3 Simple Exercise Moves for Your First Gym Workout
Gym newbie? Don't be intimidated.

Hitting the gym for the first time? It’s normal to feel intimidated—even trainers admit to feeling it sometimes. (Here’s one trainer’s advice to beat the gym intimidation.) Many of the regular gym goers already have established routines and look like pros on special equipment you’ve never even seen before.
But don’t let that take you away from the treadmill. Making the decision to go to the gym is a huge step toward accomplishing your fitness goals, and certified trainer Rob Sulaver is here to show you the ropes. With these classic moves, you’ll have a plan and will feel more confident when you step out of the locker room.
In this episode of Just Get Started, Rob guides you through a perfect beginner workout plan consisting of three different exercise moves. These moves will give you a full-body workout, and you’ll feel the burn everywhere from your glutes to your triceps.
This beginner workout uses the following exercises:
-
Goblet Squat
-
Dumbbell Press with Rotation
-
Bent Over Rows
Complete this cycle three times, with 12 reps of each exercise. When picking out your weights, don’t get carried away. A manageable weight for a gym newbie is around 5 to 10 pounds, but it’s totally okay if you need to start with the 2.5-pound dumbbells. For a little more challenge, 10-15 pounds is a great target. If you’re unable to complete the full 12 reps, you should switch to a lighter weight.
If you’re new to working out, remember to cross-train your workout. (That means don’t do the same workout every time.) You’ll want to add some cardio and flexibility training in your schedule to make these beginner strength exercises more effective.
Still nervous about your first trip to the gym? Here’s a guide for navigating the gym. For more beginner workouts, try this 10-minute beginner cardio routine or these four basic moves for total beginners.
Rob Sulaver is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a certified sports nutritionist, and a certified personal trainer. He is the founding trainer of Rumble Boxing in New York City.
00:00:00,220 --> 00:00:05,190
You made it to the gym for the first time.
2
00:00:05,190 --> 00:00:06,539
Let's get our strong on.
3
00:00:06,539 --> 00:00:13,173
[MUSIC]
4
00:00:13,173 --> 00:00:16,100
My name is Rob Sulaver, welcome back
to another episode of Just Get Started.
5
00:00:16,100 --> 00:00:18,240
So, it's day one at the gym.
6
00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:22,890
First of all, congratulations, big step
towards accomplishing your fitness goals.
7
00:00:22,890 --> 00:00:25,846
But as we all know, walking into
an gym can be pretty intimidating.
8
00:00:25,846 --> 00:00:27,400
There's a lot activity,
9
00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,770
there's a lot of bros, there's a lot
of people lifting a lot of weight.
10
00:00:30,770 --> 00:00:35,890
So, it's nice to have a plan going
in to ground zero at the gym.
11
00:00:35,890 --> 00:00:38,060
That's what I got coming your way today.
12
00:00:38,060 --> 00:00:42,582
We're gonna do three different
exercises: lower body, upper body push,
13
00:00:42,582 --> 00:00:43,990
upper body pull.
14
00:00:43,990 --> 00:00:48,720
Exercise one,
we got goblet squats here to the bench.
15
00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,600
Boom, coming all the way down,
tapping that booty.
16
00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:57,580
Working our quads, working our torso,
and working our gluts.
17
00:00:57,580 --> 00:01:02,960
Exercise two,
dumbbell press with rotation.
18
00:01:04,690 --> 00:01:07,090
All the way up,
all the way into that arm pit.
19
00:01:08,340 --> 00:01:11,270
Working our chest and working our triceps.
20
00:01:11,270 --> 00:01:16,870
Exercise three, bent over rows,
nice flat back, all the way up and in.
21
00:01:19,140 --> 00:01:23,130
Boom, working our lats and
working our biceps.
22
00:01:25,930 --> 00:01:31,220
The top right hand we got three rounds,
12 reps of each exercise.
23
00:01:31,220 --> 00:01:34,640
Okay, exercise one,
the goblet squats to the bench.
24
00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,140
Grabbing a relatively manageable weight,
if you've never done this stuff before,
25
00:01:38,140 --> 00:01:39,660
start with five or ten.
26
00:01:39,660 --> 00:01:43,100
If you're feeling pretty good,
go with ten or 15, okay?
27
00:01:43,100 --> 00:01:45,640
We can make adjustments as we go.
28
00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,960
If things are easy, amp up the weight.
29
00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,140
If things are difficult,
back off a little bit.
30
00:01:50,140 --> 00:01:51,270
Listen to your body the whole time.
