Keto Workout Plan for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide

The ketogenic diet has gained immense popularity as a weight loss strategy, and it's also a regular topic in fitness and personal training circles. This article delves into how the keto diet interacts with exercise, with specific advice on cardio and weight training, integrating expert insights and research to provide a solid foundation for beginners.

Understanding the Keto Diet

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet designed to shift your body into a state of ketosis, where it primarily burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. This metabolic shift can significantly affect your exercise routine, especially if you're accustomed to relying on carbs for energy. When you drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake and replace it with fat, your body enters ketosis. In this state, your body becomes efficient at burning fat for energy and converts fat into ketones in the liver to fuel the brain. This process leads to significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, offering several health benefits.

Types of Ketogenic Diets

There are several variations of the ketogenic diet:

• Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD): A very low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet, typically consisting of 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs.
• Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): Involves periods of higher carb refeeds, such as five ketogenic days followed by two high-carb days.
• Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): Allows the addition of carbs around workouts.
• High-Protein Ketogenic Diet: Similar to SKD but includes more protein, with a ratio of 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

The SKD and high-protein ketogenic diets are the most extensively studied, while CKD and TKD are more advanced methods often used by bodybuilders or athletes.

Achieving Ketosis

Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs. It occurs when you significantly reduce your carbohydrate consumption, typically limiting it to around 20 to 50 grams per day, and increase your intake of fats from sources like meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils. Moderating protein consumption is also crucial, as high amounts of protein can convert into glucose, potentially slowing down your transition into ketosis.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Intermittent fasting can also help you enter ketosis faster. A common method involves limiting food intake to around 8 hours per day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. Blood, urine, and breath tests can measure ketone levels to confirm ketosis. Symptoms may include increased thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, and decreased hunger.

Benefits of Keto

A ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight and lower risk factors for disease. Research indicates that it can be as effective for weight loss as a low-fat diet, often without requiring calorie counting or strict food tracking. Studies have shown that individuals on a ketogenic diet can lose more weight and body fat compared to those on a low-fat diet, with potential benefits including improved blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.

Keto and Diabetes

Diabetes is characterized by changes in metabolism, high blood sugar, and impaired insulin function. The ketogenic diet can improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar management, making it beneficial for individuals with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Research has demonstrated significant reductions in hemoglobin A1C levels and decreased reliance on blood sugar medications among individuals following a ketogenic diet.

Other Health Benefits

Studies suggest that the keto diet may offer benefits for various health conditions:

• Heart Disease: Improves risk factors like body fat, HDL (good) cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
• Cancer: Explored as an additional treatment to slow tumor growth.
• Alzheimer’s Disease: May help reduce symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
• Epilepsy: Shown to cause significant reductions in seizures in epileptic children.
• Parkinson’s Disease: One study found improved symptoms, though more research is needed.
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Can help reduce insulin levels, which may play a key role in managing the syndrome.
• Brain Injuries: Some research suggests improved outcomes of traumatic brain injuries.

Foods to Avoid and Include

On a ketogenic diet, it's essential to reduce or eliminate certain foods:

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

• Sugary Foods: Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy.
• Grains or Starches: Wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal.
• Fruit: All fruit, except small portions of berries or strawberries.
• Beans or Legumes: Peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas.
• Root Vegetables and Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips.
• Low-Fat or Diet Products: Low-fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, condiments.
• Certain Condiments or Sauces: Barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, ketchup.
• Unhealthy Fats: Processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise.
• Alcohol: Beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks.
• Sugar-Free Diet Foods: Sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts.

Instead, focus on these foods:

• Meat: Red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken, turkey.
• Fatty Fish: Salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel.
• Eggs: Pastured or omega-3 whole eggs.
• Butter and Cream: Grass-fed butter and heavy cream.
• Cheese: Unprocessed cheeses like cheddar, goat, cream, blue, mozzarella.
• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds.
• Healthy Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil.
• Avocados: Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole.
• Low-Carb Veggies: Green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers.
• Condiments: Salt, pepper, herbs, spices.

