Everything you need from this beginner’s guide to the gym.
So, you’re new to the gym and its time to check out a beginner’s guide to the gym. Or you’ve been before and just want a quick refresher course on all things to do in the gym. Walking into a gym for the first time ever, or first time in a long time, can be a daunting task. But you’ve already made the choice, so might as well stay.
Truth is, when you go to the gym no one is watching you. Maybe if you go to a gym bro, muscle head gym where the slogan is superficial at best, then you’ll get stares. But most gyms you’re going to find everyday fitness folks, some quite muscular and others not so much, working out to give themselves a healthier lifestyle and effective gains so they look great for all occasions.
Despite your hesitations, push them aside, you’ve made the choice to go to the gym and get a great workout already so why bother with the nonsense that keeps you away. This beginner’s guide to the gym will give you everything you need to get started so you only see the best gains possible.
Where To Begin
You’ve made the choice to want to work out again, but where to begin. Easy steps to follow for first getting started are:
Set Your Desired Goal
Setting your desired goal is important so you know what you are working towards. Without a goal, you are aimlessly walking around a gym with zero clue what to do. Plus, having a goal gives you something physical to look for so results don’t seem as elusive.
Find A Workout Plan For You
Finding the right workout plan for you can be incredibly daunting. We have many on our site alone that can get you started and continue to beef up those gains as you get more comfortable in the gym. Knowing your goal will help with this step because it will allow you to see what is necessary to see those desired changes take place. Mixing in compound and isolation exercises is important, as well as knowing the proper number of sets and reps. Your training split should reflect the goal you seek.
Find A Comfortable Gym
You want to find a great place to train so you are comfortable with working out. By comfortable we don’t mean lounge chairs and massages. We simply mean a place where you feel you can get a great workout, work hard and grind away, and see serious gains even as a beginner.
Best Tips When In The Weight Room
Once in the weight room, there are some important tips for you to learn as you progress further with your training and this beginner’s guide to the gym has it all.
Learn Proper Form
Proper form cannot be overstated. So many people injure themselves off the bat with too much weight and improper form that is something you absolutely do not want (1). Taking the time to learn the right form and give yourself the best in terms of physical health will only amplify your gains.
Build Mind-Muscle Connection
Building mind-muscle connection is important for this will help reinforce form as well as build muscle (2). When looking to capitalize on those gains, building muscle isn’t about lifting heavy weight. You want your muscles to grow. If your muscles don’t feel work done, it doesn’t matter how much weight you lift.
Use Machines & Free Weights
Machines and free weights are both in the gym for a reason. Use them. Machines will give you stability and weight assistance as you really get serious weight moving, while free weights challenge your balance and overall stability by allowing you to lift freely and work on imbalances as well.
Change Lifestyle
Just because you decided to workout, doesn’t mean you are home free for gains. This requires changing your lifestyle inside and out of the gym including things like diet and supplementation (more on this further down). That shredded aesthetic, for example, happens in the kitchen just as much as the gym and you need to reframe your mindset to allow yourself to thrive.
Move Slow & Be Patient
There is no need to rush anything. Building muscle and slimming down takes times, despite what we actually want. Moving slow and having patience will allow you to enjoy the process of working out as you give yourself time to step away from the stress of everyday life and do something beneficial for yourself.
Best Supplements For Beginners
Supplements are game changers for those who work out and knowing the right supplements to take as a beginner will be super important when it comes to your gains.
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Protein Powder
Protein powder can pump you with vital amounts of protein and allow you see gains by maximizing your protein intake. Great for muscle building and recovery, it can also help with weight loss by keeping you more full (3).
BCAAs are a great intra-workout supplement designed to help you push through fatigue, kickstart recovery earlier, and build muscle (4). BCAAs are short for branched chain amino acids and the three of them are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Plus, this gives you a tasty supplement to drink mid-workout.
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Pre-Workout
Pre-workout is that supplement to give you energy and serious muscle pumps to get blood flowing for increased muscle growth and better workouts (5). It is important to look at the caffeine amount in these supplements for that can affect everyone differently and potentially cause some side effects. For beginners, however, don’t hesitate to look into a stim-free pre-workout for no stimulants with the same benefits.
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Multivitamin
Everyone should take a multivitamin anyway but especially for those beginners who are new to lifting. Multivitamins will pump you with essential vitamins and minerals so you never suffer a deficiency and can get the most out of your overall health.
Wrap Up
This beginners guide to the gym will hopefully give you a better sense of what to look for when it comes to boosting all your gains. For those new to the gym, well done, you’ve made it. Following these steps can greatly help you get to where you need to be so you see those insane gains, even as a beginner.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
- Hsiang, S.; et al. (1997). “Low back pain (LBP) and lifting technique- A review”. (source)
- Calatayud, J.; et al. (2016). “Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training”. (source)
- Pasiakos, S.; et al. (2015). “The effects of protein supplements on muscle mass, strength, and aerobic and anaerobic power in healthy adults: a systematic review”. (source)
- Blomstrand, E.; et al. (2006). “Branched-chain amino acids activate key enzymes in protein synthesis after physical exercise”. (source)
- Martinez, N.; et al. (2016). “The effect of acute pre-workout supplementation on power and strength performance”. (source)