First time in the gym: where to start and how to behave

It is most difficult for beginners who find themselves in the gym for the first time - they often do the exercises incorrectly, do not know where to start their workout, how to eat properly, what to do to achieve the desired result. A novice athlete may have questions about whether he needs a coach, whether to take a friend with him to training, and what clothes and equipment to choose.

Going to the gym for the first time: false myths

Anyone who comes to the gym for the first time is nervous, slightly afraid and stiff. Such feelings arise due to the huge number of “myths” associated with the place to cultivate one’s body. Let's look at what beginners need to do for the first time in the gym, and what they shouldn't be afraid of.

Everyone is looking at you

Most experienced athletes do not pay attention to beginners until they start doing ridiculous exercises with the wrong technique. In this case, in the gym you can catch a sideways glance or remark.

Such situations can be easily avoided - get a trainer or work out with a friend who already has experience in strength training.

No coach needed

Bodybuilding enthusiasts should start their journey in the gym by working together with a trainer. This will allow you to gain initial training experience.

The trainer will always correct the technique of performing the exercise and tell you which muscle group is involved in a particular movement. A mentor in the gym will tell you about the intricacies of nutrition, regardless of the goal of the trainee: weight loss, mass gain, or something else.

The coach will indicate the optimal duration of training, recommend specific sports nutrition, and create a training program tailored to the individual characteristics of the athlete.

You can wear whatever you want to the gym

Before going to a public place, you need to find out what the dress code is there. In places where they play sports, this is sportswear. Good sneakers, sports shorts or pants, a T-shirt or T-shirt.

You cannot come to the gym wearing dirty clothes. There are people just like you studying there. It may be unpleasant for them, since dirty, unwashed items have a specific smell and appearance.

First time at the gym. THE BEST COLLECTION :)))

Myths and stereotypes about women's training

Once women begin to dive into the world of training, they have no idea how many myths and harmful stereotypes they will encounter there. You need to talk about them so as not to fall under their influence.

About excessive muscularity

Many are afraid that exercise will lead to their figure becoming overly muscular and unaesthetic. In most cases, this is not possible, unless, of course, you start taking incredible amounts of steroids or other testosterone-boosting drugs. Most women simply don't have enough natural testosterone to build the same amount of muscle as men.

By starting to exercise, you are more likely to give your body a sporty and fit look, rather than become pumped up.

About yoga and weakness

Some people believe that yoga and stretching are not effective ways to tone up. Most of these “people” are men, but there are also women among them, and they believe that any kind of flexibility training will lead to improved fitness.

This simply has nothing to do with reality, and any professional fitness trainer will tell you this. Stretching is also very important before starting any workout.

Where to start for a newbie in the gym

There are many things that girls and guys who come to the gym for the first time need to pay attention to. It is worth deciding in advance on your ultimate goal, devoting time to studying the theoretical part, finding an experienced trainer, and drawing up a training plan with him. Initial actions will help the trainee to show interest in iron sports, and will also help avoid possible disappointments and injuries.

Decide on your training goal

Lose weight;
Tighten the body;
Classes on an ongoing basis.

Do you want to lose weight? Train large muscle groups. They eat a lot of calories. Reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet and add protein. It is also recommended to gradually increase the intensity of the workout, reducing the rest time between approaches and exercises.

Do you want to become slimmer? Add cardio exercises such as jumping rope, running or swimming to your gym routine. It is best to perform them before training as a warm-up, for 10-15 minutes.

Have you decided to study permanently? Then get ready for gym training to become your favorite hobby. It is often difficult to drag people into the abode of building a beautiful body, but after that it is impossible to kick them out of there. The main thing is to follow the advice of the trainer and all the basic concepts of training with iron and nutrition. In this case, you can count on a stable increase in muscle mass and strength indicators.

Starting from the goal, you can move on. It is advisable for a beginner to find a coach, and if that doesn’t work out, work with a good friend who will give instructions.

Study the theoretical part

We live in a time when all information is available online. Anyone can learn how to eat and what exercises to do to develop certain muscles. There are training videos on the Internet and on our website that show the technique of movements. You can even look at a training split, a technique used by a professional athlete from the bodybuilding field.

It will be useful for a beginner to learn about what sports nutrition is. Probably, for some, myths as old as time about the dangers of such additives will be dispelled. So, if you use protein, gainer, BCA, and amino acid complexes wisely, this will have a positive effect on the athlete’s results.

Follow experienced athletes who you want to be like. The main thing in this case is not to copy the entire diet and training, but to take only the main, key subtleties into account.

Make a workout plan

The best training is when an athlete does exercises “by feel”, feeling which muscle group needs to be trained on a particular day. True, this rule does not apply to beginners. An inexperienced athlete who comes to the gym without a training program for a specific day is doomed to spend most of his time “inventing” the next exercise.

