dog on the floor.

The first variation focuses on proper shoulder blade movement. As I explain, "Pull the shoulder blades down down and back and then lift the arms overhead as high as you can pulling the thumbs backwards as much as you can reaching the arms back." This foundation is crucial for the more advanced variations.

As we progress through the variations, we introduce more core engagement and range of motion. By the time we reach the fourth variation, you'll be doing a full up-down dog on the floor. Remember, "The thing you want to pay close attention to in this is are you pulling your shoulder blades back and down as you look up at the sky and are you squeezing your glutes."

Finally, we put it all together in a follow-along workout. As we move through the exercises, I encourage you to listen to your body and choose the variation that feels most comfortable for you. Remember, "Make joyful movement a part of your day" and "Your worth isn't determined by how you look."

In conclusion

This workout is designed to be accessible and effective for beginners while still providing a challenge. As you progress, you can increase the difficulty by choosing more advanced variations. Remember, consistency is key in building strength and improving your fitness. Keep showing up, keep moving, and most importantly, keep believing in yourself. As I like to say, "You are worth it" and "You've got what it takes so let's do this!"