31
00:01:52,690 --> 00:01:58,184
Notice the set up here, toes pointed
slightly out about shoulder width,
32
00:01:58,184 --> 00:02:02,791
weight glued to my chest here,
elbows tucked, chest nice and
33
00:02:02,791 --> 00:02:07,485
proud, and just that light tap on
the bench using it as a gauge,
34
00:02:07,485 --> 00:02:10,880
making sure we're getting pretty low here.
35
00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,603
[SOUND] Get that breath tied in there.
36
00:02:14,603 --> 00:02:17,440
[SOUND] Good exhale up top.
37
00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,781
And, brace with that breath as
you go down into the squat.
38
00:02:21,781 --> 00:02:25,354
[SOUND] Last three.
39
00:02:25,354 --> 00:02:30,322
[SOUND] Three, two, and
40
00:02:30,322 --> 00:02:34,302
one, beautiful.
41
00:02:34,302 --> 00:02:38,873
Okay, doubling up this weight here,
grabbing the other 15 pounds, 10 pounds,
42
00:02:38,873 --> 00:02:41,150
even five pounds if you're brand new.
43
00:02:41,150 --> 00:02:43,710
These bad boys go towards
the end of your knees here, and
44
00:02:43,710 --> 00:02:47,975
we're just using these to bring them right
up to your shoulders, laying back here.
45
00:02:47,975 --> 00:02:52,138
Long spine, palms up.
46
00:02:52,138 --> 00:02:55,860
[SOUND] Pressing palms facing down, okay?
47
00:02:55,860 --> 00:03:01,886
So, this is a press with rotation
[SOUND] and that good exhale.
48
00:03:01,886 --> 00:03:03,607
[SOUND] Couple things here.
49
00:03:03,607 --> 00:03:08,171
One, make sure you're getting nice and
low in this press, right,
50
00:03:08,171 --> 00:03:10,428
all the way into the armpit here.
51
00:03:10,428 --> 00:03:13,674
Making sure you're getting all the way
up top, straight arms at the top, so
52
00:03:13,674 --> 00:03:14,650
full range of motion.
53
00:03:14,650 --> 00:03:19,020
Make sure that breath is tight in there,
good exhale on the work.
54
00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,690
And, make sure you're rotating.
55
00:03:23,690 --> 00:03:26,220
We'll talk more about that in a second.
56
00:03:26,220 --> 00:03:27,845
Always exhaling on the work.
57
00:03:27,845 --> 00:03:32,968
[SOUND] Other key pointers on this, make
sure your feet are glued to the ground.
58
00:03:32,968 --> 00:03:36,508
Right, we're not flailing at all,
we're nice and balanced.
59
00:03:36,508 --> 00:03:38,440
Beautiful, last one.
60
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:42,823
[SOUND] Boom, bring them down,
setting them right on our knee.
61
00:03:42,823 --> 00:03:44,839
Going right in to our bent over rows here,
okay.
62
00:03:44,839 --> 00:03:48,890
Same weights, chest nice and proud.
63
00:03:48,890 --> 00:03:51,400
Get that little arch in
your lower back going here.
64
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:52,420
Right?
65
00:03:52,420 --> 00:03:56,790
And we're just hinging down,
chest parallel to the ground.
66
00:03:56,790 --> 00:03:57,510
Here's our setup.
67
00:03:58,620 --> 00:04:00,000
Palms are about 45 degrees.
68
00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,710
Boom, right up and in.
69
00:04:01,710 --> 00:04:02,700
Boom, right back down.
70
00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:09,680
As always, full range of motion, so
we're getting nice and high, nice and low.
71
00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:17,330
Notice all the work is happening
at my arms and shoulder joint.
72
00:04:17,330 --> 00:04:19,801
Nothing funny is happening
at the torso here, right?
73
00:04:19,801 --> 00:04:20,499
Nice and still.
74
00:04:20,499 --> 00:04:26,011
[MUSIC]
75
00:04:26,011 --> 00:04:29,936
Keeping that back nice and
low, parallel to the ground.
76
00:04:29,936 --> 00:04:32,228
Last three.
77
00:04:32,228 --> 00:04:34,440
Three.
78
00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:34,940
Two.
And one.
79
00:04:37,540 --> 00:04:38,040
Nice job.
80
00:04:39,730 --> 00:04:44,520
Okay, setting that bad boy down,
hit right in to set number two,
81
00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:45,900
back to our goblet squats here.
