In everything we do in our daily lives, at some point we were a beginner. We all had to begin somewhere, not necessarily the same place, but we have worked our way through the beginning stages of different activities. From driving, to writing, to even working we have worked our way from beginners to veterans, so when it comes to fitness don’t let yourself be put down because there is so much to learn. We were all here at one point.

How Should Start I Working Out?

This question is asked all the time by people who want to start working out but have no idea where to begin. I have found that if you know someone who works out already, then hanging out with them at the gym will help you quickly pick up different tips and tricks, while you also learn from experience. If you don’t have some one to tag along with don’t fret you still have options. The best way to start working out is to assess your own bodies tolerance (to working out, and different weights/exercises). When you are first starting out you will find that you quickly tire, and are very sore the next few days, your body will adapt to this and it will not be so bad in a few weeks. To start assessing your body I would say give yourself a good amount of time to go to the gym, maybe 1-2hours, and go there with a workout plan already in mind. Generally you want to hit as many compound workouts (workouts that work more than one main muscle group) as you can. This will help you to assess your entire body and get yourself used to specific workouts. Generally I would lean towards the following exercises: bench press, shoulder press, dips, curls, squats, lunges, dumbbell lifts, dead lifts, etc. Not all of these workouts are necessarily compound exercises but they will help you to assess your tolerance. When you begin to feel tired or worn down, go relax with some cardio, or ab workouts, you don’t need to work your entire body your first day at the gym. I would also recommend keeping a log, not only for what you plan on doing but also for what you actually do at the gym. You can record sets, reps, weights, etc. per exercise. Now that you have finished your first day at the gym and have your log, take 3-4 days of relaxation to let the soreness completely go away (soreness happens because your body is recovering, which is making you stronger) after the soreness has gone away I would come up with a good workout plan, a general workout that has proven very effective for me is 3×10 (3 sets of 10 reps per exercise) and major muscle groups a day (chest+triceps, biceps+back, shoulders+legs) this will keep your muscles recovering while you are working other muscles.

After the Beginning

Now that we have a workout routine in mind, and have assessed our bodies tolerance, we can set goals that we plan to achieve. Setting goals is the best way to attain results, it helps motivate you and keep you consistent. Each visit to the gym you should be trying new weights (even if its only an added 2.5lbs) the more weight you lift the stronger your body will become, making more intense workouts possible. Remember to take it easy the first few months, you make start seeing results right away, you might not, either way you need to pace yourself and not try to overdo it. I have seen a few people get hurt right after they began working out because they try something beyond their tolerance.

Keep it Going!

Remember the beginning is usually the least fun, and hardest thing to get through. Once you move yourself past the status of beginner the real fun begins. You will be seeing changes in your body that should be enough to motivate you to keep going. If you aren’t finding yourself motivated enough then try setting more goals to help keep you motivated. Motivation is key when trying to keep yourself at the gym. Consistency is directly related to just how motivated you are to go to the gym, so the more motivated you are the more consistent you are, the more consistent you are the better the results will be.

Be sure to read my other articles for other ideas on a workout routine, different exercises, how to develop specific muscles etc.

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