We’ve all read about people’s impressive workout routines on the habit. However, when you’re just starting out, some exercises that come easy to others might prove to be more difficult to you. Some fitness enthusiasts recently shared what some things are that are now part of their daily routine, but used to be a struggle for them.
1. Pull-Ups
As a beginner, you may be unable to do a single pull-up. Others could do a few. To do a ton of pull-ups, however, you need to train by doing them regularly. There is no exact number you should be able to do, but some recommend working up to 25.
One person shared that they couldn’t do a single one, but about 6 to 8 months later, they could now do 7. Pull-ups are a compound movement, activating many different muscle groups, which is great to incorporate into your everyday routine.
2. 5K or 10K Run
Running is an underutilized skill. Sure, it’s laborious, taxing, and exhausting, but it’ll build your cardio endurance tremendously. You also get to flex about how long you can run. As one runner put it, if you aren’t a runner, the worst thing you can try to do is run a couple of miles. They suggest walking it, then picking up the pace.
Then, run half a mile and walk the rest. Incrementally, add more running. Once you’ve achieved your goal, you can go faster or increase the distance. As someone who ran a 5K with no training, it’s not out of the question for a beginner to do.
However, we all have different tolerances for running. Being able to build up to 10k regularly is extremely good, and some may be able to run further than that. Increasing your cardio endurance is a valuable goal.
3. 100 Push-Ups
Someone proposed this workout routine: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 50 lunges on each leg daily. The way only takes about 15 minutes, and this person says they do it to get the blood flowing before they begin their calisthenics workout.
For a beginner, this is a workout, and you probably won’t be able to hit these marks in the first go. If I try this while being sedentary, my arms, legs, and core will feel like Jell-O.
4. Pistol Squats
A pistol squat is an advanced single-leg squat that involves descending on one leg with the other leg stretched out straight in front of you until your heel grazes the ground. This is a complicated move to master, even if you regularly work out and squat.
As one person points out, it takes balance, mobility, and incredible strength. Once you can do one, you can do it while holding a weight. You may find that you can do it on one leg but not the other. Another squatter shared that they’re trying to master it, but progress is slow and steady.
5. Hold a Handstand
Handstands, as one user points out, require core and upper body strength as well as good mobility. You’ll likely need to do a handstand against a wall to start and train yourself to hold it. Once you improve your strength, balance, and mobility, you can try it near the wall, and if you start to fall, your legs will catch you on the all.
Eventually, you’ll be able to do it all on your own but only hold it for a short time. Spread your fingers apart and shift your weight to avoid falling over. With repeated training, you’ll be able to hold it longer.
6. Rucking
Rucking is when you go for a walk or a hike with a weighted backpack on your back. This is a standard part of military training. One person suggests it’s practical because of the minimal outlay cost. All you need is a backpack and some heavy stuff to put inside. Another commenter has the lofty goal of rucking for 90 minutes with a 90 lb backpack.
It increases cardiovascular fitness and strength. Most people can’t go for long stretches wearing a heavy backpack. This is an excellent exercise because extending the distance or resistance can easily increase the difficulty.
7. Squat Heavy
A personal trainer shares how shocked they are that they regularly see clients in their mid to late twenties who can’t at least squat parallel. They add that failing this basic fitness test sets you up for many future issues. Once you’ve mastered bodyweight squats, adding weights is a great strength and conditioning workout.
A gymgoer in the thread claims they can squat 315 lbs for 25 reps. They suggest mastering the squat and making it your go-to exercise. If you squat at high-rep, this is a great cardio exercise too. Strengthening your legs can improve your health and prevent injury.
8. Dead Hang
Ah, the dreaded dead hang. This is an incredibly dubious exercise because it looks much easier than it is. A dead hang is when you hang from a pullup bar, fully extending your arms and just hanging there, bearing your entire body weight for as long as possible. While you don’t engage in pulling motions, this is a great exercise to build up to your first pullup.
Dead hangs improve grip strength, stretch your upper body, decompress your spine, and relieve shoulder pain. Time yourself to see how long you can hang on. Odds are, it’ll be shorter than you expect. Try to increase this by minutes.
9. Muscle-Ups
A muscle-up is another advanced calisthenic strength move. It’s when you do a pullup, and once you have momentum pulling your head over the bar, you transition into a pushing motion and push your body above the bar, fully extending your arms.
They’re tough to do at first, and it takes a lot of training just to do one. They activate your triceps, lats, deltoids, and pec muscles.
10. Heavy & Long Farmers Carries
A farmer’s carry or farmer’s walk is a strength exercise that involves carrying a heavy load in each hand while you walk for some distance. One fitness guru advises you to work up to being able to carry half your body weight in each hand. Then, increase the distance.