The top 5 tips all gym newbies need to know

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It’s everyone’s eternal promise: ‘I really need to start working out’. But half the battle in plucking up the courage to hit the gym is in knowing the best way to go about it. If you’re gonna be dedicating your evenings to working out and binning the crisps from your packed lunch, you want to get the most out of it.

But don’t fear, gym newbies: Be An Athlete ambassador Dan Wheeler is here with his top tips to get the most out of your budding fitness life…

1) Invest in knowledge first

Most gyms require a start-up fee and then a monthly fee. Typically this averages to about £100, I’d say. Before you sign up to the gym, take that £100 and invest it in learning about nutrition and healthy eating first!

– Hire a coach for half a day to get a grip of the basics

– Buy books on nutrition for dummies

– Book a phone consultation with a highly recommended nutritional coach. Let them teach you.

80% of any result that you want to achieve starts from the inside-out. It starts from YOUR DIET! Get the diet right and the results will come. I can’t stress this enough. It may seem hard to do at first; to consider learning about food and nutrition before you actually become active, but I assure you that long term, it’s the smartest route! Remember, you are now changing your lifestyle, not looking for a quick fix.

2) Book a personal training session

There are a lot of bad trainers out there. Equally there are many amazing ones. Do some research and find yourself a great personal trainer. Again, invest in this time and find someone who can really TEACH YOU, not just train you. When you go to PT session number 1, ask them to show you every single machine/weight first. Understand what they do and how they work. Take a pen and paper and really take notes! When you go to drive a car you have to know where the petrol and oil goes, right? The same applies here. Remember, if you’re new to driving, you can’t expect to drive a formula one car right away! It takes time.

3) Leave the ego at the door, fellas

As men, we’re all guilty of this. You walk into the gym, eye up the biggest guy in there, and try and match him for reps. This inevitably leads to injury which, depending on the exercise, can be extremely serious. When I first started out, I remember trying to bench 30kg dumbbells, only to fall off the bench and almost break my wrist. Remember, you’re new to all this. There’s no doubt you’re eager, however your mind is usually a lot more confident than your abilities, so start off slow. Build up the reps and weight over time. Nobody is going to look at your weights and think any less of you – everyone started out somewhere. And if anything, the guys and gals who train often will likely respect you more for training sensibly!

4) Don’t waste your money on fancy gadgets – save it!

I see this all the time: New diet, new mindset = unnecessary accessories that cost £300. New trainers, new headphones, new iPod, new bag and new protein shakes – all to just run around the block?! The only thing you need to become active in the gym, or even outside of the gym, is knowledge. So take step #1 again and really invest in knowledge and education first. An enthusiastic weight trainer needs nothing more than a pair of comfy trainers, a decent pair of shorts, a few t-shirts and a water bottle!

5) Find a gym buddy

There is nothing more motivating than training with a mate who has the same goals as you – someone you can help push harder each day and someone who can help push you harder, too. Studies have shown you’re 75% more likely to stick to a goal/journey with someone who shares the same journey and can train with you.

So, be sensible with your approach to this new venture. Appreciate that this is a whole new chapter in your life and a really exciting one. It needs as much care and attention as the first time you drove a car, or your first date… do it right from the beginning and you are destined for a successful, stress-free, journey.

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