Starting as a Gym Newbie: Tips to Heed If You’re New to Working Out
4 min read
Wanting to start on a workout regime will be quite a daunting task at first, especially when you’re still new to all of it and don’t exactly know what to do. There’s probably going to be some bias on your part since you’re not going to want to feel the pain from all of the rigorous exercises you put yourself through.
You’re going to be kind of lazy to follow that regime that you came up with since that’s a chance you’re willing to take. Still, you probably don’t have the energy, commitment, nor dedication for it yet. Not to mention how many of the people who you’re going to work out within the gym are probably already reaching the bodies of greek gods and goddesses, so why wouldn’t you be intimidated.
Table of Contents
Get Your Knowledge Up to Speed
You never know how much you could have missed out on, especially with all of the new gear and tech that could come into your local gym. You wouldn’t want to use quality equipment when you don’t even know how they work or how to utilize them properly, would you?
So brush up on all of the new equipment and tech you might use when you’re slimming down or bulking up! Also, you could purchase powerlifting equipment and other exercise machines for your home workouts to keep you satisfied even when you’re done working out at your gym.
Set Realistic Goals First Before Anything Else
Once you’ve set the ultimate goal for yourself, writing the subgoals for you to achieve would be much easier. Subgoals like the more minor achievements, such as running a mile(or 1.6 kilometers) to the finish line even if you run out of breath. Reaching those smaller goals will help you stay more motivated to reach your final goal!
Come to Terms with Discomfort and Pain
It’s a common thing to experience a plethora of discomforts when you first start working out – like running out of breath quickly, your muscles aching, and lots of sweating. That’s just your body showing you that you’re not used to all of that activity. As long as you’re consistent and endure all of those minor discomforts, then you won’t even find it as a discomfort soon enough.
You might feel uneasy and very timid at first when you’re working out at the gym with a not-so-chiseled body, but don’t worry, everyone there at the gym(including you) is all working toward the same goal! So they’re more than likely to help you out if you don’t know how to do something the proper way.
It’s Important to Warm Up
Not doing a simple warm-up before doing your workout is a widespread mistake among beginners – and it’s quite an unhealthy practice. It might even lead to unnecessary injuries down the line. Doing that warm-up, as tedious it can be, is crucial because it allows you to get into a rhythm and mobilize all of the muscles and joints you’re going to use in your workout.
Get the Proper Gear for Working Out
You wouldn’t be able to set a mood for working out unless you’re dressed for the occasion, right – dressing up for the occasion pretty much goes for any other activity anyway. So make sure you get the proper clothing for working out.
It could be as simple as a basketball jersey with some shorts and a great pair of shoes. Don’t also skimp out on the accessories. Most of the time, they’re not just for show. Knee Sleeves, arm sleeves, arm bands, and other accessories can help protect your body and offer support when you’re working out.
The most important out of all of the articles of clothing that you should get are the shoes since those are the ones you’re most likely going to be investing in. Not to mention that you’re going to need to pick the right shoes for the correct type of movements you’re going to be doing. Like how tennis shoes are ideal for lateral movement and how running shoes are ideal for, well, running.
Make Sure to Have the Correct Amount of Everything
By everything, we mean everything. Ensure that you’re always drinking the right amount of water so that you don’t feel dehydrated when working out – especially since you’re losing a lot of the water in your body as sweat. Dehydration can lead to a loss of performance when working out, and how are you going to achieve your goals faster if you don’t keep your performance up?
You also need to make sure that you’re getting the right amount of rest – in between your sets and even outside of working out. You won’t want to burn yourself out as soon as you just started exercising because you didn’t take any breaks, right? Make sure you’re getting the right amount of sleep, and try to set aside one day out of the week as a rest day.
Takeaway
It’s going to be a rough start for everyone, but as long as you have a goal in mind and you try your darndest to stick to that goal, then you’re more than likely to achieve it! Don’t forget, always try to consult with professionals since they’re there to help anyone they can, not to mention how you could make lots of friends to work out with there in the gym!