+ A FREE BEGINNER WORKOUT PROGRAM
Maybe you’ve been there yourself.
Knowing you need to start exercising but have no idea how to start.
We’ve had this conversation hundreds of times with people looking to get started in the gym.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP?
There is one critical step above all the others that you need to follow if you want to actually succeed in getting in shape:
1) JUST DO IT.
The most important thing is going to just doing something that moves you towards your goal. If you’re new and still working on forming the habit of going to the gym, try starting by just driving to the gym. Even if you don’t go exercise, try to make sure you’ve at least driven to the gym.
We’re simply trying to build the habit of going to the gym. At a certain point in your journey, the hard part is not the exercise, it’s about showing up consistently.
Let this process evolve.
Once you’ve developed a habit of driving to the gym, start going in and getting changed. If this is as far as you make it, that fine but let’s make this our new habit.
Just show up.
Eventually, you’ll feel that you’ve spent time getting ready and driving to the gym, you might as well take advantage of it and do a little bit of work. Gradually build on this until you’ve created a habit of getting a great sweat on!
STEPS THAT WILL HELP YOU SUCCEED IN THE GYM.
FIND A GYM THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR WORKOUTS
Not all gyms are the same. You need to decide how you’re going to go about getting in shape. Are you going to do it on your own? Do you prefer a 1-on-1 trainer? Are you a social person that prefers group accountability?
Find a gym that is right for whatever style you choose.
If you know you aren’t going to learn about exercise and how to do it safely, you should probably look to a group class or personal trainer. One of the easiest ways to de-rail your fitness efforts is to get injured and if you aren’t sure if you’re doing something correctly, increasing the weight (or intensity) or turning it into a repetitive movement will almost certain lead you to injury or imbalance.
If you know how to move properly and what types of workouts will help you get to your goal, you’re probably OK going to a big globo gym. As long as you aren’t doing anything other than body building. Often times there are weight dropping restrictions, noise policies, and policies surrounding how the equipment is used. If you’re looking to do High intensity interval training like CrossFit, you might have a hard time in some places or at the very least get some nasty side-eyes!
FOLLOW A WORKOUT PROGRAM.
It’s way too easy to walk into a gym and feel like you have no idea what to do.
Either find a program from a reputable source online, or join a gym that provides programming to you that’s been tried and tested on the people before you.
If you don’t want to worry about finding either of these, most personal trainers will create a program that is built for you and your specific goals.
There are so many workout programs online that are simply reused, generic programs that are being sold by influencers who are very good at marketing. Their messaging is something like “if you sign up for my program you’ll look just like me”.
Don’t fall for it. Let this be a big red flag for you.
FIND A PLACE YOU’RE COMFORTABLE IN.
If the gym you find is full of judgement, and not very friendly, it’s going to make the first step (the most important step) extremely hard to overcome.
You’re going to find it really hard if you have to go to a place you don’t feel comfortable in.
Find a gym with people who learn your name.
Find a gym with people who will help you if you need help.
Find a gym that inspires you to be your best.
ACTUALLY GETTING STARTED.
Alright, it’s time to do it!
Find a gym near you, and give them a call – or drive there! The first step is starting the conversation to see if it’s right for you.
You can do this. We’ve seen the craziest circumstances succeed in a supportive environment. If you can follow some of the guidelines laid out above, you’ll have a good chance at success.
If think you need a hand with all of this, please reach out – we’re pretty good at this!
BONUS: FREE STARTER WORKOUT PLAN!
If you are going to try and do it on your own, having a plan you can follow makes everything much easier. We’ve crafted these workouts over the years and put this together as a good starting point for someone – even if you’ve been to the gym before.
As we mentioned above, if you’re going to try getting in shape on your own, you need to do some research on your own. The nice thing is, every question you can think of is on Google!