Finding Your Way Around The Gym As A Beginner
You may have never entered the gym or you might find yourself missing sessions due to comfortability holding you back. Training is hard enough physically, and psychological aspects can affect how you train. If you’re starting up in the gym as a beginner, ensuring that you are comfortable will increase your ability to get results in the gym. Why? Every training session missed is a potential result left on the table.
Pre-Plan
Usually, this discomfort comes from fear of not knowing what to do once you are at the gym. Pre-planning and routine allow you to not only map out your training session and not feel lost when you are at the gym, but it also allows for consistent progressive overload which helps with the way you progress throughout a training cycle. Frequency and a plan oriented around progressive overload will create results. Results make you happy and happiness reduces anxiety linked to coming to the gym. Not having a plan and feeling like you do not know what to do can do the reverse. You can download a training program online or you can reach out to a coach that you feel you can trust and get along with for advice regarding training.
Focus On Technique
Beginners especially would be smart to focus on safe and efficient lifting technique before loading up on the weight they are lifting. Not being injured is good and it is important to disconnect and disassociate the way you compare yourself to others that may have more experience. They may lift more weight than you but they may also have been training for a longer time. Everyone has (or should be) focusing on technique at the start of their lifting journey. This takes time and is very rewarding when you are able to progress efficiently after this stage. Sometimes it is hard to resist and there is a temptation to increase the weight quickly to ‘catch up’. Resist this and you will be better off.
Use Machines
If you are genuinely intimidated by the gym, then machines are the simplest and safest way to drive progressive overload in the gym. It is hard to get wrong and there is a limited risk of injury when it comes to pushing yourself. These machine movements come with a shorter learning curve and allow you to start progressing at an increased rate once the proper movement is learnt.
Competency comes from frequency. The more you do something the better you become at it. Do whatever you need to do to get in the gym more and you will get better. If machines feel more comfortable for you then do them. If you can resist lifting heavy weights, then learn compound movements. Whatever you do, go in with a plan. Either one that you are happy with online, or find someone in the industry that can help you. If you know a friend who is happy with their trainer, then reach out. Either way, if you plan on lifting for a long period, you would rather learn right, progress over time and stay injury-free in the process.
If you need extra help with gaining confidence in the gym, book in a 2 Week Trial at XGYM. It’s a great way to experience our training environment and trial out our gym, and it’s commitment-free. Click here to learn more and enquire.
