A Beginner’s Guide to the Gym

After working out in the gym for a few years, I went from a totally inexperienced person to a gym rat. I just want to go back in time and show the way around the gym and get some guidance. Okay, I can not do that, but the best thing I can do is help others!

First most important thing is choosing the right fitness gym. You should choose the best fitness gym like LA Fitness. Second is I can tell you what to eat when to exercise, what to do, but you will not see any results until you have your own will, your vision, your commitment. Because really, deep down in us we all “know” exactly how to eat, we all “know” that exercise is good for us, but as long as you really want to, it won’t last as long as you really adhere to it. You need to change your life.

Schedule (and stick to it!)

I call this long-term exercise. Your health and fitness come first (before work). Life is more important. Don’t worry, your employer is not reading it. Prepare a plan that has the best chances of not interrupting and have the rest of the time. I recommend three strength training days and three cardio days and one full rest day. The sample schedule is as follows:

Have a plan!

When going to the gym, always make a plan; A set of goals to work towards. Bring a pen and paper to the gym. Forget about other people, believe it or not (if not more) then you lose and just go to the gym and “work” to “work”. You wrote a plan with clear and concise goals, not you, to focus on your progress and whether you did your exercises properly. Keep a list to set and repeat based on your progress. This applies to both strength and cardio!

Your plan should include warm-up, exercise (actual exercise), cool-down, and stretching. For example:

Sample Energy Day Exercise:

• 5-minute warm-up cardio
• Stretching
• Core exercises
• stretching (optional)
• 10 – 15 minutes of continuous cardio (to reduce fat)

Sample Cardio Day Exercise:

• stretching (optional)
• Warm-up intensity
• Core exercise
• The intensity of the cold
• Stretching

How much weight should I use?

As a guide, use heavy weights that allow you to complete the entire workout with the right form. In other words, suppose you are doing a set of 10 reps of dumbbell press. Use the weight you can do in 9 good forms and that tenth representative is very hard and if you make the eleventh attempt it will break the form. Proper form is very important and hence those glasses are in the gym.

What exercises to do?

Start Simple It is important to watch progress over time. Progress should be moderate and noticeable. It shows that you are motivated and that your plan works. For starters I will include the following exercises:

Flowers, squats, lugs, presses, curls, tiles, and pushdowns. You can find definitions and patterns on the internet (Google and YouTube are your friends). On your first day, do one set of 10 reps of each exercise, and then do two sets each. Remember to rest for 30 seconds between sets and 60 seconds for the hardest practice. Do not rest too long to keep your heart rate high.

For example, do two sets of 10 repetitions of the following:

• Pushups (If you can’t do pushups, try kneeling on the floor).
• Prisoner squat
• Forward Loss
• Dumbbell curls
• One plank (stay in the plank position for 30 – 60 seconds), this is a set.
• Pushing down the triceps
• Lateral low

After the workout: Protein!

During the next 30 minutes after your workout, when your muscles are still warm, eat some protein, preferably thinner. Examples include a protein bar, whey protein shake, or thin slices of meat. They make the best use of their exercise sessions by feeding the muscles when they are more receptive.

How much cardio should I do?

If you are really thin, you will not get much benefit from doing cardio in the beginning. Leave for some time you have gained weight. However, if you are overweight, cardio can help you burn that fat quickly, so it should be part of your schedule form.

Strength training can help you burn fat for 24 hours and keep it away. Cardio workouts can help burn fat, improve heart health, and reduce anxiety. However too much cardio can cause you to burn muscles and time is important for strength training so you will not be too tired. As I mentioned above cardio days are different from training days. I call these active leisure days.

On your cardio day, do 30 to 40 minutes of high-intensity  training . For example, start with a five-minute warm-up program. Then increase the speed to 100% intensity (all-out) for one minute, then switch to low intensity (say 20%) for two to three minutes. Do this one cycle, 5-6 times, and then slowly cool for another ten minutes to cool. That’s your exercise.

Gym Gear

I already mentioned the pen and paper, but you need some clothing for workouts (t-shirts and shorts) and cross-training shoes. The MP3 player is also useful because the music will play you. You can also bring a protein bar after your workout. Do not forget body wash, shampoo, towel, and deodorant.

Read also: 12 Good Reasons To Get Back In Shape