First time gym visitor?

Have you decided to finally go to a gym but have no idea about how to get started? You are not alone. Thousands, why, even millions of new gym joiners have no idea what to do when they eventually go to a gym.

I have personally seen this myself at before we opened up Octane and I was employed at Spectrum Athletic Clubs people would come in and randomly try out weights, machines and exercises only because they have seen someone else do it.

In this quick post, I will introduce you to two very simple workouts, with an additional optional workout, to help you get off to a fantastic start with your efforts at the gym.

Before we get into the workouts, I need you to first understand the importance of “resistance training”. Most people who get into the gym hit the hamster wheel or the treadmill. While cardio is important, what these people fail to understand is that building lean muscle mass with resistance training is also extremely important.

Resistance training or working with weights might not make you burn as many calories as you do running. But, it is what happens after you train with weights that makes a huge difference. When you build lean muscle mass, your body’s metabolic rate increases significantly. This means that you will burn off calories at a much higher rate than usual, for a period of 36 to 48 hours after your weight or resistance training!

Cardio will help you lose fat but that fat will come right back on when you stop your cardio workouts. With resistance training however, you build precious lean muscle mass that will always keep you at a higher fat burning rate, as long as you preserve that lean muscle mass.

Now that you understand why it is important to do resistance training, let’s get you started with two simple workouts specifically designed for starters at the gym.

Lower body workout for starters at the gym

This exercise is called a simple deadlift. You can do it with a single kettlebell. Targeted muscle groups are your lower back, hamstrings and glutes.

• Choose a kettlebell with light weights to start with
• Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart
• Slightly bend your knees
• Hold the kettlebell between your legs
• Lower the kettle bell to the floor and back up to a standing position
• Keep your chest up while doing reps. A good way to check you are doing this right would be to see if your shirt’s logo is facing forwards and not down
• Don’t round your lower back and you go down and come up
• Aim for 15 reps
• Perform 2 sets

Upper body workout for starters at the gym

This exercise is called a simple overhead press. You can do it with a pair of dumbbells. Targeted muscle groups are your shoulders, arms, your core and even your legs to a certain extent.

• Choose dumbbells with light weight to start with
• Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart
• Hold dumbbells in front of you, at your shoulder height, with palms facing inwards, with your forearm at a 90° to your upper arm
• Press up until your arms are almost fully locked out
• Lower until your upper arm is parallel with your shoulder
• Aim for 15 reps
• Perform 2 sets

Optional back workout for starters at the gym

If you feel good after the above two exercises and can do more, try to throw in a back exercise. The back is a huge muscle group and targeting the back is a fantastic way to increase lean muscle mass.

• Choose dumbbells with light weight to start with
• Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart
• Slightly bend your knees
• Bend forward with a 60°, without rounding your back
• Fully extend dumbbells downwards
• Keep elbows stationary and to the side of your hip and pull back until your upper arms just past your upper back
• Aim for 15 reps
• Perform 2 sets

The confusion about weights, reps and sets when starting out at the gym

As shows above, anyone starting at the gym should perform 15 reps and 2 sets each. This is the optimal number of reps and sets for starters to ensure reaching the highest capillary density possible.

If you are just starting out at the gym or are coming back after several months, stick to 15 reps and two sets for about 2 to 3 weeks. Your body will need that time to condition itself before you can move on to higher reps and more sets and also before being able to handle heavier weights.

As for weight selection, a good rule of thumb to follow is to check if your 15^th rep is just about barely manageable. If it is too easy, your weight is too light. If it is too tough, your weight is too heavy. Adjust accordingly. Very light weights will not engage your muscles while very heavy weights can result in injury that will put you out for weeks.

Frequency is more important that long workouts!

At Octane Fitness, I always stress on the fact that frequency of workouts is better than spending two hours at the gym, but only once or twice a week. Starters should try to hit the gym 3 times a week and then progress towards 5 times a week.

Remember, 3 x 30 minute workouts a week is better than just one long 2 hour workout a week!

Did you like my post on how to get started with resistance training at the gym? Come visit us to carry out these workouts at one of the best result oriented San Antonio gyms out there in Octane Athletic. One of our devoted trainers will watch over you and ensure you get started with your gym workouts, the right way!

Visit us at Octane Athletic at 4902 Golden Quail #102, San Antonio, TX 78240 or visit octaneathleticperformance.com for more information.