Being a gym newbie can be scary! You don’t know anyone, everyone seems to know more than you and you might be embarrassed by the weight you are lifting. Well lets me start by saying this is all false. In this article, we are going to be covering some tips and advice for anyone that has recently joined a gym, anyone that is a “Gym Newbie”. So let’s get straight into it.
Tip 1: People are Friendly, No one Hates you
When you first start the gym you may look around and just think that everyone hates you because you are new, or that no one wants to talk. While some people like to have headphones in and ignore the world, this doesn’t mean they are nasty people that hate you. They are just in the zone. Some of my best mates are people I have met in the gym. If you need a piece of equipment but someone is on it, don’t be scared to ask how many sets he has left. Maybe if you could jump in between sets, 90% of the time they will say that’s fine. It’s a great way to meet new people and also learn some tips and advice form the gym floor. While we are on about speaking to other people, this leads me perfectly up to our next top tip.
Tip 2: Ask for a spot!
Never, and I mean never be scared to ask for a spot! If you feel like you might struggle or fail with a certain lift, ask someone on the gym floor for a spot. 90% of people will finish their set and come over and spot you. No one in the gym wants to see anyone get hurt. Don’t ever try a new or heavy lift without a spot.
It is far better to ask someone for a spot than to risk injury. This will also go the other way, someone might approach you and ask you for a spot, If they do just finish your set and head over to give them a hand. Again another way to met people and gain some tips and advice. Progressive overload is needed to make improvement and get stronger, but you won’t be able to do that without a spot or a lifting partner.
Tip 3: Don’t judge yourself on other’s Progress
There are a lot of people in the gym, a lot, and some of them while being more shredded than you, some of them will be stronger than you and some of them will be bigger than you. As a Newbie, you tend to focus on these people, however, don’t let this put you off, or make you feel like you are not getting anywhere. Your gym goal is to reach YOUR goal. Ignore everyone else. Keep lifting your weights, running your run and see the progress in yourself.
One small tip I like to do for this is to take a few starter photos (Front, Side and Back facing). Continue with gym then after about a month or two take the same photos and then you can compare the photos to see your progress. You will be amazed at how much progress you have made when you compare you to you. Don’t compare yourself to others, compare yourself to you.
Tip 4: Form over weight! All the Time every time!
Being a newbie to the gym you will want to lift as heavy as possible, no matter what it takes. Well, as the phrase goes, Leave your ego at the door. Not only will sloppy form not help you get stronger or build muscle, but it will also increase your chances of getting injured. Which no one wants. Focus on form, a great form will help you more than heavyweights will. Will it look as impressive to others? Most likely not, but as we have said in Tip 3, your goals are yours.
We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t lift heavy. The way to think of it is you have to lift as heavy as possible in your chosen rep range while keeping strict form. So as a beginner, learn from and the weight will come. If you have any questions or need any help on your form, Get in touch over on our Advice page.
Tip 5: Gym will get busy, prepare to improvise
There is an issue with gyms that you will quickly catch on to, they get busy, very busy at certain times. This isn’t a huge deal, but as a newbie, what you do have to learn is that if you have a workout guide or a routine that you want to follow you will have to keep it flexible.
You may have to change up your workout due to the gym being busy. For example, you may have programmed to do Barbell bench press but when you get in there all the bench presses are busy. You will have to swap out bench press for something like an incline dumbbell press. Don’t be afraid to swap out exercises and try new things, It helps keeps working out fun and fresh. As we said in tip 1, it is always worth asking how many sets they have left and if you can jump in while he rests.
Conclusion
Being a Newbie you might find the gym floor a bit intimidating, there tends to be a lot of people that have been working out longer, just remember that doesn’t mean they know what they are doing or are even good at it. What you have to remember is that everyone is there for the same purpose. If you are struggling for workouts you can always check out the workouts on the Sets & Reps workout application. Perfect for a home workout or perfect for a gym workout. If you want to give it a go you can download it here for free. If you want any help with fitness and nutrition you can check out our FAQ page or our Blog. However, if your question still hasn’t been answered then you can send us an email over at our advice page.
Written by Kieran Blacker
Kieran is the CEO and Founder of Sets & Reps. He decided to make an application that helped people get a gym workout when not at the gym. He designed, Coded and built the application himself.