What you Need to Know Before your First Gym Session

Let’s be honest. Everyone knows that they should be eating better and exercising more. But that’s difficult. That’s why some people avoid it at all costs.

Successfully getting into fitness might require you to go to the gym for the first time. This can also be a terrifying moment. Everyone’s first steps in the gym is intimidating. There are machines that look like they’re from outer space, and complete strangers are about to watch you try to use them probably incorrectly. That’s not even mentioning the anxiety of the amount of weight to lift, and how many times you should be lifting the weight.

Let’s just relax a bit.

I've been lifting weights for over 5 years. Looking back at when I first started, I did so many things wrong but it took me a lot of trial and error to get to a point where I’m more comfortable in a gym than anywhere else away from home. I am nowhere near knowing everything - not even close. There have been many times when I thought I knew what I was doing, only to find out I was wrong.

In this article, I’ll share four things I wish I had known before my first visit to the gym to ensure you achieve the success you’re looking for.

1 - No one knows what they’re doing

Fitness is an enormously deep topic, but it is also extremely simple. Your goal might simply be to move your body more, and that’s perfectly fine. On the other hand, the most experienced person in your gym is worrying about amount of grams of protein they’ve consumed today. My point is, no one knows everything there is to know about fitness. We’re all in the same boat.

Nobody is born with a good understanding of fitness equipment or perfect exercise techniques. Everyone starts at the same place when they start training in the gym, you’re not alone.

The sooner you acknowledge this fact, the better. You won’t get anywhere by pretending you know what you’re doing

Remember, everyone in the gym was once a beginner, and they understand the journey you're embarking on.

2 - Don’t overthink it

I know. “Don’t overthink it” is like advising someone with the flu to be “just be healthy”, but you’ll quickly realise that there isn’t much to overthink fitness. You’ll get further by simplifying as much as possible.

Over time, you'll gain confidence, and the gym will become a familiar and comfortable space. It’s normal to overthink anything before you’ve experienced it enough to be comfortable.

Embrace the discomfort you will inevitably face to become a stronger person physically and mentally. That strength will translate to your relationships and career.

3 - Warm-up

Warming up primes your body for the workout ahead. Be kind to yourself. Starting a workout without warming up is not dissimilar to revving your engine to the limit as soon as you start your car on a winter morning. You, like your car, will most likely damage yourself.

So why skip the warm-up to save 5 minutes?

Just like most other topics in fitness, warming up doesn’t need to be complicated. You can even include your warm-up in your normal weight training. For example, for the first exercise in a muscle group, I always start with a low weight and high reps for a warm-up set or two. This helps me get used to the movement and warm up the worked muscles for the main sets.

4 - Film yourself

I’m not writing this because the world needs more fitness influencers - far from it. But there's a great benefit to filming yourself completing an exercise. You’ll notice a big difference between what you feel like you're doing and what you're actually doing.

You could be doing an exercise in a way that is bound to cause injury if you carry on, but it feels comfortable during the movement. This is most likely due to muscular imbalances as well as inexperience with moving your body in such a regimented way as an incline bench press, for example.

The best way to discover the truth is to film yourself doing an exercise. This is a big help, especially if you're wondering how your form is. Poor technique will only lead to poor results and injuries.

5 - Follow a plan

You don’t need a plan straight away but writing out, or at least following a detailed workout programme will get you to that next level.

We all started by walking into the gym with no plan. I used to do a few exercises until I felt tired and thought that was enough. Sure, I felt great afterwards, but I couldn’t track my progress as time went on, and didn’t see any measurable results.

Generalised training programmes on TikTok won’t get you to where you want to be, though. You need a programme specific to you - what you like to do, what your goals are, and what facilities are available.

I use the Strong app and a spreadsheet to track my training and progress over time. And best of all, both options are free.

Summary

Stepping foot into a gym for the first time will change your life. It’s important to remember this: the goal is consistency, not to drain every ounce of energy from your body during a workout.

It doesn't have to be a scary experience. By keeping these key points in mind, you can approach your initial gym visits with confidence and excitement. Embrace the process and enjoy it!

As always, if you need any extra support then hire a coach!