You finally did it! You signed up for a shiny new gym membership. You can’t wait to start pumping those muscles and feeling that sweet burn as those nasty calories fall away. But besides the excitement and anticipation, you’re feeling nervous and maybe even a little scared. Kind of like how you felt on your first day of school. We feel you and that’s why we’ve prepared this handy guide on what to expect as a gym newbie. Let’s go!
The warmup
Taking your first step into the gym is like prepping yourself for your workout. You want to take it nice and slow. The key is not to rush it. And the best way to do that, set up a meeting with a personal trainer, front-desk member or fitness specialist for a quick tour around the gym. Ask questions that will make your workout experience more pleasant such as what the culture is like or what the general rules and regulations are. You can also ask for a few demonstrations of the machines you might like to work on.
The training
Now that you’ve had a quick look around and have a rough idea of what goes where, take your time to explore the gym and try out the equipment. If you can, preplan a workout routine that allows you to utilise different types of machines. Stick to the basics first like treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes. Then slowly move on to compound exercise machines or free weights. If you’re not sure of how to use a particular piece of equipment, don’t be afraid to ask. You just might make a new friend!
The cool down
So you’ve tried out the machines and even made a few friends! Yay! But you might still have some burning questions about the equipment or your workouts. Well, the best time to get those questions answered is before you leave for the day when everything is still fresh in your mind. When you’re done, give yourself a huge pat on your back. You just survived your first day as a gym newbie!
Before you go, there’s just one last thing to remember, always observe the gym etiquette of cleaning up after yourself and, most importantly, have fun!
