To achieve gym self-assurance, sculpt a complete physique, and follow a renowned trainer's 16-week workout blueprint.
Alex Marks' 16-week Beginner Gym Training Plan: Building Muscle and Gym Confidence
Alex Marks, a trainer at London PT studio On Your Marks, has designed a comprehensive 16-week training plan for beginners looking to build muscle and gain gym confidence. The plan consists of three weekly workouts, each focusing on different movement patterns such as hinge movements, pushes, pulls, isometric holds, and unilateral lifts.
Each workout is structured around three supersets, where two exercises are performed back-to-back with minimal rest, followed by a 60-second rest period before repeating. The plan emphasizes starting with light weights in week one to learn form, mastering exercise tempo in week two, and then progressively increasing the load from week three onward for progressive overload.
Session 1 (Monday)
The first session focuses on lower body hinge movements and upper body presses. The exercises required for this session include Goblet squats, Prone dumbbell flyes, Dumbbell shoulder press, and Wall assisted reverse lunges. Goblet squats are performed four times with 8-10 reps, with no rest in between sets. The Copenhagen hold exercise is also included, performed for 4 sets, with each set lasting 45 seconds and a rest period of 60 seconds between sets.
Equipment Needed: Dumbbells, a thick, long looped resistance band, and an adjustable weight bench.
Session 2 (Wednesday)
Session 2, held on Wednesday, focuses on lower push and upper press. The exercises include the Romanian deadlift, Rope triceps push down, and Back extension. The Goblet squat is also included, performed four times with 8-10 reps and no rest in between sets. The hollow hold and plank are exercises used for core strengthening in the plan.
Equipment Needed: Dumbbells, a weight bench, a cable machine, a back extension machine, and a Bosu ball.
Session 3 (Friday)
Session 3, held on Friday, focuses on lower multi-directional and upper multi-directional exercises. The exercises include the Bulgarian split squat, Banded hip thrust, and Dumbbell shoulder press. The Wall assisted reverse lunge is also included, performed three times with 8-10 reps per side and no rest in between sets. The Rope triceps push down and Back extension are also included, as previously mentioned.
Equipment Needed: Dumbbells, a weight bench, a cable machine, a back extension machine, and a Bosu ball.
The plan is structured to build muscle, movement confidence, and foundational strength systematically over 16 weeks. It is recommended to track sets, reps, and loading to monitor progression and push your body's limits safely under this protocol. This detailed, equipment-appropriate structure coupled with technique mastery and gradual overload caters well to beginners aiming to develop balanced, functional strength focused on key movement patterns at the gym.
[1] Source: Alex Marks' 16-week beginner gym training plan. [2] Source: On Your Marks, London PT studio.
In the 16-week beginner gym training plan designed by Alex Marks, the focus lies on both health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise, as indicated by the focus on building muscle and gaining gym confidence. The plan, which is based on science and structured around various exercise patterns, uses equipment like dumbbells, resistance bands, and benches to cater to workouts such as hinge movements, presses, and multi-directional exercises. Each session varies in its main focus, with Session 1 emphasizing lower body hinge movements and upper body presses, Session 2 focusing on lower push and upper press, and Session 3 concentrating on lower multi-directional and upper multi-directional exercises.