Sample Keto Meal Plan

Here’s a sample weekly keto meal plan:

• Monday
  • Breakfast: Veggie and egg muffins with tomatoes
  • Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil, feta cheese, olives, and a side salad
  • Dinner: Salmon with asparagus cooked in butter
• Tuesday
  • Breakfast: Egg, tomato, basil, and spinach omelet
  • Lunch: Almond milk, peanut butter, spinach, cocoa powder, and stevia milkshake with sliced strawberries
  • Dinner: Cheese-shell tacos with salsa
• Wednesday
  • Breakfast: Nut milk chia pudding topped with coconut and blackberries
  • Lunch: Avocado shrimp salad
  • Dinner: Pork chops with Parmesan cheese, broccoli, and salad
• Thursday
  • Breakfast: Omelet with avocado, salsa, peppers, onion, and spices
  • Lunch: A handful of nuts and celery sticks with guacamole and salsa
  • Dinner: Chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, and a side of grilled zucchini
• Friday
  • Breakfast: Sugar-free Greek, whole milk yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder, and berries
  • Lunch: Ground beef lettuce wrap tacos with sliced bell peppers
  • Dinner: Loaded cauliflower and mixed veggies
• Saturday
  • Breakfast: Cream cheese pancakes with blueberries and grilled mushrooms
  • Lunch: Zucchini and beet “noodle” salad
  • Dinner: White fish cooked in olive oil with kale and toasted pine nuts
• Sunday
  • Breakfast: Fried eggs with mushrooms
  • Lunch: Low-carb sesame chicken and broccoli
  • Dinner: Spaghetti squash Bolognese

Eating Out on Keto

When eating out, select meat-, fish-, or egg-based dishes. Order extra veggies instead of carbs or starches, and opt for cheese or berries with cream for dessert.

Potential Side Effects

While the ketogenic diet is generally safe for most healthy individuals, some initial side effects may occur as your body adapts, often referred to as the "keto flu." Symptoms can include diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, poor energy, mental function, increased hunger, sleep issues, nausea, digestive discomfort, and decreased exercise performance.

To minimize these effects, start with a regular low-carb diet for the first few weeks to help your body burn more fat before completely eliminating carbs. Adding extra salt to your meals or taking mineral supplements can also help balance water and mineral levels. It's crucial to eat until you're full and avoid excessive calorie restriction, as a ketogenic diet typically leads to weight loss without intentional calorie restriction.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

Long-Term Considerations

Long-term adherence to the keto diet may have some negative effects, including risks of low protein in the blood, extra fat in the liver, kidney stones, and micronutrient deficiencies. Individuals taking sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for type 2 diabetes should avoid the keto diet due to an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Helpful Supplements

While not required, certain supplements can be beneficial on a ketogenic diet:

• MCT Oil: Provides energy and helps increase ketone levels when added to drinks or yogurt.
• Minerals: Added salt and other minerals can be important due to shifts in water and mineral balance.
• Caffeine: Offers benefits for energy, fat loss, and performance.
• Exogenous Ketones: May help raise the body’s ketone levels.
• Creatine: Provides numerous benefits for health and performance, especially when combined with exercise.
• Whey: Use half a scoop of whey protein in shakes or yogurt to increase daily protein intake.

Common Questions

• Can I ever eat carbs again? Yes, after the first 2 to 3 months, you can eat carbs on special occasions but should return to the diet immediately after.
• Will I lose muscle? There’s a risk of losing some muscle on any diet. However, protein intake and high ketone levels may help minimize muscle loss, especially if you lift weights.
• Can I build muscle on a ketogenic diet? Yes, but it may not work as well as on a moderate-carb diet.

Keto and Exercise: A Balanced Approach

When starting a keto diet, it’s essential to adjust your exercise plan to match your body’s new energy source. Instead of relying on carbs for fuel, your body will primarily burn fat, requiring a different approach to training. Consulting with a nutritionist before starting a new diet or exercise program is highly recommended.

Adapting to Exercise on Keto

Adapting to working out on keto can take a few weeks, during which your performance may temporarily dip as your body adjusts to using fat as its primary energy source. Patience is key during this adaptation phase.

Cardio and Keto

Cardio exercises like running, cycling, and swimming rely heavily on aerobic metabolism, which can be well-supported by a keto diet. Many people report steady energy levels and improved endurance once fully adapted. During the initial adaptation phase, cardio performance might suffer as your body learns to efficiently burn fat. Gradually build up your intensity to pre-keto levels.

