How to Create a Bulletproof Monthly Fitness Plan

So you’re sticking to your guns and starting a workout routine - that’s great! But, don’t be fooled. It’s not always easy and it’ll be tempting to quit at times. Pushing through will require some self-discipline and will-power. Having a solid plan in place helps too. Creating a monthly workout plan ahead of time will help you stay focused and motivated when things get tough.

If you’re new to all this it may feel overwhelming to plan a whole month at once. With some knowledge and guidance, though, you’ll have your monthly workout calendar put together in no time. Here, we’ll provide you with some tips to get started and a sample 30-day workout challenge so you can see what one looks like.

What to Include in Your Monthly Workout Plan

If you want to see results, you can’t just jump in and do whatever you feel like that day. You need to include workouts that target certain areas of your body and then balance your schedule so each muscle group gets adequate attention and rest.

There are six main muscle groups:

1. Chest
2. Back
3. Shoulders
4. Legs
5. Arms
6. Abs

There are many different ways you can work these into a weekly or monthly schedule. You can do full-body workouts that hit everything all at once, or you can use 30-Day Fitness to help you create targeted workouts that focus on only one or two areas at a time.

Either way, there are plenty of proven exercises you can do to work the muscles you want. Pushups, squats, burpees, leg raises, and lunges are popular, beginner-friendly workouts that all target different areas of the body.

But, you don’t want to get sucked into doing the same workouts all the time. Not only will you get bored but your body will get used to them and they won’t be as effective. It’s important to mix things up. This is where 30-Day Fitness is so helpful as you have hundreds of exercises at your disposal that are sorted by difficulty and target area.

Start working out

How Often to Workout

If you’re excited about this new journey and you just can’t wait to start seeing results, you may be tempted to hit the ground running and workout for hours every day. Don’t do this. Not only will you get burnt out fast, but you could injure yourself.

You’ll be working your muscles far more than they’re used to and you might even use muscles that you’ve never pushed before. You must start slowly. Rest is just as important as the workouts themselves. This is why even the pros take at least one day off each week.

Start with two or three days per week, no more. To start, try keeping workouts to around 20 or 30 minutes as well. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough to see results as long as you’re consistent. Once you get into the swing of things you can start increasing the length and number of days, if you want.

Or, you can stick to half an hour three days a week for as long as you want, that’s fine too! That’s the great thing about 30-Day Fitness, you can completely customize your schedule and even the lengths of the workouts.

Once you discover what works for you, 30-Day Fitness has also created several 30-day challenges. These are 30-day workout plans that focus on a certain issue or area such as cardio, burning belly fat, or toning your arms. It’s a great way to push yourself while targeting something specific.

Equipment to Improve Your Workout

While it’s entirely possible to work out with no equipment and see results, adding a few small things will increase the quality and efficacy of your workouts. Start with a few basics:

Dumbbells

These are versatile pieces, especially if you get adjustable ones that allow you to add or remove weight. You can lift these in many different ways to target different muscles.

Resistance Bands

These add additional resistance to many different exercises. They work particularly well when put around knees or ankles for leg movements.

Kettlebell

These are great for doing deadlifts, swings, and other strength exercises in a limited space. They are also available in multiple weight increments, allowing you to move up as you improve.

Balance Ball

These are fantastic for core workouts as simply trying to balance on the ball works your abs. It also enhances your stretching routine.

There are all kinds of things you can get, but these four pieces alone will open up a whole new world of exercises and strength training.

Get your plan

Sample Monthly Workout Calendar for Beginners

Different workouts and schedules work differently for everyone, so your 30-day challenge calendar could look very different from someone else’s. But, the following schedule is a good one for beginners and it gives you somewhere to start, at least:

1. Upper body workout
2. Rest day
3. Lower body workout
4. Rest day
5. Core workout
6. Stretch for 30 minutes
7. Go for a 30-minute walk
8. Upper body workout
9. Rest day
10. Lower body workout
11. Rest day
12. HIIT workout
13. Go dancing
14. Stretch for 30 minutes
15. Upper Body workout
16. Rest Day
17. Lower Body Workout
18. Rest Day
19. Core workout
20. Stretch for 30 minutes
21. Go for a hike
22. Upper body workout
23. Rest day
24. Lower body workout
25. Rest day
26. HIIT workout
27. Stretch for 30 minutes
28. 30-60 minute yoga session
29. Upper body workout
30. Rest day
31. Lower body workout

As you can see, this sample schedule has you doing a true workout three days a week. Days for resting, stretching, and other physical activities are spread out between the rest. You can use the 30-Day Fitness App to create different upper body, lower body, core, and HIIT workouts so you don’t get bored with the same things over and over again.

You can find targeted workouts of specific lengths through the search filters on the app. You can even specify difficulty level, meaning you can stick to beginner level workouts for the first month. Then, you can increase the length and intensity for subsequent monthly workout challenges as your fitness improves.

Final Tips for Starting a Workout Routine

As you embark on this new fitness journey, keep a few key things in mind:

• Don’t rush. Always start slow and work your way up gradually.
• Don’t quit. It might start to feel hard after a while. Prepare for this and make yourself keep going.
• Don’t skip stretching. It may not feel like the most effective part of the workout, but it’s essential.
• Always rest. As you move up in your fitness you may start working out for longer and more often. This is great, but don’t forget your rest day. Always take at least one rest day each week where you don’t work out at all.
• Pay attention to form. Make sure you’re doing the exercise correctly, otherwise you could get hurt. 30-Day Fitness provides you with both written instructions and a video demonstration for each exercise included on the app.