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First Steps in Fitness: A Beginner's Guide to Navigating the Gym
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As January progresses, you might be diligently working out, regularly lifting weights, and beginning to notice the fruits of your labor.
But as February approaches, if you feel your motivation waning or haven't quite embarked on your fitness journey, rest assured, you're not the only one experiencing this.
According to data collected by Foursquare, the second Saturday in February is the day most people give up on their fitness resolutions.
Between this day and January 1st, visits to gyms are up six percent.
However, by February 9th, these numbers start to move back towards normal levels.
Perhaps for many, while juggling commitments in combination with the colder weather, dark mornings and evenings, the thought of the gym after a long work day is less than appealing.
Sound familiar?
Here, GymNation answers your new starter FAQs
And deliver a 3-day workout plan that's perfect for beginners to ensure you last long past the January rush.
- Read more: IN2FITNESS GUIDE
How Should a Beginner Join a Gym?
Thankfully, gyms welcome new joiners with open arms, and will likely offer a one day pass or free trial to try the gym and see if it's a good fit. When you try the gym asses whether:
- The gym is a suitable location from your work or home
- The membership price point is realistically affordable
- The membership contract length is realistically suitable for your needs
- You enjoyed your trial and the facilities were suitable for your needs
- It had a friendly, welcoming atmosphere where you felt you could ask for help, should you need it.
A gym membership can be a commitment, so make sure you are absolutely happy with the terms of the membership before joining.
Many gyms now offer rolling contracts to avoid getting locked into anything long term.
What Should I Take to the Gym for the First Time?
It's important to set yourself up for success in your first gym session. This means making sure you:
- Wear something you feel comfortable and confident in.
It doesn't have to be flash. Make sure it's loose fitting and allows you to squat down comfortably. - A bottle of water.
This may seem obvious but it's easy to forget one of the most vital accessories to your training session. - A towel.
It's important to lay a towel on equipment you may use it's just good gym etiquette.
There may also be facilities available to wipe down equipment after use. - Headphones.
Unless you fancy having your workout accompanied by the receptionist's favourite hits, then bringing along a set of headphones and a good playlist can make the session a lot more enjoyable.
How Should a Beginner Start at the Gym?
Upon joining the gym, most memberships will include an induction.
This will teach you how to do the basic moves and use the equipment with correct technique.
If you haven't had an induction, where you can find all the gym moves with form breakdowns and benefits.
Or, follow our ultimate weight training guide for beginners to know exactly which weights to head for when you enter the gym:
Once you've nailed the basics, you can move onto some short workouts to gain some momentum with your training goals, blasting past the February slump.
We've included three 15-20 minute beginner's workouts to get you started, or, if you're already hitting regular workouts, keep these in your back pocket for the days you're short on time and low in motivation.
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Beginner's Workout
Before each workout, complete a warm up of 3-5 minutes on a cardio machine of choice and then 5 walkouts and 10 bodyweight squats, 2-3 rounds.
Warm-up
Squats
x10 reps, 2-3 sets
Standing tall, keep your chest up and sink your hips back before bending your knees, dropping your thighs until they are at least parallel to the floor. Drive up back to standing, ready to repeat.
Walkouts
x5 reps, 2-3 sets
Reach to touch the floor in front of your feet, bend at the knees if you have to. Walk your hands out along the floor until you reach the high plank position. Reverse the move back to standing, ready to repeat.
Workout 1: Upper Body Focus
Complete a superset of dumbbell bench press and bent-over rows. To do this, complete 10-12 reps of dumbbell bench press and immediately at the end of the set, start bent-over rows.
At the end of the super set rest 60-90 seconds before starting the next set.
For the EMOM 5, every minute on the minute for 5 minutes complete 10-15 push press.
Superset: Dumbbell Bench Press
x10-12 reps, 3 sets
Lie on a flat bench with the dumbbells up above your chest with your arms straight and your palms facing away from you. Lower the dumbbells either side of your chest, at 45 degrees below your shoulders. Feel a stretch across your chest before pushing the dumbbells away from you, ready to repeat.
Superset: Bent-Over Row
x10-12 reps, 3 sets
Hinge at the hips with a flat back and your hips behind your heels, your dumbbells hanging by your thighs.
