Do you know what a beginner should do in the gym? Discover here all the tips to start on the road to health!
If you're new to the gym and feel a little intimidated by the seemingly professional people around you, don't worry! Incorporate these tips into your next workout and you'll be feeling like a regular gym junkie in no time!
1. Plan and monitor progress!
The most important start is to go to the gym with a specific training plan! But what you do with that plan is arguably even more important.
One of the biggest tips a beginner should have in their arsenal: keep track of what you're doing! Take your exercise plan with you to the gym and write down the number of repetitions and the weight of each exercise.
This is how you can participate in progressive overload and how you will become stronger over time! Tracking your progress also means taking photos of your progress, measuring yourself (but no more than once a week)
2. Don't be afraid to ask for help
As a beginner, it's common to have questions and be unsure about how things work. There is usually a trainer in the room and there is a reason - ask him anything you have doubts about!
Learning how to use the machines correctly goes a long way in boosting your confidence in the gym and building a sense of belonging with your fellow gym goers. If you don't ask for help or advice, you run the risk of doing an exercise incorrectly, which at best won't help you get fitter, and at worst could seriously injure you.
3. Focus on the training plan
In strength training, the form of movement is decisive. It's important not to rush through an exercise and simply use momentum to move the weights. Take things slowly and feel the correct form of movement. This is especially useful for determining the repetition range of certain exercises. If you're not sure, you can ask your trainer for a workout plan analysis or browse YouTube for proper demonstrations of most exercises.
4. Choose the right weight
It is important to correctly choose how much weight to use for a particular exercise. Some people underestimate themselves and tend to choose light weights. Others want to lift weights hard and hard from the start, and that doesn't help either. The muscle contraction felt during training is important for the weight used. Focus on that feeling at first, then increase the weight as you get stronger and move it more easily.
5. Forget complex, excessive exercises
In fact, your favorite insta-fitness gurus didn't get their enviable bodies by doing complex exercises. They started with the basics, best practices, and then started to specialize and get a little more creative. Stick to simple but compound exercises like squats, bench presses, deadlifts, pull-ups, lunges, and bent-over rows. Any exercise that works multiple muscle groups at once is best for both muscle growth and fat loss.
6. Turn on the mind-muscle connection
If you've never heard of the mind-muscle connection, learn about it now! Here's the thing: by focusing on the muscle(s) you want to use during that exercise, you actually make them work harder. It may take time to really tune in and learn to feel the muscles working, but the more you can imagine the muscles working and find that feeling, the less you will zone out during your workout.
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Source: https://business.virtuagym.com/magazine/essential-tips-for-the-gym-beginner/