It’s good if a novice athlete has a certain theoretical basis and knowledge. But it is better to approach training with responsibility and preliminary preparation. It is mandatory to create a split.

Read also: 10 Reasons why muscles do not grow after intense training

Example of a training program for beginners:

Monday – chest/triceps

Bench press on a horizontal bench.
Incline dumbbell chest press.
Exercise machine "Butterfly"
Bar push-ups.
French press.
Finally, cool down with light cardio and stretching.

Wednesday – legs/shoulders

Squats with a barbell on your shoulders.
Leg press.
Leg extensions in the simulator.
Lifting with a barbell on your toes (for pumping the calf muscles).
Dumbbell raises to the sides (sitting, standing).
Army press.
Barbell row to the chin.
Finally, cool down with light cardio and stretching.

Friday – back/biceps

Wide grip pull-ups with extra weight.
Deadlift.
Bent-over barbell row.
Upper block pull.
Barbell curls on a Scott bench.
Hammer style dumbbell raises.
Finally, cool down with light cardio and stretching.

At first, the optimal repetition range will be 10-12. 1-3 approaches per exercise. The interval between sets (approaches) should be from 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the athlete’s condition. The break between exercises is no more than 5 minutes. The workout itself should last (in the case of an inexperienced athlete) no more than 45 minutes.

Get a training partner

One of the surest ways to achieve a good result is to practice together with an acquaintance, friend or significant other. There are simply a lot of positive aspects to such training:

There will always be a person who can provide backup during a heavy approach.
With a partner, there is no time to be distracted by your smartphone - you do the exercises one by one.
Motivation – training partners do not allow each other to be lazy, which makes training extremely productive.
Competitive spirit - if two people are approximately equal in their parameters, they will be interested in competing with each other on the way to the desired result.

First time at the gym. Tips for beginners.

How long does it take to build muscle?

We strongly do not recommend listening to the results of search engines, and also trusting the promises of the organizers of trainings and marathons, who talk about the possibility of gaining a beautiful, toned body by the summer, by the New Year, in a month or two. In each case, the process of building muscle mass will be individual and specific. No two people are alike, just as no two people are alike.

The rate at which you gain muscle mass depends on many factors. The main ones:

genetics and age;
hormonal levels and metabolism;
diet;
intensity and quality of training;
restoration and others.

Many processes in the body can slow muscle growth, from hormonal imbalances to emotional problems. Therefore, it is worth approaching goal setting rationally and individually. Rest assured that with the right approach, you will progress day after day and be able to take a step towards your desired shape with each workout. But it is incorrect to name specific dates - they are always individual and often depend on the athletes’ expectations. Therefore, some achieve the desired shape in a year, while others strive for it throughout their lives.

How to build muscle after 40 years?

With age, irreversible changes begin to occur in the human body. This applies to both muscles and the musculoskeletal system as a whole. After 40 years, you can still achieve a beautiful and fit body, but doing it from scratch will be much more difficult than at a younger age. However, the one who walks will master the road.

Rules for effectively gaining muscle mass after 40 years:

Each meal should contain a maximum of protein - about 0.4 g per 1 kg of your body weight.
It is necessary to alternate intense strength training with unloading exercises.
Particular attention should be paid to the health of joints and ligaments - you can train only after consulting a doctor.
It is necessary to get all the essential amino acids; leucine alone will not be enough - if necessary, it is worth choosing high-quality sports nutrition.
It is important to control hormonal levels and, whenever possible, influence metabolic processes.

Thus, after 40 years of age, you need to take in twice as much protein with each meal as when you were 20 years old. Please also note that training should be regular: as soon as you stop, muscle mass will melt.

Therefore, decide in advance whether you are ready to devote enough time to beauty and health so as not to be disappointed in the results. And if you are ready, feel free to sign up for training. It is advisable to exercise under the guidance of an experienced trainer - this way you will minimize the risk of injury and achieve results faster.

Some tips for working out in the gym

Not everyone can approach exercise in the gym correctly. Many people have the goal of getting a beautiful body while improving their health. But it often happens that a person forces events and, through his stupidity, gets injured, as a result of which he only harms his body.

Don't chase the scale (in the beginning)

Increasing the weight on the apparatus is always nice. This helps a person to assert himself in the eyes of his company, friends working out in the gym, who will see your progress. However, at the beginning of training, chasing weights is not appropriate - the athlete must first develop technique in all basic movements, strengthen his body: bones, ligaments, joints.

The weight should be increased gradually, slowly, when the feeling comes that the current working weight is becoming too light. So, about 12 repetitions with a fixed apparatus is a reason to “add” a little.