Weight Training and Keto

Weight training relies on glycogen (stored carbs) for quick bursts of energy. With lower glycogen stores on a keto diet, reduced strength and performance may be a concern. However, studies indicate that many people regain and even surpass their previous strength levels once fully adapted to keto. Adequate protein intake is essential to support muscle repair and growth.

Keto Exercise Plan: Weeks 1-5

Here’s an example of a keto exercise plan balancing cardio and weight training, adaptable to your needs and preferences:

• Week 1:
  • Low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardio (walking or light jogging) for 30-45 minutes, 3-4 times per week.
  • Full-body workouts with light weights, 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps, emphasizing proper form. Exercises include squats, lunges, bench presses, and rows.
• Week 2:
  • Moderate-intensity steady-state (MISS) cardio (brisk walking or cycling) for 30-45 minutes, 3-4 times per week.
  • Gradually increase the weight and lower the reps. Aim for 3 sets of 8-10 reps per exercise.
• Week 3:
  • Mix in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions 1-2 times per week, along with MISS cardio.
  • Introduce compound movements like deadlifts and overhead presses to maximize muscle engagement.
• Week 4:
  • Continue with compound movements, focusing on progressive overload (gradually increasing the weight or resistance).
  • Aim for 4-5 sets of 6-8 reps for major lifts and 3 sets of 8-10 reps for accessory exercises.
• Week 5:
  • Continue with a combination of cardio and weight training, adjusting intensity and volume based on your body's response.

Effective Exercise Examples

Specific exercises are effective on a keto diet due to their low impact or short bursts of energy needed:

• Walking or Hiking: Low impact and sustainable for long periods.
• Cycling: Great for building endurance without straining your joints.
• Swimming: Full-body workout that’s easy on the joints.
• HIIT Workouts: Short, intense bursts of exercise followed by rest periods.
• Squats: Excellent for building lower body strength.
• Deadlifts: Full-body exercise that targets multiple muscle groups.
• Bench Press: Key for building upper body strength.
• Rows: Effective for strengthening the back and improving posture.
• Overhead Press: Targets shoulders and upper chest.

Tips to Improve Performance

To enhance your keto and gym performance:

• Stay Hydrated: Ketosis can increase water loss, so drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Electrolytes: Ensure you're getting enough sodium, potassium, and magnesium to prevent cramps and fatigue.
• Pre-Workout Nutrition: Consider a small snack of fat and protein before your workout, like nuts or a keto-friendly protein shake.
• Post-Workout Nutrition: Replenish your muscles with a post-workout meal rich in protein and healthy fats.
• Listen to Your Body: Adjust your workout intensity based on how you feel. It’s okay to have lighter days as your body adapts.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Altering your training routine on keto can be exciting, but it's not without its pitfalls. Here are common mistakes to avoid:

• Not Getting Enough Electrolytes and Hydration: The keto diet’s reduction of carbohydrate foods such as grains, fruits, and vegetables can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Electrolytes are crucial to prevent fatigue, weakness, and impaired cognitive function. Hydration is also essential, with women needing to consume around 2,200 ml of water daily.
• Overtraining Without Proper Recovery: Pushing too hard without adequate rest can lead to overtraining, resulting in fatigue, disinterest, burnout, irritability, depression, and poor performance.
• Expecting Immediate Performance Gains Without Adaptation: The keto diet is not a magic nutrition plan. It takes time for the body to adapt and for results to manifest. Adhere to the diet for at least two months before evaluating its effectiveness.

Fueling Workouts and Recovery

To maximize your keto workout, fuel your body with healthy fats and protein. Foods containing healthy fats include fatty fish, meat, eggs, avocado, oil, chia seeds, olive oil, cheese, nuts, and seeds. Prioritize protein intake to improve satiety and build and repair muscle tissue, aiming for 1.4-1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, with 25-30 grams per meal.

Staying Consistent

Consistency is essential for the success of your keto workout. This involves programming rest days, executing recovery workouts, getting enough sleep, prioritizing protein intake, and practicing mindfulness. Exercise should be a choice to improve physical and mental health, not just about scale weight.