82
00:04:45,900 --> 00:04:49,540
Glue it into our chest,
tapping that booty right up.
83
00:04:49,540 --> 00:04:50,040
That's one.
84
00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,200
Two.
Notice the nice light tap of the butt
85
00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:55,458
against that bench.
86
00:04:55,458 --> 00:05:00,579
Knees, chest.
87
00:05:00,579 --> 00:05:03,064
Breath.
88
00:05:03,064 --> 00:05:06,445
It's all cranking here.
89
00:05:06,445 --> 00:05:11,661
I love these circuits at the gym cuz
it's nice and consolidated, right?
90
00:05:11,661 --> 00:05:13,666
We don't have to leave this bench.
91
00:05:13,666 --> 00:05:15,426
We got everything we need right here.
92
00:05:15,426 --> 00:05:16,866
[MUSIC]
93
00:05:16,866 --> 00:05:18,498
To get it done.
94
00:05:18,498 --> 00:05:19,884
[MUSIC]
95
00:05:19,884 --> 00:05:20,740
And one.
96
00:05:20,740 --> 00:05:24,090
Beautiful bench with rotation.
97
00:05:24,090 --> 00:05:27,050
Up next to our knees.
98
00:05:27,050 --> 00:05:29,150
Boom, popping right back.
99
00:05:29,150 --> 00:05:32,520
Long spine, take a second,
make sure your form is perfect.
100
00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,390
Set up as ace.
101
00:05:34,390 --> 00:05:39,698
And we're going.
102
00:05:39,698 --> 00:05:44,750
All right, little tidbit about this
rotation here, so the reason we rotate,
103
00:05:44,750 --> 00:05:49,340
one, external rotation
helps with the shoulder.
104
00:05:49,340 --> 00:05:52,850
External rotation actually distracts
the shoulder joint a little bit, so
105
00:05:52,850 --> 00:05:56,050
it's a little healthier for our shoulders,
as opposed to internal rotation,
106
00:05:56,050 --> 00:05:58,050
which compresses that shoulder joint.
107
00:05:58,050 --> 00:06:01,520
Also, when you look at
a good press motion,
108
00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:06,370
you want your elbows to track about 45
degrees to the midline of your body.
109
00:06:06,370 --> 00:06:09,340
So, this helps reinforce
that good movement pattern.
110
00:06:10,350 --> 00:06:11,880
Makes sense, right?
111
00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,690
We don't want to press from here.
112
00:06:14,690 --> 00:06:17,060
We want those elbows about 45 degrees.
113
00:06:17,060 --> 00:06:19,919
[SOUND] That's why we rotate.
114
00:06:19,919 --> 00:06:22,500
[SOUND] Make sure that
breath is tied in there.
115
00:06:22,500 --> 00:06:24,334
Good exhale on the work.
116
00:06:24,334 --> 00:06:29,134
[SOUND] And
make sure you're rotating, I am.
117
00:06:29,134 --> 00:06:31,779
[SOUND] Two to go.
118
00:06:31,779 --> 00:06:36,974
[SOUND] Last one, boom, [SOUND].
119
00:06:36,974 --> 00:06:38,957
[MUSIC]
120
00:06:38,957 --> 00:06:40,856
Exercise three, bent over rows.
121
00:06:40,856 --> 00:06:43,590
I want to show you a little regression for
this exercise.
122
00:06:43,590 --> 00:06:47,850
If your back is a little bit weak, you're
having trouble maintaining that position,
123
00:06:47,850 --> 00:06:49,990
go to a one arm bent over row here.
124
00:06:49,990 --> 00:06:53,180
Use this bench, already set up,
in position that we need.
125
00:06:53,180 --> 00:06:57,720
Little support to help keep
you in a solid position.
126
00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,200
Up and in.
127
00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:04,906
Boom, right back down, so we're going
to unilateral one side bent over rows.
128
00:07:04,906 --> 00:07:08,020
[SOUND] With that bench support here.
129
00:07:08,020 --> 00:07:13,417
[SOUND] I'm gonna do six on this side,
six on the other side.
130
00:07:13,417 --> 00:07:19,081
[SOUND] But, if you're doing these at
the gym feel free to do 12 and 12s, right?
131
00:07:19,081 --> 00:07:23,608
Just like we do with our bi-lateral
bend over rows, six on the right,
132
00:07:23,608 --> 00:07:25,470
all the way up and in, boom.
133
00:07:27,660 --> 00:07:30,510
Remind yourself of that breath,
three reps to go.
