Top 10 Fitness Goals for Beginners + How to Achieve Them

Fitness Goals for Beginners – Introduction

What are the most common fitness goals for beginners to achieve?

While most people understand the need to exercise, many of us struggle to maintain a regular workout routine.

In a lot of cases, that’s because the benefits of regular exercise can seem kind of vague.

Things like losing weight, getting fit, and getting stronger are not always quantifiable, so it’s easy to forget why working out is (or should be!) so important.

One way around this problem is setting and working toward fitness goals.

For example, if you were an athlete, you might set the goal of competing in the next Olympics.

With that goal always on your mind, you are much less likely to skip out on your workouts.

Or maybe you’re a budding powerlifter, so you set yourself the goal of deadlifting double your bodyweight.

Again, with this goal driving your workouts, you should have fewer problems staying motivated and sticking to your training schedule.

But what if you are a beginner at the start of your fitness journey?

What goals should you work toward?

In this article, I’ll suggest TEN fitness goals that are perfect for newbie exercisers.

The Top 10 Fitness Goals for Beginners

Don’t try and achieve all ten goals at the same time.

Instead, pick just 2-3, reach them, and then switch your sights to a new goal.

That way, you have short-term goals and long-term goals, and your workouts will always have a purpose that goes beyond just getting fit or losing weight.

#1. Run a mile non-stop

If you are new to running, a mile can seem like a very long way.

However, in time, and with a bit of training, most people should be able to run one mile without stopping.

If you are new to running, start off with some brisk walking, broken up with a little jogging.

Alternate between walking and jogging for 15-20 minutes for a few workouts.

Then, as you get fitter, try to walk less and jog more.

Also, work out for longer, e.g., 25-30 minutes.

Continue walking/jogging for a few weeks until you can comfortably run for 10-15 minutes without stopping.

You are now ready to run a measured mile.

Don’t try and set any speed records your first time out.

Instead, just focus on covering the distance.

You can go faster next time!

#2. Run a 5k non-stop

5k is just over three miles, so this goal is a bit of a step up from goal #1.

However, achieving it involves using the same walk/jog system you used to run a mile.

As before, try to walk less and run more until you are confident you can run 5k without stopping.

Focus on completing the distance before you start going for speed.

Need some extra motivation?

Sign up for a local 5k fun run.

#3. Deadlift your bodyweight

The deadlift is the king of barbell strength training exercises.

It works virtually all the major muscle groups of your body, is relatively straightforward to learn, and all you need to do it is a barbell and some weight plates.

You don’t even need a squat rack.

Regardless of how much weight you lift, deadlifting will do you good, but you’ll make faster progress if you work toward a goal, such as deadlifting your body weight.

Too daunting?

How about 50% of what you weigh?

Over the next few months, gradually increase your weights as you decrease your reps until you are mostly lifting in sets of 3-5 reps.

Then focus exclusively on adding more weight to the bar.

Make sure you focus on your form and don’t sacrifice good technique for more weight.

When you can do 4-5 five reps with 80% of your body weight, you should be ready to lift what you weigh for one.

#4. Do 20 perfect push-ups

Push-ups are one of the best excuse-free exercises.

Working your chest, shoulders, and triceps, you can do push-ups almost anywhere and anytime, and they are the ideal accompaniment to deadlifts.

20 push-ups are a good goal, especially if we’re talking perfect push-ups, with your body straight, abs braced and lowering your chest to the floor each rep.

Start out doing 2-3 sets of as many as you can, two to three times a week.

Gradually increase the number of reps.

When you can do three sets of 12-15, you should be ready to do a single set of 20 reps.

If 20 reps sound too much right now, work on hitting ten perfect push-ups and increase from there.

#5. Do your first pull-up

Pull-ups are a challenging exercise that a lot of people shy away from.

That’s because doing even one can seem impossible.

However, with some effort and dedication, most people (including women) can work up to doing a single pull-up.

There are several ways to build the strength necessary to do pull-ups, including:

• Lat pulldowns
• Band-assisted pull-ups
• Machine-assisted pull-ups
• Negative pull-ups (lower yourself down, use your legs to climb up)
• Incline rows

As you work on getting better at these pull-up assistance exercises, your strength will improve, and it won’t be too long before you crank out your first pull-up.