Row the dumbbells up to your hips while squeezing your shoulder blades together, keeping them away from your ears. Slowly lower the dumbbells, ready to repeat.
Bicep Curls
x10-15 reps, 3 sets
Start with the dumbbells hanging in front of your hips with your palms facing upwards.
Keep your elbows glued to your waist and bring both dumbbells up to meet your shoulders.
Keep your shoulders pinned back – don’t cheat by using the hips.
Push Press
xEMOM 5 complete 10-15 reps
Clean your dumbbells onto your shoulders, palms facing in.
Take a breath and brace your core.
Dip at the knees and use your legs to help press your dumbbells overhead. Lower under control.
Workout 2: Lower Body Focus - AMRAP 15
After your warm up, set the timer for 15 minutes, complete all reps of each exercise with as little rest between sets.
Stop when you absolutely need to, at the end of 15 minutes note down how many rounds you completed, try to beat it the following week.
Reverse Lunges
x20 reps
Complete weighted or bodyweight depending on ability.
Stand tall with your dumbbells in each hand or one dumbbell in the goblet position.
Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step backward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground. Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg.
Goblet Squats
x15 reps
Complete weighted or bodyweight depending on ability.
Hold your dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest with your palms facing upwards.
Standing tall, keep your chest up and sink your hips back, before bending your knees to drop your thighs until they are at least parallel to the floor.
Drive up back to standing, ready to repeat.
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
x10 reps
Hold your dumbbells at your sides.
Hinge at the hips by sending them behind your heels with a flat back while the shins stay vertical. When your back hits parallel or just above, reverse the movement back to standing.
Burpees
x5 reps
Start standing tall, reach down into a crouched position with your hands either side of your feet.
Shoot the legs back by jumping into a high-plank position with your core locked. Perform a chest to floor press-up by lowering yourself all the way to the floor and then push yourself back to the high plank.
Jump the feet in between your hands back into the crouch position.
From here, jump up explosively with your hands overhead. The burpee is an advanced exercise for many. Here are some options to regress the burpee to make it lower impact:
- Take out the jumps: Instead of jumping, stand upright in between reps.
- Regress the press up: If you find yourself struggling with the press-up portion of the exercise, perform it with your knees down.
- To regress the exercise even further: Take out the jumps and press-ups completely by reaching down to the floor, crouching down, stepping into a high plank before stepping the feet back in and returning to standing. This is one rep.
Workout 3: Full Body
Complete a superset of TRX pistol squats and rows.
To do this, complete your reps of TRX pistol squats and immediately at the end of the set, start the rows.
At the end of the superset rest 60-90 seconds before starting the next set.
Use the same superset format for dumbbell deadlifts and incline press-ups.
Superset 1: TRX Pistol Squats
x5 reps each side, 3 sets
Grab a pair of Olympic rings or TRX straps, stand tall with your arms bent and elbows tucked into your waist. Lift one leg off the floor and keep it straight.
Squat down on the supporting leg, letting the TRX take some of your weight. Push through the supporting leg back to standing, ready to repeat.
Superset 1: TRX Rows
x10-12 reps and 3 sets
Grab a pair of Olympic rings or TRX straps, walk your feet forward until you’re hanging with straight arms in a strong plank position.
Keeping your elbows close to your body, row yourself up towards the rings.
Pause here for a second before lowering yourself under control back to a full hang, repeat.
Superset 2: Dumbbell Deadlift
x10-15 reps, 3 sets
With a pair of dumbbells on the floor, just outside of your feet, hinge down with a flat back and soft knees to grip them.
Squeeze your lats and stand upright – picture pushing the ground away with your feet. Take a deep breath and reverse the movement to the ground.
Superset 2: Incline Press-Ups
x10-15 reps, 3 sets
Use a bench, block or stack of plates to grip onto. Hit a high plank position and keep your core and glutes engaged.
Lower your chest to the bench and keep your elbows close to your body as you push back up explosively.
Farmer's Carry
x20 metres, 3 sets
Stand tall with your weights in each hand. Let your arms hang freely at your sides, take a deep breath into your core and begin a fast, deliberate march.
When you reach a 20-metre mark, turn around without letting the weights swing and head back.
Source: menshealth
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