Starting a new fitness journey can be motivating. It can be fun and exciting.
But for beginners, the most anxiety ridden part is stepping foot in a gym.
The truth is, if you are serious about fitness, to reach your fitness goals to their fullest potential you will need a little more than your at home set up.
Entering a place that has a “social club” aspect to it, filled with people who are stronger and more experienced in the world of fitness, can be very intimidating to the new beginner at the gym.
BUT…
Forget about all of that, because YOU have taken a huge step to bettering your life physically and MENTALLY.
The effects of routine exercise on our well being cannot be understated.
It doesn’t just improve our physical well being, but it also has a strong correlation with our mental state and has been shown to improve anxiety and depression.
Here are some of the best and most helpful Gym beginner tips to crush your workouts and feel good doing so!
- Identify your goals
- Research what type of training you need to reach those goals
- Plan a flexible diet
- Start off going 3x a week
- Eat before training
- Hydrate
- Avoid peak times
- Start off slow
- Have the right mindset
- Be wary of personal trainers
- Put on some good music
- Warm up!
- Wear gym clothes that are comfortable to you
- Most important: be consistent!
Let’s get into each one of them in a little more detail and make sure to read till the end for the most common beginning gym questions and answers!
Identify your goals
What is it that you expect to achieve in the gym?
- Do you just want to improve your health?
- Are you looking to completely transform your body?
- Are you looking to gain muscle?
- Do you just want to lose fat?
Identifying your goals will help you remember why you are stepping foot in the gym. Never go into the gym without a plan.
You are taking time away from your family and other endeavors to better yourself, so go in there with a plan and a vision of what you want to look and feel like and what type of workouts you need to perform to get there.
As always, we are here to help! We can help you get started with workouts and nutrition programs that fit YOU and ONLY YOU specifically. We never do cookie cutter programs!
Reach out to us at parentinganddumbbells@gmail.com and let’s work!
Plan a flexible nutrition program
Do not believe the hype. You cannot eat “whatever you want as long as you workout”.
If you are prepared to put in the work in the gym, then also be prepared with a sound nutrition program.
As far as what to eat, unless you are an elite athlete training for an event and need specific foods, we recommend following an 80/20 approach.
80% of the food you consume should be clean, minimally processed foods with heavy nutritional value and the other 20% can be “Fun foods” as long as they meet your caloric and nutrient goals.
This will help you stick to your diet!
Do not follow a diet you cannot sustain, you will fail.
For more information on how to follow a flexible dieting approach and why it will help you adhere to your diet check out what we believe is the BEST FAT LOSS DIET.
Start by visiting the gym just 3x a week
Many people start off full steam ahead when they start a new fitness journey.
Gym 6x a week.
Cardio everyday.
No carb.
Low carb.
Macha lacha batta detox spinach ginger root snail soil juice.
Stop!
Get your feet wet by going only 3x a week.
Start feeling comfortable with the environment and the equipment. If you can make it more than 3x a week great, but if your schedule is tight start by committing to a few a days a week so your mind and body get use to the gym and the routine.
Baby steps!
Walk before running.
Eat Before Training
In 20 years of training, everytime I have trained fasted, I didn’t feel as good or as strong as if I had a meal prior.
EAT before your workout.
It doesn’t have to be a big meal, and it shouldn’t be a big meal. A small amount of complex carbohydrates with lean protein an hour or two before is sufficient to make sure you are powered up for your workout.
Studies have supported that athletic performance has been shown to increase when individuals ate within a few hours (1-3) before their training session and in our opinion, it’s a no brainer.
Hydrate
No, not only when you are at the gym…but WELL BEFORE the gym.
You should be drinking water consistently. Forget the old “8 cups a day” adage.
You are a beast now training hard in the gym!
What are the benefits of water before and during exercise?
- Improved oxygen levels and energy
- Decreased blood pressure
- Improve performance in the gym
- Better transportation of essential nutrients within your body
- Helps your muscles stay fuller and bigger for better pumps in the gym.
Avoid Peak Times
As a beginner, the last the thing you need is to be waiting in line for 20 minutes for a machine that will take you another 20 minutes to learn how to use while the 15 year old next in line behind you is hovering over you.
If you can avoid peak times, do it.
You will be more comfortable experimenting with different equipment and getting use to the gym environment without being overly self conscious in the social club the gym becomes during peak times.
What are the gym peak times?