#6. Do five pull-ups

So, you’ve done one pull-up; what’s next?

The next logical target is five reps.

Do three sets of 1-3 pull-ups a couple of times a week, working on doing more reps per set as you get stronger.

You can continue using the pull-up assistance exercises outlined above to supplement your pull-up training, too.

It might take you a few months, but eventually, you’ll be able to do five straight pull-ups, and that’s a fitness feat worth boasting about!

#7. Lose ten pounds

Even if you need to lose more than ten pounds, this is one of the most important fitness goals for beginners.

Why?

Besides the health benefits of dropping ten pounds, it’s also a realistic goal and manageable within a reasonable timeframe.

Goals that take months to achieve are often forgotten simply because they seem unobtainable.

Losing ten pounds is a significant achievement, but not so lofty that you feel defeated before you even start.

Most people should be able to lose ten pounds in six to eight weeks without resorting to starvation diets or crazy workouts.

Need to lose more than ten pounds?

Forget about it!

Just think about the next ten-pound “block.”

That’s the best way to maintain your motivation.

#8. Walk 10,000 steps a day for 30 days

A lot of the people I meet ask me to write them a training program.

I’ve done this in the past, but invariably, they don’t follow it for long, and I end up just wasting my time.

So, this is what I tell them; walk 10,000 steps for 30 days straight, and then I’ll write you a program.

People who show this level of commitment are much more likely to stick to the program I write, whereas someone who can’t or won’t walk 10,000 steps for 30 days probably won’t.

Walking is one of the best general fitness exercises you can do.

It’s easy but still an effective way to get fitter and lose weight.

Try walking 10,000 steps a day for 30 days.

Once you reach that goal, do it again!

This dedication will soon start to affect other aspects of your life, improving your willpower and determination.

#9. Plank for a minute

Most people want a flatter, firmer midsection.

Some may even dream of a six-pack.

The plank is a simple yet effective core exercise that you can do anywhere and anytime, so it’s ideal for home exercisers.

While there is nothing magical about planking for a minute, it’s a good target that’s worth pursuing.

Start off doing 2-3 sets of 20-30 seconds and increase gradually from there.

When you can do a minute of planking, look for ways to make your core workout harder and not just longer.

There isn’t much value to planking for 5-10 minutes.

Useful plank progressions include the stability ball plank, hollow holds, and pot stirrers.

#10. Eat five servings of vegetables or fruit every day

As the saying goes, you are what you eat.

Food provides your body with energy in the form of calories, but your body needs more.

To function correctly, you also need to keep your body supplied with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

The most abundant sources of these nutrients are vegetables and fruit.

With today’s hectic lifestyle, it can often be hard to find the time to stop and cook healthy meals.

Instead, we fill up on takeouts, ready meals, and sugary snacks.

Needless to say, that’s part of what makes it so hard to lose weight.

Eating more vegetables and fruit is an easy way to lower your calorie intake while making your diet more nutritious.

No time to cook?

Then don’t!

You can eat a lot of vegetables and almost all fruits raw.

Eating five servings of vegetables and fruit a day will help ward off hunger, so you are less tempted to eat junk food and will boost almost every aspect of your health.

You’ll probably lose weight too.

Fitness Goals for Beginners – Wrapping Up

Working out without a goal is like going on a long journey without a map.

You MIGHT get to where you want to go, but it’ll be blind luck if you do.

Also, your journey will take longer than it could have, as you’ll probably get lost a few times along the way.

You may even quit entirely and go back home!

Having fitness goals helps keep you focused.

Also, knowing that you are working toward something specific means, you’ll be less likely to give up.

Make your goal even more powerful by adding a deadline, such as “I’ll run 5k without stopping in three months.”

Timeframes like this add a little urgency to your endeavors, making it even less likely that you’ll miss workouts along the way.

While you don’t HAVE to set goals, and many exercisers are happy working out without them.

But, if your motivation and willpower need a boost, setting goals can really help.

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