Beginner Workout Program

This 4-week beginner workout program is designed to help you get started on your fitness journey. It includes a mixture of both cardio and resistance training exercises to help you get moving. This workout program also includes terminology and exercise explanations just in case you need additional assistance.

Terminology

• Active recovery: A type of exercise that is low-intensity and meant to follow a harder or heavy workout. Rather than remaining sedentary, active recovery is meant to get you moving, without over-training.
• Dynamic mobility: This is a form of stretching, but you are not holding a specific posture. Instead, you are constantly moving. Examples of dynamic mobility include arm circles and shoulder rolls.
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): A cardio workout that is designed to elevate your heart rate for a short period of time with bursts of exercise, followed by a short rest (hence the name interval training). HIIT is extremely intense, which is why it is only around 30 minutes.
• Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS): A low-intensity cardio workout. Because it is completed at such a low intensity, these exercise can be performed for 30-60 minutes or more.
• Reps: Short for repetitions. This is the number of times you will complete a specific exercise within 1 set.
• Rest days: Days where you will not complete a formal exercise routine.
• Set: A group of a specific number of repetitions.
• Static stretching: This is what you think of when you think of traditional stretching. You will be holding a specific stretch for an extended period of time.

Warm Up

Before every workout, you should spend 5-10 minutes warming up. This means you are getting your body moving and blood flowing. This is a good time to practice dynamic mobility and/or foam rolling (myofascial release). Examples of warm-up exercises are below:

• Jog in place
• Jumping jacks
• Arm circles
• Shoulder rolls
• Hip circles (invisible hula hoop)
• Knee circles
• Ankle circles
• Side to side twists
• Toe taps
• Kicks
• Bodyweight squats
• Bodyweight lunges

Cool Down

After every workout you should practice a 5-10 minute cool-down routine. This will help you slowly and safely lower your heart rate. This is a good time to practice static stretching. Examples of cool-down exercises are below:

• Low runners lunge
• Sit and reach
• Toe touch
• Standing quad stretch
• Calf stretch
• Straddle stretch
• Overhead triceps stretch
• Spinal twist
• Splits
• Pigeon pose
• Butterfly pose