Basic exercises - best for beginners

For a novice bodybuilder, the priority should be the “puerlifting trio” with one amendment - follow the correct technique. The fact is that basic movements engage the maximum number of muscle groups - this is a stimulus for the release of hormones by the body.

True, you should not neglect isolation exercises - the main thing is to prioritize the basic ones. For example, after a classic chest press on a horizontal bench, it would be advisable to perform a French press.

Don't train each group on a separate day.

After all, this training method is mostly suitable for experienced athletes. It is best to give preference to classic training schemes of three days a week. We recommend combining the following muscle groups:

The legs can be trained along with the deltoids.
Biceps along with back.
Pectoral muscles in combination with triceps.

This is a classic option. You can come up with your own. Important to remember:

Large muscle groups are quite difficult to train in one day; it is recommended to distribute them one at a time per workout. Large muscle groups include: legs, back, chest.

Record results, set goals and achieve them

Practice shows that a person who writes down the results of his workouts on paper is much more productive in his next sessions. It's all about the psychological factor - the motivation to work to improve your performance is much higher when everything is captured.

By recording the number of repetitions and weight in a particular movement, a person will always be able to analyze his results. Determine what he is doing correctly and what aspects of the training process need to be corrected.

A good solution would be to keep a diary in which the athlete, after training, will record the maximum working weight taken with good technique during training in a particular movement.

Train at the same time

Whether morning, afternoon or evening, most workouts should take place at approximately the same time. Then you can count on getting the most out of your body during exercise. He will know that it’s time to work.

Training in the gym at a certain period of time should become the rule. After class, it is advisable to have a good rest - choose a time period with this in mind.

Features of circuit training for girls

In girls, in general, the main fat accumulations are distributed in the abdomen and hips. This is how mother nature intended for the birth of a child. But often these reserves exceed the “permissible” ones. A feature of circuit training for girls in the gym for burning fat is performing a larger number of exercises to block the abdominal and thigh muscles.

It is better for girls to avoid the gym in the first day or two of their period, so as not to provoke a cycle disruption. But if you want, you can do it by excluding abdominal strength exercises and squats. No food should be taken before or immediately after the class. The effect of the training is reduced. If you have a cold or fever, do not do the exercise, because the body needs strength to fight the disease.

Drinking during exercise is not recommended; you can only rinse your throat or mouth with plain water.

Remember the gym rules

The gym has its own rules that you should adhere to:

Sports equipment (barbell, dumbbell, exercise machine with weight plates) must be disassembled as soon as it is no longer in use.
Before you start doing exercises on a bench, machine, or with a barbell, ask: “Is anyone training with this apparatus?”
Screams and sighs are excessive. You need to attract as little attention to yourself as possible and not make extraneous sounds. Of course, we are not talking about normal breathing.
The training uniform is always clean, free of the unpleasant smell of the previous training.
Talking on the phone or chatting on social networks during training is not very popular with others. Especially if you have taken a popular simulator.
Stepping over the bar means showing disrespect for the athlete, and you can get a good scolding for this. This is a bad omen for powerlifters, especially before record attempts.
Working out without a T-shirt is convenient, but not respectful of others. If you really have to, or if your sports uniform is an open T-shirt, you should lay a towel over the exercise equipment and benches. This will avoid leaving traces of sweat on the equipment.
Be friendly. If your interval between approaches lasts about 3 minutes, do not refuse others to alternately use the apparatus.

By following these rules, the likelihood of catching a sidelong glance is significantly lower, and getting positive emotions from training is higher.

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Basics of women's training

Regular strength exercises allow you to achieve the necessary results; you should not think that strength training can turn a woman’s figure into a masculine look. This is practically impossible, since a large number of distinctive features between the physiology of men and women eliminate this type of problem.

Women's training has its own basic principles, which include the following points:

Any type of exercise should consist of several stages, this is, first of all, a warm-up for muscle tissue, basic exercises, and a testamentary warm-up.
Time is allocated for cardio exercise.
During physical activity, exercises for all types of muscles should be performed.
Correctly completed tasks enhance the results obtained.
Classes are held even on menstrual days, but with less intensity.
The most optimal training time is one hour.
It is recommended to visit the training room every other day.

Following these simple rules allows you to achieve your goals much faster and maintain the results.

Mistakes made when warming up

Warm-up takes too little time; often, 1-2 minutes is not enough to properly warm up the muscles and joints.
Only the part of the body that the athlete will load according to plan is warmed up, for example, the shoulder girdle. But in vain, regardless of the complex, you need to warm up the whole body.
Warm-up begins with stretching, sharp swings or twisting, and this is very dangerous. Start with cardio, only then do joint exercises and muscle stretching.
A warm-up is considered to be the first warm-up approach with a light weight. This has already been said, this is an incomplete warm-up; muscles or joints will quickly get injured from this method.