First Time at the Gym? Do This!
We’ve all been here; all of us. We all had a first day in the gym, and we likely can mostly all remember how we felt. I remember having my kit packed and ready early in the evening, and then trying to kill time (years before I had a family) until the small hours of the morning. Dragging myself to the gym at around 03:00, thinking it would be quiet, that I could test things out, not worry about how silly I looked. Turns out there are plenty of folk ,who are very dedicated to improving their fitness, and 03:00 isn’t such a challenge for everyone!
So, perhaps you’ve got yourself a ‘day-pass’? Most gyms have a version of this. Usually costing just under £10, its not a bad place to start if you want to see how things pan out for you, or if you want to try out a couple of gyms before signing up to monthly payments.
You may have browsed equipment online in preparation and, perhaps - like me - you thought to yourself “a nice new pair of lifting gloves with wrist supports will do very nicely!”. Or perhaps, like so many, you try to put off going to the gym until you have a body that you feel looks acceptable enough in your gym attire for you to attend the gym!?
Once you’ve gotten yourself into the gym - no small feat by any means - you are now usually faced with ranks of treadmills - some at peculiar angles, some folk running on them as though they’re being chased by an angry mob, whilst others are seemingly taking a stroll. The discerning among you might notice stairs that lead to nowhere, but which seem to have no end. There are machines with cables that do a myriad of things, things one would no doubt like to stand and to read the instructions for, but that might bring attention to you! Then there is the dreaded free weights section. Men and women whom look like they could lift a car with each arm, and whose legs bulge with huge unknown muscles. Where would you start? Which weights should you select, and what should you do with them!?
The purpose of this post is just to give those of you who might be a little nervous, unfamiliar, or perhaps confused, a few pointers that I hope reassures you, but which should, in any case, have you prepared for your first session.
The important thing to remember is that everyone in the gym is working to better themselves. You might think that they are perfection, but its a pretty sure thing that they would disagree. These are people whom, like you, have chosen to actively improve their quality of life, to boost their confidence, to build an inner resilience, or to train to improve their skills. These are people that are focused on their goals, and whom likely have no interest in what you are doing, what you look like, or whether you’re performing with precision. Fail to lift? Well, that’s actually a goal that serious lifters try to get to, but more of that later. Unable to perform a certain exercise of a certain weight, or hit a desired repetition range within your sets? Then you learned something, you can adjust, and you can hone these aspects to maximize the utility of every effort.
And with that, the following are some tips, followed by what I would recommend that you bring with you to the gym, and then a plan for your first sessi
Tips:
Hydrate throughout the day. Try for 1ltr-1.5ltrs. Water, not coffee or energy drinks.
Hydrate throughout the workout. Between sets.
Focus on your breathing and counting: Breathe out with the muscle contraction and, as you control the relaxing of the muscle (the eccentric), take a steady breath in.
Decide upon a time for your session and stick to it. Set a phone reminder. Don’t just “see how you feel on the day”. Have a plan.
Familiarize yourself with the suggested equipment in the plan below. There are alternatives for these if the gym is busy, and the plan can be performed in any order to suit.
What to Bring:
Towel and shower gels for a shower after the workout.
Bottle of water to stay hydrated throughout.
Vest top/T-shirt, comfortable top. Can be layered if self-conscious, but wear something you can dress down to if hot.
Joggers/shorts/leggings
comfortable trainers
A cap and headphones (Personal recommendation - I tend to enjoy my own music, and the cap helps me focus and shut out external ‘noise’)
A rucksack or bag for you shower bit and water.
A padlock. Lots of gyms do not have self-locking lockers.
————————————————————————————————————————————————-The Programme—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Its going to be a full-body workout. Nothing that would cause delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Its going to consist of a little cardio to get your blood pumping, then three sets of 10-12 repetitions, as follows:
3 sets of 10-12 repetitions. Chose a weight that you have to push yourself to get to repetition 12.
Have a two minute break between the sets. If you cant perform as well after this, you may need a little longer.
Cardio (5 minutes)
5 minute cardio on treadmill. Set the incline to 1.5, and the pace steady and manageable; like a brisk walk. After 3 minutes, up the pace to a level that you feel you might need to focus on your breathing rather than talk to someone beside you, but keep it at a fast walking pace. After 5 minutes, hit the cool down button, and after it slows for 30 seconds to 1 minute, hit the STOP button.
Incline 1.5
Pace - brisk walk 3 mins. Fast paced walk 2 minutes.
Chest Press Machine
3 X 10-12
Leg Press Machine
3 X 10-12
Bicep Curls (Cable Machine/free-weights/Isolation machine)
3 X 10-12
Seated Cable Rows
3 X 10-12
And that’s it, first session done! It may have taken you longer than an hour, and that’s okay! Maybe you had to cut the session short as time elapsed - that’s also okay. Ease will come from familiarity and consistency.
Forgemaster’s Tip: The only person you need to impress is yourself. The only person you need to be better than is the you from yesterday!
Be sure to give yourself a nice protein dose after your workout to aid in muscle repair.
If you found this useful and would like to progress things, if you’d like someone to help you stay motivated, goal oriented, to design meal plans or help calculate the nutrition that your body needs to fuel you toward the goals you set, then hit the button below to begin your journey with Michael Rowe Fitness. Check out our available plans, including free nutrition analysis and a free consultation, or chose from training sessions that would suit your lifestyle. We can work together to give you the knowledge, confidence, and results!
I hope that you found at least something from my ramblings helpful. Please drop me an email just to let me know if it did, and in what way please!