Usually, in most gyms, it’s the after work hours between 5pm and 8pm.
There are other times that may be a bit more crowded (early mornings, lunch hour) but for the most part, the after work hours are very crowded and uncomfortable for a gym newbie.
Start off Slow
Don’t expect to go in to the gym and hit your personal best run time or lift.
Results take time. Be easy on yourself. Let your body get accustomed to training frequently by starting out with lighter weight, slower/shorter runs etc.
As the weeks go by and your body get past the initial soreness, acclimation period, and you figure out what training style/exercises you like you can start ramping up the intensity.
Have the right mindset
This is what separates the people who achieve REAL results in the gym, whether it be physically or health wise.
You won’t always feel like hitting the gym. Life WILL get in the way. Whether it be work, family, friends, kids, things will happen.
It is up to YOU to make that commitment to yourself to take your health and physique seriously and make it happen no matter what.
Everyone can make it to the gym when they have time or “feel good”, that is easy. There is no accomplishment there. When the times get tough, and you still make it happen, those are the days the results you desire are being cultivated.
Be Wary of Personal Trainers
Even though we welcome people to work with us on their fitness journey, you have to keep a watchful eye out for the “cookie cutter” personal trainer.
We take on parents to transform their physiques from a whole different perspective.
We take everything about them as AN INDIVIDUAL, from their eating preferences, time constraints with the family/kids, training preferences, personality – EVERYTHING…and we implement a training and nutrition program that fits THEIR life as a busy parent, all while being with them every step of the way…everyday they need us we are there and track their progress weekly.
We are busy parents ourselves, who have lived a fit lifestyle for over 20 years…and managed to do it while putting our family first.
But Personal Trainers aren’t always this individualized…
A certification does not make you qualified to advise someone on their physique goals.
They are extremely easy to get, and many personal trainers don’t actually have a “fitness” background besides that little piece of paper.
Listen, we are being brutally honest. There are TONS of great personal trainers.
We are simply saying, if you do decide to go with one make sure they understand your goals and you understand what you are getting for your money.
Google and self education on proper training and nutrition go a long way!
Put on some good music!
I use to train with no music. And I enjoyed it.
But man, when I switched to training with music the training was way better. It allowed me to be in my zone, my world.
Make sure your playlist is set and your ear pods, air pods, ground pods…whatever you kids call it now a days….is charged and ready to go with your favorite Celine Dion track! Or is that just me?
Warm up!
Please warm up.
If you are running, start off with a light jog. Maybe a light stretch before putting the treadmill on level 45 and sprinting.
If you are lifting, please start off light and work into your heavier weight sets. Don’t just jump into a 315 bench.
Your body needs to warm up and get the blood moving. Your joints don’t like waking up to an insane amount of workload before being give the heads up!
Wear comfortable gym clothes
Wear what makes you feel not only comfortable, but good.
At the end of the day, the gym is “the public” so if you want to wear some nice sneakers, and gym gear, go for it.
Just make sure that the clothes actually fit comfortably (to you) and that you’re able to work out in it.
Remember, you are first and foremost there to train and be a better you, not win best dresser.
Some questions you may have
1. How many hours should I spend at the gym?
The WHO recommendation is at least 150 minutes of aerobic training or 75-150 minutes of anaerobic (weight lifting) per week.
You don’t have to spend hours in the gym. If you include a warmup, lifting session and maybe some post cardio, 1.5 hours is a good rule of thumb. But ANYTIME, is better than no time.
2. Should a beginner workout everyday?
No.
In our opinion, when first starting stick to 3-5x a week for a couple of weeks.
This will give your body time to recover from new training stimuli, reduce soreness, and allow you to slowly get use to the demands regular exercise places on your body. As the weeks and months go on, you can begin to increase your training frequency.
3. What should I eat before training/working out?
Aim to consume a small meal 1-2 hours before hitting your workout.
Depending on your weight etc, a good rule of thumb is a small portion (25-40grams) of minimally processed carbohydrates along with a small portion (25-30grams) of lean protein. Keep fats in your pre-workout meal (5-10grams) minimal to increase the rate of digestion.
We hope you found this helpful.
To conclude the most important tip we can give you is…
CONSISTENCY.
Stay the course, stay consistent, and you will see great results physically and mentally!
For more beginning gym tips, check out our 12 Myths About Exercise and Diet that you need to know!
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