Exercise Details

• Bicycle Crunches: Very similar to normal crunches, but with these, you’ll take your opposite elbow to your opposite knee (right elbow to the left knee and vice-versa). However, as you take your elbow to the opposite knee, straight that leg until it’s parallel to the floor, then return it to start as you lower your elbow back down. Alternate sides and keep the pace up as you get more comfortable with these - just like riding a bike!
• Burpees: A traditional burpee is a 4-count movement. Stand in a standing position. Drop your hands down to the ground and kick your legs back. Drop all the way to the ground. Push your body up, like a push-up. Jump your feet inward to the standing position, stand tall, and jump, clapping your hands overhead. Return to the standing position and start the exercise again. Modifications: Easier: Make this exercise easier by slowing the movement and cutting out the jump. Harder: Make this exercise more difficult by holding a plank position or adding a push-up to the downward position. An additional knee tuck jump can be added at the end instead of a traditional jump and clap.
• Butt Kickers: This exercise is very similar to a normal jog in place, except you are bringing your heels up to touch your glutes. This exercise helps build speed because in order to kick your butt, you will have to increase your tempo.
• Dips (with chair): For these, you’ll need a chair - a folding chair or dining chair will work fine. Start with the heel of your palm on the edge of the chair with your arms directly at your sides. Your legs will be in front of you and you can keep them straight or bent, whatever’s comfortable for you. Keeping as much weight as possible on your hands (keep weight on feet to make these easier), slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows. Go as far as you can and then return to start. As you get better at these you can place more weight on your hands and go lower!
• Running in Place (High Knees): Just like it sounds, you’re running in place, but exaggerating getting your knees as high as possible. Perform prescribed reps on each leg and make sure to stand tall and keep your chest up the entire time!
• Jumping Jack: Start in a standing position, with your arms rested by your side and feet about hip-width distance apart. Jump your legs out wider than hip-width and extend your arms out outward and overhead simultaneously. Jump back to the starting position.
• Lunges: We’ll have some variations of these, but for normal lunges, you’re going to start standing tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Step forward with one leg and slowly sit into a lunge position. Keep your chest up at all times and try to keep your hands at your hips - you can use for arms for balance if need be. Sit as low as possible then return to start position. That’s one rep on one leg, so make sure to perform the prescribed reps on both legs. Lateral/ Side Lunges - Same idea with forward/reverse lunges, but with these you’re going to step out to the side instead of front/back. Squat as low as you can on that leg then return to start. Alternate legs for the prescribed reps. Lunge Jumps- These will be a frequent addition in cardio circuits as they’re quite challenging once you get the hang of them. You’ll start in a similar position to your body-weight lunge, with one foot forward and the other behind you. You don’t have to squat down very much on these, the goal is to simply jump high enough that you can switch your feet in the air and land with the opposite forward and the opposite foot behind you. As you get the hang of these, try to do these reps as fast as possible!
• Mountain Climbers: For these, you’ll need some time of shorter surface, like a couch or living room table. Place your hands on the surface and walk your feet out until you have a straight line from heel to head. From this position, perform running steps in which you bring one knee to your chest then return it to the ground. Alternate feet each step until you get the prescribed reps on both feet. Make sure to keep your back flat, chest up, and belly button pulled to your spine the entire time!
• Plank: You can perform planks by holding a push-up position or by holding a similar position but resting on your forearms instead of your hands. As you hold this position, think about pulling your belly button to your spine and maintaining a flat line from your heels to your head. Don’t let your butt sag or rise as you get tired. If you notice you can’t make it the entire time with perfect form, stop and rest for 10-15 seconds, and then keep going until you get the prescribed time.
• Push-Ups: Most people are familiar with push-ups but let’s go over them just in case. Start with your hands about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. You can start on your knees to make push-ups a little easier, but the goal is to be able to be up on your toes for push-ups by the end of the program. Keep your belly button pulled towards your spine and a flat line from head to heel, just like in a plank. As you lower yourself down, try to keep your elbows tight to your sides. When you’re first starting, lower as far as possible and then return to start. As you get better at these you can start to go lower!
• Pull-Up: Start by gripping the bar with hands shoulder-width apart. Lean slightly back, tighten your core (abs), and pull your chest to the bar. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides. Lower all the way back down.
• Reverse Crunch: Here you’re going to start in a sit-up position, but your torso will stay on the ground this time. For these, you’re simply bringing your knees to your chest for each rep. For a greater challenge, start each rep with your legs straight!
• Russian Twist: With these, you’ll start in a sort-of half sit-up position where your feet are off the ground and you’re almost completely sitting up. Essentially you’ll be balancing on your butt! From here, rotate your torso so that you can touch the ground next to one hip with both hands, and then fully rotate to the opposite side so you can touch the ground next to your other hip with both hands. Repeat for prescribed reps on each side! To make these harder you can hold an object like a pillow or even a gallon of milk and work your way to heavier objects.
• Squats: We’ll have a few variations of these in the program, but for these, you’ll start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width with your toes slightly pointed out. Push your butt back and sit back and down like you’re sitting into a chair. Keep your chest up and eyes forward the entire time. Go as low as you can for each rep - if you can’t go super low at first, that’s okay! You’ll get better.
• V-Up: In a V-up, you’ll start by lying flat on your back with your legs straight, feet together, and arms straight overhead with your hands together. From here, perform a sit-up motion while also raising your legs and try to touch your hands to your feet - this position will make a big “V” shape, hence the name. If you can’t touch your feet at first, that’s fine!
• LISS: Stands for low-intensity steady-state cardio. Choose a low-intensity exercise that you can complete for 30-60 minutes without being too strained.

30 Minute HIIT Format:

• 5-minute warm-up
• 20-minute workout
• 5 minute cool down

There are 10 total exercises that will be completed in sets of 2. Each exercise is performed for 20 seconds on, followed by a 10-second rest. each exercise will be performed 3 times before moving on to the next exercise in the group.

• A. Burpees
• A. Burpees
• A. Burpees
• B. Butt Kickers
• B. Butt Kickers
• B. Butt Kickers
• A. High knees
• A. High knees
• A. High knees

tags: #keto #workout #plan #for #beginners