134
00:07:30,510 --> 00:07:36,140
Finish strong, three, two, one.
135
00:07:36,140 --> 00:07:37,630
Bam, beautiful work.
136
00:07:37,630 --> 00:07:41,050
Two sets in the bucket, last one.
137
00:07:42,050 --> 00:07:43,180
Best one, right?
138
00:07:43,180 --> 00:07:44,980
We always finish nice and strong.
139
00:07:44,980 --> 00:07:47,570
If you're feeling great at this point, and
140
00:07:47,570 --> 00:07:51,520
the weights manageable,
amp it up a little bit.
141
00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:56,130
Explore a slightly more challenging
weight and see how it feels.
142
00:07:56,130 --> 00:07:57,900
Alright?
I'm gonna go to 25s here
143
00:07:57,900 --> 00:07:59,926
[MUSIC]
144
00:07:59,926 --> 00:08:00,886
Perfect setup.
145
00:08:00,886 --> 00:08:07,213
Toes, chest, knees, over toes, bam one.
146
00:08:07,213 --> 00:08:08,475
Two.
147
00:08:08,475 --> 00:08:10,577
Three.
148
00:08:10,577 --> 00:08:13,941
Four, yeah.
149
00:08:13,941 --> 00:08:15,623
Five.
150
00:08:15,623 --> 00:08:18,175
And six.
151
00:08:18,175 --> 00:08:23,055
[SOUND] If you wanna make it a little
harder, you're still feeling awesome, feel
152
00:08:23,055 --> 00:08:27,805
free to step away from that bench, and
get a little bit deeper into that squat.
153
00:08:27,805 --> 00:08:31,440
Of course, that's what we're working
towards, nice full range of motion.
154
00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:35,060
But, we've gotta start
wherever we've got to start.
155
00:08:35,060 --> 00:08:39,060
So, listen to your body,
to thine own self be true, last rep.
156
00:08:41,860 --> 00:08:43,970
All right, 25s.
157
00:08:43,970 --> 00:08:47,480
I'm going to stick with these
heavier weights for our last round.
158
00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:49,471
Again, feel free to explore it,
see how you feel.
159
00:08:49,471 --> 00:08:51,455
[MUSIC]
160
00:08:51,455 --> 00:08:53,930
Knees up, good setup.
161
00:08:53,930 --> 00:08:57,319
Take a second, get your mind right.
162
00:08:57,319 --> 00:09:03,872
Press and up and rotate and
yeah, I feel these, feels nice.
163
00:09:03,872 --> 00:09:07,460
Three, four, working that chest here.
164
00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:10,480
Working those triceps.
165
00:09:11,660 --> 00:09:14,390
Even working the anterior
deltoids as well.
166
00:09:14,390 --> 00:09:15,988
Sculpting that whole front of the body.
167
00:09:15,988 --> 00:09:20,136
Getting swoll baby,
168
00:09:20,136 --> 00:09:24,990
getting strong, yeah.
169
00:09:24,990 --> 00:09:26,656
Last three, finish with me.
170
00:09:26,656 --> 00:09:33,860
Last one, yeah.
171
00:09:33,860 --> 00:09:38,510
Last exercise here,
last set, best set, baby.
172
00:09:38,510 --> 00:09:39,830
All the way down.
173
00:09:39,830 --> 00:09:42,329
Notice how low I am,
almost parallel to the ground.
174
00:09:43,590 --> 00:09:45,000
Tapping that chest up top.
175
00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,506
Three, yeah, four.
176
00:09:48,506 --> 00:09:50,181
Trying to keep that torso nice and still.
177
00:09:50,181 --> 00:09:55,727
[MUSIC]
178
00:09:55,727 --> 00:10:00,507
And, you notice that heart's pumping
here cuz we're flying through these
179
00:10:00,507 --> 00:10:01,860
one after the other.
180
00:10:01,860 --> 00:10:05,860
[SOUND] That my friends, awesome set,
181
00:10:05,860 --> 00:10:10,745
awesome circuit training, excellent work.
182
00:10:10,745 --> 00:10:13,830
First day at the gym,
legitimately, congratulations.
183
00:10:13,830 --> 00:10:17,160
That's a big step toward accomplishing
our long-term fitness goals,
184
00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:19,590
the possibilities from here, right?
185
00:10:19,590 --> 00:10:20,470
Keep it up.
186
00:10:20,470 --> 00:10:21,440
There's more to come.
187
00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:22,860
I'll see you soon on Just Get Started.