The Saitama Workout for Beginners: A Week-by-Week Start

Why beginners should not start at 100

The fastest way to fail this challenge is to try the full routine on day one. Most people who do end up with sore wrists, aching knees or shin pain within the first week, and quit. The problem isn't willpower. Muscles adapt to new work within weeks, but tendons, ligaments and the joints of your feet and knees adapt more slowly. Running 10km a day from zero is the biggest jump of all.

A progressive plan fixes this. You start at the numbers you can actually do today and add a little each week. Early increases are small, while your body learns the movements. Later ones are larger, once you have a base. That's the same principle strength coaches call progressive overload, and it's the core idea in the American College of Sports Medicine's position stand on progressing resistance training.

Step 1: Find your starting numbers

Before you plan anything, measure where you are. Warm up for five minutes (a brisk walk, arm circles, a few easy squats), then:

1. Push-ups: one set with good form, chest to about a fist from the floor, body in a straight line. Stop when your hips sag or your elbows flare. If you can't do one yet, write down 0.
2. Sit-ups: one set, knees bent, feet flat, coming all the way up. Stop when you need to yank on your neck.
3. Squats: one set, hips down to at least knee height, heels on the floor.
4. Run: the distance you can cover today at a pace where you could still talk. Walk breaks are fine. If you don't run at all, write down 0.

Be honest. The plan starts exactly here, and an inflated number only makes week one harder. You'll re-test later anyway.

Step 2: Pick a realistic timeline

How long it takes depends on where you start. Rough guidance:

Longer isn't failure. A 24-week plan that you finish beats an 8-week plan that you abandon in week three. If you're unsure, pick the longer option. You can always shorten it later.

What a beginner plan looks like

Here's a real plan from the plan generator for someone starting at 5 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, 15 squats and no running, over 24 weeks. The numbers are daily totals, not one set. Split them into as many sets as you like across the day.

Notice how gently it starts. Week 2 adds one or two reps. Halfway through, you are still under 40 push-ups a day. The steep part comes in the last third, when you have months of training behind you. This curve is deliberate: small steps early, bigger steps once your body is ready.

Every week also has one rest day (nothing required) and one active-recovery day at about half the targets. Rest days are part of the plan, not a break from it.

Make each exercise easier (and harder) as needed

The basics are below. For every variation, see push-up, sit-up and squat modifications.

Push-ups

• Wall push-ups → incline push-ups on a kitchen counter or sturdy table → knee push-ups → full push-ups. Count any version toward your total while you build up.
• Hands just outside shoulder width, elbows at roughly 45° to your body, not flared straight out.

Sit-ups

• Anchor your feet under a sofa if you need to, and lead with your chest, not your neck.
• If sit-ups bother your lower back, swap in dead bugs or crunches and check with a professional.

Squats

• Box squats to a chair teach depth safely: sit back until you touch the chair, then stand.
• Keep your heels down and knees tracking over your toes.

The run

• Starting from zero, walk-run intervals are the way in: for example, 1 minute jogging and 2 minutes walking, repeated.
• Go slow enough to talk. Most beginners run too fast, not too far.
• Increase distance before you increase speed.

More in From zero to 10km.

A day in the life: splitting the work

You don't have to do it all at once. A typical early-plan day might look like this:

• Morning: one set of each exercise before breakfast.
• Lunch: another set of each.
• Evening: the run, then finish whatever reps are left.

Splitting the work also helps your form stay good. Tired, sloppy reps are where injuries come from.

When to slow down

Normal muscle soreness in the first weeks is expected and fades. Stop and rest, or talk to a healthcare professional, if you notice:

• Sharp or joint pain (as opposed to muscle burn), especially in wrists, knees, shins or lower back.
• Pain that gets worse as you train, or that lingers into the next day.
• Soreness that makes you change how you walk or move.

Falling behind isn't a problem. Repeat a week, or regenerate your plan with a longer timeline. See why rest days matter and realistic timelines.